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February 27th, 2018 is Pokémon Day for 2018 and a number of festivities and promotions occurred to celebrate the World of Pokémon.

CELEBRATIONS UNVEILED FOR POKÉMON DAY 2018

Fan-Focused Introductions, New Snapchat Lenses, and More, Debut for the Annual Celebration of all Things Pokémon on February 27

Pokémon Day, every Trainer’s favourite pop-culture holiday, returns today with a number of exciting new offerings from The Pokémon Company International. To help fans celebrate, Pokémon Trainers can now join Pokémon Day celebrations on social media with all-new Snapchat Lenses featuring the original first partner Pokémon—Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle—while also enjoying new opportunities to watch iconic Pokémon animation, and the chance to catch a special Pikachu in Pokémon GO.

On February 27, 1996, the first Pokémon video games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, launched in Japan, kicking off a global phenomenon that would grow to be one of the most popular and influential entertainment brands in the world for more than 20 years. Each year, The Pokémon Company International commemorates this date with new products and promotions that give Pokémon fans around the world new ways to interact with the Pokémon brand.

“Pokémon Day is not only a celebration of the franchise, but also of Pokémon’s incredible fan community,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of consumer marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “This year we’re offering social media activations and more across the brand to help Trainers around the world express their love of all things Pokémon.”

The following are highlights of happenings this Pokémon Day from The Pokémon Company International.

New Snapchat Lenses: Starting today and for a limited time, three new Snapchat Lenses featuring the first partner Pokémon from the Kanto region will start to roll out around the world, beginning with Bulbasaur. Charmander will arrive later, followed by Squirtle.

Animation: Beginning today, the latest animated feature-length Pokémon film, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, will be available on Pokémon TV for the first time. The hit movie will be available to view on the app, available for iOS and Android, and on Pokémon.com for a week.

Pokémon GO: When exploring their world in search of wild Pokémon, Pokémon GO Trainers can keep an eye out for a special Pikachu wearing a festive striped purple hat. For Pokémon Day 2018, this Pikachu will know the move Present and will give players triple the usual Stardust when caught. Trainers can look for Pikachu wearing a party hat through February 28 at 9 p.m. GMT.

Social Media: In addition to the Snapchat festivities, fans are invited to join the conversation online with #PokemonDay. Fans who use this hashtag might have their posts featured on the official Pokémon Day hub at https://www.pokemon.com/uk/pokemon-day/ where more information about the day’s fan-focused festivities can be found.

Pikachu Talk - Have a Chat with Pikachu!

You and Pikachu will have a lot to discuss when you start the Pikachu Talk skill for Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Haven't you always wondered what it would be like to have a Pokémon friend of your very own? Think of the adventures you would go on, the battles you would face, and the conversations you would have.

Wait…conversations? Yes, indeed! With the Pikachu Talk skill for Amazon Alexa or Google Home devices, you can now experience the joy of chatting with the famous Pokémon. You can talk to Pikachu about anything, and you're sure to hear all sorts of wonderful and charming responses. What good is having a partner if you can't shoot the breeze with them every once in a while?

Ask Pikachu to “use Thunderbolt,” and hear if it's in the mood to use its electrifying move! Say “tell me a funny story,” and Pikachu will spin a yarn as only it can. If it's your special day, just ask Pikachu to sing “Happy Birthday to You.” Even something silly like “say ‘pizza' 10 times” will get Pikachu chatting!

There's plenty more for you and Pikachu to talk about—to get started, say “Open Pikachu Talk!”

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/have-a-chat-with-pikachu/

Trainer avatar items from Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen

As part of the festivities for Pokémon Day, Trainer avatar items from Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen were made available to purchase in the Pokémon GO shop.

Fire Red Cap: 100 PokéCoins
Fire Red Top: 250 PokéCoins
Fire Red Backpack: 250 PokéCoins
Fire Red Wristbands: 50 PokéCoins
Fire Red Pants: 200 PokéCoins
Fire Red Shoes: 150 PokéCoins
Leaf Green Hat: 150 PokéCoins
Leaf Green Top: 200 PokéCoin
Leaf Green Bag: 200 PokéCoins
Leaf Green Skirt: 200 PokéCoins
Leaf Green Shoes: 200 PokéCoins