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Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

Author : Natalie

Mar 18,2025

Pokémon rings in the Year of the Snake with a charming animated short featuring the serpentine Pokémon Ekans and Arbok. Read on to discover more about this delightful video and how The Pokémon Company is celebrating the 2025 Lunar New Year.

Pokémon Celebrates the Year of the Snake

A Shiny New Animated Short Featuring Ekans and Arbok

Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

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

The short film showcases a humorous encounter between two Ekans hanging from a tree; one is a striking Shiny variant. A captivating fall leads the Shiny Ekans into a surprising encounter with an Arbok, culminating in a heartwarming evolution after a playful threat from its companions. Now recognized as one of their own, the golden Shiny Arbok leads its newfound family away into the forest.

The video's brevity hasn't stopped it from touching the hearts of many YouTube viewers. One fan commented, "Even though we were able to meet, it’s sad to say goodbye," reflecting the bittersweet nature of the Ekans' brief but meaningful interaction. Another viewer likened their connection to that of children, highlighting that differences in appearance are inconsequential, as the two Ekans instantly bonded despite one being Shiny.

Meanwhile, others expressed a wave of nostalgia upon seeing the Shiny Pokémon, recalling their first encounters with Shiny Ekans in Pokémon Gold and Silver. One nostalgic player shared, "When I was playing Gold and Silver, the first differently colored Pokémon I encountered was Arbok. For some reason, it ran away, and I never caught it—a regret I still carry! However, I'm incredibly happy we could meet again like this!"

Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company has organized various events and released merchandise to enhance the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Pokémon GO's Lunar New Year Event

Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

Kicking off on January 9th, 2025, Pokémon GO launched its Lunar New Year event, boosting the encounter and Shiny rates for several snake-themed Pokémon. This event is part of the Dual Destiny season, running from December 3rd, 2024, to March 4th, 2025.

Pokémon with increased encounter rates include Ekans, Onix, Gyarados, Dratini, Dunsparce, Snivy, and Darumaka. While Darumaka's appearance is more humanoid, its inspiration from the Daruma doll symbolizes good luck and perseverance.

The event also includes themed Field Research tasks, special 2 km Eggs featuring Makuhita, Nosepass, Meditite, Duskull, and Skorupi, and a Timed Research event rewarding players with rare Zygarde Cells—essential for evolving Zygarde's forms.