Given their prominence on the Fourth of July, fireworks are seen as a very American thing, but they’ve been a part of Japanese culture for far longer than we’ve been lighting them off in our backyards. Japan has been hosting fireworks festivals since the 1700s, when they would be fired into the sky to ward off evil spirits. Today, the tradition continues, mostly in July and August.

Over time, groups of pyrotechnical experts would compete for the most impressive display, which led to a great deal of artistry that, again, has carried over to today. Naturally, since Pokémon has been a Japanese pop culture phenomenon for the past 20 years, the franchise has worked its way into the festivities. We can’t exactly expect people to paint a Charizard in the night sky using only colorful explosives, but the Japanese sure have figured out how to make a Pokéball:

モンスターボール花火 pic.twitter.com/Xc8CM7XhjJ

— たぁくん@ポケGO 赤組 (@t19870709s) June 3, 2016

ポケモンのモンスターボール花火。いろんな花火があるな。 pic.twitter.com/W21F5iLrKL — 執行秀一 (@earthrunnerakab) August 13, 2015

They’ve even recreated the rarest Pokéball of all: The Masterball:

@mochidamaskt マスターボールもあったよ pic.twitter.com/n9peMx9gZZ

— 餅玉 (@mochidamaskt) July 31, 2016

With how popular Pokémon is once again in the U.S. thanks to Pokémon GO, we wouldn’t be surprised if some Pokémon fireworks popped up in American fireworks displays. Regardless, let us not forget that fireworks have long been a part of Nintendo’s history:

What would be the best Pokémon-themed fireworks display? Let us know in the comments below.

Featured image: @N_Starmie