There was a lot more to find at the Rose Bowl Stadium this weekend than met the eye, as the second-largest Pokémon GO get-together in the country wooed some 30,000 players to a happy hunt for virtual pocket monsters.
Pokémon GO Tour: Unova-Los Angeles began Friday morning and ran through Sunday at a location that, until recently, was clustered with activities related to the Eaton fire.
This weekend, however, fans of the virtual scavenger hunt-type augmented reality game app traveled from around the real world to scour an imaginary one for cartoon critters, as well as to connect with old and new friends alike.
“You can almost think of it as treasure hunting, but it’s not competitive,” said Christian Sabella, who traveled from Berkeley Heights, N.J., to attend his first tour. “Everyone’s helping each other … Everyone’s here for the same purpose (and) people tell people where the rare Pokémons are.”
By Friday afternoon Sabella had already captured an exclusive White Kyurem, one of the rare creatures that, at this point, was only available to “trainers” attending the Pasadena event.
While there were thousands of visitors at the stadium and surrounding area, it was a noticeably quiet crowd. People enjoyed the chance to take photos with some Pokémon characters, explore the virtual habitats spread throughout the adjacent Brookside Golf Club, have a bite to eat at one of the many vendor shops, and catch up with people they’ve only otherwise had contact with through the game app.
Mostly people walked around the stadium and fields, many wearing hats with the likeness of favorite Pokémon critter Pikachu, focused on their phones, looking for pocket monsters that were hiding in and around the area.
The Pokémon GO Tour also expanded throughout the city this weekend, with “Field Research” opportunities affording chances for encounters with the likes of Joltik, Tympole, Woobat, and other critters inhabiting the virtual world.
Andrew and Emily Acklin of Olmsted Falls, Ohio, started with the game when it first came out in July, 2016.
“We both got into the game and we’ve been traveling ever since,” Andrew said. “This is our 10th or 11th in-person event. We’ve traveled internationally, to Montreal, to Mexico City, all across the United States.
“We’ve met so many great people and we’ve made so many friends,” Emily said, “and we’ve gone to places that we probably never would have been because of this game, so it’s been worth it. It’s been a lot of fun.”
In between virtual searches for characters, the couple was circling the stadium holding up a sign asking if anyone wanted to trade a Shiny Safari Hat EeVee.
“He’s an extremely rare one that most people don’t have,” Andrew explained, only making intermittent appearance at some international get-togethers. “It’s only available in very limited quantities in Safari Zones, which are currently only international.”
Jee Young is a broadcast journalist who traveled from her home in Seoul, Korea, to be at her first U.S. Pokémon GO event.
“I love to travel for Pokémon GO festivals,” she said. “Last year I traveled to many countries.”
She said this particular event was great because it was being run in a large, roomy area, unlike some others she has gone to that were more crammed and noisier.
“Many people are here, but it’s very peaceful, very calm,” Young said, noting how much she values a chance to meet new friends from around the world at these gatherings.
This is the second year the event has been held in Los Angeles. Previously held virtually and in Las Vegas two years ago, it’s now likely to be an annual get-together in L.A., second in size only to Pokémon GO Fest in New York City, which is held in July and last year saw about 70,000 participants.
“They know that people like the big in-person events because they know people like playing with people,” explained Damian Mercado of Salinas, who has been playing off and on since the game first came out, but has never gotten to attend a festival before.
He said that, while he enjoys the game itself, the connections that come about with fellow players is a subtle and welcome addition to the experience.
“I didn’t really just expect to be with a big group of adult friends again,” he said, noting how the game becomes an excuse to socialize. “At first you’re focusing on the catches and the game and stuff, but halfway through you realize you guys are just chatting … It’s kind of cool.”
Mercado got his friend Chimene Minshew of Sacramento into the game.
“It’s a good connection point for building relationships, new relationships, especially post pandemic,” she said. “It’s kind of harder to get out and do things with people, so this makes it easier and it’s fun. We like it.”
Dan Smith, who traveled down from Puyallup, Wash., said that many of the gamers use an app called Campfire that allow them to socialize in relation to Pokémon GO.
“You end up with a bunch of new friends,” he said. “I come to every major event and it’s been fun to see some of the same people over the last three, four years.”
Smith said he has encountered visitors from several other countries, including Japan and Korea. “It’s cool that they make it all the way out here for this,” he said. “It’s super fun.”
Chris Eilertson of San Diego has met and become friends with several people in his area through the game. While they don’t regularly see one another in San Diego, a group of them drove up to L.A. together to attend the gathering.
“It gives us a fun field trip,” Eilertson said, commending the game and gathering.
“It’s a fun game and it gives you something where you can all come together,” he said.
Jarret Liotta is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and photographer.