Pokémon: the great exchange that has lasted for thirty years

There are cultural phenomena that are inextricably linked to a particular decade or generation, becoming symbols of a clearly defined period in time. Then there are others which, by contrast, manage to survive long enough to become a source of nostalgia: cyclically returning to the limelight through celebrations and moments that are pure ‘Amarcord’. The world of Pokémon, however, thirty years on from the arrival of the first Game Boy video games in 1996, seems to have found a different path.

In San Francisco, from 28 to 30 August, 50,000 people passed through the halls of Pokémon XP, the largest convention ever dedicated to the franchise, whilst 2,700 players from all over the world competed for the world titles. The figures are provided by Chris Brown, Director of Global Esports & Events at The Pokémon Company International. Thirty years after the first Game Boy games were released in 1996, nostalgia accounts for only part of that audience.

In the exhibition halls, there are children who have never held a Game Boy and adults who pause in front of the statues of the 151 first-generation creatures. But age is less important than the reason for visiting: gamers, collectors, cosplayers, the curious, people walking around with their phones in hand playing Pokémon GO, and others painting murals or putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

The competitive portion of the event took place at the Chase Centre, home of the Golden State Warriors, featuring four disciplines and four 2026 world champions. Among the participants were ninety Italians of all ages, including Mattia, aged twelve, who had advanced tournament after tournament since picking up the cards for the first time at the latest edition of Lucca Comics & Games.

The franchise has sold over 500 million video games and produced over 85 billion cards, not to mention merchandise, anime and films. The franchise’s reach is also evident in the collaborations showcased at conventions: pins, figurines and toys; Pokémon-themed motorbikes developed with Toyota and Honda; skateboards; Lego sets; Pikachu- and Gengar-shaped Crocs; and a sleep-tracking app such as Pokémon Sleep. The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d and Pichu, a claymation series scheduled for release on Disney+ in 2027, marks the first collaboration between The Pokémon Company and the British studio Aardman Animations, the makers of Wallace & Gromit. “We and The Pokémon Company share many ideals,” says director Tom Parkinson. “From a technical and creative perspective, but also in our desire to do things with care.”

Those ideals are the pillars that Tsunekazu Ishihara, President and CEO of The Pokémon Company, has been reiterating for years: finding, collecting, training, battling and trading. Cable trading is a thing of the past, but you only need to watch a father and son arguing over which is the best Pokémon to realise that the concept still holds true. Consoles, graphics and cards have changed, and the number of creatures has surpassed a thousand: everyone enters through a different door but arrives at the same place. A child might first encounter Pikachu as a soft toy and only later as a video game character; a teenager might start with the cards; an adult who grew up watching Ash on television might have returned to the franchise through Pokémon GO; whilst another might follow only the competitive scene. No one needs to know everything: the brand is broad enough to allow everyone to carve out their own niche.

The closing ceremony revealed the rest: ‘Pokémon Wild Card’, a film bringing the world of collectable cards to the big screen; new expansions for the card game; new content for Pokémon GO; and the video games ‘Pokémon Wave’ and ‘Pokémon Wind’, featuring a whole new generation of creatures. The first generation to grow up with Pikachu is now reaching the age of having children of their own, and whilst those children will have their own favourite games and creatures, for a few years they will inhabit the same imaginary world as their parents.