The Pokémon Company International has today kicked off celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise with a live action retrospective video showcasing each generation of Pokémon to-date.

From Premium Bandai, the makers of the Snorlax plushie that was large enough to sleep on, comes the newest piece of strange Pokémon merchandise from Japan. The Zettai Nameraretai Gengaa ( 絶対に舐められたいゲンガー ) or "Gengar that you absolutely want to be licked by" cushion.

This cushion looks more like it'd give you nightmares than give you rest. Measuring 170cm, or roughly 5 feet 5 inches long, Gengar's cushioned pink tongue forms a full length futon for you to sleep on while you rest your head inside of Gengar's plush mouth. The tongue can also be used as a pillow or blanket on its own. When not in use, the tongue rolls back to be stored inside Gengar's mouth.

The cushion is retailing on Premium Bandai's website for ¥JP 25,950, or roughly $USD 250, plus shipping. As of writing the first batch (expected to ship in June) has already sold out, however there are hopes Premium Bandai will restock the item in future given the obvious high demand for this unique item.

A Japanese man was arrested near Tokyo on Wednesday on suspicion of fraud, after sending in fake popsicle sticks in November to Akagi Nyugyo Co. in an attempt to redeem them for an Pokémon trading cards that were being distributed as part of a competition the company ran between June and July last year.

Funko have officially revealed four new Pokémon designs for their Funko Pop line of vinyl figures, three of which are entirely new Pokémon for the ever increasing Funko Pokédex.

While Pokémon food products are pretty common in Japan, they've been much less common in the west over the past two decades. With the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise looming in 2021 however, it appears this is about to change. In an announcement of new cereals and line extensions this week, General Mills revealed that they would be releasing a new "Berry Bolt" cereal themed around the ever popular franchise mascot Pikachu, who prominently appears front and center on the cereal's bright red box. This cereal features red and blue berry-flavored corn puffs, together with yellow marshmallows in the shape of Pikachu’s head and tail. Continuing the focus on Pikachu, the titular Pokémon makes a grand appearance on the front of the bright red box.

On Nov 9th, Pokémon Company International announced that Pokémon Center, its official e-commerce arm, was opening it doors to Canadian residents. Pokémon Center was previously only available within the USA, and offers a variety of merchandise from clothing to kitchenware, to plush, to home décor, to even figurines and cards. The site has also featured collaborations with Funko POP and Kotobukiya, as well as seasonal collections.

“We are thrilled to bring Pokémon Center to our fans in Canada, giving them additional ways to express and celebrate their Pokémon fandom through premium merchandise,” said Cindy Ruppenthal, director of e-commerce at The Pokémon Company International. “Pokémon Center has something for every type of Trainer—whether it’s to play, collect, decorate, or wear—and we look forward to seeing even more Trainers enjoy these offerings.”

In celebration of the opening of Pokémon Center for Canada, Pokémon Center customers in the US and Canada will receive a Pokémon...

Amazon’s Prime Day sales have come again in Australia, stretched over October 13th and 14th, with plenty of deals for Pokémon fans.

With Fall fast approaching, the first wave of the Pokémon 2020 Halloween collection is now available in the US. The Pokémon Company International has made various comfy tees and sweatshirts available for purchase, with more being added later in the season.

Some of the Halloween-specific clothing is themed around Dark, Ghost, and Psychic type Pokémon. Fans of Umbreon, Espeon, and Gengar will be especially happy. However, the collection is not limited to those Pokémon as some non-spooky characters like Wooloo, Eevee, and overall favorite Pikachu are also featured.

More seasonal items will be added to the collection in later waves, including Halloween-themed plushies, Haunted Pokémon Village figures, keychains, etc.

The first wave of the 2020 Halloween collection is available on PokémonCenter.com.