The Pokemon Company has announced that it will be opening the first Pokemon Centre Pop-up Store in Malaysia. This will be accompanied by an official Nintendo Pop-up Store opening right beside it. Both will be open from 12 September to the end of December, at the upcoming retail mall Ombak KLCC. As an aside, if you were wondering when that mall would be opening, you kind of do now.
For both pop-up stores, this would be the place to go to get not only merchandise of related properties, but also a few exclusives. The Pokemon Company has not shared what its exclusive merch will be, but its Nintendo counterpart has. This comes in the form of a T-shirt, with a print of Mario and Luigi at the top of two very tall pipes – fitting for its location.
The opening of the pop-up stores coincide with the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. As part of the celebrations, the company is also organising what it calls the PokéXiting! campaign across Asia, with Malaysia being the first location on the list. The PokéXiting! celebrations will take place on 12 – 13 September at the KLCC Park, with a drone show at night, and a special Pikachu for the event that will be joining a live stage show, as well as other performances.
Because all of this is happening in the park, admission is free, but be prepared to contend with the crowd. It’s probably worth mentioning that this special Pikachu will also be making appearances in Pokemon Go. And for the really hardcore fans, here’s the list of the other four PokéXiting! locations across Asia:
- Taipei October 10 – 11, 2026
- Singapore November 7 – 8, 2026
- Manila January 23 – 24, 2027
- Bangkok February 13 – 14, 2027
Finally, there’s the Pokemon RUN 30: Malaysia Edition. As the name suggests, this too is part of the 30th anniversary celebrations, even if it takes place on 21 – 22 November instead. There will be eight other RUN 30 events taking place throughout Asia, but the run itself will be pretty interactive, with activities at themed checkpoints throughout the course. Participants will also get a special runner’s kit, which includes a Uniqlo T-shirt, among other goodies.
A Sign Of A Potential Permanent Pokemon Centre
Just as The Gundam Base started in Malaysia as a pop-up before becoming a permanent fixture at Farenheit88, The Pokemon Company may be testing the local waters before committing. Though being the largest entertainment franchise in history, it could be one of two things. The first is that reception just blows through the threshold needed to justify a permanent Pokemon Centre, or said threshold is so astronomically high that we don’t make it despite the local fandom.
Using The Gundam Base as an example again, it took less than a year for Bandai to go from pop-up to permanent. The Pokemon Company is obviously not sharing such trajectory plans, but it’s one point of reference for now, if you must hold your breath for it.
