LIVE: It's Pokémon Day! Join us for unmissable announcements, Poké-deals, and general fun

All this Pokémon news is making me want to rush home and get creating. If you're the artistic type too, why not 3D print something Pokémon-related (did you know that Cubone is the most 3D-printed Pokémon?) or illustrate your own Pokémon TCG trading card to be entered into the official Pokémon card illustration contest.

• See: The most 3D-printed Pokémon has been revealed, and it wasn't my first choice

No matter which console is your fave for playing Pokémon games (mine is Pokémon Stadium on the Nintendo 64), there are some excellent deals out there today to commemorate Pokémon Day, and I've rounded up a few of them for you below.

If these Pokémon Day announcements have got you as excited as me, be sure that you're prepared for Pokémon Legends Z-A release day with the right console by registering your interest in a Nintendo Switch 2 console. This will let you know as soon as there are any live links to purchase the upcoming handheld, and will ensure you avoid any disappointment if stock inevitably runs low.

Okay, be honest. What do we all think of the new starter Pokémon for Pokémon Legends Z-A. I think they chose three of the worst ones. #bringbackPiplup

ICYMI – So, what were the highlights from that exciting Pokémon Presents presentation?

• New episodes of Netflix's Pokémon Concierge are in development, and we got a glimpse at some of the new Pokémon appearing in the stop-motion show including two of my faves, Shinx and Arcanine. I love that the trailer included test footage and this new series looks really fun, expected to air in September 2025.

• Pokémon Sleep will be getting some kind of Cresselia Vs Darkrai feature

• Pokémon TCGP looks to be getting some new booster packs to open, with the first being Triumphant Light coming as early as TOMORROW (February 28) which is wonderful. New cards in the booster pack include Arceus EX, and it looks magnificent. Ranked matches will also be coming to the game at the end of March.

Image 1 of 3

• In Pokémon GO news, there's a new event taking place this weekend (March 1st and 2nd) called the Unova Global, and it is totally free. You'll find legendary Pokémon Black Kyurem and White Kyurem appearing in raids, and there is a chance to encounter Victini and shiny Meloetta.

• If you log into Pokémon Masters EX right now, you'll receive 3,000 free gems

• There's a Rotom Phone Case giveaway happening in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

• Pokémon Cafe Remix has a new Apple-based menu item, and there are new sweet outfits for Pikachu and Eevee.

• Pokémon UNITE has some new Pokémon joining too, with an updated map, and the remote stadium will be returning to ranked matches. Plus, there's a new type of battle called first to 500 coming soon.

• And lastly, new Pokémon mega evolution EX cards are coming to the trading card game.

At last, we have new details on Pokémon Legends Z-A, and it looks like this will be the next big game in the Nintendo Switch series. Set in Lumiose City, it looks very Paris-esque to me. I'm not sure about these starter pokemon to be honest, but I love that you can see Pokémon from all generations new and old in the footage being shown. I also love this new play style of throwing a poke-ball at wild pokemon, similarly to what gamers loved about Pokemon Arceus, and the new battling style not previously seen in other titles, meaning you need to factor in timing, reach, and precision into the game.

Nintendo says Pokémon Legends Z-A will be coming in late 2025 - this is likely to be November given Nintendo's previous game launches.

Now THIS sounds exciting! A world-first look at Pokémon Champions, a new title coming to the Nintendo Switch console family as well as mobile devices.

Nintendo says this game will focus on Pokémon battles primarily in the same style as we know them from core games, and it'll be interesting to see what it features.

Did anyone else just get mega excited when they showed people playing on OG GameBoy's??

Here we go!!!

If you're feeling creative, you'll love the content we've just published. This step-by-step tutorial for drawing the delightful Venusaur using Photoshop.

With tips on the art skills to invoke to make your fan art look as good as possible, to transferrable Photoshop skills too, this tutorial will improve your Pokémon art skills immeasurably.

You could learn how to create the image below! Enjoy.

• How to paint Venusaur in Photoshop

Not long left to go now! There's just under an hour until the official Pokémon Day Presents presentation will be going live over on the official Pokémon YouTube channel. In case you missed it, the stream is scheduled for 6:00 am PST / 2 pm GMT, and I can't wait to see what new Pokémon announcements we can expect.

At the very least, I'm hoping that we get a mention of Pokemon Legends Z-A in some capacity. This game was announced last year during the Pokemon Day showcase, and was presented as a successor to the popular Pokemon Legends Arceus Switch title which was a huge hit with Pokémon fans, but it's been pretty much crickets on this ever since.

Speaking of Pokémon cards, is anyone else playing Pokémon TCGP? My nephew has gotten me addicted to this app, where you can open digital packs of Pokémon cards to use in battle, for trading with friends, or simply to keep in your own digital binder (I have one just to show off all of my shinies). I think it's the thrill of opening packs that has me hooked the most, and the mystery of whether or not you'll bag an EX card.

You can download Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket from the app store for both iOS and Android, and if you like, feel free to add me as a friend (Friend ID: 2089-9318-7001-7833).

In honour of Pokémon Day, let me tell you about the time I visited the Vincent Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam coincidentally when it had a Pokémon takeover event. This collab is a creative yet slightly bizarre pairing, and it saw Vincent Van Gogh's most popular paintings reimagined with Pokémon as the subject, and displayed in the museum for all to see.

I loved getting to see these fun Pokémon paintings up close, but one of the highlights of this promotional event is also what caused the experience to be such a disappointment – the rare Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat Pokémon card, exclusively available at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Read all about my experience here, and learn how scalpers took things too far.

Pokémon Day deals

We promised you some deals for Pokémon Day, and I'm happy to deliver. If you're a fan of Lego then you'll absolutely love these Pokémon Mega Blok sets that are currently on sale.

Mega Bloks Snorlax set: was £28.99 now £19.35 at Amazon

SAVE £9.64: As I already mentioned, Snorlax is my fave Pokemon, and my fiance kindly bought this for me for my birthday back in July. I absolutely love it! This price is also better than we saw during Black Friday, whic is epic!

US Deal – $21.59 at Target

View Deal

Top Deal

MEGA Construx Motion Gyarados: was $171.99 now $54.34 at Amazon

SAVE $117: The mighty Gyarados is one of the most popular first-gen water Pokémon, and this amazing 2,186-piece set is fully mechanized to allow for swimming along the waves with its tail flapping, and mouth opening wide. This Pokémon Day deal is not to be missed!

UK Deal - £51.39 at Amazon

View Deal

Mega Pokémon Training Stadium: was $99.99 now $59.99 at Amazon

SAVE $40: This MEGA Bloks Stadium set includes everything you need to build the training stadium, plus 5 Pokémon: Pikachu, Machop, Eevee, Fuecoco, and Hawlucha. It also has launchers for battling Pokémon.

UK Deal – £89.99 £46.99 at Amazon

View Deal

MEGA Motion Charizard: was $139.99 now $91.44 at Amazon

SAVE $45: Another mechanical Pokémon build comes in the form of arguably one of the coolest Pokémon out there. Charizard is a fan-favourite and this 1,664-piece collector set is a statement piece that lets you move the wings, legs, arms, tail, and head however you please.

UK Deal – £63.48 £46.99 at Amazon

View Deal

Best for kids

MEGA Pokémon Building Kanto Region Team: was $21.99 now $8.63 at Target

SAVE $11.20: This 130-piece Pokémon set is a lot simpler for kids, and you get four buildable gen-1 Pokémon out of it too. Each figure is poseable and comes with its own environment stand.

Price Check: $19.78 at Walmart

UK price – £27.07 £23.99 at Amazon

View Deal

MEGA Bloks Pokémon Countryside Windmill: was $32.99 now $27.52 at Amazon

SAVE: $5.47 This adorable Pokémon Countryside Windmill set (240 pieces) offers a windmill and picturesque grassy environment, and comes included with Pikachu, Pidgey, and Wooloo figures.

UK Deal - £31.99 £19.99 at Amazon

View Deal

In other news: According to a BBC News report, Pokémon CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara has a firm belief that the franchise can continue for another 50 to 100 years. He states "If we continue focusing on our mission, Pokémon can probably continue to its 50th or 100th anniversary, but if we become complacent and go with the flow, that's when Pokémon will go downhill." Be sure to read the full article from BBC News.

If you're looking for more things to watch this Pokémon Day, then I was delighted to find out that there are now 4 full episodes of Pokémon Concierge available to watch on the Official Pokémon YouTube channel. This series is not only adorable with cute fuzzy felt stop-motion characters, but brings a different take on the usual animation style we associate with the Pokémon franchise. The entire series is available on Netflix, but I've linked the first 4 episodes below for you to get stuck in (each one is only around 20 minutes long). Thank me later!

I’m Haru, the New Concierge! [FULL EPISODE] 📺 | Pokémon Concierge Episode 1 - YouTube

Watch On

• Pokémon Concierge Episode 2 - Watch here
• Pokémon Concierge Episode 3 - Watch here
• Pokémon Concierge Episode 4 - Watch here

It looks like I'm not the only one hoping for some Nintendo Switch Pokémon Day content, as the users of Reddit seem to unanimously agree that older versions of Pokémon games brought to the Switch with trading and Pokémon Home compatibility would be the ultimate dream. I can totally get on board with this as someone who has been playing older Pokémon titles from the age of 4. My favourite was always Ruby and Sapphire, but I think that's because it was the game that got me hooked. Now at the age of 26, nothing has changed.

24 Hours until Pokemon Day!! What are your hopes and dreams? from r/PokemonScarletViolet

If you're hoping to bag one of these original cartridges for yourself for Pokémon Day, then expect to spend a whopping £299.99 over at Amazon in the UK, or around $105 in the US. There are no doubt far better places than Amazon to shop for rare Pokémon games, but it's no surprise that Pokémon Red is selling for this price. Maybe try your local retro games store first before you add to basket.

You might be wondering what is Pokémon Day, and why does it exist? Not only is Pokémon one of the most popular anime and gaming franchises in the world (more than deserving of its own dedicated day) but February 27 specifically marks the iconic day when Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green cartridges first launched on the Game Boy in Japan in 1996. These are the games that started it all, and hold nostalgia for many Pokémon fans.

- There's a new animated short film - and it's stunning! It's called Dragonite and the Special Delivery and has been brought to us by director Maho Aoki, and has been produced by CoMix Wave Films. The 14-minute long film can be watched via YouTube right now and tells the story of a young Paldean postal worker.

I feel like this new animated short film deserves its own post here, as it truly is stunning to watch. It was posted to YouTube 19 hours ago and has already amassed over 360,000 views at the time of writing. It's easy to see why.

【公式】Pokémon Day2025 記念アニメーション「カイリューとゆうびんやさん」 - YouTube

Watch On

Good morning! Let's kick things off by taking a look at what's already been announced for Pokémon Day so far.

- Pokémon Sleep trial: If you're yet to try out Nintendo's Pokémon Sleep game, then today is a great day to give it a try with a new Trial Bundle offering free in-game items like Diamonds, Poké Biscuits, and Good Camp Ticket to help you progress through the game. I'm surprised that I haven't actually played this game myself yet, given that my favourite Pokémon of all time is Snorlax (I even have a tattoo).

The gist of Pokémon Sleep is that you track and record your sleep habits with the app, simply by placing your smart device by your pillow. You can discover the sleep styles of other Pokémon, and complete your Sleep Style Dex with minimal effort. The game is available for both Android and iOS devices for free, but has in-game purchase options.