i went to the nintendo store on pokémon day and all i got was childlike wonder

i visited the nintendo store in nyc and nobody knew you there (not even pikachu)

it wasn’t a regular day at the nintendo nyc store. after all, it was pokémon day.

ever since i added pikachu meet & greet to my google calendar last week, i’ve been looking forward to this day. the event at nintendo nyc accompanies this morning’s company-wide reveal of the futuristic pokémon legends: z-a among other updates to pokémon go and trading cards.

after my extensive journey to the nintendo store, i learned my lesson: take off work, come early, and wear a mask. you’re competing with other nerds, parents with multiple children, and an odd, off-putting smell in the air.

my attempt to meet pikachu was met with disappointment when i learned that it was too late. i arrived at 5:49 p.m., and pikachu was only working an hour-long shift. luckily, i was in the vicinity of the line to meet the paldea starters: sprigatito, quaxly, and fuecoco. in pokémon violet, i chose sprigatito, the grass-type cat, even though i don’t frequently choose grass partners (except for my sweet baby angel chikorita).

if you haven’t been to the nintendo store in new york, it’s located near the rockefeller center in manhattan’s midtown neighborhood. the two-story building has a staircase wrapped around a flagpole that you’d spot at the end of a super mario game. and of course, mario is on the top.

on the bottom floor, you can find princess peach plushies, a limited selection of switch games, and mario-themed home goods. meanwhile, the top floor is home to a variety of animal crossing and kirby knick-knacks, pokémon squishmallows, and a display of every console created by nintendo.

today, it resembled what the store possibly looked like in its early days when it was the pokémon center. although i can’t miss something that i never experienced, i still do! just look at the photos that predate the nintendo nyc store!!!

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a line full of pokémon fans covered in gengar hats and snorlax shirts wrapped around the top floor as an employee announced over the intercom that the trio was ready for photos. the crowd roared. then they awwwww’d as quaxly literally waddled out of the hidden section of the store.

fuecoco and sprigatito followed their water-type companion, and photos immediately started. the trio was also only working an hour-long shift, which is probably best since they’re busy battling other pokémon in the paldea region.

the murmurs of the crowd became louder and louder, mostly filled with screaming children. i can’t blame them. in my mind, i was definitely feeling an emotion adjacent to screaming, but i’m an adult so i can’t really get away with wailing in public. while i was in line, i noticed that someone across from me had a sick collection of pokémon tattoos, and we shared a chikorita tattoo in the same place! in less than a minute, i got my photo with the trio, and of course, i leaned in closer to sprigatito. i like to play favorites!

over the last year, i’ve fully leaned into the vast pokémon community on the internet, reddit, my close circle of friends, and now, new york city. it’s so heartwarming to see little kids that still love pokémon. i will admit — i do wish that i could’ve experienced a visit to the pokémon center as a child with a miniature ash ketchum cap on, but today fulfilled something.

on my way out, i stopped to take a closer look at the post-it note prompt that greeted guests. the sign wrote, “what is your favorite partner pokémon?” you could see intricate drawings of bidoof, mudkip, togepi, piplup, and rowlet, and i was inspired to add my own sketch of chikorita.

today, i felt a bit closer to being a pokémon trainer than any game has ever gotten me, and it reminded me that it’s definitely time to pick up my copy of pokémon platinum.

hi readers! if you’re in the nyc area this evening, come join me at berry park with limousine readings as i read my work live for the *very first time* (!!!!!!????!!) more details here, and i’ll be publishing an extended version of the essay next month. see you hopefully tonight! xoxo