Words by Hans Tse

On a scorching July weekend, thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district to search for a rare Pokémon that could only be seen through the screen of a smartphone.

A 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.

This was Mewtwo, a legendary Pokémon 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 Pokémon Go.

Thousands join the official Pokémon Go 10th anniversary event in Tsim Sha Tsui on July 11, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

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 Pokémon 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.

The classic Pokémon trio of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle reflected on a mobile screen. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Three decades after its launch, Pokémon has become one of the world’s most popular and enduring franchises, spawning animated series, films, video games, trading cards, and merchandise ranging from plushies to apparel.

Pokémon GO player Cheng Yip-kai poses for photos with the Pokémon Go app in a park in Ho Man Tin on August 21, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

“If you mention Pikachu, an 80-year-old grandmother would know what it is – and so would a child of three or four,” Pokémon card collector Anthony Cheung told HKFP in Cantonese. “Not every IP [intellectual property] can achieve that.”

Shoppers in a Pokémon pop-up in Tai Wan on April 14, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The cute, ever-expanding brand has become increasingly lucrative in recent years – especially its trading cards, with the prices of rare cards in pristine condition soaring to astronomical figures.

Thousands join the official Pokémon card game tournament in Wan Chai on May 2, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

In February, American influencer Logan Paul reportedly sold his Pikachu Illustrator card – one of the rarest Pokémon cards ever made – for a whopping US$16.5 million (HK$125 million).

A man stares at a Pokémon card vending machine in a Mong Kok shopping mall on April 13, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

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 – a 4,500-fold increase. “That’s the difference,” he said.

Pokémon card frenzy

The Pokémon trading cards were first released in 1996, months after the franchise’s first video games – Pocket Monsters Red and Green – 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.

Children open a Pokémon card pack during the “PokeFest” exhibition and trading event in a Cheung Sha Wan shopping mall on May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Cheung, who began his collecting career by investing in rare banknotes, recalled getting his first Pokémon cards around 2017. “I’m sure that back then I was buying [Pokémon cards] out of pure love. It was zero per cent investment,” the 36-year-old said, adding that watching the original animated series and playing the video games were his childhood pastimes.

Collector Anthony Cheung displays his Pokémon card collection at “Poke Fest” in Cheung Sha Wan, May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

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.

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

Cheung observed that Pokémon cards seemed to defy standard market trends. “Across all the categories of items I’ve collected, their prices only rise as supply depletes over time,” he said.

“But Pokémon cards have changed my perception… I’ve never seen [something] released so recently become so expensive so fast,” he added.

Boys holding hands and looking at Pokémon products in a Causeway Bay store on April 22, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

“I’ve never seen [something] released so recently become so expensive so fast.”

Pokémon Card collector Anthony cheung

With Pokémon 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.

For example, a Pokémon card featuring Psyduck in the style of Edvard Munch’s The Scream and graded PSA 10 – denoting flawless condition – was sold for US$12,611 (HK$98,928) on eBay last month.

Pokémon card game player Kelvin Cheng poses for photos in a Pokémon store in Kwun Tong on August 15, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

These cards were originally handed out as free gifts during a 2018 exhibition on Munch at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.

Cheung said the demand for Pokémon cards remained high because new fans have been consistently drawn to the franchise, partly thanks to social media influencers like Paul.

A claw machine store in Tai Wan, May 7, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The franchise’s ever-expanding roster of Pokémon species also played a role, having grown from 151 in the original 1996 line-up to more than 1,000 today. “It never stops – new Pokémon are constantly being created,” he said.

Trainers who represent Hong Kong

Pokémon card player Kelvin Cheng agreed that the wide variety of Pokémon species in the franchise is key to its popularity and longevity.

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. “Cute, handsome, dragons… [Pokémon] has every type,” Cheng told HKFP in Cantonese. “One will always find a Pokémon they like.”

People attend the “Poke Fest” exhibition in Cheung Sha Wan on May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

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.

Hong Kong regularly holds Pokémon 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.

The Pokémon trading card game sees two players armed with 60-card decks use their Pokémon to battle one another.

A Pikachu shaped birthday cake displayed in a local bakery store in Wan Chai district, May 25, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

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.

Adrian Tang, a 30-year-old corporate trainer, qualified to represent Hong Kong in the video game competition in San Francisco – his second appearance at the Pokémon world championships, following the 2024 tournament in Hawaii. He declined to share his standing at this year’s tournament.

Pokémon video game player Adrian Tang, August 8, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam.

Tang said the greatest appeal of the game lies in the friendships formed through Pokémon. “This group of people would never have become friends were it not for our shared love for Pokémon,” he told HKFP in Cantonese.

The 1998 special edition Nintendo Gameboy Color with “Pokémon Yellow” video game cartridge. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

He also found joy in assembling a custom team of Pokémon he had trained himself, describing it as “uniquely satisfying” when his roster performed well in esports competitions.

Hundreds of Pokémon fans join “PokeFest” in Cheung Sha Wan on May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

That echoed the themes of the Pokémon series, which celebrates friendship, adventure, and bonding between humans and the fantasy creatures.

People hunt for Pokémon cards in a Cheung Sha Wan shopping mall on June 5, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

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.

A child walks through a Pokémon installation in a shopping mall in Cheung Sha Wan, May 1, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

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 Pokémon.

Red envelopes displayed on a cabinet for a lucky draw in a shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, August 17, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Cheng’s teammate Chung, a 39-year-old civil servant, told HKFP that the Pokémon franchise owes its success primarily to its emphasis on fostering human connections.

Pokémon cards in a claw machine. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

“You cannot handle a Mewtwo by yourself – you need 20 players to confront that together,” Chung said in Cantonese.

A shopping mall in Whampoa hosts a “Pikachu Meet-and-Greet” event on July 26, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

“In that process, I get to know this or that player and become friends with them. I think this has been [Pokémon’s] biggest success.”

With thanks to Assemble | Nintendo Switch Specialty Store at Hopewell Hill for providing venue for the interview with Tang.