Welp, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Fans Are Kissing Their Monsters

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may be plagued by a bevy of technical exploits and glitches, but fans of the monster-collecting RPG are still enjoying Paldea’s open world. You can hang out with your monsters in a variety of ways across the new region,, including having a picnic. Some players, however, are taking that “hang out” part just a bit too far, discovering a peculiar little exploit that lets them smooch up one particular Pokémon.

There are some ways to “Paldea and chill” with your Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet. Aside from just roaming the world, taking in the sights and getting in a selfie or two, you could also have a picnic. It’s a nice side activity you can do anywhere in the mainland, to catch a break from all the monster battling and collecting, letting you make sandwiches for some handy buffs, chat with the Pokémon romping about, and even, um…give them a bath. When interacting with a monster, by pressing A on your controller, the creature will lean in and dispense hearts from the top of its head. This is supposed to indicate an estimation of your friendship level with your Pokémon monsters, but since Meowscarada is bipedal and roughly the same height as your trainer, performing this action makes it look like y’all are k-i-s-s-i-n-g (blush).

Dropping just 10 months after Legends: Arceus, Game Freak’s Scarlet and Violet are the new hotness in the long-running Pokémon series. Despite a litany of problems, from trainers’ arms clipping through their eyes, to Poké Balls interfering with the camera, these two games have still become the fastest-selling games in Nintendo’s history. And in part, for good reason. Co-op is a joy; the open world, while not totally perfect, does push the game’s formula in a compelling, free-flowing direction; there are more monsters to grow obsessed with, like this death dog and this yassified peacock; and you have Meowscarada, the final evolution of the grass starter (and weed kitty) Sprigatito, for whom players have quickly caught feelings. You can kiss it well, sort of. (You can even get hugs from certain Pokémon, too, like the intimidating Ceruledge.)

Now, obviously, this isn’t an actual kissing animation and an unintentional coincidence, despite your trainer’s eyes closing at the point of skin-to-um-fur impact. Still, since players have discovered this curiously intimate affectation, fans across the internet are now falling in love with their Meowscarada.

I get it. The kitty is pretty damn adorable already, and Meowscarada’s ninja-like design is quite fascinating, especially with the tantalizing look it gives through the four-point diamond-shaped mask. Who wouldn’t want a kiss from it, even if it’s just a quick peck on the cheek? (Um, you know, regular people? -Ed)

There’s a lot going on in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Though I shouldn’t be surprised by the shenanigans players get up to, I didn’t have “kissing my monsters on a date” on my bingo card for this year. Consider me shooketh.