Pikachu has been spotted at major landmarks in London ahead of the 2022 Pokémon World Championships, which open tomorrow. For the first time in history, the pinnacle of Pokémon tournaments will be held in Europe as London hosts the event. The capital is raring to welcome players and Pokémon alike for the big event taking place this week, Aug. 18–21, 2022, at ExCeL London.
To ensure travellers don’t miss the action, Transport for London (TfL) has also received a makeover, with the London Cable Car cabins over the Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and Royal Docks rebranded specifically to represent the 18 different Pokémon types: Normal, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Steel and Fairy. Fans can get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be transported over the River Thames with their favourite Pokémon. The makeover extends to both Cable Car terminals — with lots of Pokémon surprises and photo opportunities — which will be in place for passengers to enjoy Aug. 17–23.
Top Pokémon players are set to play the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pokkén Tournament DX, Pokémon UNITE and Pokémon GO for the title of World Champion. Players will compete for more than $1,000,000 (over £800,000) in prizes, the title of Pokémon World Champion and return invitations for the following year’s World’s Championships.
“It’s been a fun day for Pikachu getting to view some of London’s most exciting landmarks ahead of the Pokémon World Championships,” said Peter Murphy, senior director of marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with TfL on the London Cable Car so that our fans can enjoy another way to interact with the brand on the way to the Championships. Many of our fans have travelled far and wide, so we wanted to give them as many opportunities as possible to be immersed in the Pokémon world that they love. Now they get to do it whilst enjoying the amazing views of London.”
Josh Crompton, TfL’s Head of the London Cable Car, said: “Follow in Pikachu’s footsteps and enjoy some Pokémon-themed surprises with a unique experience on the Cable Car to and from ExCeL London. The London Cable Car is an iconic London attraction, and we look forward to welcoming Pokémon fans from around the world.”
Fans in London can also look forward to the Pokémon Center Pop-Up Store available throughout the 2022 Pokémon World Championships, featuring a range of Pokémon Center-branded products and Pokémon World Championships merchandise not found anywhere else, including the Pikachu 2022 Pokémon World Championships Poké Plush. Fans can visit throughout the store’s opening hours from Wednesday, Aug. 17, until Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022.
