In what has to be my favourite soft launch announcement ever, the Pokémon Center online store is finally coming to Australia and New Zealand.
The Pokémon Company International announced the expansion of the Pokémon Center today, which offers official products including collectables, plushies, homewares, and the TCG. Apparently, the store will “soft launch soon,” before officially opening at a later date. So far, Australian and NZ Pokémon fans are greeted with an invite to sign up for more news when visiting the official website.
The Pokémon Center is currently available in the US, Canada, and the UK, with fans of the franchise relying on imported products or very nicely asking a travelling mate to bring them back goodies if they want in on the pretty expansive collection of equal parts adorable and cursed products on offer. Finally, you’ll be able to get the Big Gengar Bean Bag or stock up your kitchen with the good Pokémon plates for when guests come over. It’s also worth noting that generally each region seems to get their own exclusive products – what Aussies and NZ folk will be treated to if this trend continues remains to be seen.
In a statement, senior director of Pokémon Center and e-commerce at The Pokémon Company International said the company was “incredibly grateful to the community for their continuous support and love for Pokémon Center, allowing us to expand into additional regions and bring the joy of Pokémon to more Trainers around the world.”
For now, there won’t be any Aussie or NZ-based Pokémon Center physical stores popping up as this remains online-only, but a girl can dream of the day we might cop a store locally. For now, Pokémon fans will have to wait only a little longer before they can get their hands on premium official merch – please pray for our wallets.
Image: Pokémon Company International / Kotaku Australia
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