Sep 25, 2025 | Volume 3 - Issue 39

Feature

Pocket Pikachu: The One Million Steps Challenge

I share my journey to reach a massive one million steps with a cool little toy from 1998 called the Pocket Pikachu

Welcome to another issue of Johto Times! In Vol. 3, issue 39, I share my adventure with Pocket Pikachu and my journey to reach a massive one million steps with you. Learn how I used this cool little toy originally released in 1998 to improve my fitness, mental wellbeing, and motivation to work towards a goal! Additionally, we also have a recap of the latest Pokémon news.

The Johto Times Favourite Pokémon Poll (2025) has reached its Grand Final stage! Which Pokémon will be voted as the fan favourite? This is your final week to vote, so if you haven’t done so already, click here for more information.

On August 1st, Johto Times launched a new website! Check it out and please bookmark us here: Johto Times

News

The Pokémon Center Kagawa store will open on October 24th, 2025

GENERAL

More music from Project Voltage, a collaboration between Pokémon and Hatsune Miku, has been released. The track "OOPArts" by NILFRUITS was made to celebrate Pokémon Black & White's 15th anniversary.

Source: Project VOLTAGE

A brand-new Pokémon Center Kagawa is due to open on October 24th, 2025. The Kagawa store features Pokémon mascots Slowpoke and Pikachu, and will sell exclusive branded merchandise featuring the two Pokémon available upon opening.

Source: Pokémon

Pokémon will be collaborating with The Natural History Museum in London with a pop-up shop next year, between January 26th and March 22nd, 2026. The temporary store will sell a variety of products, including an exclusive plush! Free tickets will be required to access the pop-up shop; they will be available online from October 1st, 2025.

Sources: Pokémon, Natural History Museum

The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution and Pokémon TCG Pocket Experience is coming to Westfield London in Shepherd's Bush, London, from October 3rd to October 5th, 2025. Attendees can get their pictures taken with the Mega Lucario and Mega Gardevoir statues, check out dynamic displays showing off the latest Mega Evolution Pokémon ex cards, and participate in a stamp rally where they can obtain a Pokémon TCG Fun Pack and a double-sided poster. This event also celebrates the first anniversary of Pokémon TCG Pocket with digital murals and demo stations to experience opening booster packs in Pokémon TCG Pocket.

Source: Pokémon

POKÉMON TCG POCKET

A new Booster Pack is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket, called Deluxe Pack: ex Booster Pack, for a limited time. For one month between September 30th and October 30th, 2025, players will be able to obtain cards from many previous booster packs, ranging from Genetic Apex to Wisdom of Sea and Sky. Each pack will contain four cards, of which one card will be guaranteed of ♦♦♦♦ rarity or higher. Select cards will feature parallel foil designs or entirely new illustrations.

A trailer which released alongside the announcement, confirmed that Deluxe Pack: ex booster packs will be available again in the future.

Source: Pokémon

SCARLET & VIOLET

The Shiny Chi-Yu distribution has begun. Chi-Yu is the fourth and final member of the Treasures of Ruin to be released via Mystery Gift, with Tera Shard Sets also available. If you missed out on the last three, they are still currently available. Be quick though, as this distribution only lasts until September 30th, 2025.

Source: Pokémon

POKÉMON GO

The Pokémon GO Tour is returning from February 20th to February 22nd, 2026. The two locations for next year's tour will be in Tainan, Taiwan, and Los Angeles, California. A two-day global celebration event will follow this on February 28th and March 1st, 2026. More details will be shared from the company at a later date.

Source: Pokémon GO

Feature: Pocket Pikachu: The One Million Steps Challenge

Pokémon has had a positive impact in my life in all kinds of ways. Not only has it been an opportunity for me to develop friendships and new skills such as managing projects, and encouraged me to get into composing music, it has also helped me improve my physical and mental wellbeing. In 2023 I purchased a Pocket Pikachu (Pocket Pokémon) with the intention of using it to reach one million steps and document the journey for Johto Times. In April 2025, I decided to begin my challenge with the aim to reach that milestone by the end of summer, September 21st, 2025.

For those who are unfamiliar, the Pocket Pikachu is a small handheld virtual pet which was originally released in Japan in March 1998. The objective of the game is to build up a friendship with Pikachu by giving him Watts of energy as a gift, which are generated through walking around. Every twenty steps generates a single “Watt”, but these can accumulate quickly or can even be gambled to potentially obtain more. Pikachu will perform a wide variety of activities as you interact with the device, such as riding a bike, watching television, or even taking a bath! As your friendship level grows, Pikachu will behave differently towards you, growing to appreciate you more.

My Pocket Pikachu device on day one of my challenge (0 steps taken)

If I am being really honest, I wasn’t getting anywhere near enough exercise in my day to day life prior to starting this challenge. A combination of low mental health and motivation to get outside, on top of some personal circumstances, made it more challenging to attempt something like this. By March, a shift happened which improved my life greatly, and with better weather developing due to the spring, I finally had the motivation to take on the challenge!

It began on April 27th, 2025, with the intention of starting small, taking some daily walks locally. I worked out that I would need to take an average of 6,700 steps per day if I was to accumulate a total of one million steps by September 21st. I knew that a walk from my house to the local field and a stroll around its perimeter a couple of times would get me around 4,000 steps per day, but that one or two days per week I would typically venture out to run errands, which would net me even more.

Pikachu with his back turned to me. I guess I needed to impress him with lots of Watts

In my first week, I managed a total of 62,892 steps. It was way above the average amount I needed to stay on track, and I was proud that I went outside every day to get some exercise. At first, Pikachu wasn’t very happy with me, but by the end of the week, he had gotten closer to the screen, hinting that our friendship had improved! I saw a range of animations, including Pikachu brushing his teeth, playing with building blocks, swimming, and reading a book. I was quite impressed by the number of activities from the device, and it made me want to give Pikachu even more Watts and check the Pocket Pikachu often to see if I could spot any new activities.

At first, Pikachu really wasn’t interested in me at all; it reminded me a lot of the first episode of the Pokémon anime, when Pikachu wouldn’t listen to or respect Ash

Week two was another success, I managed to reach my first 100,000 steps, ending the week at 119,750 steps. I saw more of Pikachu's activities during this time, including him enjoying a lollipop, and I even caught him waving at me! My third week wasn't as impressive as the previous two, mostly due to feeling unwell and tired. Rather than push myself too hard, I decided to take it easier and walk less often.

By the fourth week I was feeling much better and had reached 220,053 steps. I was starting to feel the pressure of the daily walks and was losing belief in completing my goal. It didn't help that I saw someone on social media who had achieved one million steps with their Pocket Pikachu Colour in a very short space of time, and it made me feel disheartened knowing it was going to take me much longer to reach my goal than them and probably everyone else. But after reflecting on this, I realised that my journey was different, and that I would achieve my own goal and do it on my own terms. I also accepted that even if I missed my self-imposed deadline of September 21st, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I think this was a big turning point in the challenge, knowing that I could be proud of myself no matter what. By this point I had already stuck to a good routine and was getting significantly more exercise. How can that be a bad thing?

I took every opportunity I could to carry my Pocket Pikachu with me during the spring and summer of 2025

Week five brought poor weather and less enthusiasm to go outside. I was able to go out every single day for a whole month and then stayed indoors the very next day. I caught Pikachu flying a kite, which I thought was rather cute. By the end of the week I had surpassed 250,000 total steps, ending it at 265,359. Week six began with a low mood day, but a long walk helped to improve things. I got some pains in my chest which forced me to cut back on the walks, just as a precaution. It was likely due to the stress that week, so I didn’t push myself unnecessarily. On top of that, I also forgot to take my Pocket Pikachu out with me one day, which was quite annoying. I ended up taking an extra walk that day to make up for the lost steps! It was also the week the Switch 2 launched, where I was indoors playing games. Overall, it was probably my worst week of the whole challenge, ending with 299,120 steps.

By week seven I felt like I had fallen behind and should have been much further along than I was. That being said, I did see some new animated activities from Pikachu, where he was walking on top of a ball, learning about the pyramids at his desk in class, and watching television. I assumed this meant I had reached a higher level of friendship with my little yellow buddy and that I was building up a strong friendship between us, which was reassuring. Week eight was a significant step forward. I met up with my friend who I spoke to the previous week about my Pocket Pikachu challenge, ending that day with over 23,000 steps! We also agreed to meet up the following week for another extended walk. I also caught Pikachu eating an ice cream and flying a kite! I finished the week with over 425,000 steps, and I felt great about it.

Pikachu asleep at his desk. I guess all that learning had really taken it out of him!

Week nine was another success, reaching over 487,000 steps. Pikachu's activities this week included playing with a yo-yo, and I also spotted him with hearts over his head, signalling that he adores me! After all the Watts I had been giving him each day, that had better be the case! I was a little concerned that a hairline crack had developed on the hinge of the Pocket Pikachu, so I tried to be careful with it as the challenge progressed (more on this later). On the first day of week ten, I surpassed half a million steps. This was a huge achievement and a massive boost to my motivation. Despite avoiding some extremely warm weather and the heavy downpours of rain that followed, I was still able to end the week on 544,015 steps. On the final day I hurt my foot, but thankfully it was nothing serious.

Pikachu is absolutely delighted with me

Despite being more hesitant due to the foot injury, and walking less during the week, I had two very good days of activity. The highlight was meeting an online friend I have known for fourteen years. We spent the day roaming a wildlife park, and he was extremely encouraging of my challenge. I was happy to confirm to him that day that I had reached 600,000 steps, and by the end of the week I had hit 614,151. Week twelve was a contrast in terms of activity. Very little happened, but I was able to end the week with a visit to the beach. I still managed to reach over 650,000 steps.

My Pocket Pikachu reaching the half way point, with over half a million steps

Week thirteen was a tough one, and I was struggling mentally with something personal. Thankfully, a friend helped to make that better, and I kept motivated enough to reach over 700,000 steps. By week fourteen, I was determined to reach 750,000 steps. I'm not sure why this milestone was super important to me, but I think I pushed myself a bit too hard because I felt unwell for a couple of days. Despite this, I was still able to hit my milestone by just six steps, ending the week at 750,006!

Week fifteen was quite chore-heavy, so I wasn't able to take as many walks on my own as I would have liked. However, I managed to get quite a few steps in by simply running errands, and I finished the week at 786,261. By the end of my sixteenth week, I felt like the end was in sight. Despite some personal difficulties that week, which were mentally draining and made me want to get under my covers and ignore the world, I still managed to reach 880,000 steps, exactly 120,000 away from completing my challenge.

When I reached 800,000 steps, I had a lot of confidence in myself to complete my challenge on target

In week eighteen, disaster struck! The hinge of my Pocket Pikachu, which had developed a hairline crack in week nine, had completely snapped! I had hoped that it would be okay, since I was much more careful about how I attached it to my belt, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. I spent some time carefully applying duct tape to the hinge to try and keep it secure, which is when I noticed that the second hinge had started to develop a crack too. I knew that if I took this outside with me again there was a very strong chance that I would lose it entirely. I decided that it was no longer safe to carry it on my belt, but started to worry that I wouldn’t be able to complete the challenge at all. I tried to come up with ideas of how to fix it so I could at least reach my million and stay on track.

Someone on Bluesky suggested that I clip my Pocket Pikachu to a piece of cardboard and place it in my pocket so it was standing upright. This way, the device would still count steps, and if it were to fully break, it would be safe in my pocket. I’m happy to say that the idea worked like a charm, and I was able to continue my challenge. That week, I surpassed 900,000 steps! I was going to do this, even if it meant limping across the finish line with Pikachu to do so.

The hinge of the Pocket Pikachu, cracked and repaired with tape, and attached to some card to place inside my pocket, which worked surprisingly well

With less than 100,000 steps to go, week nineteen should have been the week where I was feeling my most optimistic and encouraged, but this was not the case. A period of low mental health hit me due to some unfortunate events, and I lost a lot of motivation. I made very little progress, and it didn't get much better in week twenty, where I spent three of those days doing nothing. Was I about to stumble at the final hurdle? Would I miss my self-imposed deadline, despite all the progress I had made? I knew I had to get myself back on my feet and get out of the door a few more times to reach my goal. After pulling things back a bit, I ended week twenty with over 975,000 steps. With just one more week to go, I knew that it wasn’t too late to turn this around. I was going to achieve my goal, and I was going to push myself to make it happen.

Week twenty-one started off poorly, with another big storm. The weather had been pretty atrocious towards the end of summer. I stayed indoors that first day, but managed to venture out the following day and obtained almost 10,000 steps despite the weather being not much better.

Pikachu rubbing his paws together, looking rather sinister

I decided that the following day, September 17th, 2025, would be the day I reached the million. I woke up earlier than usual that day, had breakfast, and went outside to brave the elements, with a determination to reach my goal. I decided I would take a walk up the riverbank, knowing this had been a place where I had made tons of progress in previous weeks. During this extended walk, I reflected upon the past few months and the ups and downs I had faced with this challenge. By lunchtime, the weather had started to pick up, and I decided it was time to head back home. When I reached my house, I was quite surprised to discover I was only fifty steps away from one million! I walked into the kitchen to make myself a drink, and went upstairs knowing that I had done it!

I switched on the Pocket Pikachu and was greeted with a message in Japanese to confirm that I had reached one million steps and that it had taken me 3475 hours to complete this task. There was no sign of Pikachu, and I have been unable to do anything else with it since. It would appear that the device locks you out once you reach this impressive milestone. I was a little disappointed, given how expressive Pikachu had been throughout this adventure. What happened to him? I wonder how many children worked their way to this goal, only to discover that Pikachu had abandoned them right at the end. In any case, it was finally time to rest; I had done what I originally set out to do.

My Pocket Pikachu, confirming that I have reached one million steps. The first screen roughly translates to "Party time! 1 million steps” while the second says “Record: 3475 hours"

As I reflect on this challenge, a few things come to mind. First of all, for a toy released in 1998, I am in awe of how much personality the Pocket Pikachu has. I actually smiled at some of the wholesome animations. Secondly, I am proud of the fact that I was able to complete the challenge and remain motivated to reach my goal within the timeframe I had set. As a result, I was able to remain active throughout the spring and summer months, and I feel fitter both physically and mentally as a result, despite the highs and lows I faced throughout the challenge. Thirdly, I am appreciative of Johto Times followers on Bluesky for their support and motivation. I know that a handful of them even picked up Pocket Pikachu devices of their own as a result of this challenge, and I hope they have as much fun, and receive similar health benefits, as I did.

I am also pleasantly surprised and grateful that my closest friends and some members of my family took an interest in what I was doing and were incredibly supportive! I appreciated the extended walks with my friend along the riverbank during the early summer, which really helped me make some significant progress towards my goal. I realised that I enjoy exercising with my friend way more than exercising alone.

Every evening, Pikachu was found sleeping. Now that this challenge is over, he deserves a good rest. Thank you for your charm, and for your company throughout, Pikachu!

As mentioned, the Pocket Pikachu took some damage during this challenge, and unfortunately until I can get it to a Pokémon Center in the future, it will have to remain on my shelf. It is a reminder that these toys will not last forever, and I truly believe that work to preserve them should be a priority for anyone with interest in these awesome little devices.

So what next? Due to how successful this challenge was, I am proud to say that I have already started my next! This time around, I will be using my Pocket Pikachu Color I bought myself when I was a teenager back in the early 2000s! My concern this time is that I may break a cherished childhood toy, so I think I shall continue to walk with it attached to some card in my pocket and not attached to my belt. I have also seen some carry cases online which may be an option!

I want to end this feature with the following message. This challenge wasn’t about racing to one million steps, or pretending to be the only person in the world to have ever done it. This was about improving my motivation, my exercise, routine, mental wellbeing, and most importantly: having fun! The Pocket Pikachu exceeded my expectations in all of these areas, and I look forward to reaching my next million steps with its successor!

Additional photographs

Pikachu playing with building blocks