Pokemon-thesmall, adorable creatures with special fighting abilities-have been around formore than two decades, and they're as popular as ever, mainly due to familiessharing the legacy. More than 7,500 people from 49 different countries areexpected to attend the annual Pokemon World Championships in Washington thisweekend. On Friday, as the event kicked off, most of the attendees appeared tobe in their twenties or older. "I'm 24, but I know I look young,"joked Amanda Gunkle, who was decked head-to-toe in the gear of Pikachu, theiconic yellow Pokemon.
She came in fromPittsburg with her twin brother to watch the tournament. "I've been a fan(of Pokemon) since my early childhood," she said. It's clear why Pokemonappeal to younger children. But for many of the older fans, Pokemonsimultaneously represent nostalgia and novelty. The Pokemon franchise launchedin Japan in 1996 but didn't take off in the United States until the early2000s. The brand, which is currently estimated to be the highest-grossing mediafranchise ever, produces video games released in pairs every one to two years,alongside a new batch of Pokemon species.
It also makestrading cards that players use to battle each other, an animated televisionseries and several movies. "We're definitely seeing some intergenerationalfans," said Elvin Gee, a spokesman for the Pokemon Company, who was a bigfan of Pokemon himself growing up. "It's amazing to see parents pass ontheir cards or pass on their video games to their children," he said.
'Something foreveryone'
The franchise'spopularity is also due to the recent success of smartphone app Pokemon Go, agame that lets players walking the real world hunt virtual Pokemon, as well asthe film "Detective Pikachu," which opened in May and has made morethan $430 million worldwide. "There's something for everyone," Geesaid. New Jersey native John Kim drove down with his family so his two oldersons, ages 11 and eight, could compete in the tournament.
"I reallylike it for (my sons), because... they have to learn to lose gracefully, to wingracefully. They learn rules, they learn to accept outcomes," the40-year-old said. For the Kim family, Pokemon's legacy moved in the oppositedirection: John became interested when his sons started playing. Now, the wholefamily plays together, even the youngest boy, who at four years old playsalongside his brothers-albeit with a simpler deck. "They have to sit withan opponent" and engage with others, Kim said. That engagement is a stapleof the Pokemon community, with many players developing close friendships,despite only seeing each other at the World Championships once a year.
The Championshipsprize money-which runs up to $25,000 for the card game tournament-is mainlyoffered in the form of scholarships or travel certificates, particularly forplayers under 18 years old. The goal is to encourage education and strongprinciples among the participants, many of whom are minors.
"It's aboutsportsmanship, it's about great characters, it's about a great game," saidGee. Like the Kims, Yannick Daunais' interest in Pokemon was sparked when hisdaughters started playing. The 38-year-old from Joliette, Quebec drove toWashington so his 11-year-old son could compete in the Championships."We're like a huge family," said his daughter Mya, 14. She and hersister Lidya, 12, were dressed as Pikachu and Eevee, another Pokemon."Exactly," her father agreed. "We're part of a huge Pokemonfamily." - AFP