With all the news surrounding the 20th anniversary of Pokemon, from the New 3DS with exclusive cover plates, to the first three movies being remastered, perhaps the most exciting piece of information was that we would be getting a full year of distribution events starting in February!

After the initial announcement, pokemon.com released the full list and schedule for releasing what they’re dubbing as ‘mythical Pokemon.’ Starting from generation 1 and working all the way to gen 5, each Pokemon will be at level 100 and will be obtainable either through a Nintendo Wi-Fi event, or at participating GameStop stores, depending on the event. If you’re worried about being able to EV train them when they start out at their max level, remember that Super Training and Vitamins can still get them up to snuff, albiet in a less convenient way than your standard training with Pokerus.

Considering these Pokemon are usually very hard to come by, with limited releases before disappearing for years at a time, now is the time for trainers to complete their collection, especially since each one will work with both X/Y AND Ruby/Sapphire, a rare occurance since most events since the gen 3 remakes released have been exclusive to the newer titles.

To make things easier to figure out, here are the details for each event in the order of release:

Mew
February 1-24 2016 at GameStop
Ability: Synchronize
Moves: Pound

(Note: Considering Mew can learn every TM and HM, its lack of a preset move pool shouldn’t worry trainers considering the possibilities with the original event Pokemon are nearly limitless.)

poke_mew

Celebi
March 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Ability: Natural Cure
Moves: Confusion, Recover, Heal Bell, Safeguard

poke_celebi

Jirachi
April 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Ability: Serene Grace
Moves: Wish, Confusion, Rest

poke_jirachi

Darkrai
May 1-24 via GameStop
Ability: Bad Dreams
Moves: Dark Void, Ominous Wind, Nightmare, Feint Attack

poke_darkrai

Manaphy
June 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Ability: Hydration
Moves: Tail Glow, Bubble, Water Sport

(Note: As the only mythical Pokemon that can breed, pair Manaphy with Ditto at the Daycare to pop out a bonus monster with Phione.)

poke_manaphy

Shaymin
July 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Ability: Natural Cure
Moves: Seed Flare, Aromatherapy, Substitute, Energy Ball

poke_shaymin

Arceus
August 1-24 via GameStop
Ability: Multitype
Moves: Judgment, Recover, Hyper Beam, Perish Song

poke_arceus

Victini
September 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Ability: Victory Star
Moves: Incinerate, Quick Attack, Endure, Confusion

poke_victini

Keldeo
October 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Ability: Justified
Moves: Aqua Jet, Leer, Double Kick, Bubble Beam

poke_keldeo

Genesect
November 1-24 via GameStop
Ability: Download
Moves: Techno Blast, Magnet Bomb, Solar Beam, Signal Beam

poke_genesect

Meloetta
December 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Ability: Serene Grace
Moves: Quick Attack, Confusion, Round

poke_meloetta

What an exciting time to be a trainer!

Which Mythical Pokemon do you need to round out your collection? Or do you already have all 720 and are looking to double up throughout the year? Comment below and let us know, and continue to follow us all year long to celebrate 20 years of Pokemon!

Want to feel old? In a few weeks, it will be 2016, which marks the 20th anniversary of Pokemon, the monster collecting RPG that has remained a global phenomenon essentially since its debut. With the announcement of the original titles hitting the Virtual Console early next year, what better way to celebrate than with a ton of new hardware to kick off the celebration?

At least, that’s the case in Japan. Though the 2DS has been a retail fixture in the West over the last few years, Japan will finally get their hands on the handheld thanks to these special designs that represent each of the four versions of the debut titles. Launching with a Red, Green, Yellow and Pokemon Center exclusive Blue system, each one comes with a digital copy of the game that matches the color of the handheld. Check out the units up close below:

Pokemon Red 2DS

Pokemon 2DS Blue

Pokemon 2DS Yellow

Pokemon Green 2DS

For those who already have enough handhelds in the 3DS line, those with a New 3DS will be able to decorate their systems with a 20th anniversary Cover Plate set. Sprinkled with sprites from the old games, the only bad part about these plates is that they’ll probably only be available in the West through importing. Considering that the New 3DS got a quiet release as part of the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer bundle, then went through the holiday season without any Cover Plates released Stateside outside of the Nintendo World Store in New York, and it’s safe to say we’ll have to hit up our favorite Japanese retailers once the plates hit the market.

Pokemon 20th Anniversary Cover Plate

Lastly, whether one of the games is purchased through the bundles mentioned above, or downloaded independently through the eShop, each buyer will get a code to download the ever elusive Mew in their copies of Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire. As the original, and now, one of many event Pokemon that only come along once every few years in some cases, this is more of an incentive for trainers to take a return trip to the Kanto region. I mean, assuming they didn’t have enough of a reason as it was.

The only catch is that all of this awesome news is only confirmed for Japan. However, in recent years, The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have been pretty good with sharing the wealth, so don’t be surprised if we hear something about an International release soon. Well, except for those Cover Plates.

What say you, readers? Which 2DS would you get if you’re getting one at all? Are you excited for the eShop re-releases? Comment below with your thoughts!

Source: NintendoLife.com