{"id":606709,"date":"2026-09-21T01:50:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T01:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/606709\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T01:50:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T01:50:20","slug":"in-pictures-30-years-on-pokemon-fever-still-unites-hongkongers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/606709\/","title":{"rendered":"In Pictures: 30 years on, Pok\u00e9mon fever still unites Hongkongers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words by Hans Tse<\/p>\n

On a scorching July weekend, thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong\u2019s Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district to search for a rare Pok\u00e9mon that could only be seen through the screen of a smartphone.<\/p>\n

\"AA man holds an infant baby and pose for photos with a costumed Pikachu in a shopping mall in Whampoa district, July 26, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/ HKFP.<\/p>\n

This was Mewtwo, a legendary Pok\u00e9mon in the beloved Japanese video game and animation series that was first launched in 1996. And, for just two days, gamers could catch it in the augmented reality mobile game Pok\u00e9mon Go.<\/p>\n

\"ThousandsThousands join the official Pok\u00e9mon Go 10th anniversary event in Tsim Sha Tsui on July 11, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Attendees spanned different ages and backgrounds. Those who spoke to HKFP included a doctor, a civil servant, a social worker, a risk consultant, and former Pok\u00e9mon GO world champion Cheng Yip-kai. Known in-game as Yekai0904, the 18-year-old university student became the first Hongkonger to win the title in 2024.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe classic Pok\u00e9mon trio of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle reflected on a mobile screen. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Three decades after its launch, Pok\u00e9mon has become one of the world\u2019s most popular and enduring franchises, spawning animated series, films, video games, trading cards, and merchandise ranging from plushies to apparel.<\/p>\n

\"Pok\u00e9monPok\u00e9mon GO player Cheng Yip-kai poses for photos with the Pok\u00e9mon Go app in a park in Ho Man Tin on August 21, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you mention Pikachu, an 80-year-old grandmother would know what it is \u2013 and so would a child of three or four,\u201d Pok\u00e9mon card collector Anthony Cheung told HKFP in Cantonese. \u201cNot every IP [intellectual property] can achieve that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ShoppersShoppers in a Pok\u00e9mon pop-up in Tai Wan on April 14, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

The cute, ever-expanding brand has become increasingly lucrative in recent years \u2013 especially its trading cards, with the prices of rare cards in pristine condition soaring to astronomical figures.<\/p>\n

\"ThousandsThousands join the official Pok\u00e9mon card game tournament in Wan Chai on May 2, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

In February, American influencer Logan Paul reportedly sold his Pikachu Illustrator card \u2013 one of the rarest Pok\u00e9mon cards ever made \u2013 for a whopping US$16.5 million (HK$125 million).<\/p>\n

\"AA man stares at a Pok\u00e9mon card vending machine in a Mong Kok shopping mall on April 13, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

According to Cheung, cards that had been bought for just 400 Japanese Yen (HK$20.62) in 2018 can now be sold for HK$90,000 \u2013 a 4,500-fold increase. \u201cThat\u2019s the difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon card frenzy<\/p>\n

The Pok\u00e9mon trading cards were first released in 1996, months after the franchise\u2019s first video games \u2013 Pocket Monsters Red and Green \u2013 came out for the Game Boy console. Originally printed in Japan, the cards are collectible but can also be used in a strategy-based tabletop game.<\/p>\n

\"ChildrenChildren open a Pok\u00e9mon card pack during the \u201cPokeFest\u201d exhibition and trading event in a Cheung Sha Wan shopping mall on May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Cheung, who began his collecting career by investing in rare banknotes, recalled getting his first Pok\u00e9mon cards around 2017. \u201cI\u2019m sure that back then I was buying [Pok\u00e9mon cards] out of pure love. It was zero per cent investment,\u201d the 36-year-old said, adding that watching the original animated series and playing the video games were his childhood pastimes.<\/p>\n

\"CollectorCollector Anthony Cheung displays his Pok\u00e9mon card collection at \u201cPoke Fest\u201d in Cheung Sha Wan, May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

But he noticed a huge commercial interest in the cards during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly around the time when Paul, the American influencer, started talking about them in his livestreams.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Paul spent US$5.3 million (HK$41.6 million) on his Pikachu Illustrator. That was already a Pok\u00e9mon card record at the time, but when he resold the card in February this year, he got over three times that amount.<\/p>\n

Cheung observed that Pok\u00e9mon cards seemed to defy standard market trends. \u201cAcross all the categories of items I\u2019ve collected, their prices only rise as supply depletes over time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Pok\u00e9mon cards have changed my perception\u2026 I\u2019ve never seen [something] released so recently become so expensive so fast,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\"BoysBoys holding hands and looking at Pok\u00e9mon products in a Causeway Bay store on April 22, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen [something] released so recently become so expensive so fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Card collector Anthony cheung<\/p>\n

With Pok\u00e9mon cards becoming sought-after commodities, memorabilia certified by credible grading houses such as US-based Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) can be sold at even higher prices.<\/p>\n

For example, a Pok\u00e9mon card featuring Psyduck in the style of Edvard Munch\u2019s The Scream and graded PSA 10 \u2013 denoting flawless condition \u2013 was sold<\/a> for US$12,611 (HK$98,928) on eBay last month.<\/p>\n

\"Pok\u00e9monPok\u00e9mon card game player Kelvin Cheng poses for photos in a Pok\u00e9mon store in Kwun Tong on August 15, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

These cards were originally handed out as free gifts during a 2018 exhibition on Munch at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.<\/p>\n

Cheung said the demand for Pok\u00e9mon cards remained high because new fans have been consistently drawn to the franchise, partly thanks to social media influencers like Paul.<\/p>\n

\"AA claw machine store in Tai Wan, May 7, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

The franchise\u2019s ever-expanding roster of Pok\u00e9mon species also played a role, having grown from 151 in the original 1996 line-up to more than 1,000 today. \u201cIt never stops \u2013 new Pok\u00e9mon are constantly being created,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Trainers who represent Hong Kong<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon card player Kelvin Cheng agreed that the wide variety of Pok\u00e9mon species in the franchise is key to its popularity and longevity.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old government worker was first attracted to the franchise during secondary school, when he fell in love with the otter-looking Oshawott. \u201cCute, handsome, dragons\u2026 [Pok\u00e9mon] has every type,\u201d Cheng told HKFP in Cantonese. \u201cOne will always find a Pok\u00e9mon they like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PeoplePeople attend the \u201cPoke Fest\u201d exhibition in Cheung Sha Wan on May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

But, unlike card collectors, Cheng considers himself primarily a competitive player of the trading card game, having competed in local tournaments in 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong regularly holds Pok\u00e9mon tournaments as part of an international series, with high-scoring players earning the right to represent the city at the world championships held every August.<\/p>\n

The Pok\u00e9mon trading card game sees two players armed with 60-card decks use their Pok\u00e9mon to battle one another.<\/p>\n

\"AA Pikachu shaped birthday cake displayed in a local bakery store in Wan Chai district, May 25, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Cheng ranked 11th in Hong Kong this year and was among the 16 from the city chosen to compete in the world championships held in San Francisco this summer. He eventually placed 380th out of 1,500 participants.<\/p>\n

Adrian Tang, a 30-year-old corporate trainer, qualified to represent Hong Kong in the video game competition in San Francisco \u2013 his second appearance at the Pok\u00e9mon world championships, following the 2024 tournament in Hawaii. He declined to share his standing at this year\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n

\"Pok\u00e9monPok\u00e9mon video game player Adrian Tang, August 8, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam.<\/p>\n

Tang said the greatest appeal of the game lies in the friendships formed through Pok\u00e9mon. \u201cThis group of people would never have become friends were it not for our shared love for Pok\u00e9mon,\u201d he told HKFP in Cantonese.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe 1998 special edition Nintendo Gameboy Color with \u201cPok\u00e9mon Yellow\u201d video game cartridge. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

He also found joy in assembling a custom team of Pok\u00e9mon he had trained himself, describing it as \u201cuniquely satisfying\u201d when his roster performed well in esports competitions.<\/p>\n

\"HundredsHundreds of Pok\u00e9mon fans join \u201cPokeFest\u201d in Cheung Sha Wan on May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

That echoed the themes of the Pok\u00e9mon series, which celebrates friendship, adventure, and bonding between humans and the fantasy creatures.<\/p>\n

\"PeoplePeople hunt for Pok\u00e9mon cards in a Cheung Sha Wan shopping mall on June 5, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

That July weekend in Tsim Sha Tsui, circles of friends formed within the crowd to catch the legendary Mewtwo. While most were glued to their mobile phones in silence, they were clearly engaging with one another in a virtual space invisible to onlookers.<\/p>\n

\"AA child walks through a Pok\u00e9mon installation in a shopping mall in Cheung Sha Wan, May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

As Cheng Yip-kai, the 2024 world champion, roamed the area, his former secondary school teacher approached to say hello. She was accompanied by her two young sons, who were also trying to catch the Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n

\"RedRed envelopes displayed on a cabinet for a lucky draw in a shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, August 17, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Cheng\u2019s teammate Chung, a 39-year-old civil servant, told HKFP that the Pok\u00e9mon franchise owes its success primarily to its emphasis on fostering human connections.<\/p>\n

\"Pok\u00e9monPok\u00e9mon cards in a claw machine. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot handle a Mewtwo by yourself \u2013 you need 20 players to confront that together,\u201d Chung said in Cantonese.<\/p>\n

\"AA shopping mall in Whampoa hosts a \u201cPikachu Meet-and-Greet\u201d event on July 26, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that process, I get to know this or that player and become friends with them. I think this has been [Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s] biggest success.\u201d<\/p>\n

With thanks to Assemble | Nintendo Switch Specialty Store at Hopewell Hill for providing venue for the interview with Tang.<\/p>\n

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