This past weekend, Pokémon held its Pokémon World Championships “Worlds” and PokémonXP “XP ”in San Francisco, California. I have been going to conventions for almost five years, and I had high expectations for this event, yet went in with an open mind. Here are the pros and cons of going to Worlds and XP.
Pros
The decorations and marketing for this event were out of this world. Everywhere you looked, there were decorations. The walls within Moscone had Pokémon murals, as well as the windows on the outside. The road in between Moscone and Yerba Buena Gardens was transformed into Rayquaza Road. Motorcycles were modeled after Koraidon and Miraidon’s mounted form. The convention had plenty of photo opportunities.
(Pictured above: Deoxys defense form mural inside Moscone Center, fun Rayquaza Road signage at the Pokémon Center, Pikachu-inspired car on Rayquaza Road, Life-size Koraidon mount form).
There were tons of Pokémon-themed events around the city for those who didn’t get a pass into Worlds, such as the Giants game/drone show. Japantown had a Pokémon movie night, and surrounding businesses were offering themed drinks, tattoos and more. San Francisco embodied the spirit of Pokémon this weekend.
I had a great experience with all of the convention employees. If I didn’t know where something was, they all had smiles on their faces and offered to help. In the Pokémon Center, I had asked the same employee a few times where items were located, and they were more than happy to help guide me. Others were fantastic and willing picture-takers for my friend and me. In fact, a lot of photo areas had employees who were ready to take group photos, something that is always hard to manage when going to conventions.
The selection of merchandise was incredible. There were so many event-exclusive items that would appeal to different audiences. I was appreciative that Pokémon capped their items so everyone had a chance to buy items such as Pikachu plushies or event shirts.
There was so much to see and do within the convention. I typically go to anime or comic conventions, but never a convention dedicated to one franchise. Pokémon has its hands in many other franchises, such as LEGO, Colourpop, Build-a-Bear, and Crocs. It was amazing to see so many collaborations with franchises I am already fond of.
Cons
As with any event, there were downsides to this convention.
PokémonXP had a pin rally, complete with 12 different pins to obtain. Attendees went around the convention to each booth to collect complimentary pins based on different Pokémon, one pin each per person. On Saturday, the pin rally closed at 10:13 a.m., with the convention opening around 8 a.m. Subsequently, the pin rally was canceled on Sunday. This was a really unfortunate turn of events, as I didn’t get to collect any pins and those attending on Sunday didn’t have a chance at all.
There were lots of activities, from cupcake decorating to creating an Eeveelution headband. However, lots of the fun activities utilized an interest list. My friend and I signed up for every event, hoping we would land one or two. We did not get into any of the events.
There were other events, such as building a trophy at LEGO, Pop Yourself! at Funko, or creating a Pokémon Build-a-Bear. I went around the booths around 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, and LEGO and Funko were not accepting any new attendees to join the experiences. It was unfortunate, because the convention was set to go on until 8 p.m., so it felt as if there was a lack of inventory, or the crowds were larger than anticipated.
The food was overpriced and underwhelming; we ordered a pulled pork sandwich and soda for $30. The sandwich was very dry. I would have been better off ordering from another stand or going off-site, but it was crowded everywhere I went. But that’s to be expected for a convention in the San Francisco Bay Area.
One big complaint I’ve heard from fellow attendees was the wait time for the Pokémon Center. My friend and I were lucky to have booked an appointment for 11:30 a.m. We did not enter the Pokémon Center until 12:50 p.m., and finished around 2 p.m. Two items that I wanted to purchase were out of stock by the time I entered the center.
Since I only had a day pass, I wish I could have maximized my experience more. Whether it was entering the Pokémon Center right on time or getting into an event on my interest list, it was all out of my control.
Tips for future Worlds / XP attendees
- Go into it with an open mind. The thing that saved me going into Worlds and XP was that I had high expectations yet went into it with an open mind. I had no expectation I was going to receive any pins, the merch I wanted was going to be sold out, or it was going to be very crowded and uncomfortable. Maybe this isn’t the best way to go into a convention, but it made my experience very enjoyable, and I had a lot of fun.
- Do the pin rally early. If there is a pin you absolutely must have, you should get to that line as soon as the convention opens. Charizard, Umbreon and Jirachi were the highest sought-after pins.
- Get an early timeslot for the Pokémon Center. I cannot stress this enough, merchandise WILL run out. The later you reserve, the higher the chances that your favorite item will sell out for the day. Pokémon restocks their items or might have some if you ask, but they have to save the merchandise for the next day. Go as early as you can to buy your Elite Trainer Box.
- Be prepared to wait in line. PokémonXP is, in fact, LineCon. You will have to wait in line, whether it be for badge pickup, pin rally, entrance into any of the exhibits, or food. It’s a part of the convention experience, so make some friends in line or strike up a conversation about merch or plushies while you wait.
- Plan ahead. Make a list of what you want to buy at the Pokémon Center. Check out the map or things to do. It can be very overwhelming at one time, so take the extra 15 minutes to plan ahead.
- Chargers, deodorant, water. Enough said.
- Have fun! Remember you’re there to celebrate all things Pokémon. Try to go to experiences you typically wouldn’t go for; it might surprise you what you end up liking. I’ve never seen Pokémon Unite before I went to Worlds, but it piqued my interest watching the competitors.
To read about my full experience at Worlds and XP, click here.
About Worlds and XP
Worlds is an annual trading card game (TCG) and video game competition held by Play! Pokémon every August. Beginning in 2004, it is an invite-only event for competitors all around the world to see who is the very best. Trainers qualify throughout the year and compete for money, scholarships, prizes and trophies. Worlds includes the Pokémon trading card game, Pokémon video game, Pokémon Go and Pokémon Unite.
This year, Pokémon did something special: Added PokémonXP, the first fan convention. Trainers could enjoy a multitude of events, from panels to meeting Pokémon creators to visiting different booths like Funko and Build-a-Bear. Around 50,000 fans from around the world gathered for Worlds and XP.
