Pokemon news: a fruity Pikachu comes to Taipei; update on Pokemon Grandpa

2022-08-02

Now a bouquet of news for Pokemon fans. A series of events is bringing a special fruity Pikachu to Taipei City. You’ll be able to see him performing in Da’an Forest Park. Mayor Ko Wen-je was on hand to discuss his own feelings about the Japanese video game phenomenon. And we also have an update from the city’s beloved Pokemon grandpa. When we last spoke to the Pokemon Go expert in 2020, he had dozens of phones on one bike, in his efforts to catch ‘em all.

A Pikachu in a fruity T-shirt charms the audience. This limited-edition fruity Pikachu is only available in Taipei. He will appear in Pokemon Go for one year from October on, and star at multiple events organized by the Pokemon Company and Taipei City.

This glowing Pikachu has a luminous head at night. You can see him performing in Da’an Forest Park in the evening. Ticket-holders will also get to meet the rare Pokemon Pachirisu. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je doesn’t play Pokemon Go but he knows that many see a likeness between him and Psyduck.

Ko Wen-je
Taipei mayor
I don’t know why I get put together with Psyduck. I really can’t see what we have in common, apart from this head-scratching thing we do.

Ko put on a Psyduck shirt prepared for him but declined to enter a beauty contest with the Pokemon. The Japanese video game creatures are still as big now as they were decades ago, with seemingly universal appeal. Pokemon Go is especially popular.

Jeffery hsu
Gamer
In Taiwan, like in other countries, the average age of gamers has gone up. The way we play videogames has changed. Now you can play while you are walking on the street. It’s almost like a health or fitness thing. You can also interact with other gamers in real life.

Two years ago, Taiwan feted its own Pokemon Go celebrity, a Taipei grandpa who attached more than 60 smartphones to his bike in order to catch ‘em all. His dedication made him the most famous Pokemon hunter in the country.

Chen San-yuan (2020)
Pokemon grandpa
I don’t take them off to ride around here. I can see fine and I can see the cars coming. When I ride down a busier, big road, then I take a few phones off and I can see better.

Since our last interview, Pokemon grandpa achieved his goal of 72 phones on his bike, with sponsorship from a phone company. His family informed us that he’s not able to speak easily anymore, since a stroke at the start of the year. Neighbors in Taipei surely miss the sight of grandpa riding down the street on his latest quest.

新版寶可夢北市現蹤驚傳寶可夢阿伯中風

2022-08-02

寶可夢迷注意了!台北市觀傳局和寶可夢公司合作推出系列活動，除了有限定的樹果皮卡丘，還有夜間限定的皮卡丘表演，市長柯文哲宣傳活動不忘自嘲像可達鴨，預計寶可夢大師將會齊聚一堂抓寶。然而近期已經鮮少看到寶可夢阿伯出現，家人也透露，他已經中風半年。

皮卡丘穿上水果圖案的衣服現身，萌翻全場，這隻全球限定的樹果皮卡丘，只有台北市有，10月將在遊戲裡出現長達一年，台北市觀傳局和寶可夢公司合作，推出一系列活動。

爆炸頭皮卡丘夜間頭頂會發光，民眾晚上可以在大安森林看它表演，活動期間，購買入場卷還可以見到稀有寶可夢帕奇利茲，市長柯文哲雖然不會玩，但覺得自己最像可達鴨。

[[台北市長柯文哲]]
“我不曉得為什麼會跟可達鴨扯上關係，我真的想不出哪個地方像，除了抓頭的這動作以外”

穿上為他特製的可達鴨專屬衣服，柯文哲笑說也沒比較好看，寶可夢熱潮席捲全球，久沒退燒，男女老少全是玩家。

[[遊戲玩家阿輝哥]]
“以台灣來講或是各國，他們遊玩的年齡層算是比較高，因為有些它突破過去單純只是玩遊戲的型態，它可以透過實際上走路，也有點像是健康、健身的概念，又有跟實際玩家部分去做互動”

將近60隻手機架在腳踏車上，穿梭在土城大街小巷抓寶，全台最瘋寶可夢的阿伯非他莫屬，這台抓寶戰車是他的基本配備。

[[寶可夢阿伯陳三元(2020)]]
“這個這樣我不會卸下來，這樣都可以看到，車來也有看到，如果在比較複雜的大路騎，卸下來視線比較好”

寶可夢阿伯擁有有72支手機，配備不斷升級，更有手機廠商贊助，不過他的家人透露，他已經中風半年，無法正常說話，短期之內，可能無法在看到他瘋狂抓寶的身影了。