By Harold Goldberg

Honolulu – This morning, the ocean crashed against the shore, seabirds frolicked below the hotel balcony and a bold pigeon marched across my balcony for food. But at the hotel lobby and even near the elevators, there was sadness. The Pokémon teams and players who were eliminated on Friday lined up to check out. They would head back to the airport to travel home, sans trophies. It’s difficult for these young players to comprehend that even competing at Worlds is a moment they’ll remember and treasure forever. No doubt, there’s always next year. But the bitterness that comes with being defeated early in the tournament will continue to sting.

At the convention center, things were brighter. The competitions went on and when fans weren’t watching, they were queueing up for autographs with well know artists like Akire Egawa and Atsugi Furasawa. Mr. Furasawa was kind enough to sign a joyful Pikachu poster.

Outside on the floor, kids played Pokémon on cell phones. These two were completely locked in, fascinated.

Not long after, long time Pokémon musician Junichi Masuda was present for a question and photos. His first credit on Moby Games was Pokémon Pinball for the Game Boy, one of my favorite games for the classic handheld console. I asked Mr. Masuda what he remember about the early days of scoring Pokémon. Through an interpreter, he said, “We had a direction, of course, but we were having fun, too.

As the championships continue, I’ll be on the scene to report more of the happenings at the convention center, particularly with the finals tomorrow .