It has been 25 years since Pokémon Red and Blue was released in North America. In fact, it has been 25 years and five months, but in the spirit of 'better late than never,' TIME has decided to get in on the action with a new special edition of the magazine.
Ahead of Pokémon Day 2024 (and the Pokémon Presents showcase therein) on 27th February, the iconic magazine company has unleashed four special edition covers, each depicting a different one of the OG starters or Pikachu — because Pikachu has to be there, right?
While the covers may vary, the SE mag's contents are the same: 96 pages packed with Pokémon. The articles range from discussing the series' history to exploring the rise of Pokémon GO — all rather upbeat compared to the outlet's cautionary cover story on the series back in 1999.
Of course, four collectable covers mean that the full set will always look good on the shelf, regardless of the identical content within. Just look at the following snap from @LeonhartYT and tell us that seeing the full gang together doesn't look nice.
Leonhart, who runs the Pokémon card YouTube channel of the same name, said in a follow-up tweet that catching 'em all was no easy feat and apparently required "several trips" to different stores to complete the set.
Those willing to take the gamble can pick up a paperback copy of the special TIME magazine from Amazon for $14.99, though there is no guarantee which cover you will get. Such is the risk of wanting to be the very best, we suppose.
The magazine might have missed the boat on Pokémon Red and Blue's 25th anniversary in the US, but it has come right on time (pun very much intended) for the announcement of the next Pokémon Presents showcase, which gets underway next week.