Are you a die-hard Pokemon fan or simply a pop culture slash 90s nostalgia enthusiast? Then it's time to head on over to the first Pokemon-themed expo in the Philippines, "Pokeverse," which will be staged from today (May 31) until June 2 at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall.

As a highlight of the event, Jason Paige, the singer of the original Pokemon theme song, and Veronica Taylor - who dubbed the voice of protagonist Ash Ketchum in the Pokemon series - are now in the Philippines to meet their fans and sign souvenirs. It is their first trip to the country.

Veronica told the media in a pocket conference that it gave her "validity as an actor" to be identified with such an iconic show.

"One of the main things that Pokemon has affected my life is that it's allowed me to travel and meet so many people who are fans of the show. I work on so many different things, but Pokemon is the one project that everyone knows, and that allows us to start speaking and become friends because we love Pokemon immediately," she stated.

Jonathan remembered how Pokémon's original fans from 1996 and beyond didn't pay much attention to who performed the theme song of the series until they matured and became curious. 

"I have profound gratitude for all of the love that comes back to us through the Pokemon ecosystem. Up until 2016, I had received almost no requests and no praise or anything relative to the fans knowing about me. They had to grow up and become adults interested in who sang the song about their childhood," said Jason, who also worked with other big names in music like Billy Joel and Michael Jackson.

Both artists revealed that "memorable fan interactions" are one of the key advantages of being identified with a brand recognized by countless people all over the world. 

"I have had the opportunity to meet kids when they were 10 and see them now all these years later with their children. And that has been incredible," said the 58-year-old Veronica, who was just in her 20s when she first became the voice of Ash Ketchum.

Jason agreed and recounted his touching stories with fans. "Pokémon's impact on people has made them really emotional when they hear the song again. I interacted with a gentleman who said he broke down in tears and had to leave the room because he couldn't handle the emotion that was coming back. He had a brother who grew up with Pokémon who had passed. And so the song just released this experience that he had with his brother," he stated.

"Then, there was this girl who was in a coma, and she heard the Pokemon song playing in the hospital room, and it woke her up out of the coma. The power of music cannot be underestimated," he added.

Young businessman Kirck Allen, who is producing Pokeverse with his mom, the feng shui master Marites Allen, said the expo aims to gather anime lovers, cosplayers, the Pokemon community, and pop culture aficionados in a fun-packed three-day event.

"We're positioning Pokeverse as the premium Pokemon theme expo, and hopefully, we'll come up with a bigger one during Pokemon's 30th anniversary, which is two years from now. At the moment, we're working with official licensed distributors, partners like PLDT Home, and individuals who have worked with Pokemon in some capacity," Kirck pointed out. 

He explained, "When I designed the map, I tried to make sure that every area had its own theme. So in the Pokeverse, you'll find that we have our own cities and towns."

"So when you enter that space, you have a different experience. You can choose your journey. You can have your own story. And to culminate all of those experiences, you can then come and meet Jason and Veronica to have your favorite item signed," he added.

For tickets to the expo, check out pokeverse (dot) ph or inquire at 0920 9509390 / 0939 3516424 / 0920 9281288.