Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

Pokémon is ringing 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 Lunar New Year of 2025.

Pokémon Celebrates the Year of the Snake

A New Animated Short Featuring a Shiny Ekans and Arbok

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 depicts a humorous encounter between two Ekans hanging from a tree—one of which is a dazzling Shiny variant! The Shiny Ekans's accidental tumble onto a passing Arbok leads to an unexpected evolution, sparked by a playful threat from its fellow Ekans. Accepted into the Arbok group, the golden Shiny Arbok leads its new companions away, leaving viewers with a sense of wonder and connection.

The video's brevity hasn't stopped it from captivating hearts. One fan commented, "Even though we were able to meet, it’s sad to say goodbye," highlighting the poignant beauty of the Ekans' brief interaction. Another viewer likened their connection to that of children, emphasizing that differences in appearance didn't hinder their instant friendship.

Many viewers also expressed a wave of nostalgia, recalling their first encounters with Shiny Pokémon. One 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—something I still regret. But I'm so happy we met again like this!"

Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company has prepared exciting events and merchandise to enhance the Lunar New Year celebration.

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 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 might seem less serpentine, its inspiration from the Daruma doll, a symbol of good luck and perseverance, fits perfectly with the celebratory theme.

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