'Pokemon' Cartoon Star: 'Pokemon Go' Is So Popular, I Couldn't Play!!

Being one of the biggest stars of the Pokemon universe wasn't enough to get actress Veronica Taylor any special treatment -- she was shut out of all the "Pokemon Go" action.

Veronica played Ash, the Pokemon trainer, on the animated show's first 8 seasons -- and she tells TMZ, she was dying to jump on board to play when 'PG' was released last Thursday. However, game creators initially limited the number of people on the game -- to prevent crashes -- and Veronica got the short end.

Check out the video ... Veronica had some interesting advice on how to safely play the game -- and also revealed when she was finally able to join the craze.

Yes, Ash is currently attempting to catch 'em all.