Pou began as a virtual-pet mobile game in which players feed, clean and play with a small alien creature, and it became widely known in the early 2010s as the character appeared in phone gameplay videos and social clips. Short sounds from the game were then shared on soundboards and in short-form videos, where the pet's brief chirp became a handy reaction noise for cute, silly or surprised moments. Its lasting appeal comes from nostalgia for the game and the clip's tiny length, which makes it easy to drop into almost any edit without breaking the pace.