Pokemon Hexagon Eraser Blue #2 — Flygon & Kecleon Collectible by Banpresto (2003)
A Mini Eraser Built for Display as Much as the Desk
This compact item is a hexagonal — six-sided — character eraser produced by Banpresto in 2003. The bottom of the piece carries a “BANPRESTO 2003 M” stamp, pinning its manufacture to that year with certainty. Each face of the six-sided column features Pokemon character artwork, making it part of a well-established Japanese tradition of character erasers that blur the line between everyday stationery and collectible merchandise. The “#2” in the listing title indicates a series number — likely a second installment or numbered entry within a set — though the full composition of that set cannot be confirmed beyond what the item itself shows.
The two Pokemon featured here are Flygon (No. 330, Dragon/Ground type) and Kecleon (No. 352, Normal type), both introduced in the third generation of the franchise — the Ruby and Sapphire era. In 2003, that generation was actively new: Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire had launched on the Game Boy Advance in November 2002, and the anime series Advanced Generation had begun airing in autumn of the same year. This eraser sits squarely in that transitional moment when Hoenn-region Pokemon were appearing on merchandise for the first time.
The Characters and the Generation They Represent
Flygon carries an air of mystery that has made it a fan favorite well beyond Japan. Described in the games as a creature of the desert — evoking mirages and sandstorms — it occupies a distinct niche among Dragon-types, and its presence in Generation III merchandise was a natural fit given the attention it received in both the games and the anime. Kecleon, meanwhile, is the generation’s chameleon Pokemon: a Normal-type defined by its color-changing ability and the jagged red stripe across its belly that remains visible no matter what hue it assumes. Both characters were genuinely new at the time this eraser was made, positioning it as a contemporary release rather than a retrospective one.
Banpresto, Prize Culture, and the Character Eraser Tradition
Banpresto was a Bandai Group subsidiary that specialized in prize goods — the figures, toys, and novelties distributed through arcade crane machines (UFO Catchers) and similar prize-game formats across Japan. The company built a long track record of officially licensed Pokemon merchandise alongside properties like Dragon Ball and One Piece. Notably, Banpresto was absorbed into Bandai in 2012 and ceased to exist as a standalone brand, meaning any product carrying the Banpresto name dates from before that year. Whether this eraser reached consumers through arcade prize channels or retail is not confirmed either way.
The hexagonal eraser format itself was a recognizable product category in Japan during the late 1990s and early 2000s — a geometric shape that gave character goods a sculptural quality suited to display as well as actual use. This sits within a longer history of Japanese character erasers that traces back to the boom of the 1980s and 1990s, when erasers modeled on anime and manga characters became enormously popular among schoolchildren. By 2003, the format had matured into a collectibles subcategory in its own right, with Banpresto among the manufacturers who understood that presentation and quality finish mattered to buyers well past school age.
Price: $13.76 | View on eBay
