Lego's collaboration with Pokémon is set to release several new building sets on August 1, featuring both popular Pokémon and significant human characters from the franchise. The upcoming wave includes brick-built versions of Rayquaza, Arcanine, and Munchlax, each designed with hundreds of pieces to create large, blocky interpretations of the creatures.
These monster-specific sets follow the established style of previous Lego Pokémon releases. While the blocky aesthetic might not appeal to all fans looking for accurate representations of their favorite Pokémon, the appeal often lies in the building process and the displayable final product. The Rayquaza set is priced at $130, Arcanine at $110, and Munchlax at $70.
A more elaborate and significantly more expensive set recreates Professor Oak's lab, the starting point for many trainers in the Pokémon universe. This $300 model is shaped like a Poké Ball and opens to reveal Professor Oak with three Poké Balls, ready for a new trainer. The set also includes a small battle arena with mini-figures of Red, the protagonist from Pokémon Red and Blue, and a Bug Catcher trainer. This trainer is depicted with a Pikachu and an Eevee. This inclusion of trainer mini-figures suggests a potential for future sets focusing on human characters from across the Pokémon series.
Additionally, an $80 oversized minifigure of Red is part of the new wave. While its design is noted as less clean than the standard mini-figure, it is intended to be in scale with some of the 'Smart Play' Pokémon sets also launching next month, potentially allowing for the creation of dioramas. Red will also be available as a keychain, alongside the oversized minifigure, on October 1, though pricing for the keychain has not yet been announced.