Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s mochi-induced “Chicken Dance” gets players in a flap 

A certain dance in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Pokémon SV) is going viral on social media both in Japan and abroad. This article contains spoilers for the DLC’s epilogue, Mochi Mayhem, which was recently made available on January 11. 

The dance that has got everyone in such a flap is the so-called Mochi dance, which bears a striking resemblance to the chicken dance. In the epilogue of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, the main character returns to Mossui Town in Kitakami with their friends Arven, Penny and Nemona. Suddenly, Carmine shows up, acting very strangely.  

The cause turns out to be a new mythical Pokémon called Pecharunt. Pecharunt is a Poison/Ghost Pokémon with a bizarre and sneaky attack. It so happens that the Pokémon can make yummy looking purple mochi sweets called Binding Mochi, which it shoots from its shells. Eating these mochi causes people to…. do the chicken dance.  

Reactions on social media range from amusement to second-hand embarrassment, with many cracking up at how funny and goofy it is. In the post below, X user Limited Time has captured footage of Arven and Penny’s possessed dancing after Pecharunt fired mochi directly into their mouths. Meanwhile, some streamers, like WDMichael, took the opportunity to join in with the dance. 

The appearance of the dance in Pokémon SV has also received attention from players in Japan, where it is called the “Kibikibi dance.” In the Japanese version of the game, the dancers end up saying “kibi kibi,” but this was changed into “mochi mochi” for the English localization. Several users observed differences in how each character dances, with some Pokémon characters getting into the swing better than others. 

The unexpected effects of Pecharunt’s Binding Mochi have inspired fan art and creations, such as the multi-Carmine video below. 

This is not the first time that a quirky dance from a video game has captured the imagination of fans. Not so long ago in 2022, the Koopa Troopa Dance from New Super Mario Bros. became a TikTok meme. 

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC are now available on Nintendo Switch.  

Based on the original Japanese article by Kosuke Takenaka (original article’s publication date: 2024-01-18 16:18 10:21 JST)