I think you’re all a bit too obsessed with Pokemon, because what do you mean a Charizard-shaped Cheeto is selling for thousands of dollars

Pokemania is out in full force, it seems, as Pokemon fans have genuinely bid four figures on a Charizard-shaped Flamin’ Hot Cheeto.

Pokemon is massive enough that most of us have probably partaken in the sweet fruit of Pokemania somewhere along the line. That time has passed for me, I think, having become disillusioned with the franchise thanks to the waste of $60 Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was, though I do still enjoy some of the older titles from time to time, and I do like to pick up a packet of the trading card game just so I can feel alive again. Maybe I’m just getting older, too, but here’s one thing I can’t understand: why on this beautiful green rock of a planet called Earth would you spend upwards of $4000 on a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that just so happens to be shaped like Pokemon poster-boy Charizard?

This might sound like a story from The Onion, but no, this is a very real thing that you yourself can currently bid on over at Goldin, a site that describes itself as “the leading auction house for trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia.” And look, here’s the thing: that Flamin’ Hot Cheeto absolutely looks like Charizard, undeniably. The shape of the head, the wings, the tail, even the arms and legs are more or less proportionate. You really can’t look at this guy and think anything but “woah what the hell, that Flamin’ Hot Cheeto looks just like Charizard!” The seller has even put it in a little custom frame that looks like a Pokemon card, dubbing it Cheetozard, perhaps predictably.

The thing I’m struggling with is the fact that someone has a genuine bid of $4250, a ridiculous sum of money for a food item that is literally up to seven years old – seriously, the description notes that it was “initially discovered and preserved sometime between 2018-2022.” Each to their own, I suppose.

In any case, the rest of us more casual Pokemon fans have something to look forward to that won’t stain our hands red, which is a new Pokemon Presents presentation slated for next week’s annual Pokemon Day. That’ll almost certainly provide a proper look at Pokemon Legends: Z-A, so make sure to tune in if you’re desperate to know more.