PokemasterKev said:
The Toys R us Mew event back in 2006 was my favorite. The first time i ever got an event pokemon. also traded my shiny slugma for a Space C deoxys there at some hardcore fans who had a pokemon tour shirts. Back then many people gathered and talked as we waited. nowadays i barely see anyone thanks to just walkign in. downloading and leaving. it maybe faster and easier now,.. but the fun is not there.
This is my first. I saw the notice about it in Nintendo Power, showed up at my local TRU, and joined the line of endless people. I brought Emerald and a friend's LeafGreen. So there was one guy sitting at a table with a GBA, R/S/E stocked with loads upon loads of Mew, and a link cable. One by one, everyone traded for it, and left. I showed off my almost-complete Hoenn dex to a few people (curse you Jirachi). I ended up trading away a Magikarp.
But then I was told that I couldn't get it on LeafGreen (presumably because of time constraints). So after they opened up another line (the first was huge), I got in and pretended I hadn't gotten it. Heh.
The DP launch at the same TRU was interesting. I had no idea what I was really going to get that day, but I ended up walking out with Diamond, Pearl, a strategy guide, and two kits with styluses and cases. And I saw a friend who I hadn't had any contact with in a year. Awesome.
There was also the 2007 BR Spring, my first TCG event. The TO put an ad in the newspaper without a mention of the concept of formats or outdated. So after much preparation, I show up with a pyramid lined Base Charizard and Lightning deck, unsleeved. So I show up, and I'm told that the deck is illegal. Suddenly, dude-with-white-earbuds-who-I-never-saw-again shows up, convinces me to buy Infernape and Empoleon theme decks, helps me make a Fire/Steel deck and adds in a card that will remain one of favorites, Infernape Lv. X. I ended up going 1-3, but it was a great day, and I met a few friends that I keep in touch with.
The Manaphy event at TRU. It wasn't totally memorable, but it had a raffle of event Pokemon, complete with table drumrolls. I ended up with a fake Mew (later rectified with a Palkia a few months later) and a Celebi dex. Man, Ricky even knew how to pizzazz a distribution up.
Then there was States '08, my first event that was in a hotel. Not entirely memorable, but at one point, someone put out a box of various goods for anyone to take (er, I think, haha). I ended up with a first-party GBA link cable.
The same TRU had a Mystery Dungeon Explorers launch party. For something relatively small, it was pretty great. We had those dudes with the glasses hanging out by the DS games, trading people Spiritomb. We had the Pokemon tournament. The Chariblaze-scowls-at-the-kid-with-the-AR-Darkrai-and-gets-the-mom-mad moment. A small MK Wii tournament.
Worlds '08. I didn't even know Worlds existed, so I didn't go.
I've regretted it since...
Er, a City Championship sometime in '08? I don't remember much, but I played against LunarWing in a side event. I played Gengar the Baller in some other one (he has a report of it somewhere).
One of the great ones was the weekend of Platinum and States '09 (States was on Saturday, Platinum was Sunday). A friend picked me up around 6 A.M. to go to States that was the farthest Pokemon event I'd been to yet. Randy (the general Florida States TO after Heidi kinda went Regionals only) sure knows how to run a States. He had it in a hotel on Cocoa Beach, right by an awesome sandwich place. There was the guy who sang a PokeGym song (I think this was right. Footage probably exists in the hands of someone). Big banners that wouldn't be out of place at Worlds (er, maybe they were from Worlds). An array of deck checkers, waiting to check your deck.
The Platinum release was really great. I and others show up before opening, to see a Pikachu Beetle outside the store, complete with tons of plushes. I was third in line to pick it up, and ended up getting the monstrous guide and two magnetic DS wallets (very awesome, I was shown them at the Regigigas event before they were released a month before). There was another tournament, which I lost pretty early in. The Regigigas and Shaymin events, both of which were over then, were given out again, perhaps illegally. Some lady cosplayed as Ash giving trivia contests (lost when she asked what Pokemon defied Ash first. I said Charizard. Oops.) Prizes, including gift cards. Nifty stuff.
I moved to Ohio in November that year, so I missed out on future states, regionals, and the HG/SS launch. Ah, well. I hope to add an actual Nats or Worlds to this list one day (stupid Nats, why u no at Origins anymore?).