People don queue through the night outside toy shop to get their hands on wetin dem call “the biggest Pokémon drop in 10 years”.
Dan Spragg, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, wait with other fans before the new release of Pokémon Trading Card Game cards, which mark the franchise 30th anniversary.
Him and him friends reach outside Smyths Toys Superstores in Gloucester at 19:00 BST on Tuesday, before the store open at 09:00 on Wednesday.
“I don be collector since Pokémon first come out in 1999, and the industry don blow up again. Na that nostalgia. E dey bring back plenty good memories,” Spragg talk.
Spragg, wey talk say him manage to squeeze small nap inside him car while somebody hold him place for queue, talk say “Pokémania don take over every city in England“.
Paul Ransome, from Forest of Dean, also camp outside the toy shop on Tuesday night, where him talk say people dey “play music and enjoy themselves”.
Bethany Butler na first for line at Firestorm Games, on Westgate Street, for Gloucester city centre.
Butler, wey dey buy the cards for her partner and daughter, arrive outside the shop at 07:15 and sit down inside camping chair while she wait for doors to open at 10:00.
“Na nostalgia for my partner, wey don dey into Pokémon since him be child, and na something dem dey collect together. E good make dem get something from special 30th anniversary release, especially as the cards hard to get nowadays,” she talk.
George Read, manager of Firestorm Games, describe the morning as exciting but talk say there be “always that little bit of nerves”.
“I get over 100 messages yesterday from people wey contact us on Instagram, but we operate on first come, first served basis to keep am fair for everybody,” Read talk.
Rich Page dey open new shop wey dey sell trading cards and board games in Highworth, Wiltshire. Him talk say Pokémon “timeless”.
“People think e go be one phase back in the day, and e still dey here 30 years later,” him talk. “I think na something families fit share. People dey re-experience their childhood with their own children. E don become intergenerational,” Page add.
Pokémon, wey dem first call Pocket Monsters, begin as game wey dem release for Nintendo Game Boy in Japan in 1996.
After the first games success, company wey dem call Media Factory release the Pokémon Trading Card Game in October that year.
Since then, dem don produce more than 85 billion cards, and one ultra-rare card sell for $16.5m (£12m).
