Latest news with #Pikachu
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Pokemon's Pikachu and Snorlax named Japan's ambassadors to encourage better sleeping habits
The ministry has been collaborating with the Pokemon Company. PHOTO: TAKAMARO FUKUOKA/ FACEBOOK Pokemon's Pikachu and Snorlax named Japan's ambassadors to encourage better sleeping habits TOKYO - In a charming and strategic move to encourage healthy sleeping habits, Pikachu and Snorlax — two beloved characters from the globally popular Pokemon franchise — have officially been appointed as 'sleep support ambassadors' by the government. The Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry spearheaded this initiative, which leverages the appeal of these iconic figures to encourage people, especially children, to develop better sleep habits. The characters are expected to participate in various public awareness events, adding a fun, recognisable element to the important message that everyone needs to get enough sleep. The ministry recommends nine to 12 hours of sleep for elementary students, and eight to 10 hours for junior and high school students, to maintain good health. Since last fiscal year, the ministry has been collaborating with the Pokemon Company, which publishes 'Pokemon Sleep,' a smartphone game that tracks the user's sleep. Together, they have created brochures and other materials to encourage adequate sleep. On June 26, the day of the announcement, Snorlax and a nightcapped Pikachu visited the ministry and received their letters of appointment from Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Takamaro Fukuoka. 'We hope to continue working with the health ministry to positively change sleep habits,' said Pokemon Company Representative Director Takato Utsunomiya. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIAN NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNET
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
Pokemon TCG Pocket's Eevee Grove Expansion Has Convinced My Partner to Play
I've been locked in on Pokemon TCG Pocket since day 1, and despite some reservations about how quickly new set expansions have been released, I log in at least twice a day to open my free packs. My girlfriend, on the other hand, stopped playing the game shortly after it came out. I was hoping that I could keep her engaged as my trading card buddy -- we met through playing Pokemon Go on the same college campus, and I pulled out my physical card collection during one of our first dates (I know, very romantic). Alas, I've had no such luck when it comes to hooking her on Pokemon TCG Pocket, which launched in October 2024 as another way for fans of the franchise to get their collecting fix (especially those who've invested in the real-life cards). She'll still get excited when I let her rip open one of the game's virtual packs on my phone, but I haven't been able to convince her of the joys of consistently opening her own packs. Now, developer DeNA is releasing its ultimate weapon: the Eevee Grove card packs. This expansion set is going to do gangbusters, because I'm using it to drag my partner back to the game (and you can, too). If you told me you thought this little guy isn't cute, I'd call you a liar. DeNA/Screenshot by CNET Eevee is a powerful marketing tool Pikachu might be the face of Pokemon, but Eevee is the electric rat's right-hand man. The adorable fox-dog-thing has universal appeal. They're cute, they're intrinsically tied to Pokemon's evolution mechanics, and they turn into so many different monsters that people love. Eevee can change into cool Pokemon like Jolteon and Umbreon, or they can become something more elegant, like Sylveon or Glaceon. My girlfriend's favorite Pokemon is Ralts, but she loves Eevee nonetheless -- so I've convinced her to open some packs and use up her wonder picks, at least for now. I already have her chasing the holographic Sylveon card. Only when she pulls it will I tell her about the even more rare full art versions, in order to keep the chase alive. It's hard to say if I'll be able to keep her momentum up as the set loses its novelty and luster, but I'm happy to share this small part of my daily routine with my partner until she falls off the game again. The release window of the Eevee Grove expansion doesn't seem like a coincidence at all, considering how many people the Eevee-themed Prismatic Evolutions set converted into physical Pokemon trading card collectors. That was a very expensive set to pull from, mostly because it was getting bought up by scalpers at an absurd pace. But you can't scalp digital trading cards, which means Pokemon TCG Pocket's Eevee Grove expansion might be an appealing alternative for casual fans. There's a whole Eeveelution rainbow included in this set. DeNA/Screenshot by CNET What is included in the Eevee Grove card set? Eevee Grove includes 69 base set cards for you to pull, including the Eeveelutions and some of their Generation One friends. There are 38 additional full art and secret rare cards for the luckiest players to stumble across. The card list primarily focuses on Eevee and its evolution rainbow. Several Eevee evolutions have multiple full art card variants in this set. Out of the master set's 107-card total, a whopping 29 cards are dedicated to the Eevee evolution lines and its associated items. There are also Pokemon Ex cards for Snorlax, Primarina and Dragonite, if you're looking for different options for your deck. The Eevee Grove expansion continues the trend of including special shiny Pokemon cards. These secret, rare alternate art cards have been included in every set since Shining Revelry. The latest expansion includes shiny full-art cards for Articuno Ex, Zapdos Ex, Moltres Ex and Gallade Ex. There are also shiny variants for Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir, so if my partner pulls every Sylveon, I think I know what to set her loose on next. Pokemon TCG Pocket's Eevee Grove expansion set update is available for free now on iPhone and Android devices. Next time you log in, you can spend your free packs and hourglasses to chase the Eeveelutions to your heart's content.
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Pikachu, Snorlax Named Official Sleep Support Ambassadors; Move by Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry Aims to Encourage Healthy Rest
In a charming and strategic move to encourage healthy sleeping habits, Pikachu and Snorlax — two beloved characters from the globally popular Pokemon franchise — have officially been appointed as 'sleep support ambassadors' by the government. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry spearheaded this initiative, which leverages the appeal of these iconic figures to encourage people, especially children, to develop better sleep habits. The characters are expected to participate in various public awareness events, adding a fun, recognizable element to the important message that everyone needs to get enough sleep. The ministry recommends nine to 12 hours of sleep for elementary students, and eight to 10 hours for junior and high school students, to maintain good health. Since last fiscal year, the ministry has been collaborating with the Pokemon Company, which publishes 'Pokemon Sleep,' a smartphone game that tracks the user's sleep. Together, they have created brochures and other materials to encourage adequate sleep. On Thursday, the day of the announcement, Snorlax and a nightcapped Pikachu visited the ministry and received their letters of appointment from Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Takamaro Fukuoka. 'We hope to continue working with the health ministry to positively change sleep habits,' said Pokemon Company Representative Director Takato Utsunomiya.
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Regretful Trump Voters Share Why They Feel Betrayed
Whenever I have time, I love heading over to the LeopardsAteMyFace subreddit, where people often share screenshots of Trump supporters realizing that their votes indeed have consequences. Here are some of the best posts from the past couple weeks, with MAGA freaking out about everything from the Iran bombing to deportations: This person who voted for Trump three times and is now worried about the "complete destruction of the small independent family farms and cattle ranches": This person who voted for "ZERO WARS!!!" just for the Trump administration to bomb Iran: Filmmaker and actor Justine Bateman who asked Trump to reconsider selling "irreplaceable American wilderness"... ...when last year, she celebrated Trump's win: This deeply racist person who's upset because they specifically want more Nigerians to be deported (!!!): This person who is "getting hit with tariffs everywhere": This account called Gays for Trump doing the shocked Pikachu face at the Trump administration's anti-LGBTQ+ actions (during Pride Month, no less): This person who "might have fucked up" because their construction company isn't getting much done: This person who admitted they were "wrong about Trump" and listed a bunch of stuff Democrats warned everyone about: This person who's "pissed" none of things they voted for actually happened: This person who thought Trump would only deport undocumented immigrants with felonies: This person who apparently voted for Trump based on tweets from 2011–13 and ignored everything after that: This person who only cared about cheaper prices and — shocker! — saw prices go up: And finally, this person who suddenly cares about human rights now that their grandfather was taken by ICE:
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Ananya Panday's Miami Diaries Includes Watching Dakota Johnson's Materialists
Last Updated: Ananya Panday wrapped up her first schedule for her romantic comedy film starring Kartik Aryan in Croatia and jetted off to Miami, Florida, for a vacation. When Ananya Panday is not shooting a film, she is watching one. The actress took some time off from her busy schedule to watch Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal's new rom-com Materialists. In a picture shared on her Instagram Story on Tuesday, June 24, Ananya was seen, which seemed to be inside a theatre, as she watched the film. She is currently in Miami, Florida. While she did not reveal many details about her whereabouts, Ananya posted a still from Materialists featuring Dakota and Pedro with a red heart emoticon. Written and directed by Celine Song, best known for her work in Past Lives, Materialists was one of the highly anticipated films of 2025. As of now, the movie has only been released in the US theatres since June 13. Set in New York City, Materialists is about a love triangle between a matchmaker, played by Dakota, who starts dating a wealthy client, Harry (Pedro), but finds herself drawn to her imperfect ex John (Chris). The international audience will be able to watch the love story in theatres on August 16. Speaking of Ananya Panday, she recently wrapped up her first schedule for the romantic comedy film Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, starring Kartik Aryan in Croatia. Post wrap-up, she jetted off to Miami to spend a well-deserved break. Taking to Instagram, the 26-year-old actress shared a series of stunning photos from her tropical getaway. They were all about good vibes, great food, and good companions. The post began with a photo of Ananya from a club, holding a Pikachu cup. Following this, she was seen basking in the sun while enjoying some food on a yacht with her pet dog by her side. Ananya concluded her Miami diaries with a selfie, a closer look at her new accessories, some fun time with her friends and fur baby, and some scrumptious dishes. In the caption, she wrote, 'Pika pika." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ananya 🌙 (@ananyapanday) As for her work front, she was last seen on the screen in Kesari Chapter 2, opposite Akshay Kumar and R. Madhavan. Currently, she has Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, directed by Sameer Vidhwans, in the pipeline. The film is scheduled to hit the theatres on Valentine's Day next year. Besides this, she also has Chand Mera Dil with actor Lakshaya in her kitty. First Published: June 24, 2025, 19:11 IST
