For more than three decades, Pokemon and its various card and video games have enjoyed sustained popularity around the world. And at least one prominent collector and investor–Griffin Gaming Partners co-founder Peter Levin–believes that Pokemon’s enduring appeal not only extends to the present, it could continue even if the world suddenly came to an end.
“Pokemon is a global phenomenon,” Levin told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m absolutely convinced that if the world suffered an apocalypse tomorrow, the following day the global currency would be Pokemon cards. Pokemon cards are beating the S&P 500 by 3,000%. Emanating from Japan, it really took hold around the world in the late ’90s and early 2000s. It then had a zenith moment and then a nadir moment, and ever since then, it’s been on a parabolic growth curve.”
As unlikely as that scenario might seem, there could be a very entertaining movie based on survivors using Pokemon cards as currency during an apocalypse. It would be probably even better with actual Pokemon–like the Detective Pikachu movie–but Levin’s really hit on fun idea even if it doesn’t have a basis in reality.
Everything Levin said about Pokemon’s popularity is correct. There’s a reason why the Japanese mob reportedly used rare Pokemon cards to launder money or for increasingly brazen robberies of Pokemon cards from stores across the US. Some people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for the rarest Pokemon cards and collectibles.
However, that value can only hold if the cards have some intrinsic value outside of Pokemon fans. They’re only valuable as long as someone puts real currency toward them. Without that network of dedicated buyers, Pokemon cards wouldn’t be worth the paper they’re printed on when the world goes to hell.
Before any potential apocalypse comes along, Pokemon is getting a new stop-motion animated series on Disney+. The September 2026 events for Pokemon Go were also recently announced. Earlier this summer, Pokemon Pokopia received a DLC update as well.