Tokyo, I’m back! Visiting the Pokemon cafe ϞϞ(๑⚈ ․̫ ⚈๑)∩

In June 2018, I quit my job. It was a long time coming and not a decision I came to easily. I had long term plans for my company, but circumstances made it difficult to stay and I struggled with a work slump for the better part of 2018, wallowing in misery and losing my confidence slowly as the months dragged on.

After a particularly freeing trip to Hong Kong in early June, I gathered up enough courage to quit and immediately felt the weight lift off my shoulders. I’ve since rebuilt the blocks of my life and started a new amazing job, gaining back my confidence and love for my career, but in the weeks between my new job, I had free time for the first time in a while and of course, I chose to travel.

It was a no brainer that Tokyo was where I wanted to go. Japan has always been where I had some of my happiest memories while I was undergoing changes in my life – my first trip abroad, my graduation trip, my first solo trip, my first time seeing snow.

I accepted my previous job in Japan too, when I went on a cherry blossoms trip last February. I remember I was in a cafe in Atami, a seaside holiday town an hour away from Tokyo, waiting for a shuttle bus to our onsen resort.

I had my interview the morning before I flew to Tokyo and wasn’t expecting the reply so soon, so the phone call came as a surprise. The matcha ice cream I ordered had just been placed in front of me when I had to duck outside for a shaky Whatsapp call that eventually dropped due to bad signal, but the message came across all the time: I got the job!

When I came back to my food, my ice cream had already melted but I was breathless at the thought of landing my dream job. And it was a dream job for the first year, allowing me to tackle new challenges and new opportunities that I greatly appreciate.

Anyway, that fell apart and I have a great new job now, so I wanted to celebrate and back to Tokyo I went for the eighth time!

But! Things… didn’t start out so well. Morgan’s flight was delayed so I actually had a long nap in the airport while waiting for her. By the time we eventually made it to our hotel near Nihombashi, it was already nearing 4pm. Luckily, our hotel was lovely and beyond what I imagined for the price (Intergate Kyobashi!). They provided free food and beverages the entire day and even gave us enough bath bombs to last our trip.

We took a pitstop at the Canon service centre to fix Morgan’s camera and then stopped by Ginza Fukuyoshi to get some takoyaki. The signatures on the wall tipped us off that it’s a famous place, but unfortunately the taste did not match up to the expectations. :c I had fun taking pictures of me pretending to eat my round Kai doll, Ninini, like I always do. Little did I know what would happen to my baby later the day…

If there’s two things I’m weak about, it’s themed cafes and Pokemon. I always joke with the hashtag #nocutenoeat because I’m not a foodie and an extremely picky eater, so the only times that I’m excited about food is when it’s cute.

When I planned this trip, the only thing I wanted to do was to go to the Pokemon cafe! I’ve planned entire trips around Pokemon before so it seemed only right to start off my trip visiting my dream cafe.

I booked our spots as soon as I booked my flight tickets but still only managed to snag a 8.30pm slot. It didn’t really matter though because we were still full from the takoyaki and I was too exciting checking out the Pokemon Mega store. There were many families with young children around the store as well and I’m sure they side eyed me as I roamed around the store squealing at everything in sight.

I had to grab the chance to take some shots for my toy travel Instagram too so we killed time by turning the store into a mini photoshoot studio.

And that was when tragedy struck! While I was taking that photo of Ninini with pikachu and mimikyu, I turned around to pose for Morgan’s Instastory, and when I looked back, Ninini was gone!

We went into full panic mode and almost flipped the whole store upside down to search for my little child but alas he was nowhere to be found. I figured one of the kids that we saw earlier must’ve taken him as they left.

“Takoyaki?” The Pokemon store staff asked when I showed her the photo for identification, but no one in the store had seen him either. We were advised to make a lost and found report at the main mall but it was minutes before the mall closed and we had to run to the help desk.

As I struggled to explain my situation in broken Japanese, the staff at the help desk took one look at the photo and went, “Ah, kuma! (bear)”

He was, in fact, a bear and I was speechless for a few seconds because I didn’t expect her to recognise what he was.

“Potato,” Morgan supplied to describe his size and the nice help desk lady promised to sketch a picture of Ninini on the form and would call our hotel if they found him.

I’m taking a slight detour to tell this situation panned out but it just struck me as very funny! A few days later, I went back to the help desk to hopefully find Ninini and a different staff was manning the help desk but she immediately recognised me when I stuttered that I lost a doll.

“Potato!” She said and then corrected herself, “Kuma?” She told us apologetically that he was still lost and we left sadly to our next destination.

Much later in the day, we were on our way home and changing trains when someone tried to flag us down. It was the first help desk lady that I logged my report with who was getting off work!

As the train doors closed, she kept going, “Potato! Potato!” Did they find him? “Yes, found! GO!” That’s all she managed to get out before the doors closed and the train departed.

It was nearing closing time and once again we had to run all the way through the station to the mall where the help desk staff was already waiting for me to reclaim my son.

Anywayyyy, long story short, my son is now safe and sound in my hands and I will never lose you again, child. (/□＼*)・゜

Back to my first day in Tokyo and the Pokemon cafe, I didn’t let the loss of my child keep me from feeling excited to enter the Pokemon cafe.

There was, unsurprisingly, pokemon everywhere! I wish I managed to get a seat at the long table but it was all full and we were led to section D where it was normal tables.

We ordered through the tablet on the table and the bill came up to be almost 8,000yen for the two of us. It was okay! I expected this and set aside a 10,000 note just to be spent for that day!

The price was completely worth it too because when the food was served, I think I was so overwhelmed by the cuteness that a few tears sprang to my eyes. I don’t think I stopped grinning for a second throughout our meal, especially when the first dish of pikachu curry was served.

The gengar light in my grape sode went off about 10 minutes later so you have to get your shots in fast! Morgan ordered the vaporeon soda which just tasted like a soda bubble tea.

We also ordered the pikachu butt carbonara (a little bland), eevee pancakes (a little dry) and jigglypuff cheese cake (a winner!!).

By the time we finished our meal, I was already tired from all my exploding energy but then an eevee mascot came out to play! I knew pikachu made an appearance from time to time but I didn’t know it was for every single session.

When they announced there was an event happening, I was expecting Pikachu and then I saw the faces of the Japanese women who were sitting facing the entrance and their jaws honestly dropped before they squealed out together.

Then eevee waddled in and the entire cafe collectively lost. our. minds.

It’s so cute!! More adorable than, dare I say it, pikachu! It knew how to pose cutely and we even got to high five it!

I left the Pokemon cafe feeling happier than I had in a while, brimming with joy and absolutely content. Don’t let the price hold you back, because I can guarantee you that it’ll be one of the best days of your life ♡