Pokemon Go’s TCG Crossover Made It Feel Like 2016 Again

thegamer.com:

Remember when Pokemon Go first launched and the world finally knew peace for one glorious summer? I was part of a crowd that rushed out of a park and towards an unsuspecting pub to catch an Electabuzz. I ran into the woods for a Dratini on more than one occasion. As time has gone on, even loyal players don’t have the energy for these kinds of shenanigans anymore – there are no Pokemon rare enough, for starters – but this week I found myself taking a speedy detour to catch a Slaking. Yes, you read that right.

I had a bad time at Go Fest, but Pokemon Go has been smashing the events since. Adventure Week actually got me adventuring, a feat I never expected this game to achieve in 2022, and Community Day seemed successful even if the next one isn’t quite as exciting. The game is still failing its rural players, but the TCG Crossover event has been another unexpected success for players in more urban areas.

Related: How Pokemon Go Could Help Rural Players

I didn’t expect to like the TCG Crossover event. The Kanto starters and Pikachu in a shit hat? I’m going to play the game, but forgive me for not engaging to the best of my ability. Okay, there’s new-to-the-game Wimpod, but it’s a 400 Candy evolution that will inevitably get a Community Day before too long. Fast forward two weeks, however, and I’ve got enough Candy to evolve one of my four Lucky Wimpods, my bag is full of Pikachu, and I’m running down the road to catch a Slaking. What happened?

For starters, the event came with numerous Collection Challenges. You basically need to catch all of the Pokemon listed in the challenge (or evolve them, or trade for them, depending on the specifics of each particular challenge) and you get a nice reward. I’m a sucker for FOMO, so