The series hasn’t even been released in the U.S. yet, but Pokémon anime fans are already adopting Fuecoco as their favorite son. Sprigatto and Quaxly who?

Pokémon Horizons: The Series is the newest iteration of the Pokémon anime after the original series recently concluded its 25 year run. Horizons, which premiered in Japan in mid-April, follows the adventures of trainers named Liko and Roy, who will be replacing Ash Ketchum as co-protagonists. While Liko has bonded with the grass cat Pokémon Sprigatto, the fire crocodile seems perpetually attached to Roy. The goofy shenanigans they get up to remind me a lot of how Pikachu would set the lighthearted tone in the original anime.

Read more

• The 15 Best Games For Sony's PlayStation 5

• The 22 Best Games For The Nintendo Switch

Fans are sharing their favorite clips of Fuecoco on social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. While it’s exciting to finally see Paldea’s fiery starter Pokémon in all of his fully animated glory, there’s more to Fuecoco here than just his adorable appearance. It turns out the fire-type ‘mon can sing. Or rather, he produces a funky warbling noise while loafing around clumsily. For most of his fans, that’s enough. People are getting incredibly protective over Fuecoco.

tiktok-7229737178689981738

Fans on TikTok have even proclaimed Fuecoco as their “son,” with one video expressing anguish that an enemy Pokémon appeared to “slap” the fire-type starter across the face. I’m sorry to say that Pokémon is an anime about making your pets fight each other. We’re probably going to see a lot more injured Fuecoco before it evolves into a Crocalor. For now, please enjoy his goofy little antics.

It isn’t just Fuecoco’s singing abilities that charms fans. The fire-type starter has the disposition of a small child. Just watch him drop his Chesto Berry into the ocean, and then cry about it. Damn, that’s relatable. I too have dropped my snacks onto the ground and then become inconsolable about it.

Fuecoco is good, actually. Just look at him. You can’t possibly resist the charms of that sleeping face. Pikachu left massive shoes to fill, but Fuecoco is carving out his own niche among lovable Pokémon mascots.

More from Kotaku

• All The Big Pokémon Games, Ranked From Worst To Best

Sign up for Kotaku's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.