Pokémon Rings in the Year of the Snake with a Charming Animated Short
Pokémon kicked off the 2025 Lunar New Year celebrations with a heartwarming animated short featuring Ekans and Arbok, focusing on a Shiny Ekans's journey. The video, released January 29th, 2025, on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, showcases a humorous and touching encounter.
The short depicts two Ekans, one a Shiny variant, interacting in a tree. The Shiny Ekans's accidental fall onto a passing Arbok leads to an unexpected evolution, after which it's accepted by a group of Arboks, leaving the forest together.
The video's emotional resonance struck a chord with viewers. Comments ranged from expressing sadness at the brief farewell between the Ekans to drawing parallels between their interaction and the innocent friendship of children, transcending differences in appearance. Nostalgia also played a significant role, with many recalling their first encounters with Shiny Pokémon in games like Pokémon Gold and Silver.
Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company launched several events and released merchandise to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Pokémon GO's Lunar New Year Festivities
Pokémon GO joined the celebrations with a Lunar New Year event starting January 9th, 2025, as part of its Dual Destiny season (December 3rd, 2024 – March 4th, 2025). The event boosted the encounter and Shiny rates for snake-themed Pokémon, including Ekans, Onix, Gyarados, Dratini, Dunsparce, Snivy, and Darumaka (whose Daruma doll inspiration symbolizes good luck).
The event also featured themed Field Research tasks, special 2 km Eggs containing Pokémon like Makuhita, Nosepass, Meditite, Duskull, and Skorupi, and a Timed Research event rewarding players with rare Zygarde Cells.
