A Pokémon GO fan made a remarkable discovery while starting up the classic game on an ancient phone, stumbling upon a version from the early days post-launch. This immensely popular mobile adventure witnessed many transformations in the near nine years since its debut by Niantic and The Pokémon Company.

The nostalgic loading screen shown in the player’s photo features an iconic Gyarados image, used shortly after the Pokémon GO release. The game became a massive success upon its launch in July 2016, quickly garnering over 500 million downloads by year-end and exceeding a billion downloads since then. This sparked the development of various games in the franchise, creating a new era for mobile gaming enthusiasts.

Several fans expressed their nostalgia regarding the old loading screen and eagerly hope for its return, especially with the tenth anniversary of Pokémon GO on the horizon.