Welcome to Vol. 4, issue 4 of Johto Times! In this issue, we spoke to a Pokémon fan called Adrià, who talked to us about his memories and experiences of Pokémon, growing up with the franchise during its earliest days.

I recently took part in a podcast with The Very Best Podcast, where I shared my memories of Pokémon, my thoughts on the current state of the franchise, and answered quick-fire questions. If you’d like to check it out, you can do so here.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, originally released in 2005 on the GameCube, is now available to play on Nintendo Switch 2, for Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass subscribers

POKÉMON POKOPIA

Pokémon Pokopia version 1.0.2 launched on March 17th, 2026, correcting multiple bugs and gameplay issues. The Pokémon Company Japan also released an official Cloud Island created by Sashihara Shima, who starred in commercials promoting Pokémon Pokopia in Japan. Sashihara's Cloud Island is accessible using the code MGL4 83P4.

Source: Pokémon

POKÉMON CHAMPIONS

The Pokémon Company have confirmed that Pokémon Champions, a title focused on the core Pokémon battling experience, will launch on April 8th for Nintendo Switch. Pokémon Champions + Starter Pack will be available from the same day, including the base game and additional in-game bonuses which support early progression. Nintendo Switch 2 owners will get an enhanced visual performance through a free update. It was also announced that returning Mega-Evolved Pokémon which debuted in Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be available in the game, with new abilities.

Source: Pokémon

POKÉMON TCG

The fourth main Mega Evolution block set, Chaos Rising, will be released on May 22th, 2026. Chaos Rising primarily consists of the Japanese Ninja Spinner expansion and features 86 cards in its base set, including Beedrill ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Floette ex, with Mega Greninja ex as the headlining Pokémon.

Source: Pokémon

POKÉMON TCG POCKET

The newest expansion in TCG Pocket, Mega Shine, was released on March 25th, 2026, featuring Shiny and Mega Pokémon such as Mega Charizard X ex, Mega Gengar ex, and more.

Source: Pokémon

GENERAL

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness was added to the GameCube Classics app for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members with a Nintendo Switch 2 on March 18th, 2026. The game is available in Japan, North America and PAL regions, with its predecessor Pokémon Colosseum to be added to the Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics app in the future. At the time of this writing, XD: Gale of Darkness is not compatible with Pokémon Home.

Source: Pokémon

Pokémon announced that a new Pokémon Center Satellite store will open on the second floor of the JOINUS building at Yokohama Station on April 9th, 2026.

Source: Pokémon JP

Feature: Adrià's Pokémon Memories

Adrià is a Pokémon fan from Spain who grew up with Pokémon from the moment it arrived in his country. Like many fans, he absorbed everything the series had to offer and cherishes his memories, which he has shared with Johto Times along with some photographs from that early era.

Adrià

Pokémon is one of the best memories I have from my childhood. I'm honoured to be part of the Pokémon generation. Back in 1999, I was 7 years old when I first played Pokémon Red (Pokémon Rojo in Spain). If I recall correctly, in Spain they first started airing the anime on TV, so when the games launched, it was already a massive success. I had Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Pokémon Ruby, TCG, Pinball... even the Pokémon Pikachu Color [virtual pet].

I was literally raised by Pokémon, and not only by the games and anime. We also had Tazos to play with friends, movies, plushies, special events with legendary Pokémon like Celebi, magazines, sticker albums, the Trading Card Game... the list is infinite. It was the main topic of conversation with my school friends. As you can see in the photo of my room, I can say I had it all.

Adrià in his bedroom holding his Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Pokémon Gold. He is surrounded by Pokémon magazines, videos, posters and plushies (2002)

Adrià

What made it special for me, I believe, was the feeling of being free in an "open world", or at least that's how it looked to us as kids, like we were going on an adventure filled with secrets, and that was so exciting! You didn’t know what you would find around the next corner of the game, and the rumours made you dig deeper into the game. Sometimes they were true and gave you a great feeling of satisfaction, like MissingNo. Sometimes they were wrong, like the famous truck where Mew was supposed to be hiding, Pikablu, or the famous garden behind Bill's house. Sometimes a new Pokémon appeared in the movies and you wondered if you could find it in the games. Sometimes you could, sometimes you had to wait for the next generation.

From here, I want to thank that wonderful kid I met at a hotel who traded me a Mew. I got so excited, and my friends at school were shocked. The same thing happened when I went to the Celebi Tour and got a Celebi.

Adrià receiving Pokémon Stadium for his Nintendo 64 in July 2000

Adrià

Pokémon Ruby was the last game I played in my childhood, and the next one that I have finished has been Pokémon Scarlet, which I've loved, and I believe it is what the original Pokémon generation dreamed of back in those days.

I believe that what we experienced as kids playing Pokémon can never be repeated or matched. At that time, there was basically no internet for us, so we had to explore everything, read a lot, and figure things out ourselves. It’s clear this was good for our happiness but also for our brains. Sadly, it’s not like that anymore, and now kids can discover everything about the game with one click and zero effort. Because of this, I’m so happy to have been born in the 90s and to have enjoyed Pokémon in the best way possible.

Additional photographs

Adrià with his Pokémon Trading Card Game mat from 2003

Adrià shared a photograph of the Pokémon items he still keeps hold of today, including various video games, trading cards, and a Pocket Pikachu Color

A GIF of Adrià receiving his copy of Pokémon Yellow on January 6th, 2001 for Reyes Magos

Reading Adrià’s memories was truly heartwarming. This is a fan who truly embraced everything about Pokémon and shared memories that many of us can relate to. It’s great to see that he continues to hold onto his cherished items, which will serve as a reminder of his passion for Pokémon all those years ago.