Pokémon "Training League" US mall tour

[07.07.99] » Venture to one of 19 different malls across the United States to hone your Pokémon training skills and play a variety of upcoming Pokémon titles.

   Riding a seemingly endless wave of popularity, Nintendo announced early yesterday that a tour based on the Pokémon phenomenon will soon find its way 19 different malls across the United States. The "Pokémon League Summer Training Tour '99" will give young Pokémon fans a multitude of events in which to participate: one can battle against challengers in a variety of tournament rounds, negotiate trades with other aspiring Pokémon collectors, play Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Pinball, view demonstrations of Pokémon Yellow, trade and play against Pokémon card collectors, and pick up free Pokémon merchandise from the Pikachu Volkswagen Beetle.

   Pokémon trainers eager to show off their Pokémon in combat begin by selecting six of their Pokémon, revealing their choices to their opponent. The two combatants then secretly choose three of the six Pokémon and begin battling with link cables provided. Winners, depending on their subsequent successes, pick up one of three badges and can move on to battle Gym leaders for Pokémon trainer caps. The catch? One must be between 7 and 14 to participate -- older Pokémon strategists need not apply.

   The tour begins on July 10 at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From there, an East and a West tour will move through malls in 18 different cities -- Milwaukee, Chicago, Kansas City (MO), Salt Lake City, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Dallas, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Bethesda (MD), and New York/New Jersey. A full schedule, as well as full rules and regulations, are available here.

   "Up to now, Pokemon fans have honed their training skills to collect and trade their favorite Pokemon. The next phase is `battling' -- friendly competitions between Pokemon characters -- and the only way to ultimately master the game," explained Gail Tilden, Nintendo's vice president of product development and acquisition. "The Pokemon League Summer Training Tour is a unique opportunity for kids to share their passion and become true Pokemon experts through hands-on advice."