Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

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, celebrating the Year of the Snake. The short, released January 29th, 2025, on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, showcases a delightful encounter between two Ekans, one of which is a Shiny variant.

The video depicts a humorous yet touching interaction. The Shiny Ekans, captivated by its counterpart, accidentally falls onto a passing Arbok, triggering a surprising evolution. The newly evolved Arbok, now sporting a golden hue, is readily accepted by other Arbok, leading to a charming scene of the Shiny Arbok departing the forest.

The short video resonated deeply with viewers, evoking feelings of nostalgia and heartwarming camaraderie. Many commented on the brief but meaningful connection between the Ekans, drawing parallels to childhood friendships where differences are insignificant. Others shared memories of their first Shiny Ekans encounters in Pokémon Gold and Silver.

Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company orchestrated various in-game events and merchandise releases to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Pokémon GO's Lunar New Year Event

Pokémon GO joined the festivities with a Lunar New Year event, commencing January 9th, 2025, and running as part of the Dual Destiny season (December 3rd, 2024 – March 4th, 2025). This event boosted the 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 featured themed Field Research tasks, special 2 km Eggs containing Pokémon like Makuhita, Nosepass, Meditite, Duskull, and Skorupi, and a Timed Research offering rare Zygarde Cells.

This multifaceted celebration showcased Pokémon's commitment to engaging its community with culturally relevant and heartwarming experiences.