KUALA LUMPUR: The Pokémon Company announced today (June 16) that regional celebrations for the series' 30th anniversary will start in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 12 and 13, marking the first stop of the PokéXciting campaign in the region.
The two-day celebration will be held in five cities across the region, including Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Singapore, Manila, and Bangkok, commemorating the 30 years since the release of Pokémon Red and Green on the Nintendo Game Boy.
The Malaysian leg will be held at the KLCC Park, with Pokémon-themed decorations on show throughout the park, along with the country's first-ever Pokémon drone show.
Other activities during PokéXciting include a live stage show alongside other performances. Fans will be able to enter the park and participate in the activities free of charge.
Stage shows and performances will also include the debut of a new PokéXciting Pikachu costume, with the Kuala Lumpur edition featuring a turquoise-coloured hairdo.
Each city that hosts a PokéXciting celebration will have a version of the mascot costume in a different colour. The costumed Pikachu will also be added to Pokémon Go.
As part of the 10th anniversary celebration for Pokémon Go as well this year, the mobile game will also be collaborating with KLCC Holdings for a community celebration event next month with a Super Mega Raid Battle against Mega Mewtwo XY, with further celebrations in September.
Also debuting in Malaysia with PokéXciting will be the first Pokémon Center in Malaysia, a pop-up at the soon-to-be-open Ombak KLCC mall, offering merch based on the series. The pop-up will run from Sept 12 until Dec 31, with the mall itself receiving Pokémon themed makeovers from Oct 1 to Dec 31.
Ombak KLCC will further host a Nintendo pop-up, with a Malaysia-exclusive Mario and Luigi t-shirt.
During a Q&A session with the media, Susumu Fukunaga, corporate officer of The Pokémon Company, said that the possibility of a permanent Pokémon Center in Malaysia would depend on the local reception of the various activities and events held by the company.
Other activities for the anniversary celebration include Pokémon Run 30, an interactive fun run to be held on Nov 21 and 22, and a festival zone for the fun run featuring a memory lane that showcases the history of the Pokémon game series.
There will also be another zone where visitors can try out new Nintendo Switch 2 titles. The event further saw the announcement of the Pokémon Trading Card Game's 2026 Premier Ball League, which will be held at the KLCC Convention Centre on Nov 21 and 22.
