Pokémon Concierge is Psyduck propaganda for the Pikachu lover

Step aside, Pikachu! Pokémon has found its new star and this glittering lighthouse is a round yellow duck with a chronic headache. Psyduck is the scene-stealing sidekick of Pokémon caretaker, a new stop-motion animated Pokémon series from Netflix and Dwarf Studios. Like any good Pokémon series, there are plenty of cute little guys to gush over in this series, but Psyduck stands out from the crowd. Pokémon caretaker is pure psyduck propaganda, and I’m here for it.

Pokémon caretaker follows a young woman named Haru as she takes a new job at a Pokémon resort. In her role, she has to keep the Pokémon happy and make sure they have fun (the Pokémon’s concierge, so to speak). At first she has a hard time finding the perfect Pokémon partner, but after a chance encounter, she becomes eager to befriend Psyduck, who later becomes her most important friend in the series.

If you want to love this Psyente, all you have to do is watch the damn duck do something. I love the way it squints when it uses its psychic powers, or the absolutely horrified look it gives when it goes underwater, even though it’s a water-type Pokémon. No matter what happens, Psyduck delivers. Even the way it moves in the scooter – it makes an enchanting noise to match the hum of the engine – is iconic. In another moment, you can see it holding a regular old seashell to its ear, presumably to try and hear the sea. Every scene with Psyduck is like a brief but fleeting moment of pure, unadulterated mindless bliss.

Image: Zwergenstudios/Netflix

The Psyduck redemption arc feels particularly notable given the historical treatment of the Pokémon in other series. Haru has a Pikachu-print scarf and fangirls over a group of Pikachu visiting the resort. (Funnily enough, one of her colleagues comments, “Another hopeless Pikachu lover.”) But even her love for Pikachu can’t dent Psyduck’s irresistible charm. When she matches Pokémon to certain types of candy, she says, “And the yellow one is Pika – I mean, it’s Psyduck,” and the once-shy duck snuggles right up to her.

OLM, the animation studio behind the original anime, chose Pikachu as its mascot for this reason its popularity among young children in the early years of the franchise. Today, Pikachu is the powerhouse behind Pokémon: Pikachu was introduced in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for over 20 years. Pikachu was the only Pokémon that stayed with Ash from season to season in the anime. It can also be on one overwhelming amount of merch and stars how many of them Themed plush toys. There is a Pikachu trainand Pikachu even becomes whole Pikachu parades.

Few others have withstood the all-encompassing fame of the electric mouse. Sure, Eevee has become the second-tier mascot and Charizard gets to appear in many games, but no Pokémon has ever come close to Pikachu. In Pokémon caretaker, we meet an adorable Pikachu, but this Pikachu doesn’t have the esteemed role of being the main character’s sidekick. That honor now goes to Psyduck!

I remember watching the original Pokemon anime with Misty’s Psyduck as a kid. She verbally abused her Psyduck and openly hated her. It was portrayed as unreliable and stupid. For this reason, I kind of wrote off Psyduck as an idiot of a Pokemon. However, I leave my consideration Pokémon caretaker a changed woman: I will never tolerate any kind of Psyduck slander again – not even from Misty.