Why the Clip 'n' Carry Poké Ball Had a Removable Inner Cup
At the centre of TOMY’s 2016 Clip 'n' Carry Poké Ball was a removable inner cup. The insert let a Pokémon plush sit inside for display, travel with its owner and come out again for play. The feature sounds minor until you imagine the alternative: a character sealed into a deep, fixed shell.
By 2016, the original Pokémon anime was already a shared childhood memory for many collectors. The anniversary toys offered a physical counterpart: plush characters, gold graphics, clips and familiar Poké Ball shapes, all made by TOMY under official Pokémon and Nintendo licensing.
Collectors also had to follow the collection’s monthly release schedule throughout the year. Some products were tied to particular retailers, while the range mixed Pikachu pieces with mythical Pokémon plushes such as Mew and Celebi. The removable cup linked these collectible objects to active play, giving one seemingly simple detail a place in both parts of the range.
A separate piece inside the ball
The Clip 'n' Carry concept combined a Poké Ball shape with a clip for attaching it to a bag. Its red-and-white shell and transparent viewing area made the character visible, while the clip made the ball a travel companion. A character plush occupied the inner cup, a separate insert that could be lifted out rather than remaining trapped below the upper half of the shell.
That separation mattered because plushes are handled differently from hard plastic mini-figures. A child could pull a soft character from its small cup, adjust its shape and move it into an imaginary adventure. The ball became a home for the character, a display case or a place to keep it between adventures. A fixed recess would have made the exterior tidy but the character awkward to retrieve.
The cup also made the construction understandable. The insert could be removed to arrange the character outside the ball while the outer shell stayed intact. A collector could inspect the fit of every part and see the anniversary finish inside the red-and-white exterior. The result was a toy with a small mechanical quality that suited its role as both plaything and shelf piece.
Why the inner cup was made removable
The removable inner cup gave the owner control over how the toy was used. The character could remain visible inside its Poké Ball home or be taken out for handling. This was especially useful with a plush, which might otherwise have been compressed inside the ball or left sitting in an awkward position. Lifting out the whole insert was easier than trying to tease the toy through a narrow opening.
For collectors, the same decision created a second benefit: the cup became an accessory in its own right. It had its own moulded shape, colour and fit, so examining it told a fuller story about the design. The anniversary campaign is easier to appreciate in the packaging design overview, which places the ball within TOMY’s wider commemorative artwork.
A fixed interior would have reduced the number of loose parts, but it would have surrendered that flexibility. The practical differences are plain:
| Feature | Removable inner cup | Fixed interior for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Figure access | Lift out the insert for easy access to the character | Reach through the opening or release the figure in place |
| Display | Show the ball and Pokémon together or separately | Keep the Pokémon framed inside the ball |
| Play value | Switch easily between carrying, display and free play | Keep the character permanently enclosed |
| Components | Adds one small component to keep track of | Keeps the interior as part of the shell |
| Collector interest | Adds a tactile, inspectable feature | Offers a simpler silhouette with fewer loose parts |
Play value beyond the anniversary finish
The gold details made the 20th Anniversary pieces feel special, yet the interior mechanism gave them a purpose beyond looking commemorative. Plush figures could be paired with the ball for display, removed for play and returned afterwards. The familiar Poké Ball silhouette did the visual work, while the cup supplied the useful change of state.
This also explains why the Clip 'n' Carry format felt different from a standard Poké Ball replica. A replica is often made to be admired; this one was built around movement between positions. The cup functioned as the working link between the child’s imagination, the soft figure and the hard outer shell.
For older fans, nostalgia came with a practical object that could be re-used rather than stored away. For younger buyers, it offered a simple cause-and-effect action: open, release and play. Both groups could recognise the Poké Ball instantly, then discover a less obvious detail once they handled the toy.
The Australian release and retail rhythm
Australian shoppers encountered the range through a familiar mix of chain stores and specialist sellers. Kmart and Target were natural places to check for Pokémon toys, while The Games Shop and other hobby-focused stockists served collectors seeking a particular release. Some items were retailer-specific, so checking one chain did not guarantee finding the same piece elsewhere. Local stock also varied between stores, making a quick check on opening day worthwhile.
On popular release mornings, the old saying that the “early bird gets the worm” became literal. A queue outside a store could mean the difference between finding a Clip 'n' Carry set and explaining to the family that it had sold out. Once local shelves cleared, Australian buyers turned to eBay and collector forums, where second-hand prices could reflect the item’s original scarcity. The market rewarded patience, quick checking and a clear record of where each piece had come from.
The wider anniversary programme gave collectors reasons to visit several kinds of event. Supanova gatherings in Melbourne and Brisbane brought toy fans, cosplayers and Pokémon collectors into the same halls, where boxed treasures could be inspected and trade discussed over a coffee. The staggered monthly releases made those gatherings a natural place to compare progress. For anyone building the 2016 set, TOMY’s anniversary collection provides useful context alongside the physical packaging and retailer labels.
A collector’s checklist for the anniversary pieces
A complete collection could include Poké Balls, Pikachu products, mythical Pokémon plushes and other specialty pieces released across 2016. The small inner cup was easy to overlook in a busy display, yet it was one of the most tactile parts of the Clip 'n' Carry design. Keeping it with the correct ball also preserved the satisfying fit that made the lift-out feature worthwhile.
Australian conditions add another reason to store these toys thoughtfully. A car parked in summer can become hot enough to soften plastic or stress adhesives, so a box left in a glovebox or boot is a poor long-term home. A cool shelf, a labelled envelope for small parts and careful handling of the packaging all help maintain the collection’s condition.
- Keep every removable inner cup with its original Clip 'n' Carry ball, since the two were designed as a matched set.
- Record the release month, retailer and character variant before adding a piece to a collection.
- Retain original boxes, tags and inserts, as period packaging helps establish the 2016 anniversary context.
- Store the balls away from direct sunlight and high vehicle temperatures, especially during the Australian summer.
- Check that loose replacement parts match the ball’s character, colour and interior fit before buying.
- Confirm official Pokémon and Nintendo licensing marks on packaged pieces, particularly when buying second-hand.
The lift-out cup is a revealing piece of TOMY’s 2016 design thinking. It made the Clip 'n' Carry Poké Ball interactive, gave collectors another original component to preserve and expressed the anniversary range’s mix of nostalgia, licensed imagery and hands-on play.