Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

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 on January 29th, 2025, on Pokémon's YouTube channel, showcases a delightful encounter between two Ekans, one of which is a Shiny variant. The short depicts the Shiny Ekans's accidental fall onto an Arbok, leading to an unexpected evolution and a heartwarming acceptance by the Arbok community.

The video's emotional resonance struck a chord with viewers. Many commented on the bittersweet nature of the brief friendship between the Ekans, while others drew parallels to childhood friendships, highlighting the theme of acceptance regardless of differences. The appearance of a Shiny Pokémon also sparked nostalgic memories for some, recalling their first encounters with Shiny Ekans in Pokémon Gold and Silver.

Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company orchestrated various in-game events and merchandise releases to mark the occasion.

Pokémon GO's Lunar New Year Celebration

Pokémon GO joined the festivities 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 several snake-themed Pokémon, including Ekans, Onix, Gyarados, Dratini, Dunsparce, Snivy, and Darumaka (whose Daruma doll inspiration symbolizes good luck).

Further event highlights included themed Field Research tasks, special 2km Eggs featuring Pokémon like Makuhita, Nosepass, Meditite, Duskull, and Skorupi, and a Timed Research offering rare Zygarde Cells. This multifaceted celebration ensured a memorable Lunar New Year experience for Pokémon fans worldwide.