Pokémon Go marked its 10th anniversary with a fan pop-up event in Shoreditch, east London, drawing hundreds of devotees to celebrate the augmented reality smartphone game that has taken millions of players out into the real world to catch virtual creatures. The gathering, held on a Saturday, highlighted how the franchise has built a devoted, intergenerational community that spans the globe, three decades after the original Pokémon games launched in Japan.

Long-time fan Mairead Ralph, 42, who has followed the series since Pokémon Red debuted in 1996, met her husband at a Pokémon fan event 16 years ago and even themed their wedding around the characters. She has travelled to Japan, the US and France for fan meet-ups, saying "the language of Pokémon is universal" and that the games offer people "a happy place" amid difficult times such as the cost of living crisis. The franchise, spanning games, cards, films and merchandise, is now the world's biggest media franchise with revenues of $147bn (£110bn), according to Guinness World Records, with rare cards such as a graded Pikachu Illustrator selling for £12m earlier this year. Other attendees included engineer Rumeysa Usca, 34, who travelled from Leamington with her pomeranian to enjoy the game's blend of exercise and entertainment.