Anime Fans Celebrate 'Pokemon's 20th Birthday In Style

It's time to call out your favorite starter and get a cake from your go-to bakery. Today, Pokemon is celebrating a big birthday, and the whole Internet seems to be showing out for the occasion.

Over on Twitter, the hashtag #PokemonDay can't be stopped. The tag is being used by fans around the world to celebrate the franchise's 20th year. The anniversary is marked by the historic debut of Pokemon Red and Blue, the first video game titles to hit series.

As you can see below, gamers and anime fans have united to celebrate the happy occasion. Not only are Pokemon stans using social media to share their love for the series, but the franchise itself is having specials throughout the day to hype the event. This year, Pokemon Company announced several products and services would go live on its birthday.

For instance, Pokemon is teaming up with Snapchat for a special filter today. The selfie stickers will turn you into Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle with the swipe of your finger. Anime fans can also celebrate by watching the franchise's most recent film, Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You, for free via the Pokemon TV App.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate Pokemon today, and social media tributes make up just one option. So, if you want to share your shrine to Vulpix with the Internet, then today is your day. You won't be the only person blasting off your love for the iconic franchise today. Don't believe it? Just check out the following slides to see how hyped the Pokemon fandom is getting today:

Have you wished Pokemon a happy birthday? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!