what was the first big pokemon event you ever went to?

[bugb0y]

distributions, midnight releases, movies, pokemon go raids, etc... im curious! what were y'all's first big events?

mine was a mew distribution at my local mall in 1990-something with my little sibling that we dragged our pops to. i got it on my pokemon yellow, sib got it on their pokemon blue. there was a big, long, sevipering line and i remember us hugging one of those huge people-sized pikachu puppets. they gave us both little goodie bags with the first 3 volumes of the pokemon comics and a certificate with which number mew we got. they are, thankfully, still in decent condition to today

 

[WyndonCalling]

Back in 1999, I recall attending a bring-and-swap event at my local Woolworths (a household retailer) and acquiring a Fossil Golem; it's interesting to note that the cards were a considerably bigger deal than the games in the UK, probably on account of the ease of entry. I also saw the first two films in the cinema.

But big events? Discounting Comic Con, it would be London Worlds last year - meeting the president of the Pokémon Company was rather nice.

 

[UxieLover1994]

Back in 2010, a Big W were giving out codes to obtain Jirachi in HGSS. I barely remember the event, as I only recently returned to the franchise and was a mere teenager struggling to fit in (I attended no proper events as a child). I can also recall taking my 3DS to EB Games during Generation V, around 2012. I used to see the anime movies when they were screened at Hoyts Tea Tree Plaza, but outgrew them by M19 (plus they were getting boring and saccharine). In Pokémon GO, my first raid was for a Poison-type, but I can't remember whether it was Grimer, Muk, Koffing, or Weezing.

I have only met one voice actor who played a role in the anime: Caitlin Glass (Diancie in M17), at AVCon 2016

 

[Okido]

First big one I can recall was the Pokémon Video Game Nationals, back in August 2006! I was very young at the time (and it was a very hot summer day that day), but I remember it was extremely exciting and a ton of fun just to be there and spectate. I still have a fan and I believe a keychain that I got while I was at the venue, both featuring the 10th Anniversary logo on them. Here's an awesome video I found chronicling the event!

...and yeah, Hulk Hogan was there as a commentator for some reason too LOL.

 

[bugb0y]

@WyndonCalling
super cool! do you still have the fossil golem? i can confirm the games were a bigger deal here in the US, i myself didnt see a lot of the tcg until i was well into middle/high school (but even then, i remember them getting popular enough that the school was banning kids from bringing them <_<) it was mostly either yu gi oh or magic up til then

i remember specifically going to see the first movie with my pops at the big fancy theater downtown called tinseltown. it was a massive deal when i was a kid cus it was a step-up from whatever podunk theater we usually went to (i cant even remember the name o_oU) going to the big fancy theater? with popcorn? and soda? and candy?? for a cartoon??? man, that shit melted my brain xP actually...i think that was my real first pokemon event cus my younger sibling wasnt even old enough to be there o_o! i definitely cried in that theater xD

thats SO COOL that you met the pokemon company president?? what was he like?

@UxieLover1994
interesting, thats around the time that i also picked up pokemon again, HGSS and BW. i know whatcha mean x( i fell out of it myself for a while after gen 2 but i really got back into it with BW! (especially after leaving my HG cartridge in another city on a school trip ;_;...) i also remember frequenting gamestops with my 3ds during that time

i havent kept up with the anime since diamond/pearl (aside from journeys) so im not familiar with her role, but thats dope you got to meet her! how did it go? :3

@Orchid
OOO: oh my god?? hulk hogan?!?!?? x''D really cool video! arceus above, its so 2000s lmao, looks like it was a trip xD all those gameboy SPs, GBAs, DSs...and having to be hooked up to gale of darkness! /squidward voice ~primitive!~ x) theres a couple shots of those big pikachu costumes in that vid, thats what the one at the mew distribution i went to looked like! does your fan happen to match the ones in the vid? ^_^

(thank you all for your replies btw )

 

[Insanish Danish]

The first (and so far only) big event I attended was the midnight release of XY at Nintendo World back in 2013. It coincided with New York Comic Con that year and a few of my Bulbagarden friends and I were attending the con together, so we also went to the midnight release, too. We showed up at 7 p.m. and the line was already several blocks long at that point; we didn't get inside the store until 3 a.m. and didn't get back to our hotel until about 4 a.m. Would I go through this again? No. But was it a great time? Absolutely.

 

[WyndonCalling]

@WyndonCalling
super cool! do you still have the fossil golem? i can confirm the games were a bigger deal here in the US, i myself didnt see a lot of the tcg until i was well into middle/high school (but even then, i remember them getting popular enough that the school was banning kids from bringing them <_<) it was mostly either yu gi oh or magic up til then

i remember specifically going to see the first movie with my pops at the big fancy theater downtown called tinseltown. it was a massive deal when i was a kid cus it was a step-up from whatever podunk theater we usually went to (i cant even remember the name o_oU) going to the big fancy theater? with popcorn? and soda? and candy?? for a cartoon??? man, that shit melted my brain xP actually...i think that was my real first pokemon event cus my younger sibling wasnt even old enough to be there o_o! i definitely cried in that theater xD

thats SO COOL that you met the pokemon company president?? what was he like?

I'm afraid I don't have the Golem any more, but it wouldn't be particularly hard to get another one for relative cheap. Mr Ishihara doesn't speak English as far as I'm aware but I chatted with his interpreter about the London Worlds art theme and my previous life working in Parliament, and he very kindly signed a poster for me.

 

[ToxicWhiskers]

The first big one I went to was when Pokémon Colosseum came out and I was with my brother and one of his friends. One of our country's big cinema chains (I think it was Odeon or Vue, I wish I could remember) were hosting events where people could come play it on the big screen. We were also free to bring our own copies of Ruby and Sapphire so we could battle together and they handed out goodie bags.

 

[Strawberry Cupcake]

Hmm the only thing I recall going to was back when Pokemon cards were first a thing and a local game shop (it wasn't a big game retailer but like a hole in the wall place I guess..) was having a Pokemon Card game day and trading day and I remember going to that with all my friends and I had a lot of fun. I don't think I really played the game but watched people and I think I traded a card or two. I think this was like in 1999? I honestly don't remember at this point.

 

[Pyrax]

The GAME Shaymin way back in Gen IV. Iirc it was the last day of the event and I nabbed one shortly before closing time. Sadly someone stole my copy of Platinum said Shaymin was in - eventually bought another copy with another DSi but losing that first event Pokemon stung lol