Deck the halls with boughs of holly, or so the traditional Christmas carol goes. This time, however, the halls of three malls in Singapore will be getting a Pokémon-themed celebration instead, as AMK Hub, Jurong Point, and Thomson Plaza prepare to usher in the Pokémon Christmas Wonderland event. Running from November 16 to December 26, 2018, it’s where fans can bear witness, participate in, and enjoy a myriad of activities, such as a dance parade, meet-and-greet sessions, special festive installations, and carnival games.
Cue some great family fun, geek-out moments, and an overload of Pokémon cuteness – especially with everyone’s favourite rabbit-eared feline and electric mouse duo leading the charge.
Alone, Eevee and Pikachu are already adorable; together, more so. You’ve gotta catch ’em all dancing as a sextet (three of each) to understand how levels of endearment can hit the roof, and the chance to do so comes in the form of the dance parade. For the first time ever, Eevee and Pikachu will be putting up a combined performance in Singapore, which also marks the debut appearance of the former mascot on local shores.
Gathered in front of the entrance to Jurong Point Shopping Mall, the huddle of Eevee and Pikachu mascots certainly makes for an eye-catching sight. Bobbing their heads and swaying their bodies in tandem with the cheerful tunes of bell jingles and familiar Christmas-sounding background music, the atmosphere reeked of loveable charm that escalated to even greater heights as they spun around for an utterly adorable ending pose. Oh, and that little body nudge, too.
Catch these mascots at specific timings, and they may be seen roaming around the three malls across different dates with Santa’s Helpers. Shoppers and enthusiasts alike can drop by to greet them and pose for public photo-taking sessions, but be quick when jumping into the queue – good things are only available in limited numbers, after all.
For those seeking hands-on fun, there are themed carnival games to enjoy for a small cost. A minimum spending of S$20 (S$30 at NTUC Fairprice/Fairprice Xtra/Fairprice Finest) yields a game pass entry into the atrium of AMK Hub, Thomson Plaza, or Jurong Point, which is a reasonable price to pay for bonding time with the little ones….or you could always embrace your inner gamer self, and aim to, uh, become the very best that no one ever was with the gameplay trial of the newly-released Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! at the carnival.
Naturally, the whole experience will feature Pokémon-inspired decorations as well, including life-sized legendary Pokémon, Battle Gym installations, and Pokémon-adorned Christmas trees that leave plenty of room for the resident nerd to cry out in ecstasy.
The schedule for each activity is as follows:
| Activities & Details | AMK Hub | Thomson Plaza | Jurong Point |
| Pikachu and Eevee Dance Parade | 7-9 Dec (Fri-Sun), 3pm
14-16 Dec (Fri-Sun), 7pm |
8-9 Dec (Sat & Sun), 7pm
22-23 Dec (Sat & Sun), 7pm |
14 Dec (Fri), 3pm
15-16 Dec (Sat & Sun), 3pm 22-23 Dec (Sat & Sun), 4pm |
| Pikachu Meet & Greet Sessions | 24-25 Nov (Sat & Sun), 7pm
1-2 Dec (Sat & Sun), 7pm 8-9 Dec (Sat & Sun), 7pm 15-16 Dec (Sat & Sun), 7pm 21-24 Dec (Fri-Mon), 7pm |
8-9 Dec (Sat & Sun), 5pm
15-16 Dec (Sat & Sun), 2pm |
30 Nov (Fri), 4pm
1-2 Dec (Sat & Sun), 2pm 7 Dec (Fri), 4pm 8-9 Dec (Sat & Sun), 2pm 14 Dec (Fri), 4pm 15-16 Dec (Sat & Sun), 2pm 21 Dec (Fri), 4pm 22-23 Dec (Sat & Sun), 2pm |
| Pokémon-themed Carnival Games | 3-16 Dec, 12pm-8pm | 3-16 Dec, 12pm-8pm | 10-23 Dec, 12pm-8pm |
What a festive, joyous occasion Christmas is shaping up to be!
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Natalie
