The Pokémon Company has revealed the latest new rascally little monster to appear in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and it’s quite the scamp. Grafaiai, as the name somewhat implies, is a graffiti artist, and it’s tagging your trees.
Pokémon are really upping their game when it comes to the socials and reveals, and Grafaiai’s is a great example. As with last year’s peculiarly frightening Arceus promo, this latest is in the form of a documentary. But there are no scares or implied frozen deaths this time: instead it’s just some low-key public vandalism.
I’m joking. Graffiti (with the obvious exception of that tedious hack Banksy) is art, and Grafaiai is a legit artist. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing the Pokémon’s tags appearing in the real world.
The name is seemingly a portmanteau of “Graffiti” and “AiAi,” the star of Monkey Ball (I will not have my mind changed about this), and Grafaiai is indeed a new Monkey-type, specifically a “Toxic Monkey Pokémon,” given that its paint is apparently poisonous. Here are its vitals, revealed today:
Category: Toxic Monkey Pokémon
Type: Poison/Normal
Height: 2'4" (0.7 m)
Weight: 60 lbs. (27.2 kg)
Ability: Unburden / Poison Touch
We’re told that it’s a nocturnal and “moody Pokémon with a fastidious disposition.” A loner, it’s apparently always fighting for territory with other monsters, during which it uses its “poisonous saliva” to attack its enemies! Crikey, chill, little monkey-mon. Its saliva changes color based on what it eats, which I’m hoping is about berries and not its victims, but I’m not confident given it apparently licks its nails and then slashes at rivals to further poison them.
Hello. I am Kotaku’s resident toxinologist and I would like to point out that this Pokémon is in no sense “poisonous,” but in fact “venomous.” It is venom in its saliva and on its claws, not poison. It would be “poisonous” if its toxins entered other creatures when they ate it. Thank you.
This marks the 13th brand new Pokémon to be revealed for this November’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, alongside the collection of cutesy starters, the motorbike legendaries, and the very edible Lechonk and Fidough. Please do not attempt to eat either of them should they have recently encountered Grafaiai.