Celebrating Three Decades of Pokémon: Krispy Kreme Brings Exclusive Donuts to the Franchise's 30th Anniversary

Krispy Kreme is giving Pokémon fans another reason to catch them all—this time from inside a doughnut box. The chain is marking the video game franchise’s 30th anniversary with six limited-edition doughnuts inspired by Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, and the instantly recognizable Poké Ball. The collection arrives at participating Krispy Kreme locations on August 18, with preorders already available through the company’s website.

According to The TODAY Show, each character gets a distinct flavor and design. The Bulbasaur Doughnut starts with an Original Glazed dipped in vanilla icing and decorated with green frosting, while Charmander comes as an unglazed doughnut filled with chocolate marshmallow and topped with orange-colored caramel icing.

Squirtle’s version features cotton candy buttercream, Pikachu’s is filled with lemon Kreme, and Jigglypuff’s combines strawberry buttercream with strawberry cookie crumbs. The Poké Ball Doughnut recreates the franchise’s signature symbol with red-and-white vanilla icing, chocolate drizzle, and sprinkles.

The collaboration arrives as Pokémon celebrates three decades since Pokémon Red and Green debuted for Nintendo’s Game Boy in Japan in February 1996. Created by Satoshi Tajiri and developed by Game Freak, the original concept grew out of Tajiri’s childhood interest in collecting insects.

He later imagined creatures traveling between handheld systems through the Game Boy’s link cable, turning a simple technical feature into the foundation of trading, battling, and the broader Pokémon universe. The games reached North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.

“From Pokémon-inspired creations and playful flavors to themed cups, special packaging and fan surprises, this collection is made to be caught and shared as we celebrate 30 incredible years of Pokémon,” Alison Holder, Krispy Kreme’s chief brand and product officer, said in a statement.

The doughnuts will be sold individually and in Specialty 6-Count and Specialty Dozen boxes. Krispy Kreme is also releasing gold-dusted Doughnut Dots packaged in five collectible cups, with each cup highlighting one of the featured Pokémon.

Krispy Kreme is adding one more anniversary perk after the collection’s debut. On Aug. 22, guests who wear Pokémon merchandise to participating stores can receive one free Original Glazed doughnut, with a limit of one per person.

The launch extends a year of Pokémon anniversary partnerships that already include retro-themed merchandise from Target and a sneaker and apparel collection from Puma.

Pokémon has repeatedly expanded beyond its handheld origins, growing through its animated series, trading cards, merchandise, movies, and later games across Nintendo’s DS, 3DS, and Switch systems. The franchise found another generation of players in 2016 when the augmented-reality game Pokémon GO became a worldwide mobile phenomenon.

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