22 minutes, 1,025 names, one song. On September 3, The Pokémon Company dropped the full version of "Pokémon All Stars 1025"—the hardest-core entry in the franchise's 30th anniversary lineup yet: every single Pokémon that's ever appeared in the series, all packed into the lyrics of one track.
The song is performed by Japanese singer Masayoshi Oishi, and the project actually kicked off earlier this year, with the first chapter dropping back in April. It wasn't until September 3 that the full 22-minute version was completed. The music video takes the form of a hand-crafted scrapbook, with each Pokémon getting its own page as the visuals flip along with the lyrics. The video also closes with a brief teaser for the three new starter Pokémon set to debut next year in "Pokémon Legends: Z-A"... wait, actually referencing "Pokémon Wind and Wave" as stated.
The full version of "Pokémon All Stars 1025" is now live on streaming platforms, along with an instrumental-only version—clearly meant for anyone who wants to test how many Pokémon names they can actually recall.
This is just one piece of the 30th anniversary celebrations. Earlier this year, The Pokémon Company dropped a duet video featuring Lady Gaga and a singing Jigglypuff as part of its "What's Your Favourite" campaign, which the company says is meant to showcase the brand's mission of "bringing people together through a shared love of Pokémon." The lineup also included BLACKPINK's JISOO, Trevor Noah, F1 driver Charles Leclerc, rapper Young Miko, footballer Lamine Yamal, and actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, each sharing their favorite Pokémon. At this week's Pokémon World Championships, Ed Sheeran even made a surprise appearance, performing "Celestial," the theme song he wrote for "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet," and gave an a cappella rendition of the original anime theme song. Before the year wraps up, Marshmello and Alison Wonderland will also headline two Pokémon-themed EDM shows called "Night Out" in London and Los Angeles.
Next year's animated film "Wild Card" will follow a Pokémon Trading Card Game player and his partner Mimikyu. At the World Championships, the stop-motion series "The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu," produced by Aardman—the studio behind "Wallace & Gromit"—was also revealed for the first time, and it's headed to Disney+.
