Pokemon Twitch Event Coming, Includes 24-Hour Marathon Animation Livestream

February 27 is Pokemon's 20th anniversary and one of the ways The Pokemon Company is celebrating the occasion is with an all-day event on streaming site Twitch. The official Twitch Pokemon channel will host a "massive" event starting at 10 AM PST / 1 PM PST, during which developers will discuss the series and its impact on culture. Gameplay will also be broadcast, though no specific titles were named in the announcement.

This will run until 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST, at which point the stream will begin a 24-hour marathon of Pokemon animated shows and movies. These will be shown all day and night until the same time on Sunday.

"The Pokemon marathon is notable for more than being a beloved show that fits perfectly into our community's wheel house; like the success of Bob Ross' show on our platform, it affirms the value of Twitch as a destination for linear community-driven appointment viewing," Twitch marketing executive Matthew DiPietro said in a statement.

"By bucking the notion of binge watching in isolation, it offers a social video experience valued by the Twitch community which is absent from the current media environment. Pop culture has essentially turned over a new leaf with millions watching it happen."

Pokemon's Twitch event is just one part of The Pokemon Company's celebration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. The company also recently released a photo-making app (we quickly used it to make Guy Fieri image), while a 30-second ad for the franchise ran during Super Bowl 50. Additionally, Nintendo will hold a Pokemon-themed Nintendo Direct briefing on February 26 and classic Pokemon games Red, Blue, and Yellow will be re-released on February 27, alongside a New 3DS system bundle.

GameSpot will also have some retrospective Pokemon features in the coming days. Check back soon for more.