Knowing which Pokémon to hug can make the difference between a good time and grievous injury.

Despite being monsters armed with an array of weapons designed to damage their opponents, Pokémon are adorable. More than one fan must have imagined what it would be like to scoop one up and hug it until it bursts. That’s all well and good for the cuddly, furry pocket monsters like Pikachu, but what of the spikier, bladed ones? Surely they need love too? Japanese Twitter user @kanami33 has helpfully explained the potential pitfalls of hugging certain Pokémon with some pretty nifty artwork.

▼ Click on the tweet to see larger images.

https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/913425084940873728

“About hugging Pokémon with upper body spiky bits. (Please forgive me for height and proportional and compositional differences)”

@kanami33 shows in the left-hand image that snuggling with some Pokémon with upper-body protuberances, like Gardevoir and Gallade, is perfectly safe as their spikes should bend out of the way, leaving their hug partner’s chest entirely un-impaled. Compare that to the right-hand side image, where some none-too-bright Pokémon fans have foolishly wrapped their arms around Lucario and Bisharp, leaving one skewered through the chest and the other sliced and diced, with the caption “Everything’s gone dark…” and a gruesome pool of blood forming at their feet.

Other Japanese Twitter users responded, with many seemingly willing to take the risk:

“Gardevoir and Lucario are just too cute! It’s fine if they stab me!”
“Compared to Lucario’s non-understanding face of innocence, there’s Bisharp’s look of ‘Oh, I’ve gone and done it’.”
“The drawings of Lucario and Bisharp are just harsh!”
“Would Gardevoir’s chest plate really bend?”
“Isn’t Gallade supposed to be male?”
“Gardevoir looks so happy!”
“So cute, but also scary!”
“I can hug my Lucario from behind her though [sic].”

Now you know, should you happen to come across a Pocket Monster on your travels, avoid hugging those with non-bendy sharp parts jutting out. Not just with Pokémon though, it’s a rule which applies in a surprising number of situations. Probably best to stick to cuddly toys, or consenting fellow humans.

Source, featured image: Twitter/@kanami33