On February 27, 1996, Pokémon Red and Green were released for the GameBoy in Japan, kickstarting what would become one of the most recognizable names in gaming. To celebrate that launch, The Pokémon Company celebrates Pokémon Day every year on this date, and for 2020, those celebrations come with a few announcements.
For starters, the company has revealed the voting results for Pokémon of the Year. Over the past few weeks, fans have been able to vote for their favorite Pokémon on Google, and today, a YouTube video revealed the top 10 creatures that got the most votes. The winner of the poll was Greninja, a creature introduced with Pokémon X and Y on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2013. It's the final form of Froakie, the Water-type starter Pokémon that can be chosen in those games, and it's received some attention over the years, particularly because of its ability to merge with Ash Ketchum, the main character of the Pokémon anime.
In addition to that, a brand new Mythical Pokémon has also been revealed in the form of Zarude. It's classified as the Rogue Monkey Pokémon, and it's got both Dark and Grass types. Its Ability is Leaf Guard, but details on what moves it can learn (one would hope Zarude learns Sandstorm) as well as availability, are still unknown. It's safe to assume it will be distributed to players in Pokémon Sword and Shield, though.
A special event is also taking place in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Players can encounter starter Pokémon from the Kanto region - that is, from the first generation of games - in Max Raid Battles in the Wild Area. Unless you use Pokémon Home, this is the first time that Squirtle and Bulbasaur can be obtained in these games, and the creatures may also come with the respective Hidden Ability.
Additionally, Mewtwo can be encountered in Max Raid Battles, but it's a very different kind of battle. Unlike every other Max Raid, this one does not allow you to capture Mewtwo at the end of the battle. It's also the only Max Raid Battle where the Dynamax Pokémon is at level 100 (typically it maxes out at level 60), so it will certainly be a challenge for players. If you manage to beat it, the Max Raid Battles for Mewtwo grant plenty of items that are useful if you're interested in playing competitively. You can find a list of rewards for this event on Serebii.
Finally, if you're more interested in movies, Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution is now available on Netflix in many regions around the world. It's a remake of the first-ever Pokémon full-length movie, now with 3D rendered graphics, and naturally, in much higher quality than what was possible in 1998.
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