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Pokémon Sword and Shield starters star in an app for Google Pixel 4 phones

Take a pik.

Pokémon Sword and Shield starters Grookey, Sobble and Sorbunny will, unusually, be appearing somewhere else before their official debut.

Even more unusually, it's in an interactive app exclusive to Google's upcoming Pixel 4 phone. It's called Pokémon Wave Hello.

As discovered by 9to5Google, Google and The Pokémon Company have teamed up so their latest mascots serve as tutors in this demo designed to showcase the Pixel 4's Minority Report-style air gesture technology.

The app starts by asking you to swipe your fingers in front the screen, giving Pikachu a high five. You're then introduced to Scorbunny, and asked to swipe upwards in front of the phone to jump. Similar gestures are required to splash Soble with water and make Grookey grow grass using his special wooden stick.

Finally, you can tickle your fingers in front of the screen to pet Eevee, just because.

At the moment, Pokémon Wave Hello is being used to demo the technology to prospective buyers (it hasn't popped up publicly on the Google Play Store). You can watch footage of it in action over at 9to5Google.