Pokémon in Singapore

The Pokémon franchise debuted in the around 1998.
The official distributor of Nintendo products such as the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the video games is Maxsoft Pte. Ltd., while the licensed distributor for the Pokémon manga is Shogakukan Asia, a publishing company based in Singapore.
==Pokémon video games==
All internationally released core series have been available in Singapore since 1998, the first being . These games were usually available within a few weeks after its US release, but with growing popularity over the years, recent games like , and have been made available immediately on its US release date. From Generation V onwards, launch event tournaments have taken place to celebrate the US release of (March 6, 2011), Pokémon Black and White Versions 2 (October 7, 2012), Pokémon X and Y (October 12, 2013), and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (November 21, 2014). Additionally, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is the first Pokémon game officially realized for Singaporean release. 
Japanese versions of the games were also made available on the date of its Japanese release to cater to some of the players in Singapore. This included Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokémon Black and White, and Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Spin-off Pokémon games like Pokémon Conquest were also made available.
There were also numerous event Pokémon distributed in Singapore, the first being the , which was given out between May 11 to 20, 2012 as part of the Pika Pika Carnival held at Isetan Scotts. More event Pokémon were subsequently distributed by Maxsoft Pte. Ltd., which included the , given out via a serial code redemption between January 24 and March 31, 2014, and the given out during the Pokémon Day celebrations on October 24, 2014.
In 2015, the were given via numerous serial code distributions between May and July. From August 21, the were given out via serial codes at various stores in Singapore. In the following year, the Mew, Darkrai, and Genesect from the twentieth anniversary celebration were also given out via serial codes in various stores and from the Maxsoft Facebook page. During the periods of the Pokémon Café in Singapore, the serial codes were distributed to patrons who eat at the café. Players could also get the serial codes at select movie theaters showing Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel. The serial codes to receive the for were distributed at various stores in Singapore.
From late 2016 onwards, Pokémon Tretta machines were available in various locations in Singapore in English.https://www.facebook.com/PurplePlan/posts/1275668812504477https://www.facebook.com/virtualand.sg/posts/657192771094613:0 It ceased operation in Q4 2021.https://www.facebook.com/pokemontrettasg/photos/1329235497474523
http://world.pokemontretta.com/sg/the-notice-of-the-end-of-the-pokemon-tretta-operation-2/
On November 18, 2021, Pokémon Ga-Olé was launched in English in various locations in Singapore.https://world.pokemongaole.com/sg/information/article/12750
That same year, Convergent Systems became an official distributor of Nintendo, providing customer support for hardware, and promoting software and hardware sales in tandem with Maxsoft.Nintendo Gets A New Official Distributor For Singapore With Convergent Systems, So What’s Changed? Maxsoft continues to be the sole official distributor of physical Pokémon TCG products.
===Elite Four Tournaments===
Since 2010, tournaments have been conducted in June to determine the top four players within the video games community in Singapore. These tournaments, also known as Elite Four tournaments, are usually conducted in a competitive setting, with rulings following closely to those of the Video Game Championships of that year. The top four players would have the honor of being dubbed the "Elite Four" of Singapore, and will preserve the title until the next Elite Four tournament.
In December 2010 and 2011, the "Elite Four Challenges" were conducted, an event culminating in a competitive tournament in which the selection process involves playing against the Elite Fours. The Elite Fours took on special roles in the event where participants would have to defeat them in order to qualify for the tournament. This was done in a slightly easier and more casual setting, where the Elite Fours took on some form of handicap. The Elite Fours would preserve their title at the end of the tournament, regardless of its outcome.
The Elite Four tournament of 2012 took place on June 17, 2012 at Funan DigitaLife Mall, Singapore. There was no Elite Four tournament held in the year 2013. In 2014, the "2014 Elite Four Challenge" took place on June 27–29, at the Institute of Technical Education (College Central), Singapore as part of the Campus Game Fest 2014.
===Pokémon titles officially released in Southeast Asia===
Sword EN boxart.png|
Shield EN boxart.png|
Brilliant Diamond EN boxart.png|
Shining Pearl EN boxart.png|
Scarlet EN boxart.png|
Violet EN boxart.png|
MD Rescue Team DX EN boxart.png|Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
New Pokémon Snap EN boxart.png|New Pokémon Snap
Legends Arceus EN boxart.png|Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Detective Pikachu Returns EN Boxart.jpg|Detective Pikachu Returns
===Pokémon titles officially released in Singapore===
Omega Ruby AB boxart.png|
Alpha Sapphire AB boxart.png|
Super Mystery Dungeon AB boxart.png|Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
Rumble World US boxart.png|Pokémon Rumble World
Sun EN boxart.png|
Moon EN boxart.png|
Ultra Sun EN boxart.png|
Ultra Moon EN boxart.png|
Detective Pikachu EN Boxart.png|Detective Pikachu
PTDX box art.png|Pokkén Tournament DX
Lets Go Pikachu EN boxart.png|Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
Lets Go Eevee EN boxart.png|Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!
===Pokémon titles reprinted for official release in Singapore (2014 - 2016)===
Diamond EN boxart.jpg| 
Pearl EN boxart.jpg|
Platinum EN boxart.png|
Black EN boxart.png|
White EN boxart.png|
Black 2 EN boxart.png|
White 2 EN boxart.png|
MD GTI EN boxart.png|
X EN boxart.png|
Y EN boxart.png|
==Pokémon animation==
The English dub of the was first aired in Singapore on 's every Saturday at 10.30 AM, beginning with the first episode of the series, Pokémon - I Choose You!. It aired at that timeslot for several years before moving to 11 AM, and finally to the 10 AM timeslot which is still used today.
On October 20, 2008, central was replaced by , but the broadcast timeslot remained the same. At that time, Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl was being aired. Notably, there were also brief periods of time when previously-aired episodes of the series were being broadcast in an evening timeslot. On January 1, 2011, Dressed for Jess Success! was aired.
On November 19, 2011, Pokémon the Series: Black & White debuted on okto at the same 10 AM timeslot, with the first episode being aired, In The Shadow of Zekrom!. Starting on June 4, 2016, Pokémon Black and White airs on Disney XD.Disney XD TV Schedule
Pokémon the Series: XYZ debuted on okto on October 29, 2016.OKTO TV Listing on Toggle
Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel and I Choose You! were shown at Golden Village theaters starting on November 24, 2016 and November 23, 2017, respectively. They were aired in English with Simplified Chinese subtitles.https://www.gv.com.sg/GVMovieDetails#/movie/0304https://www.gv.com.sg/GVMovieDetails#/movie/6170
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon debuted on okto on February 17, 2018.okto TV Guide
The Power of Us was shown in cinemas starting on November 15, 2018, with two early screenings for GV Movie Club members on November 12, 2018. They were shown with both English and Japanese audio and English and Simplified Chinese subtitles.https://www.facebook.com/avex.asia/videos/169265120643344/https://www.gv.com.sg/GVMovieDetails?#/movie/0569
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures debuted on okto on December 22, 2018.okto TV Guide On May 1, 2019, okto was merged into as a programming block rather than as a separate channel.Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto - CNA Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Legends debuted on Channel 5 on May 2, 2020.Episode 1: Pokémon - I Choose You!
In , , and Singapore, two episodes of Pokémon: Indigo League were uploaded daily to the official YouTube channel for a limited time starting April 17, 2020. This was part of a "Home Fun for Pokémon Fans" campaign due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series debuted on Netflix on November 21, 2020.https://www.instagram.com/p/CGrXLj3lgnk/ In Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series were uploaded to the official Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel beginning with the first four episodes on February 19, 2021.https://www.facebook.com/Pokemon.official.Singapore/posts/2835572766769634 Pokémon Journeys: The Series aired on Channel 5 from October 30, 2021 to October 1, 2022. Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series aired on Channel 5 from October 8, 2022 to July 29, 2023. Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series aired on Channel 5 on August 5, 2023 to August 17, 2024.
The first episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series was uploaded to Pokémon Asia ENG on March 8, 2024 and new episodes were thereafter released every Friday. It will debut on Channel 5 starting September 7, 2024, 3 weeks after Ultimate Journeys ended on August 17.
===Music===
As Singapore airs the English dub, all music is generally left unchanged from the English dub as aired in the United States. However, for the twentieth movie, I Choose You!, the was replaced with Future by singer . For , the opening theme Becoming Me used for international releases was replaced by We Go (English Ver.), which is also used for other Asian releases.
==Pokémon Trading Card Game==
Since the introduction of the , cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game were sold in Singapore. The cards are usually in English. In April 2011, the expansion set was made available.
===Southeast Asia Regional Championships===
On December 1 and 2, 2012, Singapore hosted the first ever Southeast Asian Regional Championships (Autumn) for the Trading Card Game.2012 Autumn Southeast Asian Regional Championships The event took place at Pasir Ris Elias Community Centre, Singapore, and hosted players from Singapore, Malaysia, , and Hong Kong.
The second Southeast Asian Regional Championships (Spring) took place at on March 16 and 17, 2013.2013 Spring Southeast Asian Regional Championships
==Pokémon manga==
Pokémon manga have been available in English translated by Chuang Yi, a company which was based in Singapore. Chuang Yi translated many different Pokémon titles, including the popular Pokémon Adventures series (the best-selling children's manga of all time in Singapore), Pokémon Pocket Monsters, Magical Pokémon Journey and Phantom Thief Pokémon 7, among others. Chuang Yi's publications of Pokémon manga are well known by English-speaking fans worldwide, as they translated several series which were not licensed by VIZ Media, as well as their continuing publication of Pokémon Adventures. In early 2014 the company entered voluntary liquidation and ended their manga publishing business.
As of July 2014, publisher Shogakukan Asia, a Singaporean subsidiary of Japanese publisher Shogakukan, has continued where Chuang Yi left off.
==Pokémon merchandise==
===Pokémon toys===
 in Singapore occasionally gives out Pokémon toys as part of their Happy Meal promotion. The Happy Meals were first accompanied by one of eight different toys in March 2011; , , , , , and Pikachu later in April 2012, and finally Pikachu, Oshawott, Zekrom, Reshiram, , and in January 2013. In mid-2014, 8 new toys were available with the purchase of McDonald's Happy Meal.
McDonalds SG promotion March 2011.jpg|McDonald's Happy Meal promotion for March 2011
McDonalds SG promotion April 2012.jpg|McDonald's Happy Meal promotion for April 2012
McDonalds SG promotion January 2013.jpg|McDonalds's Happy Meal promotion for January 2013
===Pokémon Center merchandise===
In March 2013, Maxsoft collaborated with The Pokémon Company and stocked shelves of local retailers such as "Comics Connection" and "This & That" with goods and merchandise direct from Pokémon Centers in Japan.Maxsoft, locations currently selling Pokémon Center merchandise These include small and large plush toys, Pokémon mascot dolls, A4-sized clear folders and goods from the video game Pokémon Conquest.Maxsoft, List of Pokémon Center merchandise sold in March 2013
As of June 2014, local retailers such as "Comics Connection" and "Funz Center" continually restock their shelves with Pokémon Center merchandise. In 2015, Maxsoft established an online store with Rakuten to distribute Pokémon Center merchandise to the local community.
===Pokémon Center Singapore===
In October 2018, it was announced that a Pokémon Center will be established in Singapore's .Close to 90 percent of Jewel Changi Airport’s retail space leased to date with unique experiential retail conceptshttps://nintendosoup.com/report-pokemon-company-to-fully-own-and-operate-pokemon-center-singapore/ It is the first Pokémon Center store to operate outside of Japan and opened in April 2019.
==Community==
===Team Robo===
Team Robo is an official Play! Pokémon organization, a group of people dedicated to promoting Pokémon in Singapore and organizing Leagues and Tournaments for the Trading Card Game. They oversee nine "Pokémon Gyms" spread across Singapore, which are gathering places where Pokémon fans can interact with each other or participate in local tournaments. These "Gyms" are usually managed by a Pokémon Professor, and a person known as a "Gym Leader".
==== The Trainer Shed====
The Trainer Shed, formerly known as Team Robo Video Games and The Mirage Island, is the local community founded on the competitive aspect of the Pokémon video games. It was established as part of Team Robo in December 2010 and has been growing ever since. The community organizes regular meetups and small-scale tournaments for its players to interact and to develop their skills in competitive battling.
In 2013, players from the then Team Robo Video Games represented Singapore in the 2013 World Championships Last Chance Qualifiers in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Veteran player Low Wai Yin was the first Singaporean to qualify through the Last Chance Qualifiers and went on to represent Singapore in the 2013 Pokémon Video Game World Championships.IGN article, Singapore plants flag at Pokémon World Championships
In August 2014, 8 Singaporean players participated in the 2014 World Championships Last Chance Qualifiers in Washington, D.C., United States. Senior Division player Poh Yu Jie qualified for the 2014 Pokémon Video Game World Championships via the Last Chance Qualifiers and made it to the 18th place in his division.
In February 2015, Team Robo Video Games was renamed The Mirage Island.
In April 2022, The Mirage Island has rebranded as The Trainer Shed.
====Pokémon Singapore====
Pokémon Singapore is a discord community created on 25 December 2016. Their aim is to provide an environment for Pokémon players in Singapore to play and enjoy the game together while providing a platform to allow live chat for easy communication.
In February 2018, Pokémon Singapore started their facebook page.
==Events==
In Singapore, large-scaled Pokémon-themed events are usually held in June and December as it coincides with the school holidays. The events are usually held at shopping malls and are closely associated with important Pokémon events like the World Championships. The events are usually organized by Team Robo and Maxsoft Pte. Ltd., although there have been events like the Pika Pika Carnival which is jointly organised with The Pokémon Company.
===History of major events===
====2010====
The first large-scaled event held in Singapore was the Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver TCG Tournament, held on March 2010 at . The event was primarily aimed at TCG players.
Following that, in June 2010, an event was held at which expanded its target audience to general Pokémon fans in Singapore. The event incorporated the Pokémon TCG National Championship 2010, the first-ever Elite 4 challenge in Singapore, and a digital art contest.
From mid-November to December 2010, Team Robo organized a Christmas-themed event at . The event incorporated many small events together such as mini-games, workshops, stage shows, as well as tournaments such as the Pokémon TCG City Championship SG 2010 and the Pokémon NDS Video Game Christmas Bash. The video game challenge, dubbed the "Battle Mall Challenge", incorporated features of the in-game Elite Four as well as Battle Frontier facilities. Challengers had to defeat four Trainers in a row, each stationed on every floor, in order to be able to challenge the Battle Mall Captain. Players would have to restart if they lost to any of the four Trainers. If the player managed to defeat the Battle Mall Captain, it would entitle them to participate in a tournament (Boxing Day Challenge) held on December 26, 2010. The top three players of the tournament would be able to win a coupon to be exchanged for a copy of the on the day of release.Pokémon Christmas Bash Event Report @ Team Robo Forum
====2011====
On March 6, 2011, the date of the US English release of the , a launch event-cum-tournament took place at . Participants of the tournament had to form a team while playing through 3 hours of a new game, and then battle each other in a tournament with their team. Matches were conducted via Wonder Launcher Triple Battles. The overall winner of the tournament would walk away with a new copy of Pokémon Black or Pokémon White, and a companion guidebook for the game.Pokémon Black and White versions Launch Event & Tournament information and details
From June 13 to June 19, 2011, an event took place at which comprises the Pokémon TCG National Championships 2011 and the Pokémon Black & White Video Game Elite 4 Tournament. The video game tournament used the rules of the 2011 Video Game Championships, and each day, players competed in several swiss rounds to become the top 3 finalists for that day. All the finalists then competed on June 19, 2011 to determine the top four players who would be crowned the "Elite Four" of Singapore. The overall winner won a Nintendo 3DS.
Between November 19 and December 31, 2011, an Pokémon-themed Christmas event was held at . In conjunction with the mall's theme of being eco-friendly, there were craft workshops and stage shows for children which promoted the benefits of reducing, reusing and recycling. There were also tournaments that took place during the event, such as the Pokémon TCG City Championships 2011 for TCG players, and well as the Pokémon Nintendo DS Challenge for video game players, where the top three winners walked away with a new copy of Pokémon Rumble Blast.
====2012====
From May 11 to 20, 2012, the "Pika Pika Carnival", an event co-organised by Maxsoft and The Pokémon Company, was held at Isetan Scotts. The carnival featured merchandise from the Pokémon Centre, a motion sensor game, mini-games, and a photo taking session with a Pikachu mascot. An event Pikachu was also distributed during the event which holds a Light Ball, and knows the moves , , and . This event marked the first time an event Pokémon was distributed in Singapore.
On June 16 and 17, 2012, the Pokémon TCG National Championships 2012 and the Video Game Elite Four Competition was held at Funan DigitaLife Mall, Singapore. The event was jointly organised by Maxsoft and Team Robo, and was the third time an Elite Four tournament was held in Singapore. The rulings for the Elite Four tournament follows the 2012 Video Game Championships.
On October 6, 2012, the first inter-country video game tournament in Southeast Asia took place between Singapore and .Announcement on the Philippines Pokémon Community webpageResults for the Singapore-Philippines inter-country video game tournament The event was coordinated between the two heads of the respective video games community and battles were conducted in the Wi-Fi room.
On October 7, 2012, the day of the US English release of the Pokémon Black and White Versions 2, a launch event-cum-tournament took place Funan Digitalife Mall, Singapore. The event was the same as the launch event tournament held for Pokémon Black and White on March 6, 2011, the only difference being the versions used for the tournament.
On December 1 and 2, 2012, Singapore hosted the Southeast Asian Regional Championships for the Trading Card Game, together with a video game tournament and a variety of side events. The Regional Championships featured players from Singapore, Malaysia, , and Hong Kong, and was the first time a regional tournament was held in Southeast Asia. On the second day of the event, a video game tournament was held which only allowed the Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 video games. The rules are similar to the rulings of the upcoming 2013 Video Game Championships. The event also featured PokéPark 2 on the Wii, a series of video game side events, and a seminar on competitive play by Eugene Tan, the first-place winner of the 2012 Elite Four Tournament.Maxsoft's events page
====2013====
From December 27 to 29, 2013, Team Robo Video Games organized a Pokémon XY video game event at the Gaming Entertainment E-sports Exhibition (GE3) held at Downtown East, Singapore. The main attraction was the Pokémon XY Double Battle Championships, a competitive video game tournament which took place on December 28, 2013. There were also side events which included a Battle Factory-like event for newer players, some mini-tournaments, as well as a challenge to take on veteran players who played for Singapore in the 2013 Pokémon World Championships.Article on the Pokémon XY Double Battle Championships at GE3
====2014====
On June 27 to 29, 2014, the "2014 Elite Four Challenge", another Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video game tournament, was held at the Institute of Technical Education (College Central), Singapore as part of the Campus Game Fest 2014. The event is jointly organized by Team Robo Video Games and the Singapore Cybersports & Online Gaming Association.Campus Game Fest 2014, Community Feature: Team Robo Video Games The tournament consisted of two days of qualifiers and culminated in a single elimination tournament held on the third day which determined the "Elite Four" of Singapore, and the winner of the tournament. The top second to the fourth player of the tournament walked away with a coupon for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The first-place winner also won a coupon for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. These coupons will be redeemable at a local retailer on their respective dates of release.Campus Game Fest 2014, Information for Competitors The rulings for the Elite Four tournament follows the 2014 Video Game Championships.Campus Game Fest 2014, Rulings of the 2014 Elite Four Challenge
On October 24, 2014, Pokémon Day was held in Singapore for the first time. Up to 3,000 Shiny were distributed at the event via serial codes, each holding a Gengarite. In addition, free giveaway merchandise were distributed while supplies lasted and special merchandise were purchasable at the event as well.
====2016====
In May 2016, a Pokémon Café opened in Singapore. It was a 60-seat pop-up café that had a Pokémon themed interior and menu.The Straits Times — 5-hour queue on opening day of Singapore's first Pokemon cafe at Bugis Junction
From October 22, 2016 to March 5, 2017, a Pokémon Research Expedition at Resorts World Sentosa was held. This also marks the event's first time outside of Japan. Participants would choose from three difficulties based on Poké Balls: meant easy, Great Ball meant medium, and Ultra Ball meant hard. Then, the participants would use four out of eight types of machines to deduce the Pokémon in their Poké Ball.Channel NewsAsia — Sneak preview of Pokemon Research Exhibition in Singapore
The Pokémon Café debuted a second time in November 24, 2016 to a -themed interior and menu.The Straits Times — Pokemon Cafe returns to Singapore at Bugis JunctionChannel NewsAsia — First look at Pokemon Cafe's second run in Singapore
====2017====
On January 14, 2017, Pokémon Run, Southeast Asia's first-ever Pokémon themed run, took place at the in Singapore. Nearly 6000 people showed up and participated in a 5 km fun run with various Pokémon-themed activities located along the route. Game Freak Director Junichi Masuda was also present as a guest-of-honor during the event and children were given the opportunity to interact with him.Channel NewsAsia — Pokemon-themed fun run draws almost 6,000 (archived from the original January 27, 2018)
In June 2017, publisher Shogakukan Asia announced that a Pokémon Day will be held on June 23, 2017 in partnership with the local anime distributor Avex Asia Pte. Ltd.. Participants would be able to meet-and-greet a Pikachu mascot and may be able to receive various merchandise as part of a giveaway.Shogakukan Asia — Pokémon Day on June 23 at Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore
====2018====
On January 27, 2018, Pokémon Run once again took place at the Marina Bay in Singapore. Inflatable obstacles were added to the run. In addition, there is a Pokémon Carnival area, in which attendees can participate in other activities, such as making fuse bead art, taking photos, and watching a Pikachu parade. Attendees also had the opportunity to play Pokémon Tretta and received a Trophy Tretta.Pokémon Tretta - Get a Heracross chip at Pokémon Run Carnival 2018 SG!
From March 10 to 18, 2018, The Pokémon Company collaborated with the Jurong Police Division to launch a crime prevention campaign at Jurong Point Shopping Centre. Commander of Jurong Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Koh Wei Keong and Susumu Fukunaga, Corporate Officer of The Pokémon Company, were present at the event. According to Koh Wei Keong, "This is the first time the Singapore Police Force is collaborating with The Pokémon Company on crime prevention. With the appeal of the Pokémon characters, we hope to be able to reach out to more members of the public on crime prevention. We certainly look forward to more opportunities like this in the future. Through this campaign, we hope the public will have a greater awareness not to take dimly lit shortcuts, not to buy counterfeits goods and not to use their mobile devices while driving."Singapore Police Force – Pokémon Joint Crime Prevention Campaign 2018
==External links==
*The Pokémon Company official site (Singapore)
**Pokémon Singapore on Facebook
**Pokémon Singapore on YouTube
*Pokémon Trading Card Game Trainers Website - Singapore
*The Pokémon Company International mini-site
*Nintendo's official website in Singapore
**Nintendo SEA on Facebook
**Nintendo SEA on YouTube
*Chuang Yi's official website in the Internet Archive
*Shogakukan Asia's official website
*Maxsoft Pte. Ltd.'s Pokémon TCG page
*Team Robo's official website
==References==
==Related articles==