Ekans Leads Pokemon's Year of the Snake Celebration

Pokémon is ringing in the Lunar New Year of 2025 with a delightful animated short centered around the snake Pokémon, Ekans and Arbok. Dive into the details of this charming video and discover how The Pokémon Company is marking the Year of the Snake.

Pokemon Celebrates the Year of the Snake

Releases an Animated Short, Featuring a Shiny Ekans and Arbok

On January 29, 2025, Pokémon's YouTube channel unveiled a heartwarming animated short to honor the Lunar New Year and celebrate the Year of the Snake.

This captivating short showcases a playful encounter between two Ekans dangling from a tree, with one being a rare Shiny variant. The Shiny Ekans, captivated by its surroundings, accidentally falls onto a passing Arbok. Amidst a humorous twist, it evolves into a Shiny Arbok after a playful scuffle with its companions. Embraced as one of their own, the other Arboks follow the golden Arbok as it ventures out of the forest.

The brief yet touching video resonated deeply with fans. One viewer commented, "Even though we were able to meet, it’s sad to say goodbye," reflecting on the fleeting bond between the Ekans. Another viewer appreciated the universal theme of friendship, noting, "Different appearances don't matter; the two Ekans immediately interacted in a friendly manner, despite one being a Shiny."

Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company has lined up exciting events and merchandise to enhance the Lunar New Year celebrations for fans.

Pokemon GO’s Lunar New Year Event

Kicking off on January 9, 2025, Pokemon GO launched a special Lunar New Year event as part of the Dual Destiny season, running from December 3, 2024, to March 4, 2025. This event boosts the encounter rates and Shiny appearances of various snake-like Pokémon, including Ekans, Onix, Gyarados, Dratini, Dunsparce, Snivy, and Darumaka. Notably, Darumaka, despite its humanoid appearance, is inspired by the Daruma doll, symbolizing good luck and perseverance.

The event also features themed Field Research tasks and unique 2 km Eggs, with potential rewards including Makuhita, Nosepass, Meditite, Duskull, and Skorupi. Additionally, a special Timed Research is available, offering players the chance to collect Zygarde Cells, essential for transforming Zygarde into different forms.