Picture the scene: An endless hoard of exclusive Pokémon merchandise lies before you and you have a pocket full of savings. You pass one plushie, a playmat, a bag; before you know it, you’re at a checkout, paying thousands of dollars instantly. It’s all a bit of a blur.
I have been incredibly fortunate to go to Pokémon events before, including the past two World Championships. While Tokyo’s Pokémon Center was in a league of its own, nothing is better than a Worlds pop-up store, and Hawaii already had such amazing themes and teasers that I was ready to break the bank when I got to the shop.
Most of the items at these events usually sell out after a day or two, so with that knowledge, I spared no expense going through the aisles and picking up everything and anything I could want. I never have a plan for these things and don’t do any prep work by looking at images and streams of people who had been in before me. I just grab a bag and go- ignoring the desperate cries of my wallet as I go on.
There were the obvious things I wanted to pick up, like the exclusive Plush Toys and TCG products. Still, there comes a time at these Pokémon events when your mind goes blank, and before you know it, you have a couple of bags filled with shirts and a Ukelele you need to figure out how to fit in your suitcase painstakingly.
In the growing age of scalpers, I feel the need to announce this ahead of time before I show off the haul. I do not plan to re-sell any item for a profit and everything I bought is either for myself or a gift for friends at home.
Entering the Pokémon Center felt like a mad dash. I was going on the second day to full-on restocks of everything apart from the Skateboard and Ukelele, which had gone within the first few hours. Most of the exclusive stuff was in the first area, which made me fill the bag I was given nearly instantly.
I ended up going back twice for bags before I reached the end. However my rush had made me accidentally pick up a bunch of missized shirts and Pokémon apparel I ultimately couldn’t return to the store to replace. Thankfully, I have a reservation for tomorrow I could lock in on such an occasion that the stock was sold out—or something like this happened—so I’ll likely be spending more before my return flight.
In the end, I mainly focused on getting the exclusive stuff. There were many items from the usual Pokémon Center that I could get at any time, but it was only after buying all this stuff that it dawned on me. How was I getting all of this home?
My suitcase is packed, and no amount of Tetris skills will solve this issue. But I’ll find a way. I have to. You can’t leave no merch Pokémon behind.
