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Pokémon nostalgia fest I Choose You! hits theaters nationwide this November (update)

And the movie brings some special Pikachu with it

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.

pikachu ash hat
The Ash hat Pikachu crew.
The Pokémon Company

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.

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