Legendary Pokémon collectibles rolling out throughout the year

Toy manufacturer TOMY is getting in on Pokémon's 20th anniversary celebrations by launching a line of legendary Pokémon figures and plushes, the company announced. From now until December, various retailers will receive toys based on one different mythical Pokémon creature per month, with Pikachu also thrown into the mix.

The line kicks off this month as TOMY issues new toys based on both Pikachu and the rare Pokémon Mew to Toys R Us, GameStop and Walmart. A crushed velvet Mew plush and 2-inch Mew figure are only available at GameStop; Walmart and Toys R Us will receive various Pikachu figures and plushes in differing finishes this month.

The full release calendar, courtesy of the press release, is as follows, and includes where to find the unique collectibles:

TOMY's promotion mirrors The Pokémon Company's yearlong mythical Pokémon download distribution campaign. Owners of the Pokémon 3DS games can receive a single hard-to-find Pokémon per month from either GameStop or the Nintendo Network digital distribution service. Currently, players have until Feb. 24 to grab Mew from GameStop for their Pokédexes.

Pokémon's big day is less than two weeks away: The series celebrates its 20th birthday on Feb. 27. Nintendo is going all-out to honor its monster franchise, with a Nintendo 3DS virtual console re-release of the original Game Boy games forthcoming amidst other anniversary offerings. It's even bringing the party to other games, like Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, both of which have Pokémon-themed promotions going on right now.