Pokémon Day

Pokémon Day is an annual celebration of the original Japanese release of , held on February 27. Various events are held around the world to mark this occasion, including announcements about new games, events and updates to all aspects of the franchise. Many of these announcements are revealed in official live streams known as "Pokémon Presents".
==2016==
===Releases===
As part of the year-long of the Pokémon franchise, the Pokémon Day in 2016 saw the Virtual Console releases of the Generation I games Pokémon . In Europe, , and Japan, special edition Nintendo 2DS bundles were released, pre-installed with one of the Virtual Console titles; the systems are transparent, matching the color of the installed version. The Japanese bundles included a map of the Kanto region, a set of stickers based on the VC game's mascot, and a serial code for a Mew for the Generation VI games. The European and Australian bundles included a download code for a HOME Menu theme and a different sticker set. In North America, New Nintendo 3DS bundles were released, with pre-installed copies of both Red and Blue, two cover plates themed on Red and Blue, and a HOME Menu download code.
A New Nintendo 3DS cover plate was also released in Europe, Australia, and Japan, featuring in-battle sprites from Red and Blue.
In Japan, the was released. The set only features Generation I Pokémon and emulates the Original Era in design and semi-random card inclusion.
At 12 a.m. JST, Pokémon Sun and Moon were announced in a worldwide Nintendo Direct.
===Online events===
The Pokémon Trading Card Game Online gave a set of commemorative card sleeves to players who logged in on Pokémon Day.
On the official Pokémon Twitch channel from 1 to 9 p.m. EST, Pokémon gameplay, interviews, and discussions were shown. A 24-hour anime marathon began on the officially-endorsed channel Twitch Watches Pokémon at 9 p.m. The channel streamed several s and Pokémon Chronicles episodes, as well as the Pokémon Origins series on the following schedule:
* Mewtwo Strikes Back
* The Power of One
* Spell of the Unown: Entei
* Celebi: The Voice of the Forest
* Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
* Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
* The Rise of Darkrai
* Giratina and the Sky Warrior	
* Arceus and the Jewel of Life
* Zoroark: Master of Illusions
* Black—Victini and Reshiram
* Kyurem vs. The Sword of Justice
* Genesect and The Legend Awakened
* Pokémon Origins
* The Legend of Thunder!
* A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!	
* Cerulean Blues
* We're No Angels!
* Showdown at the Oak Corral
* Oaknapped!
* Training Daze
* Putting the Air Back in Aerodactyl!
* The Search for the Legend
===On-site events===
Several on-site events were held in various countries.
In , the local distributor sponsored tournaments held at select stores. The stores each received a kit with 55 prints of the exclusive card, three Badge cases, three bags with the Play! Pokémon logo, and 12 Mewtwo deckboxes. Exclusive merchandise was also available at these tournaments. The promotional Pikachu card could also be obtained at RiHappy, PB Kids, BMart, and Planeta Brinquedos from February 27 to 28, when customers bought two TCG products (barring s).
In , a week-long event was held at Pangyo in . Stamps were hidden across four areas of the department store that, when collected, rewarded customers with a Pokémon Day notebook. On the 27th and 28th, players could receive a Mew between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Video game and TCG tournaments were also held for the two days. A Generation I Pokémon-only "Kanto Champion" tournament was held on the 27th, while an "All Star" tournament took place the next day; only games were permitted to be used. The "3 vs 3 Winners League" TCG tournament ran for both days and competitors received the promotional card. A Pokémon Mini Museum and a Pokémon Mini Attraction were also held over these two days.
In , select s hosted Early Access Tournaments for Pokkén Tournament, with a grand prize of a trip to the 2016 US National Championships. All stores had exclusive plushes and gave customers buying any Pokémon products a Mythical Pokémon poster. Holofoil and cards, activity books, and a poster featuring the original 151 Pokémon were given away at stores for the day. Binders themed on the TCG expansion were available for sale as well. In New York City, New York, an event was held at from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In Los Angeles, California, the JapanLA Pop Culture Shop had a Pokémon-based pop-up shop run from Pokémon Day until March 27.
==2017==
For the 2017 Pokémon Day, Mewtwo Strikes Back, Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, and Zoroark: Master of Illusions were made available on Pokémon TV for a limited time. Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel was also released on Prime Video, Google Play, and the iTunes Store, as well as a bundle of episodes of . On the official Pokémon Twitch channel, championship matches of the TCG, video games, and Pokkén Tournament were shown all day.
From 1 p.m. PST February 26 to 1 p.m. PST March 6, found in Pokémon GO wore a party hat (which lasted beyond the event time). In the week leading up to Pokémon Day, the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online made extra Trainer Tokens available on the Bonus Wheel. A special Daily Bonus was also given out on the 27th.
The first set of the Pokémon Gallery Figures was released on February 27. The set of Pokémon figures was made exclusively for the US Pokémon Center Online.
==2018==
Pikachu Talk was released internationally on February 26 to celebrate Pokémon Day in 2018. lenses featuring the Kanto first partner Pokémon were also made available. Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! was also made available for streaming on Pokémon TV for the first time. A with the move wearing a party hat was also made available in Pokémon GO. Merchandise released on the website include a Pokémon Gallery Figure DX, and to commemorate the year of Legendary Pokémon, and pins.
In , the episode Alola, Kanto!, which features the return of and after a long absence, premiered on at 4 p.m. BRT. Later that day, starting at 6 p.m. BRT, the channel aired a special marathon with the episodes The Guardian's Challenge!, Big Sky, Small Fry!, A Crowning Moment of Truth!, a rerun of Alola, Kanto!, and the premiere of When Regions Collide!, followed by Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!. On their social media, the channel also posted several Pokémon-related images and wallpapers. Additionally, the local TCG distributor and event organizer Copag used its Facebook account to share many code cards for the .
==2019==
At 10 p.m. JST, Pokémon Sword and Shield were announced in a worldwide Nintendo Direct.
Pokémon Shirts went on sale in Japan.
The Poké Ball Classics line of clothing and apparel was released on the US Pokémon Center. The items all feature a Poké Ball pattern.Fun Pokémon Day 2019 Activities Abound, Pokémon.com, February 20, 2019
The official Pokémon Twitch channel again ran a marathon. The schedule for Pokémon Day proper was focused on episodes and movies which had Pokémon that were part of a in . The article on Pokémon.com specifically mentions , , and . Programming for this marathon, though not necessarily of the TAG TEAM theme, continued to run until May 5th.
A Funko Pop! figure of was released.
Disney XD in the United States aired blocks of Pokémon the Series episodes. In Canada, YTV aired a marathon of the final four episodes of Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures. They consisted of The Prism Between Light and Darkness!, Securing the Future!, A Plethora of Pikachu!, and Turning the Other Mask!
While not strictly a Pokémon Day celebration, Pokémon Trade & Play Day events occurred at Best Buy and Gamestop in the United States starting on February 23rd and 24th.Pokémon TCG Trade & Play Day Heading to a Store Near You, Pokémon.com, February 15, 2019 These events gave out special Trade & Play Day Kit booster packs.
==2020==
A new Mythical Pokémon, , was revealed. Its inclusion in Secrets of the Jungle was also announced, alongside a new poster.
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution was released on Netflix worldwide, excluding Japan and Korea.
In and , The Power of Us aired at 8:00 p.m. local time on .
 played the first three Pokémon movies starting at 3:30 p.m. EST.
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, from 4:00 p.m. PST February 26 to 3:59 p.m. March 1, 2020, special Max Raid Battles featuring Dynamax were available. The Mewtwo was uncatchable but did reward rare items to players who defeated it such as Ability Capsules, Bottle Caps, and PP Maxes. Max Raid Battles featuring , , , , , and were also available.
Pokémon Masters celebrated its six-month anniversary, adding the sync pair of , new story chapters and events, the Battle Villa, and a 3,000 gem log-in bonus available until March 15, 2020.
Starting February 25, 2020 and running until March 2, 2020, Pokémon GO held a Pokémon Day Celebration. To coincide with the release of Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, Armored Mewtwo with was available in five star raids, along with clone , , and in four star raids. Clone also had a chance of spawning within the GO Snapshot mode. Additionally, party hat-wearing Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, and were available, the former three via 7 km eggs and one star raids, and the latter two in the wild. On the Raid Day on March 1, 2020, and wearing party hats (in reference to the opening cinematic of ) were available in two star and four star raids, respectively. The party hats have a polka dot on a solid red design to differentiate themselves from the 2017 hats. They were cancelled in Japan, Italy, and Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The variants of all party hat Pokémon were also available.
The Pikachu Classics Collection was released on the US Pokémon Center Online. Additionally, all orders had free shipping for the day.
New fabric pattern designs were announced based on Johto Pokémon for Pokémon Shirts, as well as the launch of shirts in children's sizes.A New Online Preorder Event! Kid's Shirts Now Available! - Original Stitch (retrieved April 15, 2020)
From February 5 until 5:59 a.m. on February 14, 2020, the first Pokémon of the Year vote was run in collaboration with .
==2021==
Pokémon Day in 2021 was the 25th Anniversary of the Pokémon franchise.
The first of the P25 Music concerts, featuring , was held at 7pm ET (Midnight UTC) on Pokémon Day.Pokémon Unveils Virtual Music Concert With Post Malone To Celebrate 25th Anniversary - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved February 19, 2021)
On February 19, 2021, the Pokémon Asia My Favorite Award was launched, where fans in , , , , , , , and can vote for their favorite Pokémon using the Pokédex pages on each country's official website. Results from the votes were released on Pokémon Day 2021.Pokémon Asia My Favorite Award - Pokémon Asia (retrieved February 19, 2021)
The two Pokémon Cafe locations in Japan had a special commemorative menu item from February 27 - March 12, 2021.A menu commemorating the 25th anniversary of Pokémon will appear at "Pokémon Cafe"! - pokemoncenter-online.com (retrieved February 19, 2021)
In , Cartoon Network aired I Choose You! at 1 p.m. BRT. On social media, they posted a special video featuring some of Ash's Pokémon from each series evolving. Telecine Fun aired a marathon of seven Pokémon movies from 8:40 a.m. to 8:10 p.m. BRT. Additionally, Panini Comics did an Instagram livestream at 2 p.m. BRT announcing the release of the of Pokémon Adventures in Brazilian Portuguese.
In Japan, a dedicated Pokémon Day website launched on February 19, 2021. It displayed the live results of a Twitter hashtag-based fan vote for favorite Pokémon of the year that ran between February 19–22, 2021. The website also includes a selection of Pokémon Trivia and information about other Pokémon Day activities.
==2022==
In the week leading up to Pokémon Day 2022, new information was released for a selection of Pokémon games and projects:
* February 21: Pokémon Masters EX - The sync pair was revealed.
* February 22: Pokémon Sword and Shield - Wild Area News Max Raid Battles featuring Gigantamax , , and ran from February 22 to 28, 2022.
* February 23: Pokémon Café ReMix - 26 Stamina was given to all players.
* February 24: Pokémon UNITE - was added to the game, and a new limited-time mode Full-Fury Battle, available from February 27, was announced.
* February 25: P25 Music - The final P25 music video, for Reconnect by Yaffle, was released.
* February 26: Pokémon GO
On February 25, 2022, an event distribution of a and 20 Feather Balls for Pokémon Legends: Arceus began in the . The Hisuian Growlithe is level 26, one level for each year of the Pokémon franchise.Get Hisuian Growlithe and 20 Feather Balls from GameStop - Pokémon.com (retrieved February 25, 2022) The distribution also became available in , the , the and from March 4, 2022.
On February 27, a Pokémon Presents presentation was held, revealing the addition of Generation VII Pokémon to , for Pokémon UNITE, the Daybreak update for , the anime series Pokémon: Hisuian Snow, the Oak's Letter event for , and the Generation IX games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
===Gallery===
New artwork was released on each day of the week leading up to Pokémon Day, drawn by Megumi Mizutani.Mizutani confirming she drew the Pokémon Day 2022 art.
Kanto
Johto
Hoenn
Sinnoh
Unova
Unova
Kalos
Alola
Galar
==2023==
In the lead up to Pokémon Day 2023, a campaign titled "Pokémon Together" was launched. The campaign was held from February 15 to 27, 2023, and invited Pokémon fans to share photos and videos showcasing their love for the franchise on social media with the hashtag #PokemonTogether. Submissions with the hashtag would have a chance to be gathered and formed into a Poké Ball-shaped mosaic that was revealed on Pokémon Day.
From February 24 to 27, a 7★ Tera Raid Battle featuring a with special properties was featured in 's Poké Portal News.
On February 27, a Pokémon Presents presentation was held. It announced the 2023 Pokémon World Championships event in Yokohama; the set; the stop-motion animated series Pokémon Concierge; for Pokémon UNITE; Paldea first partner Pokémon , , and for Pokémon Café ReMix; new sync pairs and bonuses for Pokémon Masters EX; the mobile game ; the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory for and Pokémon Sleep; and a two-part DLC content for titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
==2024==
Pokémon Café ReMix held the "Friendly Chefs from Paldea" event from February 27 to March 14, 2024, which lets players add specially outfitted , , and to their staff. Additionally, became available as a playable Pokémon in Pokémon UNITE beginning February 27, 2024.
In , The Pokémon Company International partnered with the in to illuminate its tower lights in yellow and blue, the colors of the Pokémon logo.(February 27, 2024). "Pokémon Legends: Z-A Video Game And Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket App Revealed On Pokémon Day." The Pokémon Company International Official Press Site
In Japan, Pokémon Sword - Shield + Expansion Pass Super Music Collection, Pokémon LEGENDS Arceus Super Music Collection, and Pokémon Scarlet - Violet + The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Super Music Collection were released.
A Pokémon Presents presentation was held on February 27, 2024. It announced Tera Raid Battle events for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet featuring , , and ; a Pokémon GO crossover event featuring Pokémon Horizons: The Series; , and debuts in Pokémon Sleep; and for Pokémon Masters EX; the debuts of and in Pokémon Café ReMix; and being available in Pokémon UNITE, with and announced to debut later during the year. Additionally, the presentation announced a new mobile application known as Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, and a new core series game launching in 2025 titled Pokémon Legends: Z-A. 
===Gallery===
New artwork was released on each day leading up to Pokémon Day, each representing a different part of the franchise. Most of the artworks contain elements which signify a countdown to Pokémon Day.
* Pokémon Masters EX: Magearna holds 7 roses to Sygna Suit Gladion.
* Pokémon UNITE: Miraidon shooting a Charge Beam. This artwork was released 6 days before Pokémon Day, but no visible countdown element is present.
* Pokémon Horizons: The Series: Liko opens her hand revealing 5 fingers.
* Pokémon GO: Professor Willow walks in an outdoor environment saying "4!"
* Pokémon Sleep: While Pokémon are cooking curry, the pot steams in the shape of the number "3".
* Pokémon Café ReMix: Pokémon are shown serving food, including a latte with the number "2" on it.
* Pokémon Trading Card Game: This image was released 1 day before Pokémon Day, but no visible countdown element is present. The image contains the backs of English and Japanese Pokémon TCG cards, alongside a showcase of various card artworks from the TCG, including ones that were unrevealed at the time of release. Clockwise from top left, they are:
** from (not yet revealed at the time).
** from .
** from .
** from (not yet revealed at the time).
** from .
** from .
** from (not yet revealed at the time).
** from .
** from .
* Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The symbol of the aforementioned Area Zero hidden treasure (which is used for Terastallized Terapagos when using a special attack) is seen in the center.
February 20
 by kirisAki confirming she drew the Pokémon Day countdown art featuring Gladion 
February 21
  
February 22
Horizons  
February 23
 by Yusuke Kozaki confirming he drew the Pokémon Day countdown art featuring Pokémon GO.
February 24
  
February 25
 by Hiroyuki Yamamoto is the key artist for Pokémon Cafe Mix.
February 26
  
February 27
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero  
==Other events==
"Pokémon Day" was also the name for a series of yearly events held in various European countries such as Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands since 2004. These events were usually to promote recently released Pokémon games or movies, often with event Pokémon distributions. These events have either ceased or been replaced by Pokémon Kids Tours.
In on November 24, 2014, an event also called "Pokémon Day" was held after a soccer game between and . The event was sponsored by Nintendo and local distributor Maxsoft, and a Gengar was given away to visitors.
==References==
==In other languages==
Category:Events
Category:Pokémon meta
es:Día de Pokémon
it:Pokémon Day
ja:Pokémon Day
zh:宝可梦日