KelsiDavis

Major news for Pokémon fans in Thailand was announced today, as the first ever Thai location of a Pokémon Center has been scheduled to open sometime this year. This will be the third Pokémon Center currently located outside Japan, joining branches in Singapore and Taipei, Taiwan. While its exact opening date is still forthcoming, the store will be opening in CentralWorld, the ninth largest shopping center in the world, located in central Bangkok.

The big Pokémon 30th anniversary event scheduled for South Korea is the Pokémon Mega Festa, a title which encompasses several different celebrations including themed areas, merchandise, athletic events, and tie-ins with Pokémon GO. One of the introductory events for Mega Festa’s opening day, May 1st, was a Pokémon GO stamp rally with a Pokémon TCG card as the completion prize. The event has been suddenly cancelled due to large crowds flooding into the Pokémon Secret Forest, in Seoul Forest Park in the Seongdong District of Seoul.

Japanese coffee brand BOSS has announced their latest collab with The Pokémon Company, debuting lots of limited-edition merchandise like t-shirts, jackets, acrylic charms, and, of course, Pokémon-themed coffees. Most merch is available via lottery, with customers gaining entries to win by purchasing the Pokémon coffees. The new can designs will be available and the lotteries will open on June 1st, with the promotions ending August 31st. This collab is only available for customers in Japan.

The Pokémon Company is continuing its Timeless Adventure series of merchandise, this time debuting a collection starring Pikachu and the Gen III starters. The new collection features stationery, tableware, and the centerpiece, a Quagsire side table. Hoenn’s Timeless Adventure merch will arrive only at the Pokémon Center Online for customers in Japan on May 14th. It is not expected to be available at any in-store locations upon release.

Elious, the creator behind the PokéNational series, has recently uploaded a video explaining to fans that the PokéNational channel is scheduled to be terminated by YouTube seven days after April 25th. Nintendo of America (NOA) has issued at least 20 copyright strikes against videos on the channel, triggering YouTube’s policy of terminating a channel after three unresolved copyright strikes. While some avenues of recourse are available for the creator, they have expressed the severity of the situation: “Yeah, I’m one guy. This is Nintendo of America.”

Police in Vancouver, Canada, have arrested three teenage boys in connection with a violent Pokémon card robbery that occurred the night of Tuesday, April 22nd. Police say the victim met up with the teens shortly after 8 PM, after agreeing to the sale via Facebook Marketplace. The boys then allegedly used bear-spray on the seller and robbed him of the cards. The suspects fled the scene, and only one of the cards has been recovered.

The Pokémon Company is debuting the second round of “Timeless Adventure” merchandise in celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary, this time themed after singing. This Johto-focused drop follows the first round of Timeless Adventure merch, which featured the Kanto starters in a retro style. The new line will arrive, unusually, only at the Pokémon Center Online serving customers in Japan on April 23rd. It is not expected to be available at any in-store locations upon release.

Pokémon Local Acts has announced six new Poké Lids to be installed in late April in Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan. Poké Lids are donations from The Pokémon Company to prefectures, and along with events and merchandise hosted by Pokémon Local Acts, are intended to encourage tourism to various areas of Japan.

Retail giant Target has today announced a merch collab with The Pokémon Company International in celebration of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. Target is touting themselves as the only major retailer in the US to be collaborating with Pokémon for the milestone, and is going to be showing off more than 100 colorful items, including plenty of apparel, accessories, home goods, and beauty products, plus some toys and food items. The collection will drop at all Target stores in the US in two phases, with the first arriving in-store on May 2nd and online on May 3rd.

The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) has announced details for their Pokémon Night Out, which will consist of two EDM concerts with artists Marshmello and Alison Wonderland performing. The first concert will take place October 24th of this year in Los Angeles, and the other will be on November 10th in London. Both concerts will feature Pokémon-inspired visuals, special effects, and other stage technology.

In celebration of the recent release of Pokémon Pokopia, several cities in Europe are seeing urban spaces transformed into Pokopia gardens, complete with Pokémon and other elements from the game among the plants. Pokopia gardens in London, Berlin, and Paris are all free and open to the public today, and will each stay open for several months.

Pokémon Local Acts has announced four new Poké Lids to be installed throughout April in Iwate Prefecture in Japan. Poké Lids are donations from The Pokémon Company to prefectures, and along with events and merchandise hosted by Pokémon Local Acts, are intended to encourage tourism to various areas of Japan.

Athletic apparel and footwear brand Puma is announcing yet another 30th anniversary collab with Pokémon, after recently announcing their latest Pikachu sneaker. This new drop is more extensive, launching four new sneakers themed after different Pokémon, plus some new apparel to go with them. The collection will drop at Puma’s website serving the US at 9 PM PST on April 1st.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) has released a slew of new information concerning yesterday’s fatal stabbing of an employee at Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, inside the Sunshine City complex in Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. The victim and perpetrator, who died by suicide, have both been identified, as well as their previous relationship and the perpetrator’s previous arrests.

An employee of Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, inside the Sunshine City complex in Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, has died after a man previously arrested for stalking her entered the store with a knife. The perpetrator went behind the counter where the employee was working, stabbed her, then stabbed himself in the neck. Both later died at a hospital from their injuries.

Pokémon Local Acts has announced five new Poké Lids to be installed throughout the rest of March in Kochi Prefecture in Japan. Poké Lids are donations from The Pokémon Company to prefectures, and along with events and merchandise hosted by Pokémon Local Acts, are intended to encourage tourism to various areas of Japan.

FC Seoul, the professional South Korean football club, has announced a new collaboration with Pokémon Korea, Inc. for their opening home game of the season. The collab is advertising four main features, including free souvenirs, activities and a special opening ceremony. Plus, FC Seoul Pokémon merch is scheduled to be sold beginning in May.

The 98th Oscars’ Red Carpet had an unusual surprise for Pokémon fans, as actor McKenna Grace, known for her roles in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and Scream 7, revealed a handful of Pokémon TCG packs from her dress pockets. “I’m really into Pokémon cards, and I want to try to be the first person to open Pokémon cards at the Oscars,” said Grace.

The Pokémon Company is once again collaborating with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, this time for a series of Pokémon-themed concerts to be performed across Japan. The tour offers four dates in four cities, beginning in August of this year. Performances will include musical selections from Pokémon games, including Pokémon Red and Green and the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale in May..

The Pokémon Company has announced a new kind of Pokémon Center location, scheduled to open on April 9th in Yokohama. The new location is dubbed Pokémon Center Yokohama Satellite, and functions as a smaller branch to Yokohama’s regular Pokémon Center, which is located just a six minute walk away. This new satellite location will be in the Joinus shopping center, just outside the west exit of the Yokohama train station.