Pokémon turns 30: What’s behind the media franchise’s enduring appeal?

Benson Lu’s life revolves around Pokémon.

The 26-year-old has played the mobile game Pokémon Go every day for a decade, watches the animated show every week, goes to the local card shop in his Los Angeles suburb to play the brand’s trading card game every week, and has a whopping collection of cards worth more than $70,000.

“I don’t remember when was the last day I did not think about Pokémon at all,” he said.

In the 30 years since Pokémon debuted in Japan with the 1996 release...