Pokémon’s 20th movie, the franchise throwback I Choose You!, will screen nationwide for two days this November, and fans of the video games are getting special in-game gifts to celebrate the theatrical run.
The Pokémon Company has teamed with Fathom Events to bring the movie to theaters on Nov. 5 and Nov. 6. I Choose You! will play just once on each day: at 12:55 p.m. local time on Nov. 5 and 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. Tickets are now available for pre-purchase online and at select theaters.
Moviegoers will get a special trading card alongside their ticket purchase. They’ll also receive a special QR code that will give them a Pikachu wearing Ash Ketchum’s original, classic hat for their Nintendo 3DS games. They’ll also unlock a special in-game event for the upcoming Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon.
Ahead of the November debut, The Pokémon Company will also distribute a variety of limited-edition Pikachu to players. Between Sept. 19 and Oct. 30, six different Pikachu wearing one of Ash Ketchum’s hats will be available to download in Pokémon Moon and Pokémon Sun — but there’s a catch. Not only is each type available for just one week at a time, but players can only get one of the six for their games.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9195213/Ashs_Pikachu_All_.jpg)
The full availability schedule is below, and an English-language teaser for I Choose You!, the retelling of the original Pokémon anime — which, reminder, dumps Brock and Misty for some unfamiliar faces — is above.
- Sept. 19–25: Ash’s Pikachu (Original Cap)
- Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Ash’s Pikachu (Hoenn Cap)
- Oct. 3–9: Ash’s Pikachu (Sinnoh Cap)
- Oct. 10–16: Ash’s Pikachu (Unova Cap)
- Oct. 17–23: Ash’s Pikachu (Kalos Cap)
- Oct. 24–30: Ash’s Pikachu (Alola Cap)
Update: The Pokémon Company and Fathom Events have added two more dates to the theatrical run of I Choose You!. Pokémon fans can now grab tickets to see it on the big screen on Nov. 11 at 12:55 p.m. or Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., although the special card and QR code giveaways will not be available at those showings.