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Most of the time, erstwhile a young Pokémon instrumentality steps retired connected their travel to spot the world, they don't get to conscionable the pope, oregon present the caput of the Catholic religion to an imaginary carnal that shares his sanction (sort of).
But reddit idiosyncratic ReptileCake, a Pokémon instrumentality from Copenhagen, Denmark, has done conscionable that — and got his trading paper signed by the beatified pontiff successful the process.
Speaking to IGN, ReptileCake says helium took 2 copies of a Popplio paper to his gathering with Pope Leo XIV, which took spot past Saturday, July 5 astatine the Vatican. One transcript of the card, a holographic version, helium got blessed by caput of Catholicism. The different copy, meanwhile, helium asked the pope to motion with a half-working Bic biro — the lone pen ReptileCake belatedly realised helium had with him. Happily, Pope Leo XIV agreed.
ReptileCake had travelled arsenic portion of a younker travel to Italy alongside different students and teachers from crossed Europe. Many brought Pope Leo XIV gifts, oregon mementos for him to bless. But lone ReptileCake brought Pope Leo a Popplio.
"I introduced it arsenic Popplio due to the fact that it sounds similar Pope Leo," ReptileCake wrote connected reddit earlier this week. "He laughed, astir apt arsenic a courtesy, but helium did cognize astir Pokémon cards, helium adjacent showed it astir to the guards astir him. Then I asked him to motion a transcript for maine and helium was blessed to oblige."
In a photograph provided to IGN by the Vatican arsenic impervious of the encounter, the pontiff tin so beryllium seen smiling, highlighting the light-hearted quality of the exchange.
"It was beauteous chill," ReptileCake recalled of his day. "We were herded done information and past seated, past the pope arrived nonchalantly, gave a large code astir hope, and past invited everyone up for a conscionable and greet [for] radical to get immoderate items blessed oregon springiness gifts.
"I went up, gave him a Reverse Holo Popplio and past asked him to motion a transcript for me, successful which helium complied with a laugh. He felt truly bully to beryllium around."
While determination are galore uncommon Pokémon cards successful existence, ReptileCake's Popplio signed by Pope Leo XIV surely present ranks arsenic 1 of the rarest — and perchance astir valuable. Still, the paper volition not beryllium going connected sale.
"It's conscionable a comic gag that his Holiness indulged successful with me," ReptileCake concluded, "that's worthy much than immoderate monetary worth tin satisfy. "[I'm] ne'er intending to get escaped of the paper successful immoderate way. It's a idiosyncratic artefact that I volition cherish for eternity."
Seal Pokémon Popplio was champion known, until now, for being 1 of the Starter creatures successful the franchise's 7th procreation games Pokémon Sun and Moon, primitively launched successful 2016 connected Nintendo 3DS.
"This Pokémon snorts assemblage fluids from its nose, blowing ballons to smash into its foes," the creature's Pokédex statement reads. "It's celebrated for being a hard worker."
Pope Leo XIV, existent sanction Robert Francis Prevost, is the archetypal caput of the Catholic Church to person been calved successful the US, and became pope successful May 2025.
Image credit: Vatican Media
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
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