The Pokémon World Championships kicked off on Thursday with a welcome video from star singer Ed Sheeran and his trusty Squirtle.
In the video, Sheeran acknowledges that trainers from around the world “have traveled very very far and wide” for the event and wishes them luck. He says Squirtle wishes them luck too, and wraps up with “Trainer Ed, out.”
Sheeran is a well-documented Pokémon fan, having once tweeted out his love for “Pokémon: Black.” He also collaborated with “Pokémon Go” last year with a special in-app concert performance, along with a special sunglasses-wearing Squirtle.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Pokémon World Championships have returned in person at the ExCel London exhibition center this year from Aug. 18-21. This is the first time the event is being held outside of North America. It summons the best players in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, main series video games and “Pokémon Unite” for competitive play.
A special top hat-wearing Pikachu was designed for the event, and London is also represented by a top hat-garbed Roserade. Pikachu mascots were out in the wild on the Thames River too. Even the cable cars have been decked out in Pokémon.
The tournament taking place in London this year is fitting given the most recent main series Pokémon games, “Pokémon: Sword and Shield,” were inspired by the U.K.
In other Pokémon related news, Pokémon cards are back at McDonald’s. The next main series Pokémon games, “Pokemon: Scarlet and Violet,” will be released on Nov. 18.
Feature Image via: The Pokémon Company
