This past weekend, The Pokemon Company hosted the first-ever Pokemon XP fan convention alongside the 2026 World Championships. On one side of the Moscone Center, competitors faced off across the Pokemon TCG, Pokemon Unite, Pokemon Go, and Pokemon Champions. On the other side, Pokemon enthusiasts lined up to take part in a variety of exciting activities like Pokemon meet-and-greets, artist workshops, the Pokemon museum, and more. In all, the convention was a three-day celebration of all things Pokemon, slotted in alongside the annual apex of the competition season. And in true form, attending Pokemon XP both reminded me why I love Pokemon and why I want better for the community.
Pokemon XP itself was a paid, ticketed event. Participants had to luck out via a lottery system to even secure a pass. I was lucky enough to be invited along by The Pokemon Company to experience an early preview and attend the convention itself. From the early arrival through the event itself, I spent a week in San Francisco, surrounded by fellow Pokemon fans. Overall, it was an absolutely amazing experience. Pokemon really went all out with the decor and details, with a truly impressive lineup of activities and surprises in store. I’m still emotionally processing the fact that Ed Sheeran performed at the end of the 2026 World Championship closing ceremonies. But along with the highlights, of which there were many, I couldn’t help but notice the downsides of Pokemon fandom, too. Here’s what attending the very first Pokemon XP was like, and why I would 1000% do it again even with the negatives.
I may not enjoy big crowds, but I have to admit, roaming the convention floor during Pokemon XP quickly became my favorite part of the event. It was easy to tell that Moscone was hosting a Pokemon event even before you stepped onto Rayquaza Road (the main entry area). The streets nearby were lined with fans sporting their best Pokemon merch. Many, myself included, had Pokemon plush keychains on full display. The variety of plush on people’s bags and in the Pokemon Center really drove home that old saying, “every Pokemon is someone’s favorite.” I loved spotting all the different Pokemon that people brought along and having all the little random conversations about our shared faves.
The Pokemon Company also had an impressive lineup of costumed characters, including a Lapras that stole the show with its adorably slow entrances and exits. I got to meet Snorlax, take a photo with giant LEGO renditions of the Kanto starters, and see the enthusiasm of Pokemon fans meeting these characters IRL for the first time. Everywhere you turned, you could see someone just taking sheer joy in this thing we all love, and it was genuinely heartwarming.
The convention floor was also a good reminder of just how expansive Pokemon has become. Fans of all ages got to geek out about something, with every ongoing Pokemon game represented. There was an IRL PokeStop for Pokemon Go fans to spin and a trading board to help complete your collection in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Even my beloved, highly underrated Pokemon Sleep had a booth with the opportunity to take your photo with Snorlax.
Along with the main floor experiences, Pokemon XP also hosted several workshops. These were interest list-based, so only those who got selected were able to partake. But if you did manage to secure a spot, you could learn how to make Eeveelution ears with a cosplay expert, craft a clay Pichu with Aardman, get a signed poster from iconic Pokemon TCG artists, and more. And of course, the very popular Pin Rally returned, to unfortunately mixed results. Everywhere you turned, there was a reminder that Pokemon is for everyone… and yet, at the same time, not everyone always gets to engage as they might like.
As much fun as I had during Pokemon XP, it was hard to ignore the overall sense of FOMO at the event. Of course, some people didn’t even get picked for event badges in the first place. With the sheer amount of interest in the event, The Pokemon Company opted to do a lottery system rather than risk system crashes with a first-come, first-served model. Even an event space as big as the Moscone Center can only host so many people, after all. But those who were able to attend didn’t always have the exact experience they hoped for, either.
From day one, it was clear that getting into the Pokemon Center would be quite a task. Shopping the Pokemon Center required an appointment, and not everyone was able to secure one before the list filled. On top of that, appointments quickly ran behind schedule, as the sheer number of attendees created an impressive line that you could see from blocks away. The on-site Pokemon Center was massive and packed with exclusive Pokemon XP and Pokemon Worlds merch. That made it a popular target for true fans and scalpers alike. It didn’t take long for resellers to line up near the Pokemon Center entrance, trying to pawn newly purchased items on fans for higher prices. It was an unfortunate reminder that scalping remains one of the biggest issues in the Pokemon community, making it harder for fans to actually enjoy merch and Pokemon cards that get snatched up by resellers.
The Pokemon Center wasn’t the only long line, either. The Pin Rally quickly became absolute chaos, with lines for popular characters like Umbreon taking up entire segments of the convention floor. And unfortunately, not everyone was patient or courteous while waiting. Soon enough, the final day of the Pin Rally was cancelled due to unruly participants causing too many issues. While real fan enthusiasm was almost certainly involved, it’s safe to say that reselling almost certainly played a role in the chaos. After all, full sets of 2026 Pokemon World Championships pins are already up on resale sites. However, that meant that plenty of people with Sunday day passes didn’t even get a chance to partake in the popular Pin Rally event.
Though the event was overall well organized, it did at times feel almost too big to manage. Lines moved relatively quickly for the most part, but pretty much every activity had a long line involved. I personally skipped quite a few things because the lines were longer than the time I had between planned sessions. Even if I didn’t have a pre-planned schedule, it’s safe to say I probably wouldn’t have been able to do everything I wanted. Fans had to pick and choose what they were able to participate in, and some things didn’t quite go to plan. But despite it all, the overall vibes were positive and full of the close-knit community and sheer enthusiasm for Pokemon I’ve loved since I was a kid.
Would I attend another Pokemon XP event if The Pokemon Company hosts it again? Absolutely. I do think there’s a good bit to learn before another convention like this one, and some snags to iron out. But even with the long lines and the unfortunate reminder of scalper prevalence, nothing quite beats meeting your favorite Pokemon, and a ton of fellow Pokemon fans, in real life.
