European Pokémon trainers yet to make the trip to Japan in order to visit one of the country’s famed Pokémon Center stores are in luck as one is now open in London.
The pop-up shop which opened to hundreds of eager Pokémon enthusiast, so of whom queued for hours, in Westfield Sheperd’s Bush Friday morning (October 18), will sell several Pokémon items only available in the UK.
To mark the occasion, visitors will be able to purchase the exclusive London City Pikachu plush toy, the official ‘face’ of the store, looking rather dapper-looking he comes wearing a bowler hat and holding an umbrella with a Psyduck inspired handle.
Other goodies on offer are exclusive Pokémon London City pin badges, t-shirts, trading cards, and a whole host of plushes of your favourite monsters.
Prices are on the steep side with the 20cm tall Pikachu plush selling for £20 and a Kanto poster going for £38.50 but what do you expect for products not found anywhere else?
If that wasn’t enough, Pokéfans will also be able to catch more Pokémon in Pokémon GO thanks to increased appearances of Psyduck, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Combee, and several others, around the shopping centre.
But those looking to catch a glimpse of the Pokémon Center will have to be quick as it will only be open until November 15. The store is open 10am - 10pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm - 6pm on Sundays.
In 2014, it was Paris that hosted an ephemeral Pokémon Center, in which shoppers allegedly emptied the store after a week, so it might be worth going sooner rather than later.
And for fans of the series who haven’t had a chance to try out the new games yet, there will be a demo version of Sword and Shield available to play at the store.
The Pokémon Company said that the move is a tribute to the UK's role in inspiring the design and feel of the Galar region, where the new games are set.
Galar is the second region to be based on a European country - the first being Kalos, which was based on France.
An interactive map of Galar released earlier this year, reveals a verdant land with lakes and rivers in the south, and snowy mountains and a big city in the north.
A railroad system connects the towns with an underground network, where some of the games' adventures will take place.
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will be released worldwide on November 15, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
