National Pokémon Day: Gotta Celebrate ‘Em All!

These beloved Pocket Monsters have been around for almost 28 years. They first made their debut in 1996 on the Nintendo Gameboy as Pokémon Red and Green in Japan. Today, Pokémon remains the highest-grossing media franchise in history. 

A Pikachu painted on a worn, yellow wall.Most parents are somewhat familiar with these cute companions, whether through the shows, cards, video games, or comics. It seems almost every form of media has been consumed by these creatures in one way or another, even manhole covers — no really!

Some may remember the first generation when there were only 151 Pocket Monsters. Ash Ketchum was the OG and Jesse and James were always preparing for trouble. As their popularity has grown and surged globally, the need for all things Pokémon has accelerated as well.

Whether your household has been long engrained in everything Pokémon and you can recite the Team Rocket Motto by heart, or you are slowly leaning into a Pika-what and a Mew-who, there are a plethora of activities that encapsulate our favorite Pokémon pastimes. Here are some suggestions on how you can celebrate National Pokémon Day today!

Ideas to Celebrate National Pokémon Day!

National Pokémon Day: Video gaming systems, controllers, and pokémon character toys.

Pokémon Video Games

Paying homage to the original media source for Pokémon, these monsters have since been one of the most popular gaming franchises to date. Although mostly exclusive to the Nintendo gaming systems, the popularity of mobile has helped drive the wild success of the series by making it more accessible to other players.

To celebrate today, dust off some of the classics or jump into some of the latest titles of the Pokémon series noted here:

National Pokémon Day: Two small Pokémon character toys, Pikachu and Squirtle, sitting on rocks in the grass.TV/Movies

Outside of the video game realm, most have associated and fallen in love with the Pokémon world through the anime TV show, the first which debuted in 1997. Along with movies (There are now 25 of them!), audiences have followed along with Ash Ketchum and his friends on a journey through the regions to become a Pokémon master.

With the latest news of Ash and Pikachu ending their chapter in the anime series after 26 years, this has laid the groundwork for additional storylines of new adventures, heroes, and creatures for the next generation of fans. The TV series is currently on its 25th season and fans won’t have to wait long for the next installment.

In the meantime, you can always catch up on the originals to celebrate, or enjoy one of these below.

Pokémon Trading Cards

Another one of the biggest parts of the franchise is the wildly popular Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG). The card game was originally released in Japan in 1996 and shortly followed by the US in 1999. Both for collectors and players, this game can be played amongst friends, local tournaments, or even world championships. Many local hobby/card shops host official Pokémon tournaments as well as how-to-play clinics and trading.

There are currently 98 card sets released in English with 23.6 billion cards being shipped worldwide. Crack a new pack, trade some cards, or tag in a fellow trainer for a Pokémon battle!

Charleston Shops & Events

Purchase Cards & Game

National Pokémon Day: A Pokéball sits on top of a messy pile of Pokémon cards.

Comics/Books

There is a huge library of novels, comics, and encyclopedias/guides — everything a young Pokémon trainer would want to reference or read.

Here are a few of fan favorites:

A gallery of Pikachu statues.Music for National Pokémon Day

Recently, artists such as Post Malone, Ed Sheeran, and Katy Perry created video collaborations with Pokémon to celebrate their 25th Anniversary — thrusting Pokémon into the mainstream even further. Lots of songs from the shows, including the iconic Season 1 theme, original Pokérap, and movie soundtracks with various artists should offer more than enough to get your musical fix to celebrate.

Whether you are a Pokémon master or you are just filling up your Pokédex there are so many ways to celebrate. Grab your fellow trainers, prepare for trouble, and go catch ‘em all!

What’s your favorite Pocket Monster? Do you collect Pokémon cards? Let us know how you plan on celebrating National Pokémon Day below!

Amber Joyner
Originally from the Southwest, Amber has called South Carolina her home since middle school, residing in Surfside Beach, SC until moving to Mount Pleasant with her now husband in 2010. Alongside her husband, Amber has two boys aged 5 and 2, and a 13-year-old husky named Sora. Amber works remotely as a Software Engineering Manager for a local company with previous experience as a classroom educator for six years. Amber loves to travel often exploring new national & state parks and being in nature as much as possible. She loves cooking new vegetarian/vegan recipes for her family, building all the Legos, playing video & board games, and attempting to keep all her houseplants alive. Over the past year, she has discovered a newfound love for yoga & meditation, and finally has the time for audiobooks, podcasts, & attempting to learn Japanese (thanks car rider line!).