The Pokémon Company has announced all-new Pokémon Black and White Unova-Themed Pikachu plushies are now available on the Pokémon Center website. These Pikachus are dressed up in the attire of the Pokémon Black and White protagonists in celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary this year.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the very first Pokémon game to be released, Pokémon Red & Green, back in 1996. Since then, the games have become a phenomenon in the gaming industry, with a new title being released almost every two years. The Pokémon franchise is also the biggest franchise in the world, outshining big companies such as Disney by a wide margin and featuring trading cards, television shows, movies, and multiple spin-off games from the main Pokémon series, to name just a few.
The Pokémon Company is celebrating the 25th anniversary all throughout the year, not just on the anniversary date as other gaming franchises sometimes do. The company has been working its way through the games and releasing merchandise for each of the main titles. Pokémon Black and White is the fifth generation of Pokémon, taking place in the Unova region. To celebrate Unova, the company has released limited-edition Pikachu plushies that are decked out in the same outfits from the Black and White games, and these plushies are now available for pre-order. The six-inch Pikachu plushies were recently posted on the Pokémon Center website, the official merchandise site for the franchise. Unova Pokémon are currently being featured on the site as well, as a part of the celebration.
Along with rolling out select merchandise, The Pokémon Company has been celebrating in a range of different ways, including enlisting the efforts of famous celebrities such as Post Malone and Katy Perry. Post Malone and The Pokémon Company released a virtual concert at the start of the year with the artist singing alongside various Pokémon. Just recently, Katy Perry released a music video that featured a Pikachu companion and a Pichu alongside the singer. A Pokémon-themed release from music artist J Balvin is still to come.
Pokémon fans should make sure to scoop up these limited edition plushies while stocks last. The Unova portion of the celebrations will eventually be wrapping up, with the franchise moving on to the Kalos region from Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Until then, Pokémon fans should keep their eyes peeled on the official Pokémon social media s for more news.
Source: Pokémon Center
