Pokémon Rings in the Year of the Snake with a Charming Animated Short
Pokémon celebrated the 2025 Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, with a heartwarming animated short featuring Ekans and Arbok. The video, released January 29th, 2025, on Pokémon's YouTube channel, showcases a delightful encounter between two Ekans, one of which is a Shiny variant. This Shiny Ekans's unexpected fall onto an Arbok leads to a surprising evolution, and a heartwarming acceptance into the Arbok community.
The short film's charming portrayal of the Pokémon sparked emotional responses from viewers. Many commented on the bittersweet nature of the brief friendship between the two Ekans, while others drew parallels to human childhood friendships, emphasizing that differences in appearance don't diminish the bond.
The video also triggered a wave of nostalgia for many, recalling their first encounters with Shiny Pokémon in games like Pokémon Gold and Silver.
Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company orchestrated various in-game events and merchandise releases to commemorate the Lunar New Year.
Pokémon GO's Lunar New Year Celebration
As part of the Dual Destiny season (December 3, 2024 – March 4, 2025), Pokémon GO launched a Lunar New Year event on January 9th, 2025. This event featured boosted encounter and Shiny rates for several snake-themed Pokémon, including Ekans, Onix, Gyarados, Dratini, Dunsparce, Snivy, and Darumaka (whose Daruma doll inspiration symbolizes good luck).
The event also included special Field Research tasks, 2 km Eggs featuring Pokémon like Makuhita, Nosepass, Meditite, Duskull, and Skorupi, and a Timed Research event rewarding players with valuable Zygarde Cells.
