The biggest difference between a teddy bear and a stuffed toy like a Pokemon is probably the price. I bet a teddy bear is much more expensive. And the second difference is in sales: Pokemon plush toys probably outsell teddy bears by a thousand to one or more (perhaps a lot more).
Adults are much more interested in teddy bears than children. And they are usually women more interested in them as collectibles and decoration than in snuggling them up at night.
Clearly, the teddy bear in earlier years was wildly popular, but as a doll filled with love and care, it is now largely forgotten. I know that when I was a child I never had a teddy bear nor did I know anyone who did, and I am not a spring chicken! Certainly, there was Barbie, but who could snuggle up with a Barbie doll?
Pokemon plush toys (known as stuffed animals) come in a variety of sizes and, like a quality teddy bear, aren’t quite as soft when new, though I imagine they do get soft with abuse over time. My son has his in bed with him, although I’ve never seen him hold it. Much older kids—teenagers, in fact—like to collect Pokemon stuffed animals too (particularly popular right now is something from Pokemon Black and White). And why is that?
Pokemon dolls are collectibles as well as toys. While the classic bear has a history and legacy behind them, in other words, they’re filtered into the culture, but they don’t have a story behind them, and while teddy bears enjoy much more diversity than you might imagine when First off, Pokémon are all about diversity—mutation indeed. There’s a whole world behind Pokémon that makes collecting them almost like collecting artifacts; a pseudoscience is growing behind Pokémon. That is something very different. You’ll never see a black and white teddy bear card game, but you can buy legendary Pokemon cards.
I’m not sure what the stuffed animals used to be. In relative terms, toys were much more expensive than they are now. I would imagine that a teddy bear probably went through several generations. The monetary value now reflects heritage and craftsmanship; Pokémon dolls represent popular and booming merchandising phenomena. The two are very different things, though I’m not sure children’s feelings are that different.
Yet, in a way, the two are still the same. In real life, bears are strong and dangerous animals. They may be soft, but they would never let you cuddle them (most wouldn’t anyway). In fantasy, Pokémon are also dangerous creatures. But both, in doll form, look cute and harmless. Generally, people are afraid of scary things in the dark. Cute beast stuffed animals ease that fear.