‘TikTok’ creator goes viral by bringing adorable Pokémon to the real world

TikTok user Dave ‘daveliquidlizard’ Ashby has found fame after creating a series of TikToks showcasing a variety of animated Pokémon interacting with the real world.

Ashby’s TikTok videos have racked up millions of views by imagining a world where Pokémon are a normal part of every day life. From Machoke’s time at the arcade below to countless other adorable situations, Ashby’s TikTok account has struck a chord with Pokémon fans across the world. While most of his videos have around 100,000 views, several of them boast an audience of several million.

@daveliquidlizard

playing some retro arcade games with Machoke ????????️ #pokemon #pokemongo #3d #animation #machoke #ar #vfx #retro #gaming #arcade #3danimation

♬ Permission to Dance – BTS

@daveliquidlizard

Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles! Happy Halloween! ???? ???? ???? #pokemon #pokemongo #PokemonPets #cute #3d #ar #tmnt #turtles #halloween #costumes #memes

♬ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cartoon Closing Credits (1987) – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

With tens of videos that feature all manner of Pokémon in the real world, viewers have a decent chance of spotting their own favourite Pokémon in at least one of the videos.

@daveliquidlizard

Meanwhile, in the lab, Dr Pikachu makes a discovery! ???? #pokemon #pokemongo #PokemonPets #cute #3d #ar #animation #ditto #pikachu #funny

♬ Mew’s Theme – Pokemon

From earlier in the year – and with much fewer views – Ashby also has a YouTube account where he uploads archive footage filled with similar Pokémon content. In the video below, fans can see Gastly and Gengar hanging out, before Machoke – presumably after visiting the arcade – drops by to get a tattoo from Gastly.

A quick scroll reveals that Ashby has been bringing Pokémon to life for years. His Twitter account mentions he is “a freelance digital designer and 3D artist”, which is how Ashby is able to create such adorable AR (augmented reality) Pokémon models. Even more impressively, Ashby has created many of these models during live Twitch streams.

In other news, an upcoming League Of Legends skin has been labelled “pay to win” by casual and professional players alike. The skin in question – Nightbringer Tryndamere – has a timer that displays exactly when his invincibility will end, something that is not present in any other Tryndamere skin. While this is useful for enemy players, it’s actively detrimental to anyone looking to use the skin.