Remember Pokémon Go? These Bay Area Fans Never Quit

The summer of 2016 might feel like a lifetime away — notably hallmarked by a polarizing election year. But that was also when Pokémon Go was first released in the United States, instantly taking over our phones and sidewalks as players ventured out into the real world to compete and catch virtual “pocket monsters.”

Like most viral crazes, stories of the augmented reality game’s rapid mainstream fandom — and their mishaps while playing — fizzled out.

However, a good amount of love for the iconic Japanese franchise has lived on in the Bay Area. Many local fans, like Ashley Tan never quit playing since the game was released — even though she was just around 9 years old at the time.

“I continue playing now because of the community I’ve made around it,” says Tan, 17, who lives in Dublin. “We catch Pokémon, we do raids, and there are community days where people come out and catch Pokémons.” (Raids are opportunities in the game for players to work together to battle a boss Pokémon, and players that succeed in a raid can win special items and catch unique Pokémon.)

“You’ll see a lot of people still playing this,” Tan says — an observation that was borne out last weekend as Tan joined hundreds of Bay Area Pokémon fans who ventured out to San Francisco’s public libraries to celebrate the city’s first official Pokémon Celebration Day.

A world of Pokémon

Created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996 as a game for the Nintendo Game Boy, Pokémon quickly became a global phenomenon spanning video games, animated movies and television shows, trading cards, books and mobile games.

Across these platforms, the aim of the game remains the same: Players or “trainers” search to catch all 1,025 pocket monsters or Pokémon, such as popular characters like Pikachu — a yellow creature known for harnessing electricity — or Squirtle, a turtle-like water creature.

In 2016, the franchise expanded further with the launch of the mobile-based Pokémon Go in July. Launching four months before the November election of President Donald Trump, the game has become a symbol of a different time for some.

Receiving a reported 15 million downloads in the U.S. in its first week alone, Pokémon Go created headlines around the sheer numbers of people who went outside to play it — and some of the dangerous situations that inattentive players contributed to. The game went so viral that politicians and 2016 presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton tried to use Pokémon Go as a vehicle to reach voters.

But the number of active Pokémon Go users sharply dropped in the following years. The COVID-19 pandemic also placed logistical constraints on players’ ability to play the game outside their homes — however, some players told KQED that Pokémon Go helped them socialize and get outdoors during school closures and other shelter-in-place measures.

In the intervening years, the game has developed new visuals and maps to keep fans playing. And play they do.

At a handful of San Francisco Public Library branch locations that day, fans marking Pokémon Celebration Day could come together to trade cards, pick up free Pokémon books and stickers — and make personalized buttons of their favorite characters.

The event started back in 2022, but this year was the first time city leaders recognized it through a resolution marking the day of celebration.

For children’s librarian Andrew Ho, who helped organize the library event on Saturday, Pokémon Go continues to be a source of joy and nostalgia over the decades — and even a healthy dose of escapism.

“I was a child when the very first Pokémon came out,” Ho says. “I was playing, collecting cards, doing all that, and it was perfect nostalgia for Sunday morning cartoons. Then it just kinda stuck.”

As for Pokémon Go, Ho has been playing the mobile game since it was released and says he’s never stopped in the eight years since.

“It might be a problem,” Ho says. “Every generation has its own different experience with Pokémon. I think that’s why this game is so popular: You can play it with your kids or your grandkids.”

‘It’s just fun!’

Organizers of the library event — including city Supervisor Connie Chan and Natalie Gee, the chief of staff for Supervisor Shamann Walton — also worked with the game’s creators to set up a special “PokéStop” at the Richmond Library, where players can refuel on game items like eggs and Poké Balls, which are used to catch Pokémon creatures in the game.

Michelle Mai was there with her two young boys, who were stocking up on their favorite items and making friends at the library along the way.

Pokémon Go, Mai says, is “very international — so you can take it with you to different places and stations to catch different types of Pokémon. They really like going to the beach and catching a water-type Pokémon, or we go first, and they can catch a grass-type,” she says of her children’s engagement with the game as a family activity. “We talk a lot about it, and it is always a happy conversation.”

Mai’s son, Mitchel Ng, nodded in agreement while playing the game next to her. Like many in attendance on Pokémon Celebration Day, Pokémon has played a role in a good portion of his life so far.

“I’ve been playing this for over two years,” says the 8-year-old, pointing to his favorite character, Mewtwo. “It’s just fun!”