Pokémon turned 30 with a laser-lit EDM night at LA's Intuit Dome. Here's what happened, from a neon Pikachu to a Groudon–Kyogre showdown, and what London gets next.
Somewhere in Los Angeles on Saturday night, thousands of people watched Groudon and Kyogre trade a hyper beam and a hydro pump across a split screen, and they lost their minds. That was Pokémon Night Out, the franchise’s 30th-anniversary party, and it was an EDM concert in a very literal sense: lasers, pyrotechnics, a giant video wall, and Marshmello in the middle of it all.
The show took over the Intuit Dome on 24 October with Alison Wonderland opening and Marshmello headlining. It was livestreamed for anyone who couldn’t make it, and a second date is booked at London’s O2 Arena on 10 November.
Why a rave, though?
Fair question. Pokémon is colourful and family-friendly, and EDM is loud. Narbeh Minasians, senior director of brand communications and digital marketing at The Pokémon Company International, sees a link anyway. Ravers live by four principles, he said: “peace, love, unity and respect. PLUR. That notion is so aligned with the values of Pokémon in so many ways.”
He also called it new territory: “We’ve never done anything like this before. This is brand new for us.” In 30 years, Pokémon had never staged a concert on this scale.
Alison Wonderland sets the tone
Alison Wonderland opened with a countdown of nearly every Pokémon, which is no small task given there are more than 1,000 of them. She played in front of a wall of video-game creatures and went straight for the nostalgia gland with a remix of the TV show’s theme song.
Then Pikachu walked out. This one was covered in neon, with glowing glasses and ears that changed colour along with the music. If you have ever wanted to see the world’s most famous electric mouse at a festival, that’s your answer.
The standout of her set, though, was a remix of the Lavender Town theme. If you played the original games, you know the one: the eerie, ghost-filled tune that has been creeping out trainers for decades. Footage from the pixelated Pokémon Red and Blue ran on screen while a haunting beat did the rest. Spooky never sounded so danceable.
Marshmello brings the battles
Marshmello’s booth looked as if it was floating in the middle of the video wall, with Pokémon-themed visuals swirling around him. The creatures were smoothly animated and looked pulled from the latest games. They flew, danced and fought right beside the masked DJ while lasers criss-crossed the arena.
The set ran in short vignettes. A sleek Corviknight soared over a city. Punk-inspired Toxtricity jammed on projected scaffolding while “Come & Go,” Marshmello’s track with Juice Wrld, played. Then the wall froze over, mist drifted above it and snowflakes fell from the ceiling. Lucario and Greninja burst through the ice and fought on the broken blocks.
A haunted castle crumbled around a floating Gengar. After that, Eevee, Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur frolicked in tall grass, a palate cleanser if ever there was one.
The biggest moment belonged to the Ruby and Sapphire legendaries. The screen split between erupting volcanoes and crashing tsunami waves as Groudon and Kyogre went at each other. For a beat, everything dropped to black-and-white to crank up the drama. The crowd, by Variety’s account, completely lost it.
Mewtwo closed things out. The original psychic powerhouse loomed over the arena and telekinetically lifted rocks, plus a tiny animated Marshmello. The DJ finished with “Happier” while a montage of Pokémon danced on screen.
The crowd, and what’s next
The audience came dressed for it. Cosplayers filled the Intuit Dome as their favourite Pokémon and as trainers from the TV show. Both longtime fans and EDM regulars seemed to have a good time, which was the whole bet.
Next up is London. The O2 Arena date on 10 November is the second Pokémon Night Out, and it’s a chance for UK fans to see this setup in person. The Intuit Dome night was designed around big-screen spectacle, and the O2 is a large arena too. If you’re going, start planning your Pikachu look now. Based on LA, there will be competition.
If this pair of shows goes well, there’s a good chance they won’t be the last. Pokémon is looking ahead to its next 30 years, and a franchise that has now seen Mewtwo lift a miniature Marshmello into the air has plenty of room to experiment.
Via Variety
