‘The language of Pokémon is universal’: why fans are still catching ‘em all after 30 years
As Pokémon Go celebrates its 10th anniversary, its devoted players explain how the game has created a vibrant intergenerational community spanning the globe
Most Pokémon obsessives count rare, absurdly expensive playing cards or pristine, fully boxed game cartridges that have survived decades in the attic among their most prized possessions. But for Mairead Ralph, her Pokémon-related crown jewel is a bit different. “Technically, it’s my husband!” she says.
The pair first locked eyes amid decks of Pokémon playing cards and Pokéballs at a fan event 16 years ago and the rest is history. Ralph was among hundreds of Pokémon fans who flocked to Shoreditch, east London, on Saturday afternoon for a pop-up celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pokémon Go, the massively successful augmented reality smartphone game that has seen millions of players physically venture to all corners of the earth to catch ’em all in person. In that spirit, the surrounding area was full of Pokéheads wandering the streets, their heads in their phones, seeking to catch exclusive Pokémon that had been released.
Ralph, 42, is an OG Pokémon fan, getting into Pokémon Red when the game (and franchise) debuted 30 years ago. “I’ve been in love with it ever since,” she says. Months after Pokémon Red released in Japan in February 1996, the now-famous playing cards were released, some of which have since soared in value to thousands or even millions of pounds. Earlier this year, the world’s only Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator card was sold for a staggering £12m.
The franchise, which spans video games, playing cards, TV shows, films and merchandise, has become so big that the Pokémon company, which celebrated its 30th birthday in March, is now the world’s biggest media franchise, with total revenues of $147bn (£110bn), according to Guinness World Records.
This is far from the first Pokémon-related event Ralph has attended. She has travelled to Japan, the US and France to mingle with fellow fans. Despite often not sharing the same language, this hasn’t been a challenge for Ralph. “The language of Pokémon is universal,” she says.
Ralph even met her husband at one event. “I was at an event doing Pokémon stuff and he was working in a different area, and then we ran into each other at the local nerdy shop,” she says. Their love of the franchise extended to their wedding. Instead of having numbered tables, they had Pokémon. “If you were told to join Pikachu’s friends, you had to find the table with his face on it,” she says.
She thinks Pokémon has remained popular because it “brings people back to a happy place, no matter how bad the world is”, especially during these tricky times where issues such as the cost of living are hitting hard. It helps that most Pokémon are “happy and smiley” apart from a few “grumpy” outliers. “I’m looking at you, Mewtwo,” she says.
Also at the pop-up was Rumeysa Usca and her animated pomeranian Boomi. The 34-year-old engineer travelled from Leamington to attend the event. For her, the appeal of Pokémon Go is simple. “I can entertain my dog, entertain myself and lose weight,” she says. Usca has been playing the smartphone game for four years and has been a lifelong fan of the franchise, which she attributes to it “never having a break”, with new products being regularly released.
She also says Pokémon taps into nostalgia and a desire to return to simpler times. “As kids, we were so happy watching and playing it. It just brings back those good emotions,” Usca says.
Summer Till, 24, says it’s a good way to connect with younger relatives. “There’s a generation gap between me and my niece and nephew, but Pokémon is common ground for us,” she says.
Those who wanted a free coffee with a branded Pokémon Go cup needed to complete a challenge on the game along the surrounding streets. Among those taking part was Stacie Smith and her son Rupert. They travelled in from Southend in Essex. “She’s been getting all the luck,” says Rupert, referring to his mum catching better Pokémon than him on her phone. Smith remembers collecting Pokémon cards when she was growing up. “We would buy them along with panini stickers and Spice Girls postcards,” she says. And she then became fond of the cartoon, which was a staple on children’s TV in the late 1990s. Rupert enjoys the playing cards aspect more, but the pair have found a “shared love” of the franchise through Pokémon Go.
Rupert has autism, which means he “doesn’t like leaving the house very much”, says Smith, but the game has encouraged him to start venturing outside more, and the pair spend more time together. This, she says, is “really important for his mental health and trying to get him integrated into communities so he can talk to other people”.
At school, he’s made friends through his enthusiasm for Pokémon. He’s been handed down some Pokémon cards from family, including a first-edition holo Mewtwo from his dad. If kept in pristine, PSA 10-graded condition, the card could fetch about £18,000, but with a few bends and tears Rupert’s has been well-loved and is sadly less valuable.
But for many in attendance, their love of the franchise is hardly material. Ralph’s love of Pokémon will be enduring. “It doesn’t matter if it’s your first Pokémon or your thousandth Pokémon, that little click of the Pokéball will always bring you joy.”
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