The Pokémon European International Championships for 2025 are just around the corner, and the community is already banging on the metaphorical door to get inside. But they are seemingly unable to get through to the online booking list for the pop-up store.
Alongside the main competition and wide variety of side events the community can get involved with during EUIC 2025, one of the biggest pulls is the Pokémon Center pop-up store. This store features everything from apparel to collectible plushes and is usually exceptionally popular.
The bookings for EUIC’s Pokémon Center went live on Jan. 22, but almost immediately, frustrated players shared online that they were stuck behind a “pinwheel of doom” while trying to book their 15-minute slots for the store.
Some posted memes to make light of the situation, while others were clearly irritated by the waiting process. One Pokémon fan shared, “I’ve spent 42 minutes of my life trying to make a [Pokémon Center]
appointment for EUIC. No luck! Still not sure why competitors don’t get an auto entry time.”
Another frustrated collector added, “34 minutes of looking at yellow boxes and a spinning wheel. I only have a 60-minute lunch break. How am I supposed to get a Pokémon Center spot at this rate?!”
Some competitive players chimed in with their thoughts, with some sharing that they felt competitors should get their own slots for booking for this store. One noted, “2nd year in a row I’m gonna say it. Competitors at EUIC should get priority reg for the Pokémon Center on Thursday.”
Not everyone agreed with this, though, pointing out the vast numbers that The Pokémon Company had to deal with when organizing slots for the pop-up.
One viewer shared a snap of the Pokémon TCG competitor numbers in response to the priority slot argument, saying, “Okay, so which competitors? Because this is JUST the TCG numbers. I hate to tell y’all, but these issues will exist regardless of competitor priority or not.”
The level of excitement about the Pokémon Center pop-up shows no sign of dying down anytime soon. It marks the opportunity for collectors to pick up goodies themed around their favorite ‘mons and exclusive items for the event itself.
If you’re still waiting behind the spinning yellow wheel trying to get a slot for the EUIC Pokémon Center, it’s worth keeping an eye on social media as you do. A few successful screenshots are starting to trickle in online, meaning bookings are starting to be accepted from some collectors and competitors.
To learn more about EUIC and what it has to offer alongside the Pokémon Center pop-up, take a peek at the official news post about the event here. It’s one of the biggest competitive events of the year for the Pokémon scene, with plenty to get involved with no matter your game of choice.
