Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

Pokémon celebrates the Year of the Snake with a captivating animated short featuring the snake Pokémon Ekans and Arbok. Dive in to discover more about this enchanting video and how The Pokémon Company is commemorating the Lunar New Year of 2025.

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 an animated short to honor the Lunar New Year, marking the Year of the Snake. This delightful short showcases a playful exchange 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. This unexpected encounter leads to the Shiny Ekans evolving after being confronted by its peers. Embraced as one of their own, the newly evolved Shiny Arbok leads its companions out of the forest.

Despite its brevity, the video resonated deeply with viewers. One fan remarked, "Even though we were able to meet, it’s sad to say goodbye," capturing the poignant moment of the two Ekans' brief interaction. Another fan likened their interaction to that of children, emphasizing that their different appearances did not hinder their immediate and friendly connection.

The animated short also stirred feelings of nostalgia among fans. One viewer reminisced about their first encounter with a Shiny Ekans in Pokémon Gold and Silver, sharing, "When I was playing Gold and Silver, the first Pokémon of a different color I encountered was Arbok. For some reason, it ran away from me at the time, and I was unable to catch it, something I still regret. However, I am very happy that we were able to meet again like this!"

In addition to the animated short, The Pokémon Company has rolled out various events and merchandise to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Pokemon GO’s Lunar New Year Event

Pokemon GO kicked off its Lunar New Year event on January 9, 2025, as part of the Dual Destiny season, running from December 3, 2024, to March 4, 2025. This event boosts the encounter and Shiny rates of snake-like Pokémon, including Ekans, Onix, Gyarados, Dratini, Dunsparce, Snivy, and Darumaka. Though Darumaka appears more humanoid, it draws inspiration from the Daruma doll, symbolizing good luck and perseverance.

The event also features themed Field Research tasks and special 2 km Eggs containing Pokémon like Makuhita, Nosepass, Meditite, Duskull, and Skorupi. Additionally, a themed Timed Research offers players the chance to earn rare Zygarde Cells, essential for changing Zygarde’s forms.