Espurr's Stare refers to the blank, unblinking expression of the Psychic-type Pokémon Espurr, which first appeared in Pokémon X and Y in 2013. The meme took off shortly after the game's release when players noticed the character's haunting 'thousand-yard stare,' suggesting the small creature had witnessed something deeply traumatic or possessed forbidden knowledge. In the Pokémon lore, Espurr’s intense gaze is actually a result of it trying to contain its immense psychic power, but the internet quickly repurposed it to represent shock, existential crises, and the feeling of seeing something that cannot be unseen. It is frequently used in reaction images to describe awkward situations, dark revelations, or the aftermath of a late-night internet rabbit hole.