{"id":449411,"date":"2026-09-01T01:14:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T01:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/449411\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T01:14:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T01:14:25","slug":"at-pokemon-world-championships-in-san-francisco-whimsical-fandom-shines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/449411\/","title":{"rendered":"At Pok\u00e9mon World Championships in San Francisco, Whimsical Fandom Shines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"An attendee poses for a photo at the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

Hours before last Thursday\u2019s San Francisco Giants<\/a> game at Oracle Park, eager fans lingered near the gates. They weren\u2019t waiting to see the game, or to catch fly balls. Instead, they came to catch Pikachu at Pok\u00e9mon Worlds Night<\/a> \u2014 a Giants celebration of Pok\u00e9mon fandom with a Pikachu-Giants jersey giveaway and a dazzling post-game drone show.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The night included a stadium-sized sing-along of the Pok\u00e9mon theme song, and Giants players huddling in the dugout to rip open packs of Pok\u00e9mon trading cards and compare custom airbrushed Charizard cleats.<\/p>\n

These festivities helped kick off San Francisco\u2019s citywide embrace of the Japanese anime juggernaut, which took over the town Friday through Sunday for the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP hosted at Moscone Center.<\/p>\n

\"\"Rio (from left), Natsuki and Rina, from Japan, pose for a photo at the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

The event \u2014 an annual rotating spectacle featuring the globe\u2019s largest Pok\u00e9mon gaming tournament, a fan convention, and experiential activations galore \u2014 attracted over 50,000 badged attendees and nearly 3,000 competitors from across 54 countries.<\/p>\n

Since its founding in 2004, the event has been held in the Bay Area just twice. According to convention organizers, this year\u2019s San Francisco edition was the best and biggest to date.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fans certainly agreed. And for those visiting the region with their quirky fandom, they felt right at home.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jacqueline (left) and Jessica at the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.<\/p>\n

(left) and Jessica\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bay Area seems very whimsical and accepting of other people and lifestyles. I want to live here,\u201d said Fableddarling<\/a>, a cosplayer who traveled from North Carolina to the Bay Area for the first time for the event. Fableddarling wore an elaborate homemade outfit of Alcremie, a fairy-type Pok\u00e9mon character made of whipped cream and strawberries.<\/p>\n

Others weren\u2019t sure what to expect from San Francisco, having been fed a doom-loop narrative about the city before arriving. One Hawaiian couple, Taka and Kat \u2014 dressed as Team Star villains from Pok\u00e9mon Violet and Scarlet \u2014 had mixed expectations of the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had family members saying things like \u2018Don\u2019t die\u2019 when we told them we were going to San Francisco,\u201d Kat said. That myth was quickly dispelled for the couple after riding in a self-driving vehicle for the first time and gorging on regional staples like clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kat (left) and Taka of Hawaii, dressed as team star, pose for a photo in Yerba Buena Gardens during the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

Naturally, a few criticisms arose. Complaints about long lines and a safety issue with the San Francisco Fire Marshal<\/a> underscored frustrations over event logistics. One eventgoer, Vivian, who commuted from Manteca, admitted she \u201cwouldn\u2019t have picked San Francisco\u201d as the host city because of the city\u2019s inconveniences with parking and crime.<\/p>\n

But the vast majority of Pok\u00e9mon fans seemed happy with the city, and the many ways it pitched in the weekend celebration.<\/p>\n

On site, musicians like Trevor Strohl of Character Select<\/a>, a local jazz band that riffs off video game soundtracks, wandered around Moscone Center\u2019s main plaza while belting out saxophone solos of Pok\u00e9mon tunes upon request. Off site, small local businesses like Joe\u2019s Ice Cream<\/a> went viral for turning their scoops of ice cream into Pok\u00e9mon characters for the weekend. Dumpling Time\u2019s San Francisco locations added Poke-Bao (egg yolk) and Pika-Bao (barbecue pork)<\/a> to their weekend menus, taking the form of Pok\u00e9balls and Pikachus.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

Longtime San Francisco resident Eddie Castro wore his special-edition Levi\u2019s jean jacket with a Pikachu emblazoned upon the back; after collecting his World Championship pins, he planned to attend a social hour with Pok\u00e9mon-inspired cocktails and card battles at Lookout<\/a> in the Castro.<\/p>\n

For the bravest enthusiasts, Golf Leaf Ink hosted a \u201cGotta Tat \u2019Em All\u201d Pok\u00e9mon flash tattoo party<\/a> for those wanting to permanently catch their favorite fictional creatures. (Did this writer briefly consider inking a Machamp<\/a>? Maybe.)<\/p>\n

Even the niche intersection of California skateboarding culture and Pok\u00e9mon fandom was evident. Santa Cruz Skateboards installed a half pipe in front of Moscone Center, and brought their team of professional skaters to ride special edition Pok\u00e9mon decks in celebration of their 30th Anniversary Pok\u00e9mon collaboration<\/a>. Additionally, a limited-edition Bear Walker-designed Pikachu cruiser board was among the most highly coveted items of the event \u2014 costing $350 and available only after being selected through a rigorous lottery process.<\/p>\n

\"\"Santa Cruz Skateboards designed like Pok\u00e9mon cards on display at the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

\u201cI already got offered $1,000 in cash for this, but I\u2019m a skater; I\u2019m not here to scalp or make money [from reselling],\u201d said Zach Brookins, a former Bay Area resident who drove up from his hometown in San Diego for a chance to acquire the skateboard. \u201cI\u2019m going to ride this board into the ground. I\u2019m going to put my dirty feet all over Pikachu this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the adults-only crowd, visiting burlesque dancers Jessica Nova<\/a> and Bon Bon were dressed for the occasion as they strolled the grounds in their risqu\u00e9 garb. For them, San Francisco remains a nexus for the strange, unexpected fandoms within nerd culture (think drag shows that feature dragon-type Pok\u00e9mon like \u201cDrag-onite\u201d).<\/p>\n

Of course, the Pok\u00e9mon takeover wasn\u2019t just for nostalgic, endorphin-seeking adults. The entirety of Yerba Buena Gardens was transformed into a Pok\u00e9mon-ized outdoor clearing with activities, giveaways and a kids area for infants and toddlers dressed as miniature Evees, Tertwigs and Mimikyus while a massive inflated Pikachu overlooked.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Pikachu dance is performed during the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most endearing element of the weekend was the intergenerational aspect of Pok\u00e9mon fandom.<\/p>\n

Alvaro Perez, along with his wife Karina (who was costumed as Umbreon), flew in from Mexico City to cheer on their adolescent son, Hernan, who competed among the world\u2019s best \u201ctrainers.\u201d Ricky, a Bernal Heights local who dressed up as Ash Ketchum, brought his teenage son for the experience; as lowrider aficionados, they particularly appreciated the bright yellow, Pikachu-styled 1950s Cadillac convertible on display.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For families like these, the convention offered an opportunity to pass down a lifelong fandom to future gamers and fans. Though corporate brands like Build-A-Bear, Crocs and Nintendo were visibly promoting new products, it didn\u2019t overtake the sincerity of a nerdy, lovable experience in an inviting, eccentric atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\"\"Pikachu characters sit on top of a replica of the golden gate bridge which stands over the entrance to the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships and Pok\u00e9monXP fan convention held at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Aug. 28, 2026.\u00a0(Nina Glick\/KQED)<\/p>\n

As the 8-Bit Big Band<\/a> orchestra blasted out theme song tributes for each major Pok\u00e9mon installment from the past 30 years, images of Pok\u00e9mon exploring San Francisco\u2019s attractions could be seen \u2014 a Rayquaza<\/a>-themed cable car on Howard Street, a remixed Fisherman\u2019s Wharf sign with Krabby<\/a> as the logo.<\/p>\n

In that sense, there may not be another city in the world with as perfect a backdrop for catching Pok\u00e9mon as right here in the Bay.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSan Francisco felt like a natural fit given its status as one of the best cities in the world,\u201d Nick Salazar of the Pok\u00e9mon Company International told KQED. \u201cWe were here 10 years ago, so returning to San Francisco, and bringing an even larger event to the city, feels particularly special.\u201d<\/p>\n