Pokemon turns 20 next year, celebrations begin soon

With merch, of course

Pokemon will officially turn 20 years old next year, having released in February of 1996 in Japan (1998 overseas). It’s kind of a big deal for one of the largest franchises on the planet, but Nintendo and The Pokemon Company haven’t really talked about it yet. Until now that is, as this Twitter user has located an ad for a special edition Pikachu plush.

Just in case you couldn’t tell it was one of the most recognizable characters ever, they have a little picture of his cartoon rendition in there. It’s not known what else will happen for the 20th anniversary (besides a localization of Pokken Tournament), but you can probably expect lots and lots of merch.

ginchansan [Twitter]