It’s August 27, 1998 and Alyssa Buecker is waiting in line with her mom and dad in Topeka, Kansas for the American launch of Pokémon. She received a letter in the mail from Nintendo inviting her to the celebration at the Topeka Air Industrial Park, and as a budding anime fan and lifelong gamer, was buzzing with excitement. The mayor renamed the city to ToPikachu, Kansas for the day, and ten bright yellow Volkswagen Beetles sporting cartoon ears and tails were lined up, ready to start their nationwide tour.
Skydivers dressed in yellow Pikachu costumes came dropping from the sky over the airfield, along with hundreds of plush toys sporting their own tiny parachutes. Alyssa watched as kids and adults alike scrambled over the grass, desperate to snatch a coveted toy. Little did she know that she was witnessing the beginning of something that would stretch well beyond that exciting day.
It was official. Pokémon had arrived in America.
Already a sensation in Japan, Pokémon was a multimedia success: Pokémon Red, Green and Blue for the Nintendo Gameboy had sold over 10 million units, millions of trading cards were in circulation, and the Pokémon anime was one of Japan's highest-rated kids TV shows. The franchise wasn’t just an idle pastime for children – It was a cultural and entertainment juggernaut that was about to go global.
