The summer of 2016 might feel like a lifetime away — notably hallmarked by a polarizing election year. But that was also when Pokémon Go was first released in the United States, instantly taking over our phones and sidewalks as players ventured out into the real world to compete and catch virtual “pocket monsters.”
Like most viral crazes, stories of the augmented reality game’s rapid mainstream fandom — and their mishaps while playing — fizzled out.
However, a good amount of love for the iconic Japanese franchise has lived on in the Bay Area. Many local fans, like Ashley Tan never quit playing since the game was released — even though she was just around 9 years old at the time.

“I continue playing now because of the community I’ve made around it,” says Tan, 17, who lives in Dublin. “We catch Pokémon, we do raids, and there are community days where people come out and catch Pokémons.” (Raids are opportunities in the game for players to work together to battle a boss Pokémon, and players that succeed in a raid can win special items and catch unique Pokémon.)
“You’ll see a lot of people still playing this,” Tan says — an observation that was borne out last weekend as Tan joined hundreds of Bay Area Pokémon fans who ventured out to San Francisco’s public libraries to celebrate the city’s first official Pokémon Celebration Day.