Pokémon

Pokémon is a popular media franchise owned and originated by Japanese video game company, Nintendo. Following its first video game release, Pokémon soon became a hit and was soon featured in more games, anime, trading cards, toys, books, and other media.

Pokémon revolves around a fictional world filled with trainable creatures with various powers you can contain in a spherical tool, a PokéBall. One particularly creative aspect of the series is its generations, its division of the games that assists in showing the chronological timeline of the series. One generation, called Pokémon: Black and White (Generation V), was promoted at McDonald's in both 2011 and 2012 with Happy Meal Toys based on the Pokémon featured in the games.

The 2011 line of the Pokémon toys included, Pikachu, Reshiram, Zekrom, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Zorua, and Zoroark. Additionally, random cards for the Pokémon card game are included in the line.

For the 2012 line, Black and White toys returned again with evolved forms of the starters, Dewott, Servine, and Pignite. This set also features Pikachu, Woobat, and Axew. Also, like last year, Pokémon card game cards are included with purchase of the toys. The toys in this line were sold alongside Zoobles! toys for girls.

The commercials promoting the 2012 line showed the characters from the Funky Farm era alongside Pikachu. When Pokemon X and Y released worldwide in 2013, a McDonalds set based on the games released in 2014 featuring a new battle system akin to rock paper scissors. The type trio would be switched on the toy and the Pokemon inside it's Pokeball can be launched into battle! The types and their advantages go: X defeats Square, Square Defeats Circle, and Circle Defeats X. The same battle system was reused with the 2019 Pokemon set. The Pokemon included in the set were Pikachu, Chespin, Froakie, Fennekin, Xerneas, Yevetal, Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Pancham, Mewtwo, and Helioptile. Different randomly distributed Pokemon cards were included with the toy. The toys in this line were sold alongside American Girl Isabelle toys for girls. In 2014, the remakes of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, had a Happy Meal set released in 2015. This set was to not only tie in to the games, but to the Hoopa and the Clash of Ages movie released in the same year. What made this set unique, was the Hoopa that was distributed at McDonald's locations. The Pokemon available in the set were Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, Lugia, Pikachu, Mega Latios, Hoopa, and Wobbuffet. Each Pokemon came with a randomly distributed card. The toys in this line were sold alongside Build-a-Bear plushies for girls. Pokemon Sun and Moon released worldwide in 2016. McDonald's distributed a set in 2017 based on the game. This set features Pikachu, Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, Solgaleo, Lunala, Grubbin, and Yungoos. Just like any Pokemon set in McDonald's, a different Pokemon card was randomly distributed with the toy. The toys in this line were sold alongside Hello Kitty toys for girls. In 2018, Pokemon was celebrating 2018, the year of Legendary Pokemon! To promote the event, McDonald's Distributed toys based on some of the Legendary Pokemon in the event. The Pokemon in the set were Latias, Latios, Tornadus, Thundurus, Dialga, Palkia, and returning from the Pokemon Black and White 2011 set, Reshiram, and Zekrom. A Pokemon randomly distributed Pokemon card was included with the toy. The toys in this line were sold alongside Hello Kitty toys for girls. In 2019, McDonald's released a Pokemon set featuring the same battle system from the 2013 X and Y set. But the way you launch the toy was completely different. The Pokemon included were Pikachu, Eevee, Onix, Lapras, Caterpie, Alolan Exeggutor, Alolan Sandshrew, and Magmar. Each toy included a randomly distributed Pokemon card. This set was sold alongside Hello Kitty toys for girls.