The Pokémon Joy-Con Charge Stand Doesn’t Force You to Choose Your Starter

One of the most agonizing decisions that can face a would-be Pokémon player is also one of the very first decisions: choosing a starter. For decades, millions of Pokémon masters-in-training have struggled to pick the best or most appealing starter for them. But with the Pokémon Joy-Con Charge Stand, peripheral maker Hori appears to want to spare players from that pain. At least, it does for as long as it takes to charge one’s controllers [Thanks, Famitsu!].

The solution, as it turns out, is fairly simple. Give buyers of the Pokémon Joy-Con Charge Stand every starter! That is, every starter if you’re mainly concerned about the original Pokémon games. The stand is decorated with the three original starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Two other Generation-1 starters are also honored in the package’s included protective Joy-Con casings: Pikachu and Eevee. The ever-popular Pikachu was the only starter option available in Pokémon Yellow. During that game, the player’s rival is given Eevee as his starter, though Eevee itself didn’t become an actual starting Pokémon until the Switch-based Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee!

The illustration is also contiguous when at least two Joy-Cons are docked, allowing players to bring all the starter Pokémon together for the three to seven hours it takes to fully recharge a pair of Joy-Cons. The Pokémon Joy-Con Charge Stand can handle up to four Joy-Cons in total, though the art only covers the front.

The Pokémon Joy-Con Charge Stand will be sold in Asia and Japan starting in April 2021. It will cost about 4,378 yen (about $42 USD).