The 2011 Pokémon World Championships website has launched in anticipation of the event which will be taking place in San Diego California from August 12th until August 14th, 2011. The site features news, standings, photos, C-Gear code and desktop wallpapers. Below is the press release.

Press Release

The World Championships Are About to Begin!

Once every year, the best Pokemon Trading Card Game and video game players from around the world get together to determine who is the best player in the world at the Pokemon World Championships! This year, the incredible three-day event takes place in sunny San Diego, California, and features players from over 20 countries.

The competitors for both the Pokemon TCG and video game competitions will share the floor at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel in San Diego. And once all tournaments have concluded, the winners will take home more than $100,000 in scholarships! What's more, players will enjoy some great Pokemon fun with fans from around the world.

You don't have to compete to join the fun of the Pokemon World Championships. All events are free to watch and open to the public!

Source: http://www.pokemonworldchampionships.com/

Information about the Pokémon TCG Black & White Character Boxes that feature the starter Pokémon have been revealed and will be released in the fall of 2011.

Press Release

It's the More the Merrier in the Pokemon TCG: B&W Starter Figure Box! Make the most of the great grass snake Pokemon Snivy in this box! Inside, you'll find a special foil promo card, an amazing 3D oversized card, and an awesome figure! But that's not all! Also included are 3 Black & White - Emerging Powers booster packs, and a special supplemental code card that will unlock all of this and more in the Pokemon TCG Online!

Each box contains:

• 1 x BW Character Starter Figure
• 1 Character Promo Card
• 1 3D Oversized Character Card
• 3 BW Series Boosters
• 1 TCGO Unlock Code Card

All Nippon Airways has announced the latest Pocket Monsters short Pikachu's Summer Bridge Story (ピカチュウのサマー・ブリッジ・ストーリー) will air on selected flights from August 1st, 2011 until August 29th, 2011. Last years ANA short was released on DVD last week. Below is the summary for the short.

Summary English

Pikachu and friends visit a town with a huge draw bridge, but problems arise when they come across Oshawatt and Tepig, who have eaten the fruits that Gothita and Darumaka had collected. They head off to collect fruits from the forest across the bridge, but then Meowth appears and tries to steal the fruits. On top of that, the bridge is raised, blocking their passage. What will Pikachu do? The fight for the fruits begins!!

Summary Japanese

とっても大きなはね橋がある街に遊びにきたピカチュウたち。でも、ゴチムやダルマッカたちが集めていたくだものをミジュマルとポカブが勝手に食べちゃってさー大変！　よーし、橋の向こうの森にあるくだものを取りに行こう。とそこに！ニャースたちがよこどりしようと現れた！　さらに、橋も上がって先に進めない…どうするピカチュウ？　さあ！くだものそうだつせんの始まりだ！！

Source: http://www.ana.co.jp/dom/promotion/pokemon/

Those wishing to use the new Pokédex 3D (ポケモン立体図鑑BW) app that was released earlier this month can now do so at a cheaper price. Nintendo announced that it will be lowering the price of Nintendo 3DS on August 12th, 2011 to $169.99. Below is the full press release.

Press Release

REDMOND, Wash., July 28, 2011 – Nintendo of America today announced plans to drop the suggested retail price of its portable Nintendo 3DS™ system to $169.99 in the United States, as new games based on some of the world's most beloved video game franchises head to the system. The new price, down from the suggested launch price of $249.99 and effective Aug. 12, makes an outstanding value even better and sets up a strong holiday season for the system.

"For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games."

Nintendo 3DS has the strongest software lineup of any video game system this holiday season and the new price now opens up the glasses-free 3D experience to many more consumers. Building on the popularity of The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, which launched June 19, the upcoming game calendar is a Who's Who of iconic video game franchises. Star Fox 64™ 3D arrives on Sept. 9, followed by Super Mario™ 3D Land in November, Mario Kart™ 7 in December and Kid Icarus™: Uprising during the holiday season.

In addition to great games, Nintendo 3DS has a host of attractive features* that make it the must-have video game system this season:

• The new Nintendo Video™ service automatically delivers short 3D videos from the worlds of music, comedy, animation and Hollywood.
  
  
• A free application allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix.
  
  
• The Nintendo eShop is a digital store for Nintendo 3DS owners that provides access to a wide variety of downloadable content, such as original 3D software, classic games that have been re-mastered in 3D called 3D Classics, Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color "Virtual Console" games in their original 2D glory, and more than 350 Nintendo DSiWare™ games. Visitors can also view video game trailers, screen shots and product information for games, including those available at retail locations.

Since Nintendo 3DS launched in the United States on March 27, more than 830,000 people in the U.S. alone have purchased one to enjoy 3D visuals without the need for special glasses. These Nintendo 3DS owners represent some of Nintendo's most loyal customers, and Nintendo is rewarding them for getting in on the action early with 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop.

These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:

1. Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES™ Virtual Console™ games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros.™, Donkey Kong Jr.™, Balloon Fight™, Ice Climber™ and The Legend of Zelda™, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.
   
   
2. By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi's Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3, Mario Kart™: Super Circuit, Metroid™ Fusion, WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong™. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.

More details about this program will be announced in the future.

Source: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=30048

Last week Nintendo announced that the Nintendo DS, the predecessor to the Nintendo 3DS was still selling units at a 2:1 ratio verses the 3DS. Nintendo and the Pokémon Company International have now announced the localization of Super Pokémon Scramble which should help increase the sales of the Nintendo 3DS. Pokémon Rumble Blast will be released in North America for the Nintendo 3DS on October 24th, 2011. Below is the press release from the official Pokémon website. A page has been created on our site for the game as well as a passwords page that keeps track of the passwords as they are announced.

Press Release from Official Website

Collect and battle Toy Pokémon in Pokémon Rumble Blast for the Nintendo 3DS™ system!

Pokémon Rumble Blast, the first Pokémon game created exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS system, is an action-packed Pokémon adventure in 3D! Battle against waves of opponents, connect and play with friends, and collect more than 600 different Toy Pokémon!

As you advance through each stage in Pokémon Rumble Blast, your Toy Pokémon will face dozens of Pokémon at once in fast and furious real-time battles! You’ll also run into giant Boss Pokémon, whose massive size and strength will make them especially tough to defeat—and who can become powerful allies if you’re lucky!

Pokémon Rumble Blast lets you connect wirelessly with your friends in two ways. You can use a local wireless connection to launch cooperative play mode, where you can team up to battle through levels and befriend defeated Toy Pokémon more easily. Or, you can use the StreetPass™ feature of the Nintendo 3DS system to challenge the Toy Pokémon collections of nearby players and to view other players’ Mii™ characters in your game.

You can collect more than 600 kinds of Toy Pokémon in Pokémon Rumble Blast, including those from the recently released Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games. Switch between the various Toy Pokémon you collect to discover the strengths and weaknesses of each Pokémon. Plus, some of the Pokémon you befriend will have special stats and abilities!

Pokémon Rumble Blast will be available for the Nintendo 3DS system starting October 24th!

Source: http://www.pokemon.com/us/news/vg_pokemonrumbleblast_announce-2011-07-18/

Press Release from Nintendo Press Website

First Pokémon Game for Hand-Held Nintendo 3DS System Includes Fast-Paced Battles, Social Play Features and More Than 600 Pokémon

REDMOND, Wash., July 19, 2011 – Starting this fall, Pokémon™ fans will be able to experience the franchise's battle-based action and adventure in a whole new dimension. Nintendo of America has announced an Oct. 24 launch date for Pokémon™ Rumble Blast, the first Pokémon game created exclusively for the hand-held Nintendo 3DS™ system. An action-packed Pokémon adventure in 3D without the need for special glasses, the game lets players battle against waves of opposing wind-up Toy Pokémon, connect and play with friends, and collect more than 600 Toy Pokémon.

"Pokémon Rumble Blast delivers instant Pokémon gratification," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "The controls are intuitive and simple enough for anyone to pick up and play, while new battle modes, more than 600 Toy Pokémon and social play opportunities offer deep experiences for longtime fans."

Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

For more information about Pokémon Rumble Blast, visit http://www.pokemon.com/rumbleblast.

Source: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=29791

Official Trailer

The DVD release dates for the Pokémon Zoroark: Master of Illusions have now been announced for North America, the United Kingdom and Denmark. The DVD and Blu-ray of this movie were released last month in Australia but now other regions of the world will be able to purchase it. This movie also aired today on TV Tokyo in place of the weekly Pocket Monsters Best Wishes episode. Below is the press release for the UK Edition of the DVD which will be released on August 29th, 2011. The North American DVD will be released on September 20th, 2011 and will be one of the last regions in the world to get this movie on DVD even though it was announced at the beginning of the year at the American International Toy Fair 2011.

Press Release UK Edition

BRAND NEW POKÉMON FILM FEATURING TWO PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN POKÉMON FROM Unova region – Zorua and Zoroark

LIMITED EDITION VERSION FEATURES BONUS POKÉMON TCG CARD

Fans of Pokémon in all its forms - video games, TCG and animation – will be delighted with the release of this brand new feature length Pokémon adventure, released on DVD on 29th August 2011.

“Pokémon—Zoroark: Master of Illusions” features new Pokémon Zorua, and Zoroark from the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games that smashed the UK Games chart on its recent release. It’s an action-packed adventure featuring a city under attack, a mysterious Time Ripple and the powerful Pokémon Zoroark.

An exclusive limited edition DVD will include a bonus Pokémon TCG card featuring the Mythical Pokémon Celebi.

SYNOPSIS:

As Ash & his friends journey to Crown City to join the crowds watching the Pokémon Baccer World Cup, mysterious forces are in motion that could bring untold misfortune to them all! What secrets does Zorua, a Pokémon they befriend along the way, hide? Why is the powerful Zoroark rampaging through the city, and what does the appearance of the Legendary Pokémon Raikou, Entei, & Suicune mean? What has brought Celebi back to the city at this precise moment in time, for the first time in 20 years? And what will happen when the paths of all of them come together in one time and place?

Pre-Order Region 2 English DVD (United Kingdom): http://www.amazon.co.uk

For a list of DVD & Blu-ray's that this movie will be available on, check out our DVD/Bluray database that has listing from around the world.

After two hard-fought days of head to head battles this weekend, the nation’s top Pokémon video game players were crowned at the 2011 Pokémon Video Game U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. The top eight players in each age division all earned an invitation to represent the U.S. in the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego, California, August 12 th–14 th, with the top four finishers winning travel and accommodations. The tournament drew more than 500 Pokémon video game players, family, and fans from across the U.S.

The 2011 Pokémon Video Game U.S. National Championships, featuring the smash hit Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games, ended with 24 Pokémon Trainers, divided equally into three divisions—the Junior Division (born in 2000 or later), the Senior Division (born in 1996–1999), and the Masters Division (born in 1995 or earlier)—and each earning guaranteed spots in the upcoming Pokémon Video Game World Championships, where they will compete against some of the best Pokémon video game players from Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

To qualify for the invite-only Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego, players participated in qualifying tournaments held in seven cities leading up to the U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis. The Pokémon U.S. National and World Championships are premier events managed by The Pokémon Company International.

The final results for the 2011 Pokémon Video Game U.S. National Championships are as follows:

JUNIORS

1st Place – Henry Maxon, age 11, Carnation, WA
2nd Place – Brendan Zheng, age 8, Fresh Meadows, NY
3rd Place – Luke Lavin, age 11, Marietta, GA
4th Place – Brian Hough, age 6, Ann Arbor, MI
5th Place – Scott Ramirtha, age 8, Sugarland, TX
6th Place – Tristan Lankford, age 9, Athens, GA
7th Place – Janelle Hagan, age 7, New Bremen, OH
8th Place – Grace Arnold, age 11, Frankfort, IL

SENIORS

1st Place – Aaron Zheng, age 13, Freshmeadows, NY
2nd Place – David Arnold, age 14, Frankfort, IL
3rd Place – Phillip Codio, age 14, Floral Park, NY
4th Place – Aaron Traylor, age 14, Boston, MA
5th Place – Kristian Mosquito, age 15, New York, NY
6th Place – Brandon Mitchell, age 15, Memphis, TN
7th Place – Enosh Shachal, age 15, Tenafly, NJ
8th Place – Brandon Tang, age 13, Fort Wayne, IN

MASTERS

1st Place – Wolfe Glick, age 15, McLean, VA
2nd Place - Dan Zollner, age 23, Edgeweater Park, NJ
3rd Place – Simon Yip, age 19, New York, NY
4th Place – Michael Floccare, age 18, Baltimore, MD
5th Place – Greyson Garren, age 17, Metamora, IL
6th Place – Jason Fisher-Short, age 28, Phoenix, AZ
7th Place – Matt Coyle, age 21, Buffalo, NY
8th Place – Stephen Morioka, age 21, Chicago, IL

Bellevue, WA - June 28, 2011 - Thousands of Pokémon™ Trading Card Game and video game players from all across the nation will converge on Indianapolis, Indiana, July 8th-10th, for the chance to become a Pokémon U.S. National Championships finalist and move one step closer to the 2011 Pokémon World Championships in San Diego, California, this August.

The Pokémon U.S. National and World Championships are major events in what has already been a blockbuster year for the Pokémon franchise, which included the highly anticipated March release of the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems, a brand-new Pokémon TCG: Black & White expansion, and the imminent debut of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online that will allow Pokémon TCG fans to battle head to head, anytime, anywhere.

Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships
More than 1,500 players are expected to attend the 8 th annual Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships, the culmination of the nine-month Pokémon TCG season in the United States.

Competitors from across the United States in the Junior Division (born in 2000 or later), the Senior Division (born in 1996, 1997, 1998, or 1999), and the Masters Division (born in 1995 or earlier) will battle during the three-day tournament that is open to all U.S.-resident TCG players in good standing in the Play! Pokémon program. Players do not need to qualify for the Pokémon TCG National Championships; however, there will be a limited number of slots available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registration for the Pokémon TCG National Championships will take place on Thursday, July 7th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Friday, July 8th, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Indiana Convention Center.

Players who finish in the top eight in each division will receive invitations to the 2011 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships in San Diego, California, August 12 th-14 th, with the top four winners receiving paid travel and accommodations to Southern California. There, U.S. Pokémon TCG players will battle against top players from more than 25 countries all around the world.

The Pokémon Company International awards scholarships, medals, and other prizes to top finishers at the Pokémon Trading Card Game U.S. National Championships.

Pokémon Video Game National Championships
This spring, thousands of Pokémon video game players competed in six Pokémon Video Game Championship series Regional tournaments in Seattle, Washington; San Jose, California; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Washington, D.C.; and Newark, New Jersey. Now only the top Regional finalists remain to compete at the Pokémon Video Game National Championships for 24 spots at the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego, California, August 12th-14th.

Divided equally among the Junior Division (born in 2000 or later), the Senior Division (born in 1996, 1997, 1998, or 1999) and the new Masters Division (born in 1995 or earlier), the Regional finalists will battle head to head playing the recently released, top-selling Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version video game.

Players who finish in the top eight in each division at the Pokémon Video Game National Championships will receive invitations to the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego, California, August 12 th-14 th, with the top four winners receiving paid travel and accommodations. At the Pokémon World Championships, U.S. video game players will battle against top players from Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

Top Pokémon Video Game National Championship finishers also receive medals and a Nintendo 3DS™ system.

U.S. National Championships Video Game Last Chance Qualifier
For fans who think they've missed their chance to compete at the 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, The Pokémon Company International is offering one last chance to attend and compete!

The U.S. National Championships Video Game Last Chance Qualifier tournament will be held on Friday, July 8th, at the Indiana Convention Center. The event will begin with the Junior Division and Senior Division registration from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., followed by the Masters Division registration from 1:00p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Hopefuls will need to arrive for registration with their copy of Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version and their Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Nintendo DSi XL or Nintendo 3DS system. The top 16 players in each division will earn the right to play the following day in the 2011 Pokémon National Championships.

Visit www.pokemon.com/vgc for more information about the Last Chance Qualifier for the 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships.

Be sure to follow all the action at the Pokémon National Championships, including announcements of the tournament's winners, at www.pokemon.com/vgc.

The Pokémon TCG: Black & White Emerging Powers TCG expansion was released on August 31st, 2011. Pictures from this set have been added to an Imageboard thread.

Black & White Emerging Powers

It’s the dawn of a new age for fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game with the release of Pokémon TCG: Black & White—Emerging Powers. Coming in August, this landmark expansion will be the first to give Pokémon TCG players full access to theme decks and booster packs in the new player-versus-player Pokémon Trading Card Game Online!

Pokémon TCG players who log into Pokemon.com/tcgo will have the freedom to battle anytime, anywhere against players from around the globe. The competition intensifies when players purchase Pokémon TCG: Black & White—Emerging Powers theme decks and booster packs. These products will allow players to build customized decks for online battle with virtual cards unlocked with special in-pack codes!

The new Pokémon TCG: Black & White—Emerging Powers expansion, featuring only Unova region Pokémon, comes ready for battle, whether playing in the real world or online, with more than 90 cards and brand-new Item cards to revitalize each deck. As players explore the secrets of the Unova region, they’ll discover a legion of 25 astonishing, never-before-seen Pokémon, including the debut of the Legendary Trio of Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion!

Two Pokémon TCG: Black & White—Emerging Powers theme decks arrive at major retail stores nationwide on August 17. Each theme deck—Power Play and Toxic Tricks—will feature a special foil card! The four booster pack designs, debuting in stores August 31, feature fierce new Pokémon—Tornadus, Cobalion, Braviary, and Darmanitan—with each booster pack including one guaranteed foil card!


Key features of the new Pokémon TCG: Black & White—Emerging Powers expansion:

• Free codes to unlock similar virtual cards for the player-versus-player Pokémon TCG Online
• Over 25 new Pokémon from the Unova region
• Debut of the Legendary Trio of Unova
• Two new theme decks, Power Play and Toxic Tricks, built around powerful Pokémon Krookodile and Scolipede
• Full-card art cards of the Legendary Pokémon Tornadus and Thundurus
• Contains more than 90 cards

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/black-white-emerging-powers

Power Play / Toxic Tricks Theme Decks

Heavy hitters deliver pure power: it's up to you to control it! Gigalith rumbles into action with the Rock Bullet attack, and the Intimidation Pokémon Krookodile can make other Pokémon pull their punches every time it uses its sneaky Black Eyes Ability. Your opponents will be on the ropes as even little Minccino gets in on the action, packing a mighty punch for its mini size. With Pokémon chosen for their fighting fury, can your foes handle your power plays?

Turn the tables on your opponents with the Toxic Tricks theme deck! Gothitelle's Mental Shock attack will confuse and confound your opponents, and Scolipede's poisonous double-dose Toxic Claws attack will leave your opponents feeling more than a little tricked! And, when Gothita gets in the mix with its sleep-inducing Hypnotic Gaze, your opponents will be Poisoned, Asleep, Confused, and beaten in no time!

In this box you'll find:

• 60 Pokémon Card Deck (including a specially selected holographic foil card)
• 1 Metallic Coin
• Checklist
• Damage Counters
• 1 Deck Box
• 2 Player Playmat / Rulesheet
• 1 Online Code Card!

To promote the upcoming Pocket Monsters Best Wishes 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), McDonald's Japan has announced a new Happy Set promotion. Starting Friday, June 17th, 2011, participating McDonald's location in Japan will be distributing the 'Playing in the Water Pokémon! (ポケモンと水遊び！)' toys with Happy Set's. Each of these toys are waterproof and can be played with in the water. McDonald's America will also be doing a Happy Meal promotion starting on June 17th, 2011 but the toy distribution is different. Pictures of all the toys can be found on the Imageboard thread.

There are 8 different toys to collect:

Pikachu with Shiny Surfboard (ピカチュウの光るサーフボード)
Zekrom Vehicle (ゼクロム ビークル)
Reshiram Vehicle (レシラム ビークル)
Play in the Water Mijumaru (ミジュマルの水あそび)
Bubbles and Water Gun Pikachu (ピカチュウのシャボン玉と水でっぽう)
Victini Beach
Leaf Boat Tsutarja (ツタージャの木の葉ボート)
Fruit Boat Pokabu (ポカブのフルーツボート).

Source: http://www.terrafor.net/news_e5yWsj4TQ2.html