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Don't Worry, Japan Still Loves Pokémon

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The fever over Yokai Watch might have caused some to wonder if Japan still gets excited by Pokémon. The answer to that is rather simple: Yes, it does.

Over the weekend, pre-orders began for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. The longest line was at the Pokémon Center in Tokyo, which had a three-hour wait. That's a pretty long wait.

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[Photo: shibtkaz] This was apparently taken at 11:40am the day pre-orders kicked off.

Besides the 3DS game pre-orders, there were also plush toys, like the Whimsicott Substitute plushie, going back on sale the same day, so that also might have drawn some customers as well.

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There were reports of the Whimsicott Substitute plushie selling out in thirty minutes at, for example, the Pokemon Center in Nagoya.

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As mentioned above, there were long lines in Tokyo—but there were also long lines at other Pokémon Centers across Japan.

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Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire go on sale in late November worldwide.

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To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.

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