Pokemon HGSS Launch Celebration

From September 26 – 27, 2009, a celebration event was held at the Roppongi Hills Arena in Tokyo, Japan to celebrate the launch of the Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver video games. This event, along with September 2009 Challenge Hiroba events were the only source for a Meganium promo card.

Meganium (001/L-P Japanese Promo)

This card would have the upcoming SoulSilver Collection TCG expansion’s logo in its text box. Due to the limited time during which this card was distributed (only during September Challenge Hirobas or the launch event), it is more rare than the other two “text graphic” cards.

Feraligatr (002/L-P Japanese Promo)

Typhlosion (003/L-P Japanese Promo)

The Feraligatr was given out at Gym Challenge events held in September 2009, hosted by Official Gym stores across Japan. Gym Challenge would run multiple times during the month, and each store would get many copies of this promo to distribute to attendees. In contrast, Challenge Hirobas were held at far fewer shopping malls / hypermarkets once a month.

The Typhlosion was a magazine insert in the Pokémon Fan magazine (issue 9, published September 2009). Both of these cards had a larger distribution number than the Meganium.

Launch graphic from the Pokemon website for the event
Inflatable Pikachu for kids to enter
Costumed Pikachus at the event

The event itself was a casual promotional event, featuring multiple activities for attendees. There were multiple costumed staff members dressed up as characters from the game or as giant Pikachus.

Staff member dressed as Kurt on stage announcing the Slowpoke Rescue event
Rocket Battle entrance
Slowpoke sculpture that players had to “rescue” from Team Rocket

One of the main events was a “Slowpoke Rescue Rocket Battle”. A staff member dressed as Kurt (the Pokeball Smith from Azalea town in the HGSS games) would instruct attendees to go resuce Slowpoke from Team Rocket.

Players would then proceed to an area where they could battle Rocket members using their Nintendo DS games. Those who successfully completed this activity won a special sticker sheet.

Prize Sticker sheet for “rescuing” Slowpoke
Entrance to the TCG area showing the Meganium promo
Screen that players would stand in front of

At another area, there was a large promotional screen for the upcoming Pokemon TCG LEGEND sets. Participants would stand in front a large screen styled after a TCG playing area.

A random Pokemon card would appear on the screen. If it was a “prime” Pokemon card, the participant would get a special sticker sheet.

Prize sticker sheet for the “prime” Pokemon activity

All participants of this activity would also receive the Meganium promo card.

Meganium (001/L-P Japanese Promo)

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