Pokémon officially celebrates Gold/Silver 25th anniversary with special surprise

Pokémon is marking the 25th anniversary of Gold and Silver with a special celebration for fans of the game.

It’s been 25 years since Pokémon Gold and Silver was released in Japan, which officially kicked off the series’ second generation and introduced many new Pokémon to the franchise.

While Pokémon was still in its early days in 1999, the franchise had already gathered up an immeasurable number of fans, and the popularity of Gold and Silver proved that.

Continuing the series' success up to that point, Gold and Silver sold millions of copies within the first year of release.

Both games were also met with wide acclaim, with critics and fans calling them improvements on the already excellent Red and Blue games that started the first generation.

The games proved so popular that a decade later, remakes under the names Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were released for the Nintendo DS, which became some of the best-selling games on that platform.

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Now, The Pokémon Company has announced it is commemorating the 25th anniversary of Gold and Silver with special anniversary plushies of Ho-Oh and Lugia.

Available from the Pokémon Center, these collectible plushies are designed after the duo who first debuted in Gold and Silver as mascots on the cover art.

Dubbed the “Tower Duo”, Ho-Oh and Lugia are often considered opposites due to their stats and type. Ho-Oh is a fire type and plays a lot more offensively, while Lugia is a psychic type and plays defensively. Both, however, share a common trait in that they’re also flying types.

Fans have taken the news to share their memories with Gold and Silver.

“Got Pokémon Silver as an early Christmas gift from my grandma,” X user Rob shared. “My family drove 16 hours to a relative’s house for Christmas that year and I forced my parents to keep the light on in the truck so I could keep playing”.

“I was at home (~almost 2 decades back).. it took me ~2months to complete my first ever gameplay (Silver) without internet/guide. Miltank was brutal back then,” wrote another fan.

Both the Ho-Oh and Lugia plushies are available to purchase for £44.99 in the UK ($49.99 in the US) and are limited to one per customer.