1. Bringing The Virtual Pokémon Fan Club to Life

 

"All Pokémon fans welcome!" 

 

First appearing in the 1996 video games Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green (released as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue outside Japan), the Pokémon Fan Club* has always been a welcoming community for all who love Pokémon.

*Pokémon Fan Club is in-game virtual community, and the Pokémon Daisuki Club is the real world community

In 2004, eight years after its in-game debut, the official "Pokémon Daisuki Club" (literally "I love Pokémon” Club) was brought to real life, taking its name from the in-game community.

 

At launch, it was a website where users could earn points by purchasing Pokémon merchandise. But it quickly grew into something bigger, and by the end of that year, it had evolved into a members-only fan community where children could enjoy the world of Pokémon together.

 

△The Pokémon Daisuki Club homepage after its revamp as a fan community site 

 

One staff member recalls, "We wanted to bring joy to young fans by allowing them to experience something from the games in real life." 

 

The first half of the 2000s saw the internet's growing presence in homes, and by 2006, more children were using their parents' computers for entertainment. The Daisuki Club embraced this new era, growing into an online community from the very beginning.

 

At its peak, Daisuki Club reached over 3 million members and offered numerous activities for young fans, including original mini-games and collaborations with the Pokémon video games. 

 

2. A Place for Pokémon Fans to Connect 

 

The Daisuki Club established itself as a go-to information hub for young Pokémon fans. The team members at the time were dedicated to create projects that linked the virtual and real worlds.

 

One such standout event was the "Summer Vacation Challenge," a limited-time online event where children on summer vacation could compete in mini-games to win prizes.

 

 

With real-time leaderboards and a simple chat function, the Summer Vacation Challenge actively encouraged communication between members. 

 

One staff member reflects, "It may seem commonplace now, but social networks and chat apps were far from widespread 20 years ago. Creating opportunities for online interaction was quite challenging back then."

 

And it wasn't only about online fun. The Daisuki Club was equally committed to creating real-world experiences. 

 

One of the most memorable event was "When You Wish Upon a Jirachi," a special Tanabata (Star Festival) where members could submit their wishes, with a lucky few being granted by staff and Pokémon who came to visit them in person.

 

△A special event where Jirachi, the Wish Pokémon (upper left), granted children's wishes

 

The club also hosted events for members, such as the in-person gathering, "Pokémon Festa," and even visited members across Japan, which made the online community interactive on a deeper level.

 

3. From Members-Only Club to Open Website

 

As technology evolved and smartphones became a part of daily life, the Daisuki Club underwent a major transformation. In 2012, it discontinued the closed-membership system and relaunched its website as a place for everyone to enjoy.

 

△A new side-scrolling, magazine-style design optimized for mobile devices marked the shift to a platform open to all fans

 

The club's concept was reimagined, transforming it into a platform dedicated to showcasing the unique appeal of each and every Pokémonin 2014.

 

4. New Possibilities Through Regional Partnership

 

That vision led to the creation of Pokémon Local Acts, a project dedicated to celebrating both Pokémon and regional culture across Japan and beyond.

 

This project aimed to promote Japanese regions both domestically and internationally through Pokémon. Local Acts started to work closely with municipalities to create events and activities that highlighted regional attractions.

 

The collaboration between Slowpoke and Kagawa Prefecture served as the inspiration for this initiative.

 

The idea first sparked with a play on words using the similarity between "udon" (a type of noodle) and "Yadon" (Slowpoke's Japanese name). The clever coincidence inspired a collaboration with Kagawa Prefecture and led to an April Fool's Day newspaper article with the headline, "Beware, 800 Slowpoke on the loose!".

 

 

The initiative forged a lasting connection between Slowpoke and Kagawa Prefecture. In 2018, that connection grew into "Slowpoke Paradise in Kagawa," a collaboration linked to the Daisuki Club’s special "Slowpoke Paradise" website launched in 2014. Slowpoke was even appointed to Team Udon-ken PR in December of that year.

 

△A special webpage dedicated to Slowpoke, where users could enjoy original songs, comics, and mini-games

 

A team member involved in the project reflects, "The success of the Slowpoke and Kagawa Prefecture partnership has revealed how well Pokémon and regional culture can complement each other."

 

From that playful beginning came two key ideas: celebrating each Pokémon's charm and bringing excitement to local communities. Together, they became the foundation of Local Acts.

 

5. A New Chapter Built on the Daisuki Club Legacy 

 

Building on the Daisuki Club's legacy, Local Acts gradually expanded to other regions. Today, activities are held in 12 prefectures across Japan: Hokkaido, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Fukui, Mie, Tottori, Kagawa, Kochi, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, and Okinawa.

 

 

"The Daisuki Club's launch in 2004 was a defining moment for us," says one staff member. "We hope it will continue to serve as a bridge that connects Pokémon with fans, no matter how the times may change."

 

From its beginnings as a fan community to its current evolution as a bridge connecting and celebrating Pokémon with local regions, the Daisuki Club will continue to draw on its history, bringing the fun and love of Pokémon into the real world for years to come.