Poké Morning!
Competitive
Pokémon invaded the nation's capital today; as the
2014 Pokemon World Championships began in earnest, in front of a
packed house at the
Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Jess Brohard welcomed a standing-room only crowd in the upstairs ballroom, before introducing Pokémon composer/director
Junichi Masuda to an already excited crowd. Once Masuda unveiled the new Mega Slowbro Mega Evolution addition (available this November) the level of excitement reached a near-fever pitch. Just in case you thought Pokémon was a thing of the past... think again.
Yesterday's opening was a chance for last minute qualifiers to make their mark; and for
all fans to get in on the action (i.e. cosplay, trading, etc.) Things got a bit more serious today, as the trading card and video game tournaments got under way. It was serious, sure; but that still left room for Pokémon "celebrities" such as
Josh Wittenkeller to sign autographs and pose for pictures with appreciative fans. Perhaps even more important... Retail Hours were in full effect, as evidenced by 1000+ eager customers, who lined up to purchase cards, cards and (dare I say?)
more cards.
I won't pretend to understand any of it (after all, I'm 45... going on 100) but one thing's for sure... These
kids (both young and old) are way, way into it; and their enthusiasm is nothing short of contagious. The tournament continues tomorrow (as well as more Retail Hours, 9 AM - 5 PM) with Closing Ceremonies scheduled for 6:00 PM. Can't make it down to the Convention Center?
Click here to watch live streaming of the Championships. Until then, here's a
random look back at this morning's activities.
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Long, Long Lines for Retail Hours
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