As their children roamed Grant Park in search of Pokémon on Friday, many parents found themselves taking a trip down memory lane, recalling their own experiences with the popular franchise years ago.
Among the thousands gathered in the park were siblings Steven, 7, and Stephanie Tan, 10, who were on a mission to catch some of the rare and powerful legendary Pokémon. Watching from nearby, their father, Steve Tan, couldn’t help but feel nostalgic as he remembered playing the game when he was growing up.
“I remember playing the game with my friends but I eventually grew out of it,” said Tan, 42, of Bridgeport. “Then my kids started playing and I picked it back up because of them. Now they’re teaching me.”
The three-day Pokémon GO Fest kicked off Friday in Grant Park to celebrate the game’s 10-year anniversary. Though the morning started a bit rainy, some precipitation wasn’t enough to stop fans determined to “catch ‘em all.”
Unlike traditional video games, Pokémon GO requires players to explore the real world rather than control a character from a fixed location. The game overlays a virtual world onto real-life surroundings, encouraging players to walk, discover new places and interact with other fans.
While Pokémon GO has been around for a decade, the franchise itself dates back much further. Pokémon first launched in Japan in 1996 as a pair of Game Boy video games and was soon followed by a trading card game that helped fuel its worldwide popularity.
“I never expected this to be as popular as it still is 30 years later. It’s just mind-blowing,” said Jazgul, 34, who did not share her last name.
Fans spent the festival exploring the park to catch Pokémon, complete special challenges and take part in raid battles held throughout the grounds.
Shirley and Steve Tan and their children Steven, 7, and Stephanie, 10, take part in Friday’s Pokémon Go Fest in Grant Park.
Tan said his family will often take walks around their neighborhood to catch Pokémon, but the festival gave them an opportunity to interact with other fans of the game.
“This is just a nice way to spend time together,” he said.
Jazgul’s oldest son, Aidar, brought a binder full of Pokémon cards, hoping to find others willing to trade.
Jazgul said she was a fan of the game as a young girl and was surprised when both of her kids turned into fans. She said Aidar and Jomart, 5, often watch the Pokémon series at home and love to play the game.
“It feels special that there is something we can bond over,” said Jazgul of West Ridge.
Jazgul said the family was celebrating the start of the summer vacation by going to the festival.
“When I was growing up, there weren’t any festivals like this,” she added.
Aidar, wearing a Pikachu hat, said shortly after arriving at the park he caught a Mewtwo, a psychic legendary Pokémon. He hoped to catch as many Pokémon as possible and maybe even leave with a few new trading cards.
Jazgul and sons Aidar and Jomart look at their Pokémon collection while at the Pokémon Go Fest in Grant Park on Friday.
New to the festival, though not the game, were Taylor Wesley, 35, and his son Landry Wesley. The pair drove to Chicago from Missouri on Thursday to experience the festival and catch as many Pokémon as possible.
Wesley said he grew up playing the game and a few years ago Landry found his old trading cards. Since then, they’ve bonded over the game and often play together.
“It’s nostalgic for sure,” Wesley said. “It’s something we can connect with.”
Landry, 7, said he was on a mission to find Zeraora, an electric-type Mythical Pokémon.
Taylor Wesley and his 7-year-old son, Landry, attend Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago on Friday.
Wesley said he’s enjoyed watching the franchise evolve. While many fans still appreciate the sense of adventure and exploration that made Pokémon popular in the first place, he said the franchise has had to adapt to changing technology and a new generation of players to remain relevant.
“If it hadn’t ever evolved, I don’t think you’d have this much interest,” Wesley said. “I think how they introduce new aspects to the game keeps it really interesting.”
Unlike the other parents, Roque Raygoza Sr. said he learned about the game from his 7-year-old son, Roque Jr. The pair drove to the festival from Oak Lawn.
“He’s the one teaching me,” Roque Sr. said. “It’s turned out to be a really nice day.”
Standing in the middle of the park, Roque Jr. was still in disbelief that he had caught a Shiny Mewtwo, which is occasionally available during special in-game Raid events.
“Nobody ever catches a Shiny Mewtwo. Yeah, I’m shocked,” said the 7-year-old.
Roque Jr. said he caught so many Pokémon that he was about ready to go home.
“I pretty much already caught all the ones I wanted,” he said while his dad laughed.
The first Pokémon GO Fest was held in Grant Park in 2017. Friday marked the start of the festival’s return to the park for the first time since 2019.
