This summer, there's a brand new holiday to celebrate, and it's one that's focused around a certain special creature from the world of Pokemon. July 4th may be Independence Day, but July 1st is officially Bidoof Day, as declared by The Pokemon Company. It hasn't revealed much, but did confirm that various Bidoof-themed events will be occurring throughout the day across multiple Pokemon games and social media channels.
Bidoof is a Normal-type Pokemon first introduced in the fourth generation of Pokemon games. It is native to the Sinnoh region, features an appearance inspired by that of a beaver, and is one of the first Pokemon many players will encounter in Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum. Bidoof, which evolves into Bibarel at level 15, has appeared in several other games and will feature in the upcoming Generation 4 remakes, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl.
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Bidoof Day was announced on Twitter via the official Pokemon account. The event was referred to as "a day of Bidoofery" and was confirmed to be occurring all day on Thursday, July 1. The Tweet also confirmed that more announcements were coming throughout the week via other Pokemon-related social media channels.
A second Tweet later in the day announced what is likely the first of many surprises. A free episode of the TV show Pokemon: The Series is available to watch via pokemon.com from now until July 2nd. Titled "Bidoof's Big Day," the episode revolves around protagonist Ash Ketchum and his friends attempting to save a Bidoof from the rampage of an angry Steelix.
In the Pokemon GO mobile app, Bidoof-themed celebrations have kicked off early. An ongoing event, the Bidoof Breakout, introduced Shiny versions of both Bidoof and Bibarel to Pokemon GO. During the event, which began on June 25th and will conclude on July 1st, Bidoof appear more frequently in the wild, and some wild Bidoof may know powerful battle moves including Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, and Thunderbolt. Players could also encounter and catch Shadow Bidoof in battles with Team GO Rocket.
A news post on the official Pokemon GO Website confirmed that more festivities will be occurring on July 1st to celebrate Bidoof Day. A Special Research task themed around the event will allow players to complete tasks and earn a Bidoof Hat item for their avatar. Bidoof that know the move Superpower will also appear both in the wild and during raids on that day. Additionally, a Bidoof-exclusive version of the game's Trainer Battle system will be implemented for that day only, allowing trainers to send teams of Bidoofs to battle against each other. Finally, all Trainers will receive 4x Catch Experience all day long.
More Bidoof-themed events and surprises will likely be announced prior to and on July 1st. It is not yet known whether Bidoof Day will include more information regarding either Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl or Pokemon Legends: Arceus, a prequel title also set in Sinnoh and featuring Bidoof.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will release for the Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021. Pokemon Go is currently available for both android and iOS devices.