POKÉMON ANNOUNCES
VIDEO GAME SHOWDOWN BETWEEN U.S. AND JAPAN

The Most Talented Pokémon Players Will Compete in Los Angeles and New York
for a Chance to Battle the Best Players from Japan


Bellevue, WA ­ May 15, 2008 ­ Pokémon USA, Inc., has announced the
first-ever Video Game Showdown, pitting the most skilled Pokémon Diamond and
Pokémon Pearl players from the United States and Japan in a battle to
determine the ultimate champion. The Pokémon Video Game Showdown will take
place August 16 in Orlando, Florida and will feature 32 of the most talented
players from each nation.



To win a seat in the Pokémon Video Game Showdown, players must compete and
win at one of two Qualifier Tournaments taking place in Los Angeles and New
York on July 12 and July 19, respectively. A total of 256 players in each
city will battle for sixteen paid trips for two to Orlando to compete in the
Pokémon Video Game Showdown. To enter for a chance to play in the Qualifier
Tournaments, players must register and complete a Pokémon online quiz at
http://showdown.pokemon.com.



³Pokémon strives to create fun products and events for players of all skill
levels and interests,² said J.C. Smith, director of marketing for Pokémon
USA, Inc. ³The Pokémon Video Game Showdown provides the most skilled Pokémon
players an opportunity to determine who is truly the best.²



More information, including prizes, tournament locations, times, and rules,
can be found by visiting http://showdown.pokemon.com.



About Pokémon USA

Pokémon USA, Inc., a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the
property outside of Asia which includes licensing, marketing, the Pokémon
Trading Card Game, an animated TV series, the Pokémon Trading Figure Game,
home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched
in Japan in 1996 for play on Nintendo¹s Game Boy® and has since evolved into
a global cultural phenomenon. Pokémon was introduced in North America in
1998 and today is one of the most popular toy and entertainment properties
in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.