News Articles
Pokémon trainers, get ready! On June 18th and 19th, 2011, for those two days, Mirabilandia amusement park in Savio, Emilia-Romagna, Italy will be completely transformed into a Pokémon resort!
Now in its seventh edition, this year the Pokémon Day in Italy brings you into the new region of Unova, where visitors can play and have fun with the fantastic Pokémon from Pokémon Black and White.
During the two days, there will be many activities:
In addition, you can meet Pikachu Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott live just like many other Pokémon trainers! A full PDF is available with the details on each event as well as a map of the amusement park where events will be held. The PDF has also been posted on the Imageboard thread.
The Pokémon Day is organized by Gedis Editions in collaboration with Nintendo Italy and with the participation of K-2 and Universal Pictures Italy.
For information on how to get to Mirabilandia Italy, visit www.mirabilandia.it.
Source: http://www.pokemon.com/it/news/op_pokemon_day_it-2011-06-09/
Now in its seventh edition, this year the Pokémon Day in Italy brings you into the new region of Unova, where visitors can play and have fun with the fantastic Pokémon from Pokémon Black and White.
During the two days, there will be many activities:
- Learn to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game and then venture into the tournaments being held!
- Test yourself with your video game Pokémon in a battle!
- Sit back in the Cinema 4D theater to watch the movie Pokémon - Zoroark Il Re Delle Illusioni on a big screen!
- Get the special Zoroark for your Pokémon Black or White game! (Be sure to bring your Nintendo DS and Black or White game)
- Enter the draw to win great prizes everyday!
In addition, you can meet Pikachu Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott live just like many other Pokémon trainers! A full PDF is available with the details on each event as well as a map of the amusement park where events will be held. The PDF has also been posted on the Imageboard thread.
The Pokémon Day is organized by Gedis Editions in collaboration with Nintendo Italy and with the participation of K-2 and Universal Pictures Italy.
For information on how to get to Mirabilandia Italy, visit www.mirabilandia.it.
Source: http://www.pokemon.com/it/news/op_pokemon_day_it-2011-06-09/
Jun 13 2011
Pokémon Smash 36
Pokémon Smash Episode 36, Okido's Lab! Gathering of the Whole Crew!! / The Original Card Battles Debut the 'Victini' Battle Theme Deck / BW News: Group Member Akiyama has Produced a PokéSma Musical! (オーキド研究所！ 全員集合！！ / オリジナルカードバトルにバトルテーマデッキ「ビクティニ」登場 / BW情報では秋山隊員がポケスマミュージカルをプロデュース！), aired on Sunday in Japan.
The announcer introduced the items for this episode and then said: "Hello! It's Sunday morning! It's time for Pokémon Entertainment Show! Pokémon Smash! Here we go!". Golgo just started off the show with a standard 'PokéMorning' when Shoko-tan wonders what Akiyama is wearing on his eyes. He then takes off his jacket to show that he has wings but won't tell them what they are for and says they should introduce the Pokémon Library episode.
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Professor Red introduced this weeks rerun episode as part of the Pokémon Library and he also announces this weeks theme, Home Sweet Home!(ふるさとはあたたかい！). This weeks Pokémon Library rerun episode was Okido's Lab! Gathering of the Whole Crew!! (オーキド研究所！ 全員集合！！) from the Advanced Generation series. A full summary of that episode is available in the episode guide. Professor Red said his go-to line 'OK! Pokémon Library!' to start the repeat episode.
After the Pokémon Library Victini Akiyama showed up and Yamamoto was a bit annoyed because the wings kept hitting him in the face. They then decided to play a game of Janken. The teams were Victini Akiyama and Yamamoto vs Baba, Shoko, Red and Golgo. Round one, Yamamoto beat Golgo. Round 2, Yamamoto beat Shoko-tan. Round 3, Yamamoto beat Professor Red. Finally in round 4, Baba beat Yamamoto and Victini Akiyama started snapping Yamamoto's neck which was obviously making him mad. Just then the International divison girls show up as well as a full sized Victini like Zoroark and Mijumaru. Yamamoto and Akiyama then introduce the Pokémon Card Game Battle will be using the new Victini expansion being released on June 17th, 2011.
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Pokémon Card Game BW Battle Theme Deck: Victini (ポケモンカードゲームBW バトルテーマデッキ 「ビクティニ」) was reintroduced by the announcer and Team Zekrom consisting of Robert used the Coin Toss Deck (コイントスデッキ) while Team Reshiram consisting of the International Division girls used the Formation Deck (フォーメーションデッキ). Teacher Takashima returned once again to help out with the battle.
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Teacher Takashima started off by talking about the two Victini cards that are featured in the theme deck. The first one from the Coin Toss Deck: Victini (009/021 BTV), knows the move V-Blast (Vブラスト) which deals 120 damage but two coins must be tossed and both must be heads for the attack to work. The second Victini card from the Formation Deck: Victini (001/021 BTV) has V-Generate (Ｖジェネレート) which does 100 damage but it requires that there are 5 Pokémon on the players bench.
Victini Akiyama used wore the Coin Toss Deck: Victini (009/021 BTV) to start the match while Misaki started the match on her side by wearing Formation Deck: Ligray (012/021 BTV). Yamamoto was on the bench with Deathmas (010/021 BTV). Hana would be the player for her team while Baba was the player for Robert's team. Hana's team won Janken and got to draw first. She drew Emonga (006/021 BTV) and put it in her hand. She then gave Misaki Ligray a Psychic energy to use Contact (コンタクト) which allows the player to search their deck to find 2 Pokémon to on their bench. She got Shibishirasu (007/021 BTV) and Victini.
Baba picked up a Psychic energy card and then applied it to Victini and then used the Trainer card Crush Hammer (クラッシュハンマー) (015/021 BTV) which requires the player to flip a coin. If the coin toss is heads, the player can choose 1 Energy card attached to 1 of their opponent's Pokémon and discard it. Baba flipped heads and removed the Psychic energy card from Misaki Ligray. Baba then played the Supporter card Bel (021/021 BTV) while allowed him to draw cards from the deck until they had 6 cards in their hand. Baba picked up 3 cards: Psychic energy, Baoppu (バオップ 002/021 BTV) and Pokémon Substitution (ポケモンいれかえ 018/021 BTV). Baba then flipped two coins and got heads both times allowing them to use V-Blast. To emulate the V-Blast move, styrofoam walls were created with a trolley track. Misaki as Ligray sat on a board and was propelled through the walls to emulate the attack.
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With Misaki Ligray knocked out as it dealt double the damage (240HP) due to Psychic weakness, Baba picked up the prize card Deathkarn. Maria wearing Shibishirasu was sent into play as Hana picked up another Ligray card. Hana then used Super Ball (スーパーボール 017/021 BTV) which allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon and put it on their bench. The girls selected Tabunne. Hana then applied a Fire energy card to Victini on their bench.
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Baba picked up the card Pokémon Catcher (ポケモンキャッチャー) and then evolved Yamamoto Deathmas(010/021 BTV) into Deathkarn (011/021 BTV) and added a psychic energy to it. Baba decided to use V-Blast again but only got heads on the first toss. Hana's team picked up Cheren and they immediately used it to pickup 3 cards: a Psychic energy, another Emonga (006/021 BTV), and Merarva (メラルバ 004/021 BTV). They now had 5 Pokémon on their bench so they switched out Maria wearing Shibishirasu and Misaki came out wearing Formation Deck: Victini (001/021 BTV). They then applied a Psychic energy card to Misaki Victini and used V-Generate (Ｖジェネレート) which required 2 energy and 5 Pokémon on the bench. To emulate the attack, 5 guys got into a V formation and pushed a large ball at Akiyama Victini into a hot pool. Akiyama quickly went to a nearby bucket of ice. The move was enough to knock out Akiyama Victini. Hana picked up a Fire Energy card as their prize.
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Yamamoto Deathkarn was sent out to battle and Baba picked up Muggyo (マッギョ 008/021 BTV) and put it on the bench. Baba then attached a Fire energy to Yamamoto Deathkarn and used the move Ambush (おそいかかる) which deals upto 60 damage if they get a heads to raise the base attack damage from 40. Formation Deck: Victini (001/021 BTV) has 70HP though. Baba decided to use the Pokémon Catcher (ポケモンキャッチャー 019/021) Trainer's card which allows the player to choose 1 of their opponent's benched Pokémon and switch it their active Pokémon. Baba switched Victini (001/021 BTV) with their second Ligray (012/021 BTV). Baba did a coin toss and got heads which gave Ambush (おそいかかる) enough damage to knock out Ligray. Maria got slimed by Ambush (おそいかかる) 'Sticky Version' which was emulated with two big hands. Baba picked up a Fire energy card as a prize and Misaki Victini was sent out as the active battle Pokémon again.
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Hana applied an Lightning Energy to Emonga and since they had 5 Pokémon on the bench again they used V-Generate (Ｖジェネレート). To emulate the attack on Yamamato, the 5 guys got into a V formation again and pushed a large ball at Yamamoto Deathkarn into a hot pool. It was enough damage to knock Deathkarn out it as the Ability "Body that doesn't decay"(くちないからだ) which allows the player to flip a coin and if its heads, the Pokémon is not knocked out but only has 10 HP remaining. Baba got heads and Yamamoto was kept in play. Baba then picked up Revive (げんきのかけら 016/021 BTV) and used it to revive Akiyama Victini.
If this Pokémon would be Knocked Out by damage from an opponent's attack, you may flip a coin. If heads, this Pokémon is not Knocked Out, and has 10 HP remaining. Akiyama gets up off the floor where he had been lying down since he was knocked out. He's more than happy to be back in the battle and gives a very funny but evil laugh. Akiyama Victini goes into battle and Baba tosses 2 heads and once again Misaki is subjected to the V-Blast move. Team Zekrom won the battle and 100 points were added to the running total. As of the airing of this episode, Team Zekrom had 67,509 points while Team Reshiram was in the lead with 67,954 points.
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PokéSma Musical!
Akiyama consulted Game Freak Director Junichi Masuda about the Pokémon Musical and as a present a Pokémon Smash Musical was created. It even has its on original tune which was has people shouting 'Pokémon Smash' during it. Pokémon Smash members Mijumaru, Zoroark as well as a Victini are all featured in the musical. The cast decided to dress up Mijumaru, Zoroark and Victini just like people can do in game for the musical.
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Players of the Japanese versions of Pokémon Black and White can download the PokéSma Musical from Pokémon Global Link from Monday June 13th, 2011 at 1pm until August 30th, 2011. The password to unlock the musical is: 「ポケスマ！ミュージカル」
As a reminder for the upcoming CD release of Can You Say the Pokémon? BW (ポケモン言えるかな? BW) which will be released on June 22nd, 2011, the Pokémon Smash cast members all took part singing the song for the ending.
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Characters and Pictures from this episode have been added to the episode guide. You can also comment and discuss this episode on the forum. Also be sure to rate this and other episodes in the episode guide.
McDonald’s has announced they will be offering one of 12 Pokémon figures as a well as one of 12 Pokémon Trading Card Game cards in their Happy Meals starting June 17th, 2011. Below is the full press release.
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“We’re excited that our fans can visit McDonald’s, purchase a Happy Meal, and enjoy something special from Pokémon.”
“The Pokémon franchise is having an incredible year, and partnering with McDonald’s is definitely one of our highlights,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “We’re excited that our fans can visit McDonald’s, purchase a Happy Meal, and enjoy something special from Pokémon.”
The Pokémon Black•White Happy Meal promotion will be supported by McDonald’s through a fully integrated marketing campaign that includes television advertising, in-store POP, and online activities at McWorld.com and HappyMeal.com.
The Pokémon franchise continues to be one of the most enduring entertainment brands in the world. The release of the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems have shattered sales records with more than 11.5 million copies sold since their release in Japan last September and in the United States and Europe this March (Nintendo, March 2011). The all-new Pokémon Trading Card Game: Black & White expansion launched in April, adding to the more than 15 billion Pokémon TCG cards produced worldwide. A new season of Pokémon animation on Cartoon Network, Pokémon: Black & White, and a new feature length film, Pokémon—Zoroark: Master of Illusions, have also been released this year.
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Press Release
BELLEVUE, Wash.--Pokémon™ Black•White-themed Happy Meals arrive in participating McDonald’s® stores across North America beginning June 17, 2011, as one of the world’s most popular entertainment properties launches its Happy Meal promotion with the leading foodservice provider. Pokémon fans visiting North American McDonald’s locations June 17–July 7 can purchase a Happy Meal featuring one of eight McDonald’s exclusive Pokémon figures, including Pikachu and brand-new Pokémon Reshiram, Zekrom, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Zorua, and Zoroark, as well as one of twelve Pokémon Trading Card Game cards, to celebrate what has already been a blockbuster year for the franchise. The Pokémon Company International continues its McDonald’s Black•White Happy Meal promotion in major markets around the world later in 2011 and 2012.“We’re excited that our fans can visit McDonald’s, purchase a Happy Meal, and enjoy something special from Pokémon.”
“The Pokémon franchise is having an incredible year, and partnering with McDonald’s is definitely one of our highlights,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “We’re excited that our fans can visit McDonald’s, purchase a Happy Meal, and enjoy something special from Pokémon.”
The Pokémon Black•White Happy Meal promotion will be supported by McDonald’s through a fully integrated marketing campaign that includes television advertising, in-store POP, and online activities at McWorld.com and HappyMeal.com.
The Pokémon franchise continues to be one of the most enduring entertainment brands in the world. The release of the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems have shattered sales records with more than 11.5 million copies sold since their release in Japan last September and in the United States and Europe this March (Nintendo, March 2011). The all-new Pokémon Trading Card Game: Black & White expansion launched in April, adding to the more than 15 billion Pokémon TCG cards produced worldwide. A new season of Pokémon animation on Cartoon Network, Pokémon: Black & White, and a new feature length film, Pokémon—Zoroark: Master of Illusions, have also been released this year.
May 13 2011
Eevee Evolution Promotion Update
The official Pokémon Global Link website has announced the details for the Eevee Evolution distribution. The Pokémon will be available starting May 19th, 2011. The new update is posted below.
Press Release
Befriend Eevee's Evolution on May 19th! If you visited the Pokémon Fun Zone on Pokemon.com and played the game to earn one of Eevee's evolutions, you can befriend the Pokémon starting on May 19th. Sign into the Pokémon Global Link using your Pokémon Trainer Club account information, then visit the promotions page to befriend the Pokémon. Then, you can transfer that Pokémon into your copy of Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version when you wake your Pokémon in the Pokémon Dream World!Source: http://en.pokemon-gl.com/information/?infoto=121
Although Australia is not included in the international Pokémon Video Game Championships, Nintendo Australia is currently hosting its own series of state battle championships. New South Wales was the first state to hold the tournament, taking place on Sunday 17 April 2011 in The Nintendo Connection on the top floor of Sydney’s Myer department store.
The store didn’t open till 10.00am, but by 9.30 there was already a large crowd of gamers gathering outside the doors. Players spent the time discussing strategies and doing some last-minute training and trading while waiting for the doors to be opened. At 10.00 the host of the competition, Jamie from Nintendo Australia, arrived and asked the eager participants to follow him calmly in single file up the escalators to the sixth floor.
Even after arriving at The Nintendo Connection, competitors had to wait an hour for the queue to finish the registration process. The competition was only open to 128 participants, so unfortunately not everyone was able to compete. Nonetheless, there remained a large crowd gathered in the area throughout the day, watching the official battles and also participating in their own friendly battles, trades and Entralink missions.
The tournament was played in double battle format using the infra red feature of the C-Gear. Players were allowed up to four pokémon in their party, but only those with Unova Pokédex numbers 001-148, and 151. Despite these restrictions, there was a wide variety of pokémon seen throughout the day. In the earlier rounds, many players used what appeared to be their in-game teams, with many appearances from the evolved forms of pokémon found early in the games such as the starters, Unfezant, Stoutland and Zebstrika. In the later rounds, however, the battles were filled with pokémon trained specifically for competitive battles, with the likes of Hydreigon, Terrakion and Whimsicott.
Many trainers were obviously skilled in the art of double battles – Protect was a very common move, and a lot of people knew how to strategically use moves on their own teammates, and moves that hit multiple pokémon. A powerful strategy (used by the winner of the competition) was to have Whimsicott use Beat Up on its partner Terrakion. The move would hit four times without doing much damage, and would activate Terrakion’s Justified ability four times, causing its attack stat to increase dramatically.
A lot of the battles were very close, including the grand final in which the winner had only one pokémon remaining on 3HP. Of note was that although the Wonder Launcher was available, it seemed that most people weren’t used to using items in competitive battles so often forgot about the feature – when people did remember about it, the unexpected item use could often turn the battle around.
There were a few rare instances in which wireless interference caused communication errors and battles had to be restarted. Overall, however, the competition went quite smoothly and the participants all showed good sportsmanship.
Unfortunately the prizes on offer were minimal compared to previous Nintendo Australia tournaments. The winner received a Nintendo 3DS, a copy of Pokémon Black and an exclusive T-shirt. Second and third places both received only a case for their Nintendo DS. There were no other prizes awarded throughout the day. This was disappointing compared to previous years when the finalists received much larger prize packs and other items were given away in side competitions such as trivia. Nonetheless, it was good to see that Nintendo Australia is still willing to hold these events for its fans and provide an opportunity for players to battle competitively and meet other pokémon trainers.
Photos from the event can be seen on this Imageboard thread. A video of the grand final battle is also available to watch in two parts below:
The competition will next be moving to the state of Victoria at EB Games in Swanston St, Melbourne, on Saturday 30 April 2011.
See also: article on Nintendo.com.au
The store didn’t open till 10.00am, but by 9.30 there was already a large crowd of gamers gathering outside the doors. Players spent the time discussing strategies and doing some last-minute training and trading while waiting for the doors to be opened. At 10.00 the host of the competition, Jamie from Nintendo Australia, arrived and asked the eager participants to follow him calmly in single file up the escalators to the sixth floor.
Even after arriving at The Nintendo Connection, competitors had to wait an hour for the queue to finish the registration process. The competition was only open to 128 participants, so unfortunately not everyone was able to compete. Nonetheless, there remained a large crowd gathered in the area throughout the day, watching the official battles and also participating in their own friendly battles, trades and Entralink missions.
The tournament was played in double battle format using the infra red feature of the C-Gear. Players were allowed up to four pokémon in their party, but only those with Unova Pokédex numbers 001-148, and 151. Despite these restrictions, there was a wide variety of pokémon seen throughout the day. In the earlier rounds, many players used what appeared to be their in-game teams, with many appearances from the evolved forms of pokémon found early in the games such as the starters, Unfezant, Stoutland and Zebstrika. In the later rounds, however, the battles were filled with pokémon trained specifically for competitive battles, with the likes of Hydreigon, Terrakion and Whimsicott.
Many trainers were obviously skilled in the art of double battles – Protect was a very common move, and a lot of people knew how to strategically use moves on their own teammates, and moves that hit multiple pokémon. A powerful strategy (used by the winner of the competition) was to have Whimsicott use Beat Up on its partner Terrakion. The move would hit four times without doing much damage, and would activate Terrakion’s Justified ability four times, causing its attack stat to increase dramatically.
A lot of the battles were very close, including the grand final in which the winner had only one pokémon remaining on 3HP. Of note was that although the Wonder Launcher was available, it seemed that most people weren’t used to using items in competitive battles so often forgot about the feature – when people did remember about it, the unexpected item use could often turn the battle around.
There were a few rare instances in which wireless interference caused communication errors and battles had to be restarted. Overall, however, the competition went quite smoothly and the participants all showed good sportsmanship.
Unfortunately the prizes on offer were minimal compared to previous Nintendo Australia tournaments. The winner received a Nintendo 3DS, a copy of Pokémon Black and an exclusive T-shirt. Second and third places both received only a case for their Nintendo DS. There were no other prizes awarded throughout the day. This was disappointing compared to previous years when the finalists received much larger prize packs and other items were given away in side competitions such as trivia. Nonetheless, it was good to see that Nintendo Australia is still willing to hold these events for its fans and provide an opportunity for players to battle competitively and meet other pokémon trainers.
Photos from the event can be seen on this Imageboard thread. A video of the grand final battle is also available to watch in two parts below:
The competition will next be moving to the state of Victoria at EB Games in Swanston St, Melbourne, on Saturday 30 April 2011.
See also: article on Nintendo.com.au
The Pokémon Company has announced the locations and event details for the 2011 Pokémon Video Game Championships. Dates and locations for United States and Europe have been announced. The full press release is below.
The 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships kicks off in Europe on June 4 in Birmingham, UK before heading to Italy for the first time ever, Spain, France and finally Germany. The top eight finalists in each division from each of the five European locations will earn guaranteed competitor slots at the 2011 Pokémon World Championships. In addition to invitations to the World Championships in San Diego, top finishers in Europe and in the U.S. will receive travel allowances, special medals and Pokémon prizes.
The 2011 Pokémon Video Game Championship Series kicks off in the U.S. on May 14th in Seattle, Washington, before making five more stops in major cities across the country. At each location, the top 16 players from each division will earn invitations to compete at the 2011 Pokémon U.S. National Championships July 8th-10th in Indianapolis, Indiana. Players at the National Championships will battle to secure a top eight finish over the weekend, and in return, receive a guaranteed competitor slot at the 2011 Pokémon World Championships.
“We’re looking forward to a fun, competitive Pokémon Video Game Championships Series this year,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “The excitement generated from the recent launch of the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games will make for a memorable and intriguing tournament season.”
For Europe, 2011 brings an increase in the overall number of competitor slots, along with a new age division and revised age brackets. The divisions now separate into three age categories: Junior (players born in 2000 or later), Senior (players born in 1996, 1997, 1998, or 1999), and Masters (players born in 1995 or earlier). Competitor slots have been increased this year to 256 for the Junior division, 256 for the Senior division, and 512 for the Masters division. All are based on a first come, first served basis. Players competing in Europe will need to play the European versions of Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version video games, and can only use Pokémon from the Unova Pokédex to battle (from No. 001–148, and No.151).
June 11th, Rome, Italy — Fiera Roma, Hall 12, Ingresso Nord
June 18th, Madrid, Spain — IFEMA, Hall 1, Feria de Madrid
June 25th, Paris, France — Espace Grande Arche, Parvis de La Défense
July 2nd , Cologne, Germany — EXPO XXI Köln GmbH, Gladbacher Wall 5
At all European National locations, Junior and Senior Division lines open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 8:30 a.m. The Masters Division line opens at 12:30 p.m. and closes at 1:00 p.m .
May 21st, San Jose, CA — San Jose Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 2
May 28th, Dallas, TX — Arlington Convention Center, Grand Hall
June 4th, Atlanta, GA — Gwinnett Center, Hall A and B
June 11th, Washington, D.C. — Dulles Expo Center, South Hall
June 18th, Newark, NJ — Meadowlands Exposition Center
Source: http://www.pokemonvgc.com/uk/
Press Release
London, United Kingdom—April 18th, 2011 – On the heels of the record-breaking and critically acclaimed release of Pokémon™Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games for systems in the Nintendo DS™ family, The Pokémon Company International today announced additional details about the highly anticipated 2011 Pokémon™ Video Game Championship Series featuring the blockbuster new titles. Pokémon Trainers will descend on Pokémon Video Game Championship Series’ locations across Europe from June 4th and the United States from May 14th to battle in intense head-to-head competition with one goal in mind—securing a place to at the 2011 Pokémon World Championships August 12th–14th in San Diego, California.The 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships kicks off in Europe on June 4 in Birmingham, UK before heading to Italy for the first time ever, Spain, France and finally Germany. The top eight finalists in each division from each of the five European locations will earn guaranteed competitor slots at the 2011 Pokémon World Championships. In addition to invitations to the World Championships in San Diego, top finishers in Europe and in the U.S. will receive travel allowances, special medals and Pokémon prizes.
The 2011 Pokémon Video Game Championship Series kicks off in the U.S. on May 14th in Seattle, Washington, before making five more stops in major cities across the country. At each location, the top 16 players from each division will earn invitations to compete at the 2011 Pokémon U.S. National Championships July 8th-10th in Indianapolis, Indiana. Players at the National Championships will battle to secure a top eight finish over the weekend, and in return, receive a guaranteed competitor slot at the 2011 Pokémon World Championships.
“We’re looking forward to a fun, competitive Pokémon Video Game Championships Series this year,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “The excitement generated from the recent launch of the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games will make for a memorable and intriguing tournament season.”
For Europe, 2011 brings an increase in the overall number of competitor slots, along with a new age division and revised age brackets. The divisions now separate into three age categories: Junior (players born in 2000 or later), Senior (players born in 1996, 1997, 1998, or 1999), and Masters (players born in 1995 or earlier). Competitor slots have been increased this year to 256 for the Junior division, 256 for the Senior division, and 512 for the Masters division. All are based on a first come, first served basis. Players competing in Europe will need to play the European versions of Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version video games, and can only use Pokémon from the Unova Pokédex to battle (from No. 001–148, and No.151).
2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships: European Dates and Locations:
June 4th, Birmingham, United Kingdom — National Exhibition Centre, Hall 8June 11th, Rome, Italy — Fiera Roma, Hall 12, Ingresso Nord
June 18th, Madrid, Spain — IFEMA, Hall 1, Feria de Madrid
June 25th, Paris, France — Espace Grande Arche, Parvis de La Défense
July 2nd , Cologne, Germany — EXPO XXI Köln GmbH, Gladbacher Wall 5
At all European National locations, Junior and Senior Division lines open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 8:30 a.m. The Masters Division line opens at 12:30 p.m. and closes at 1:00 p.m .
2011 Pokémon Video Game Championship Series: U.S. Dates and Locations:
May 14th, Seattle, WA — Washington State Convention Center, Hall 4BMay 21st, San Jose, CA — San Jose Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 2
May 28th, Dallas, TX — Arlington Convention Center, Grand Hall
June 4th, Atlanta, GA — Gwinnett Center, Hall A and B
June 11th, Washington, D.C. — Dulles Expo Center, South Hall
June 18th, Newark, NJ — Meadowlands Exposition Center
2011 Pokémon World Championships:
August 12th–14th, San Diego, CA*— Hilton San Diego Bayfront *Last Chance Qualifier for the 2011 Pokémon World Championships will be held August 12th at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.Source: http://www.pokemonvgc.com/uk/
Apr 17 2011
Pokémon Smash 28
Pokémon Smash Episode 28, Beware of the Cute Face! Paralyzed by Emonga!! / Quiz Festival! Pokémon Quiz Caravan! / Important Information on the Victini Received at the Movie!! (かわいい顔に要注意！エモンガでシビレビレ！！ / クイズの祭典！ポケモンクイズキャラバン！ / 映画でもらえるビクティニの重要情報！！), aired on Sunday in Japan.
Golgo introduced this weeks Special Edition of the Pokémon Library (ポケモンライブラリー特別編) right after the narrator introduced the show. Pokémon Smash! rebroadcasted Pocket Monsters Best Wishes 27 - Beware of the Cute Face! Paralyzed by Emonga!! (かわいい顔に要注意！エモンガでシビレビレ！！) due to the Sendai Earthquake and tsunami that disrupted many people's schedules and as a result they were unable to see the original airing of the episode. The episode originally aired on March 24th, 2011 only a few days after the Sendai Earthquake and tsunami. There was no episode theme this week and Professor Red did his usual "OK! Pokémon Library" go-to line.
After the Pokémon Library episode, the International Division girls showed up and noticed the large device Professor Red was finishing. Professor Red stated that it was the RED 062 - Victini V Dynamic Vision Quiz (ビクティニのＶ字動体視力クイズ). The device is loosely based off of the move V-create (Ｖジェネレート) but basically only uses the letter V as a window for people playing the quiz to see what was flying by. Professor Red would pull the switch and an object would quickly fly by in the V window and the quiz players would have to figure out what the object was. The first object was a stuffed Chillarmy (チラーミィ) which Maria was able to quickly identify.
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The second object proved to be a lot harder for them to identify. Baba though it was raw meat (生のお肉), Shoko-tan thought it was a monster ball (モンスターボール) and Maria thought it was Darumakka (ダルマッカ). Baba guess again as he got a second look at it flying by and correctly identified it as a tomato. Maria was close though when she said it looked like Darumakka (ダルマッカ) because the tomato was disguised to make them guess that it was a Darumakka (ダルマッカ) instead of a tomato with a band of pickled daikon radish (たくあん) around it.
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The third object was even harder. Hana thought it was a frisbee as did most of the crew. Professor Red flipped the switch again so they could see the object fly by again. This time Hana correctly identified it as Group Member Yamamoto's Mom's face on the frisbee (山本隊員のお母さんの顔がかいておるフリスビー). The picture was drawn by Akiyama and has been a running gag for a few episodes.
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The show then switched to the VTR of the Pokémon Caravan Quiz. For this episode, the crew visited Hoshigaoka Elementary School, Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県 相模原市立 星が丘小学校). There was 141 students participating in this caravan quiz from the school.
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The first segment of the quiz was the 'Black/White Quiz' (ブラックホワイトクイズ). The kids were separated into two teams and each person was given a paddle with black on one side and white on the other. When questions were asked, they would raise the paddle they thought was the answer. The team that won would receive 10 points.
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon Smash! - Can Director Zoroark use Illusion? (ゾロアーク部長は幻影が使える) | (X) Black - It cannot use Illusion(幻影を使えない) Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 2 | Games - Do you have to give the Move Deleter in Fukiyose City Heart Scales for him make a Pokémon forget a move?(フキヨセシティにいるわざわすれジイさんにわざを忘れさせてもらうにはハートのウロコが１枚必要である) | (X) Black - No. Heart scales are required for the Memorial Girl (ハートのウロコが必要なのはメモリアルガール) Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 3 | Anime - Is the Pokémon Center is open from 9:00am until 6:00 pm? (ポケモンセンターは朝９時から夕方６時まで開いている) | (X) Black - No - It's open 24 hours a day (24時間 開いている) Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 4 | Card Game - In battle, 3 types of cards can be used: Pokémon, Energy, Trainer (バトルで使うカードの種類はポケモン・エネルギー・トレーナーズの３種類しかない) | (O) White - Yes Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 5 | Pokémon Smash! - Is Misaki the Director of the Interational Division?(インターナショナル部の部長はミサキである) | (X) Black - No (インターナショナル部に部長ないない) Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 6 | Anime - Is Dent's Ishizumai's ability Sturdy? (デントのイシズマイの特性はがんじょうである) | (O) Black - Yes Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 7 | Card Game - When a Pokémon evolves, it recovers all the damage its received till then. (ポケモンは進化するとそれまでに受けていたダメージをすべて回復する) | (X) Black - No. It keeps its damage. Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 8 | Games - Is Raimon City Gym Leader Kamitsure's occupation is an actress? (ライモンシティのジマリーダーであるカミツレの職業は女優である) | (X) Black - No. Model (モデル) Spoiler: Click to show! |
| 9 | Card Game - "Damekan" is short for "Damage Kanjime"(ダメカンとはダメージカンジメの略である) | (X) Black - "Damekan" is short for "Damage Counter" (ダメカンとはダメージカウンターの略) Spoiler: Click to show! |
After 9 rounds, Black team ended up getting 10 points. The next section of the Caravan Quiz was the Dotekkotsu's Focus Blast Relay Quiz (ドテッコツのきあいだまリレークイズ). Players were split into teams of three and each of them had a steel I-bar that they had to hold up like Dotekkotsu. A ball would roll down through the I-bar and would be passed on to the next person. The person that passed it would then move to the end of the line until they reached the finish line. Before setting off, the players would have to count the number of specific Pokémon on a board which were mixed up with a lot of other Pokémon to make it harder. The first team to correctly tell the number of Pokémon on the board after successfully completing the ball relay without dropping the ball was declared the winner. Black team ended up winning the event gaining another 10 points.
The next portion of the quiz was the Victini's V-Generate Find the Mistake Obstacle Course Quiz (ビクティニのＶジェネレート障害物まちがいさがしクイズ). Participants would wear a helmet with a V shaped container that had balls in them. They would have to go through the obstacle course while trying not to drop the balls. The first part of the obstacle course was a balance beam they had to walk across, the second part was finding a candy ball in a flour pan, the third part was playing Hopscotch and the final part going under a bar while doing the limbo. For each ball that they had left at the end of the obstacle course, the team would get 1 second on the clock.
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The final part of the quiz was the 'Find the Mistake' part. Team white got 31 seconds to look at the original picture while Team Black only got 7 seconds. Above is the original picture and the answers which shows the 10 differences. Team Black ended up winning the Caravan quiz. The movie website was updated to reflect the scores. Team Black (Robert - Zekrom) got 800 points while Team White (International Girls - Zekrom) got 600 points added to their totals.
After the quiz caravan, a new Black/White Pokémon Cosplay (黒白なりきりポケモン) event was announced. The event will be put on to promote the new movies Victini and the Light Hero - Reshiram / Victini and the Dark Hero - Zekrom (ビクティニと白き英雄レシラム / ビクティニと黒き英雄ゼクロム) and it will be split up by the Zekrom/Black Team and Reshiram/White Team. Each team has specific Pokémon that people can cosplay and they can be found on the different sides of the movie poster.
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People wishing to cosplay as the following Pokémon would be on Team Zekrom/Black Team (Robert): Kibago, Pokabu, Victini, Zekrom, Tsutarja, Sazandora, Lanculus, Nageki, Bivanilla, Landlos.
People wishing to cosplay as the following Pokémon would be on Reshiram/White Team (International Division Girls): Yanappu, Pikachu, Reshiram, Mijumaru, Golugh, Gothiruselle, Dageki, Shikijika, Kumasyun.
Baba dressed up as a Lanculus and Hana dressed up as a a Gothiruselle.
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New Movie 14 Trailer
A new trailer aired during the Marketing Division segment which was also shown earlier in the week on Oha Suta and Best Wishes. The trailer shows new scenes from the movies as well as reveals the subtitle for the movies as 'The First Movie'. The ending theme song from the movies, Air -The Sky- (宙 -そら-) sung by Every Little Thing can also be heard in the trailer. The trailer can also be viewed on the official movie website.
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Pre-order VictiniAs announced earlier, this years pre-order Pokémon download gift was revealed on the show. Players of Pokémon Black and White who pre-order a ticket for one of this years movies Victini and the Light Hero - Reshiram / Victini and the Dark Hero - Zekrom (ビクティニと白き英雄レシラム / ビクティニと黒き英雄ゼクロム) will be able to receive a Victini that knows V-generate (Vジェネレート). The Victini will be available for download for those that present the ticket sub section on the pre-order ticket from April 16th, 2011 until August 31st, 2011. The full details of the Victini have now been announced.
As it was announced earlier in the month, pre-order tickets can be purchased from: 7-11 (セブン-イレブン)、Ito-Yokado (イトーヨーカドー)、Aeon (イオン)、Toys"R"Us (トイザらス)、Apita (アピタ)、Piago (ピアゴ)、Al-Plaza (アル・プラザ)、Heiwado (平和堂)、Daiei (ダイエー)、Pokémon Centers (ポケモンセンター) and various movie theater locations throughout Japan. Pre-order ticket can only be purchased from April 16th, 2011 until July 15th, 2011. Full details of the Victini that will be distributed have now been announced.
The Victini also comes with a Fire Gem item and a Wish Ribbon. It knows: Searing Shot (かえんだん), Fusion Flare (クロスフレイム), Fusion Bolt (クロスサンダー) and V-create (Vジェネレート), a special move as it normally cannot be learned by any Pokémon.
Characters and Pictures from this episode have been added to the episode guide. You can also comment and discuss this episode on the forum. Also be sure to rate this and other episodes in the episode guide.
Viz Media has announced that they have licensed the rights to release an English version of the Pokémon Black and White manga. They will also release various other select merchandise based on the Pokémon Black and White brand including a travel activity kit. The first two volumes of the manga will be released in July. Below is part of the press release.
San Francisco, CA, April 11, 2011 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor of anime and manga in the United States, announced a full slate of acquisitions for its kids imprint, VIZ Kids. The acquisitions include DVD, Download-To-Own, and graphic novel licenses for a wide range of well-established global franchises.
“VIZ Media is excited to expand our kids imprint to include a variety of fun new properties,” said Elizabeth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director of VIZ Media. “These new titles use strong storytelling, eye-popping graphics and empowering themes to engage a younger generation of fans.”
POKÉMON BLACK AND WHITE: VIZ Kids will release manga, a travel activity kit, and other select merchandise based on the most recent incarnation of the juggernaut POKÉMON™ video game franchise, Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version. Meet all-new Pokémon from the fastest-selling Pokémon video games in history. The travel activity kit will be available in May 2011; Volumes 1 and 2 of the manga will be available in July 2011.
Source: http://www.viz.com/content/viz-media-expands-viz-kids-imprint-full-slate-new-acquisitions
Press Release
VIZ MEDIA EXPANDS VIZ KIDS IMPRINT WITH A FULL SLATE OF NEW ACQUISITIONSSan Francisco, CA, April 11, 2011 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor of anime and manga in the United States, announced a full slate of acquisitions for its kids imprint, VIZ Kids. The acquisitions include DVD, Download-To-Own, and graphic novel licenses for a wide range of well-established global franchises.
“VIZ Media is excited to expand our kids imprint to include a variety of fun new properties,” said Elizabeth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director of VIZ Media. “These new titles use strong storytelling, eye-popping graphics and empowering themes to engage a younger generation of fans.”
POKÉMON BLACK AND WHITE: VIZ Kids will release manga, a travel activity kit, and other select merchandise based on the most recent incarnation of the juggernaut POKÉMON™ video game franchise, Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version. Meet all-new Pokémon from the fastest-selling Pokémon video games in history. The travel activity kit will be available in May 2011; Volumes 1 and 2 of the manga will be available in July 2011.
Source: http://www.viz.com/content/viz-media-expands-viz-kids-imprint-full-slate-new-acquisitions
As announced earlier, this years pre-order Pokémon download gift has been revealed on the official Pocket Monsters movie website. Players of Pokémon Black and White who pre-order a ticket for one of this years movies Victini and the Light Hero - Reshiram / Victini and the Dark Hero - Zekrom (ビクティニと白き英雄レシラム / ビクティニと黒き英雄ゼクロム) will be able to receive a Victini that knows V-generate (Vジェネレート). The Victini will be available for download for those that present the ticket sub section on the pre-order ticket from April 16th, 2011 until August 31st, 2011. The full details of the Victini have now been announced.
As it was announced earlier in the month, pre-order tickets can be purchased from: 7-11 (セブン-イレブン)、Ito-Yokado (イトーヨーカドー)、Aeon (イオン)、Toys"R"Us (トイザらス)、Apita (アピタ)、Piago (ピアゴ)、Al-Plaza (アル・プラザ)、Heiwado (平和堂)、Daiei (ダイエー)、Pokémon Centers (ポケモンセンター) and various movie theater locations throughout Japan. Pre-order ticket can only be purchased from April 16th, 2011 until July 15th, 2011. Full details of the Victini that will be distributed have now been announced.
The Victini also comes with a Fire Gem item and a Wish Ribbon. It knows: Searing Shot (かえんだん), Fusion Flare (クロスフレイム), Fusion Bolt (クロスサンダー) and V-create (Vジェネレート), a special move as it normally cannot be learned by any Pokémon.
The Japanese version of Pokémon Global Link has updated, and the previously announced Victini C-Gear wallpaper is now available to download. Our C-Gear page has been updated with the latest wallpaper.
Sources: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/victini/tickets.html, http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20110415_440116.html & http://ja.pokemon-gl.com/information/?infoto=109
As it was announced earlier in the month, pre-order tickets can be purchased from: 7-11 (セブン-イレブン)、Ito-Yokado (イトーヨーカドー)、Aeon (イオン)、Toys"R"Us (トイザらス)、Apita (アピタ)、Piago (ピアゴ)、Al-Plaza (アル・プラザ)、Heiwado (平和堂)、Daiei (ダイエー)、Pokémon Centers (ポケモンセンター) and various movie theater locations throughout Japan. Pre-order ticket can only be purchased from April 16th, 2011 until July 15th, 2011. Full details of the Victini that will be distributed have now been announced.
The Victini also comes with a Fire Gem item and a Wish Ribbon. It knows: Searing Shot (かえんだん), Fusion Flare (クロスフレイム), Fusion Bolt (クロスサンダー) and V-create (Vジェネレート), a special move as it normally cannot be learned by any Pokémon.
The Japanese version of Pokémon Global Link has updated, and the previously announced Victini C-Gear wallpaper is now available to download. Our C-Gear page has been updated with the latest wallpaper.
Sources: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/victini/tickets.html, http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20110415_440116.html & http://ja.pokemon-gl.com/information/?infoto=109
Apr 14 2011
Eevee Evolution Promotion Update
The Pokémon Global Link has posted a news update about the Eevee Evolution Promotion Update. Information and details about receiving the Pokémon through Pokémon Dream World will be revealed soon. Players only have until May 5th, 2011 to play the 'Play to Befriend a Pokémon!' Minigame in the Pokémon Fun Zone on Pokémon.com. Below is the news posting from the Pokémon Global Link website.
Be sure to sign into your Pokémon Trainer Club account at Pokemon.com before you play the game. Then, use the same login information when you sign into the Pokémon Global Link to befriend your Pokémon.
Stay tuned for more information on when you'll be able to befriend your Eevee evolution in the Pokémon Dream World. This promotion will be coming Soon!
Source: http://en.pokemon-gl.com/information/?infoto=121
Eevee Evolution Promotion Update
Don't miss your chance to befriend one of the Eevee's evolutions by playing a game in the Pokémon Fun Zone at Pokémon.com! When you play the game, you'll earn a Pokémon that you can then befriend in the Pokémon Dream World when the promotion launches in the coming months. But you'd better hurry! The game to earn one of the Eevee's evolutions will be available on Pokémon.com only until May 5.Be sure to sign into your Pokémon Trainer Club account at Pokemon.com before you play the game. Then, use the same login information when you sign into the Pokémon Global Link to befriend your Pokémon.
Stay tuned for more information on when you'll be able to befriend your Eevee evolution in the Pokémon Dream World. This promotion will be coming Soon!
Source: http://en.pokemon-gl.com/information/?infoto=121
