Pokémon Smile uses virtual Pokémon to encourage kids to brush their teeth

Image: screengrab from The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

On Wednesday, The Pokémon Company announced Pokémon Smile, a mobile application that uses augmented reality (AR)-powered anime creatures to promote healthy toothbrushing habits.

In its latest attempt to use the franchise to help kids develop healthy habits, The Pokémon Company has introduced Pokémon Smile, which gives children a chance to catch virtual Pokémon as they brush their teeth.

When open, this app uses the front camera to show kids a live video of themselves as they brush; on the bottom of the screen is a cartoon set of teeth with vibrant purple “cavity-causing bacteria” which they can rescue Pokémon from the more they brush. Once safe, kids can then capture the Pokémon and add it to their virtual collection.

Using AR, kids can put a virtual Pokémon hat on themselves and take pictures which can then be customized with stickers. Parents can set toothbrushing reminders so they can get notified when it’s Pokémon brushing time.

Around this time last year, the company announced Pokémon Sleep, which is a mobile app that tracks a person’s slumber — based on one’s time spent sleeping, they’ll unlock new characters. How exactly this works has yet to be outlined in detail, but nevertheless, this game is slated to roll out sometime in 2020.

Pokémon Smile, on the other hand, is available for free today on Android and iOS devices. IB

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