Welcome to Vol. 4, issue 3 of Johto Times. I’ve been very distracted this week playing Pokémon Pokopia, so I had to put this together in a bit of a rush! For anyone who has picked it up, I hope you’ve been having as much fun with it as I have!

Although most of Pokémon’s official 30th anniversary celebrations happened last month, I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of my personal memories from across the years, on such a significant year for the franchise. As usual, we also have a recap of the latest Pokémon news.

Pokémon Pokopia, the relaxing life simulation game is out now on Nintendo Switch 2

POKÉMON POKOPIA

Pokémon Pokopia was released last week on March 5th, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2. The Pokémon Company and Nintendo announced today in a joint statement that the game has surpassed 2.2 million copies sold in its first four days on sale. One million of these sales were in Japan.

Source: Nintendo

The first special limited-time in-game event "More Spores for Hoppip" is currently taking place and runs until March 24th, 2026. During this time, players can befriend Hoppip and gather special cotton spores, which can be exchanged for picnic-themed furniture items. If players then use these items to create habitats, they have the chance to befriend Skiploom and Jumpluff too. The Pokémon Company have confirmed that these Pokémon can't be encountered outside of this event and are only available in towns with a rebuilt Pokémon Center. They won't be available on Cloud Islands either.

All players are currently able to receive a Ditto rug as a bonus for obtaining the game early. This can be obtained by navigating to the Mystery Gifts menu and choosing "Get via Internet," and is available until January 31st, 2027.

Players may also wish to check out the developer's Cloud Island to gather some inspiration, using the code PXQC G03S. In order to gain access to this, players will need to complete challenges until they reach Environment Level 3 in the Withered Wasteland, the area in which you start the game. They can purchase the Mysterious Goggles item from the Pokémon Center PC, and then equip it to their character. There will then be an option to enter the code. A second official Cloud Island code was also shared today QBRK 7FVM, made by Hidetaka Kano, one of the stars of the Pokémon Pokopia commercials in Japan. Players can even make copies of items in these cloud islands by taking photographs of them in “Object Mode” and 3D print them inside Pokémon Centers.

Source: Pokémon

Special icon elements are currently available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers for anyone wishing to customise their profile picture. The first wave of icons were initially available between March 4th and March 11th, with subsequent waves of icons made available each week until April 1st, 2026.

Source: Nintendo Switch Online

GENERAL

The next Pokémon TCG expansion "Chaos Rising" will be released on May 22nd, 2026. The set more mega evolved Pokémon, such as Mega Floette, and Mega Greninja.

Source: Pokémon

The Pokémon Company and Bandai have revealed that a new version of Plakoro, a Pokémon model kit dice construction game from 1997, will launch in July of this year in Japan. No confirmation has been made for a Western release at the time of writing.

Source: Bandai

NHK Symphony Orchestra are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, with special concerts at four different venues, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Pocket Monsters Red & Green. It will take place in August 2026. It will feature a performance of the main theme for Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, games which were revealed last month to release worldwide in 2027.

Source: NHK Symphony Orchestra, PocketMonsters.net

Feature: Reflecting on Thirty Years of Pokémon

My original copy of Pokémon Blue, which my mum purchased for me in 2001

Like many kids in the late 1990s, I was one of the original generation which got caught up in the Pokémon phenomenon. Thirty years after its original release in Japan, it’s a franchise that not only spans video games, but trading cards, toys, and thousands of other items and collectable merchandise. Throughout the years, Pokémon has entered my life and my home and emptied my bank account!

Okay, so technically it isn’t quite thirty years; I didn’t have the pleasure of growing up with the original release of Pokémon Red & Green in Japan in February 1996. My earliest memory dates back to 1999, when I saw my classmates looking up Pokémon trading cards and the Pokédex on the official Wizards of the Coast and Pokémon websites respectively. When I later asked a friend what it was all about, he pulled out a small binder, out of view of other students and teachers, and showed me some of his beloved trading cards. He told me that it had video games and an anime, and he wrote down a URL to the Warner Bros. website so I could look up information about the first Pokémon movie. I was a nervous kid – I was bullied quite extensively during school and didn't have many friends – so it was nice to connect with other kids to talk about Pokémon.

Every Saturday morning I would wake up early and run downstairs, switching on the television to watch and record the latest episode of the anime on our old Betamax video tape recorder. The first Pokémon item I ever got was a poster containing the original 150 monsters. I remember my father collecting tokens every day in the newspaper and then we headed over to a shop to redeem it. I would spend hours trying to memorise all of them in order from Bulbasaur to Mewtwo.

Our family didn't have a lot of money growing up, but I absorbed as much of Pokémon as I could. I started by collecting stickers, and a couple of local friends gave me some of their spare Pokémon cards, including my very first holographic card, a Nidoqueen from the Jungle set! I started collecting my own Pokémon cards in the year 2000, starting with the Fossil set, and by 2001 I received a Game Boy Color and a copy of Pokémon Blue, allowing me to start my Pokémon video game journey.

My beloved copy of Pokémon Crystal, also from 2001

Pokémon Gold & Silver had already launched in stores earlier that year, and I would stare at the empty boxes in the local supermarket on each visit. I wanted Pokémon Silver so badly and thought Lugia was so awesome! So one day, after I eventually saved up enough pocket money, I went into town and visited the local MVC (Music and Video Club) store to purchase Pokémon Silver. To my disappointment, the game was out of stock. However, I noticed that Pokémon Crystal was for sale. A member of staff explained that it would be so much better if I purchased Crystal, as it was an improvement upon Gold & Silver, and that I would enjoy it much more.

I handed over the £27.99 it cost me at the time, and I rushed home to play it. When I saw the vibrant colours on the title screen, I was blown away. I had no idea my Game Boy Color, which had only had a copy of Pokémon Blue inside it for the past few months, could look this good. At that moment, I remember quite vividly saying to myself that this was going to be the best Pokémon game ever, and for a time, it really was! I put so much time into Pokémon Crystal, and I absolutely adored it.

I made some great friends through Pokémon, namely a neighbourhood friend called Mason, who I used to play Crystal with, and Gavin, who I met at an Eon Ticket event for Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire at a local Gamestation store. Gavin and I even purchased FireRed & LeafGreen together a year later, testing out the range of the Wireless Adapter. We would trade, battle and remain engaged with Pokémon until I left my hometown the following year. We still stay in touch to this day!

By the time Diamond & Pearl had released in 2007, my passion for Pokémon had started to fade. I was now an adult and my priorities had changed. While I still continued to play the games, I wasn't heavily invested in the franchise. I even sold off Pokémon Platinum and Pokémon White, after playing until the Elite 4, and didn't bother to pick up Black & White 2.

Over the years Pokémon GO has given me the opportunity to make friends, connect with old ones, and benefit my mental and physical wellbeing

In 2013 I was forced into purchasing Pokémon Y by my friend David, who wanted to pick up the game and trade starters. After he lovingly kidnapped me by throwing me into the back of his car, driving to the supermarket, and handing over half the cost of the game, I was the not so proud owner of the sixth-generation title, which was later traded in for Omega Ruby Limited Edition with SteelBook.

The hype around Pokémon GO when it released in 2016 was comparable to Pokémania in the late 90s. Suddenly, Pokémon was hugely popular again, and because of this I got reacquainted with an old friend called Shaun, who I hadn’t spoken to since school. I agreed to meet up with him, and we spent a good couple of hours trying to catch Pokémon together.

Back then, there were third party applications which allowed players to see where a Pokémon was located and how long you had until it despawned. At this point in time, we both needed a Ponyta, and one had appeared a distance away that we weren’t going to make on foot. At that moment, a friend I was staying with came driving down the road shouting at us to get in the car so we could try to catch it. Chaos then ensued…

My friend put her foot down and drove to the location at full speed, passing a police car on the way. I was absolutely convinced we were going to be in a prison cell that evening, but thankfully they didn’t pursue us. At this point, we were locked in no matter what. We caught the Ponyta with seconds to spare, with cheers all around. Shaun and I gave each other a high five. We've remained in contact ever since, and it's such a great memory.

Not only did Pokémon GO help me reconnect with an old friend, it helped me discover new friends in the local area, something I probably wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for this game. It also encouraged me to get out and exercise more, which had an impact on my physical and mental wellbeing. While I don’t play the game much anymore, I will always be thankful for the benefits it brought.

A photograph of the Hammersmith Apollo in London, which hosted Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions

In 2016, I had the opportunity to visit London and watch Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions, a touring orchestral concert which performed Pokémon music from the six generations of games released at the time, from Pokémon Red & Blue all the way up through X & Y. The music of the Pokémon video games has always been one of my absolute favourite things about the series, and it has inspired me to get involved in several music projects over the years. Hearing the music performed on stage by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra to footage from the video games was an incredible moment, and one that I forever appreciate.

In 2019, I learned that my mother had cancer, which was a deeply stressful time. As I looked for distractions, I decided to clean up the house. During this, I came across my collection of Pokémon cards, which sat inside a cardboard box at the bottom of my wardrobe. I spent time looking through them, contemplating happier times. I realised just how close I was to completing some of the old sets, and I went to eBay to purchase the remaining cards to complete the Base, Jungle, and Fossil sets. This was just prior to the pandemic where demand for trading cards went through the roof.

In the years which followed, I completed the Team Rocket and Neo Discovery sets, and I managed to pick up a personal holy grail: the Southern Island Collection. I even purchased some nice folders to display them in. I credit Pokémon as one of my main distractions during what was a very challenging time. I am happy to report that as of last year, my mum is now cancer free!

After this, I became invested in the franchise again. Pokémon Sword & Shield was an opportunity to play a game based on the country I lived in, something I had always wanted to see. I absolutely adored Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which felt so refreshing after many years of games that didn't really break the mold. While Scarlet & Violet had its initial problems, it was still incredible to see Pokémon step into a new era with an open world. These games helped me through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and kept my mental health in check.

The Pokémon poster from my bedroom wall, which I have kept all these years

As we reach Pokémon's 30th anniversary, it has been fun reflecting on the happy memories and experiences that this series has contributed to shape my life. In 2023, I started this newsletter, documenting and preserving the early history of Pokémon and its fan communities. I've had the pleasure of speaking to so many amazing people, from fans like myself who shared their memories of Pokémania and growing up with Pokémon during the late 90s and early 2000s, to people who made it possible, such as voice actors, managers, and those closely connected to the franchise.

In all these years, Pokémon has helped me develop long-lasting friendships and provided me with countless happy memories which I will always cherish. Happy thirty years to Pokémon!