THOSE who grew up in the 1990s will remember Pokémon fondly, whether the trading cards, the video games, or the animé. Pikachu and the rest of the adorable, fighting “pocket monsters” established themselves as a fixture on both Game Boy and television screens, and haven’t left the pop culture consciousness since.

Back at the beginning, the only way to “catch them all” was to trade, making it a subtly social interest. The emergence of Pokémon GO, Nintendo’s augmented reality mobile game, in 2016, brought this to another level, with people physically searching for Pokémon which would appear on your phone as you traversed your surroundings.

Fast forward to 2026, and The Pokémon Company is celebrating 30 years since it brought the beloved pocket monsters to life through the Pokémon Red and Green video games. It has begun activities all over the world to commemorate the milestone — and in the Philippines, where the franchise has remained popular over the decades, a pop-up store and a running event are set to take place.

POP-UP STORE
At the press conference on Tuesday, fans were greeted by three dancing Pikachu mascots, which generated the loudest reactions among both press and mallgoers passing by — that is, until it was revealed that The Pokémon Center would open its first-ever pop-up store in the Philippines.

In partnership with SM Supermalls, the limited-time Pokémon Center pop-up store at the SM Mall of Asia will be open from this coming October until January 2027. It will feature a wide range of products, including Pokémon Center original merchandise, trading cards, and plushies.

“This is the first in Philippine history,” said The Pokémon Company Senior Director Daisuke Kobayashi, at the press conference on July 7 at the SM Mall of Asia.

He pointed out that Pokémon Center products are “hard to come by.” Excluding other pop-up stores, the only Pokémon Center stores outside of Japan are in Singapore and Taiwan.

“Among the merchandise lineup, you will find the Philippines’ 30^th anniversary limited-edition Pikachu plush,” he added.

In addition to special anniversary merchandise, Pokémon Trading Card Game tutorial sessions and a gaming experience booth will be set up in the pop-up store.

“I took charge of the Asia region 10 years ago. Over the past decade, the fanbase has grown significantly,” said Susumu Fukunaga, corporate officer of The Pokémon Company, at the press conference. “We would like to express our gratitude to longtime fans and newcomers through the Pokémon events in Manila.

“When we first started in 1996, we had a small, one-apartment office in Tokyo with fewer than 30 employees. Thanks to the love and support of fans, we now have offices worldwide with over 2,000 employees. The growth is not possible without the fans,” he added.

POKÉMON RUN
Fans will be able to join the Pokémon RUN 30 on Oct. 3 and 4 at the SM Mall of Asia. This is an interactive, themed running event where participants “transform” into Pokémon Trainers and step into an immersive Pokémon world.

The five-kilometer run will blend adventure, collecting, and interactive challenges, welcoming casual runners, families, and even children. The prices are P2,450 for the standard run (inclusive of a runner’s kit that contains a T-shirt and drawstring bag, among others) and P3,450 for a run that comes with a Pikachu shoulder plushie.

It starts by runners choosing their first partner Pokémon at the starting line. Along the way, they will encounter a Pokémon Gym with interactive obstacles, a Pokémon Center that has refreshment stations, and Pokédex Tasks where the runners can meet different Pokémon along the route and collect special stickers.

At the finish line, the participants’ starter Pokémon will “evolve” and runners will be free to go to the festival zone, which will include a pop-up store, a time tunnel that looks back at the history of the franchise, an experience zone with Nintendo Switch 2 titles, and meet-and-greets and photo spots with Pikachu.

They anticipate that the two-day event will be well-attended, with “over 20,000 runners expected,” according to The Pokémon Company executives. As of July 9, registration via Runrio’s Facebook page has been closed, with additional slots yet to be opened.

“In the Philippines, Pokémon has been enjoyed by people for three generations already,” Mr. Fukunaga said. “We are planning a lot of activities and events.”

OTHER EVENTS
A six-month mall caravan will be held from this October to March next year, with stops at various SM Supermalls. Participating malls include SM East Ortigas, SM Southmall, SM North EDSA, SM Marikina, SM Seaside Cebu, SM Davao, and SM CDO Downtown.

The caravan will offer licensed Pokémon merchandise and collectibles, free Pokémon Trading Card Game, and experience zones for Nintendo Switch 2 titles Pokémon Pokopia and Pokémon Champions. Inflatables and meet-and-greets with mascots are expected to be popular among kids.

“For the entire duration of the caravan, you can redeem a limited-edition Pokémon 30^th Anniversary tote bag with a minimum single-receipt purchase of P3,500 at SM,” said Mr. Kobayashi, noting the importance of their partnership with the mall chain.

Finally, PokéXciting!, a large-scale party-style celebration, will be coming to five cities in Asia: Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Singapore, and Bangkok. Locally it will take place on Jan. 23 and 24, 2027, at SM Mall of Asia.

Visitors can look forward to a great deal of entertainment including a special appearance by PokéXciting! Pikachu, who will appear in Manila in a red fluffy wig. A live stage show and series of performances, similar to the one teased at the press conference, are lined up for fans to experience.

In addition to more merchandise, there will be a parade, where a wide variety of Pokémon will march together in a lively musical procession. A High-Voltage Night Stage will feature PokéXciting! Pikachu, with performances, danceable music, and a stage production. Admission to the PokéXciting! in Manila will be free. — Brontë H. Lacsamana