Pokémon Turns 30 And Kuala Lumpur Is First On The Guest List

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What started as a Game Boy game about a boy catching creatures in tall grass has become the highest-grossing media franchise in human history — bigger than Star Wars, bigger than Marvel, bigger than Harry Potter.

As of 2026, the Pokémon video game series has sold more than 480 million units worldwide.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ More than 75 billion trading cards have been printed as of March 2025. The anime has run for over 1,300 episodes across 28 seasons.

Thirty years after the original Pocket Monsters Red and Green launched on the Game Boy in Japan on 27 February 1996, The Pokémon Company is marking the occasion by running a five-city Asian tour called PokéXciting! — and it has chosen Kuala Lumpur as the first stop on its Southeast Asian leg.

How Pokémon Got Here

The franchise began as the brainchild of Satoshi Tajiri, a Japanese game designer who spent his childhood collecting insects in the suburbs of Tokyo.

He wanted to build a game that would let children share and trade creatures the way he had traded bugs — made possible by the Game Boy’s link cable, which in 1996 was the most practical peer-to-peer connectivity consumer technology offered.

Pocket Monsters Red and Green launched in Japan on 27 February 1996. They became sleeper hits, spawned a trading card game, an anime series and a merchandise industry, and have not stopped growing since.

The 30th anniversary has sharpened that trajectory. In February 2026, a single Pikachu Illustrator card sold at auction for RM76.7 million (US$16.5 million), setting a new record for a trading card sale.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s 30th Celebration expansion, releasing simultaneously worldwide on 16 September 2026, will be the first Pokémon TCG set to launch globally at the same time — every card foil including basic energy cards.

The milestone attracted a new wave of collectors, particularly those in their thirties and forties nostalgic for their Pokémon childhood.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Pokémon GO, now also celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, remains one of the most widely played mobile games in Southeast Asia.

The PokéXciting! anniversary tour will arrive in Kuala Lumpur on 12 and 13 September 2026, making it the first city on a five-stop Asia Pacific itinerary that continues through Taipei in October, Singapore in November, Manila in January 2027 and Bangkok in February 2027.

The event is free to attend and includes a drone light show across both evenings — the first Pokémon-themed drone display in Malaysia.

Trainers can expect immersive offline experiences, photo opportunities, and community meetups, plus event-limited gameplay featuring special Pokémon encounters and bonuses in Pokémon GO.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The centrepiece of the Kuala Lumpur event is the PokeXciting! Pikachu, which will appear in a design exclusive to KL, sporting teal-coloured accessories.

Susumu Fukunaga of The Pokémon Company said the selection of Kuala Lumpur carried specific meaning for the company as Malaysia’s Pokémon GO player base is substantial. Its trading card market has expanded sharply over the past three years.

The appetite for officially licensed merchandise that previously required sourcing from Japan or Singapore is well established and largely unserved by permanent retail.

The Pokémon Center Question

KLCC Holdings has entered a formal partnership with The Pokémon Company for the anniversary activations in Malaysia. Suria KLCC will host both a Nintendo Pop-Up Store and, more significantly, Malaysia’s first-ever Pokémon Center Pop-Up Store.

The first Pokémon Center opened in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, in July 1998. As of April 2026, 25 Pokémon merchandise shops exist across Japan. Outside Japan, permanent locations are rare. The United States had one in New York City from 2001 to 2005, later converted into Nintendo New York.

The KL Pokémon Center Pop-Up Store will carry Pokémon Center Original products, trading cards, plush figures, anniversary collection items and the latest releases. A gaming area developed in collaboration with Nintendo will also operate on-site.

The Nintendo Pop-Up Store will offer officially licensed Nintendo merchandise, including a Malaysia-exclusive Mario and Luigi design incorporating the Petronas Twin Towers.

Ombak KLCC will rotate through four seasonal Pokémon themes through December: Pikachu from 1 October, Fire types from 24 October, Grass types from 16 November and Water types from 9 December.

Pokemon RUN 30 and the Festival Zone

Running alongside the main event is Pokémon RUN 30, a themed fun run that blends physical activity with franchise lore. Participants choose a starter Pokémon at registration and progress through a course involving Gym Battles, wild Pokémon encounters and a Pokédex Search Sheet challenge.

A Festival Zone open to all visitors — runners and non-runners alike — houses a Time Tunnel installation charting three decades of Pokémon history, alongside a Pokémon Pop-Up Store offering exclusive merchandise.

Location and timing details are to be announced.

What Comes After September

When asked whether Malaysia would receive a permanent Pokémon Center, Fukunaga did not close the door but said the company would assess engagement and participation across the anniversary events before making further decisions.

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