A new Pikachu-inspired flavor, arcade game tie-ins, and collaboration merchandise are great ways to celebrate the peak of summer right now.

Baskin-Robbins Japan (known popularly as “31” in Japan) kicked off its 31 Poké Summer! Campaign on August 1. The ice cream chain teaming up with Pokémon over the summer has become an annual event for Poké-fans to look forward to, and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on this year’s goodies for ourselves.

The main draws of the campaign are some creative Pokémon tie-ins. For instance, with purchase of a Pokémon Double Cup (Small for 51o yen [US$3.44], Regular for 610 yen), you’ll receive one of 20 randomly selected stickers and one of two special yellow spoons. With purchase of a Pokémon Sundae (600 yen each), you’ll receive a Frienda Pick, which is a rectangular plastic tile with a Pokémon’s information for use in the Pokémon Frienda arcade game.

Of course, given our unofficial motto of “Go big or go home,” we sprung for a pricier option in the form of the Pokémon Exciting Ice Cream Box (Small) for 3,500 yen, which also comes in a Regular size for 4,140 yen. For this deal, you select nine flavors of ice cream to go home with you in special box which is in turn placed inside a Pokémon-patterned refrigerated bag.

We were quite pleased by our haul when we got home and laid it all out on the table.

The refrigerated bag in particular is remarkable for its two-way functionality. It initially comes as a smaller-sized bag that’s a perfect fit for the Ice Cream Box.

However, when you release its side buttons…

…the bag transforms into a tote! This point makes it a perfect addition for all of your summer picnicking needs.

Honing in on the box, it has a colorful design with Poképals old and new.

We were delighted to open the lid and find a coloring page as well.

Let’s check out the ice cream itself now. This summer’s special flavor of note is Pikachu’s Toropika Soda, meant to evoke the taste of a nostalgic soda float and perfect for a hot summer day. Combining sorbet with vanilla cream, it has a refreshing base with a mix of creaminess to it.

It also comes with candies in the shape of Pikachu’s face that taste like white chocolate and have a crunchy texture somewhere between chocolate and ramune soda-flavored candies.

All in all, everything was simply, summery sweet!

The Baskin-Robbins Japan x Pokémon campaign will be around through September 3, so swing by your local branch when you need to add a boost of Poké-power to your day. On your way, you might also want to stop by several JR East train stations to earn yourself one of these giant Pokémon cards while supplies last.

Reference: Baskin-Robbins Japan
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