30 years after Pokémon's release, fans in London are still trying to catch 'em all

Описание: (27 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
London, UK - 27 February 2026
1. Various of Pikachu at the Pokémon Day celebration event
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Marti Merrick, 35-year-old Pokémon fan:
"I am really excited to be here today, Pokémon is such a huge part of my life. I wouldn't know most of my friends or even my husband without Pokémon being in my life so it really is such a special day to be able to celebrate."
3. Close of Pokeball earrings on Merrick
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Marti Merrick, 35-year-old Pokémon fan:
"I think it just offers something that other games don't, it's based very heavily around trading and community, the trading on the Game Boy games, the trading card game, and it's just a very feel-good series that's just, and while it was predominantly aimed at children in the 90s, we've all grown up with it now and then a lot of adults are passing on to their children and it's something the whole family can enjoy together and it's just a really good, feel-good franchise."
5. Pokeball treats
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Philipp Hansen, 38-year-old Pokémon fan:
"Every generation of kids, of parents, have their Pokemon and shares these memories with their young loved ones and grow together."
7. Pikachu interacting with fan Robert Sephazon
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Sephazon, game developer:
"I'm excited about the culmination of 30 years of memories that people have put together in this community, and just seeing how a game like Pokémon can connect people, not just in one area, but from around the world, so I'm very excited to see the next step in how that evolution continues."
9. Various of staff demonstration of prototype of upcoming game Pokémon Pokopia
10. Various of the newly launched LEGO Pokémon sets
11. Staff holding newly launched Game Boy Jukebox
12. Wide of Pokémon pop-up shop at Natural History Museum
13. Various of Pikachu plush being displayed
14. Various of goods displayed
15. Customers putting products in baskets
16. Basket
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Edith Ng, 30-year-old Pokémon fan:
"Like most important, it's like a childhood dream and because there are many varieties of the Pokémons and people got their favorite type, for sure, and I like Pikachu, I like Gardevoir, and he likes Snorlax, so we got different types and we can play the games, we can watch the cartoons together, so yeah, maybe that's why (people love it)."
18. Various of customers looking at T-shirts
19. Close of bottle
20. Cashier
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Nathaniel Heath, 10-year-old Pokémon fan:
"I think it's the fact of not knowing what you're going to get, like if you're opening packs (of cards), like, if you have like a really good box or something and you don't know what you're gonna get, you could get a really expensive card or a really cool card or card you don't have. So I think that's why lots of people like Pokémon."
22. Shop
23. Child holding plush
24. Exterior of pop-up shop
STORYLINE:
Pokémon fans celebrated its 30th anniversary London on Friday as its popularity continues into the next generation with fans young and old.

In the 30 years since Pokémon debuted in Japan with the 1996 release of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green for Nintendo Game Boy, the franchise has taken over the globe with its animated shows, mobile games and highly coveted trading cards.

Fans across the world gathered at the Pokémon Day celebration event in central London, where new LEGO Pokémon sets and Game Boy Jukebox were unveiled.





"It's like a childhood dream and because there are many varieties of the Pokémons," said Ng.


AP Video by Kwiyeon Ha



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