“The Pokémon phrase ‘gotta catch ‘em all’ may resonate with my grandchildren, but for me, it is, perhaps, aspirational,” the King joked

It seems King Charles’ grandchildren have passed on some of their pop culture knowledge to their grandfather!

On June 25, Charles, 75, hosted a state banquet to welcome Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to the U.K. During his speech, the King noted the many ways Japan and England’s cultures have melded together — especially in the realm of pop culture. As he recounted an anecdote about his attempts to improve his fly fishing skills so he can join Emperor Naruhito in one of his favorite pastimes, Charles suggested that Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 are Pokémon fans.

After sharing how he and the Emperor have bonded over trips to the opera and fly-fishing expeditions, the monarch made a joke at his own expense.

JORDAN PETTITT/POOL/AFP via Getty Japan’s Emperor Naruhito (left) and King Charles

“I am only sorry to report that I haven’t had any better luck with more recent attempts at fishing — the Pokémon phrase ‘gotta catch ‘em all’ may resonate with my grandchildren, but for me, it is, perhaps, aspirational!” King Charles said.

Chris Jackson/Getty King Charles holds Prince Louis in 2022

In a video from the banquet shared by Sky News on X (formerly known as Twitter), Prince William can be seen reacting to Charles quoting from the popular children’s series with an endearing smile as he looks up at his father.

King Charles’ Pokémon reference came just three days after William celebrated his 42nd birthday at Taylor Swift’s London Eras Tour stop on June 21. The Prince of Wales brought his two eldest children — George and Charlotte — along to the concert. William was even spotted dancing to “Shake It Off” in the stands at Wembley Stadium.

William, George and Charlotte went backstage where they met Swift, 34, and her boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce. The “Fortnight” singer posted a group photo from the evening to her Instagram, captioning the snap, “Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start 🇬🇧🇺🇸🤝.”

Travis, 34, and his brother Jason Kelce spoke about meeting the royals on the June 26 episode of their New Heights podcast, where they both shared how impressed they were with Charlotte.

“I gotta say, Prince William was fantastic, but the highlight was Princess Charlotte. Prince George was great too. She was so f—— adorable. Like, I cannot…” Jason, 36, shared, as Travis agreed and said “she was.”

Travis added, “She was a superstar,” while his older brother noted Charlotte “had fire to her” and “she was asking questions.”

Between their recent Swift encounter and their grandfather revealing the children know their Pokémon, it’s clear that while they may be royals, Charlotte, George and Louis are still first and foremost kids who are keeping their parents — and grandparents — up to speed on what’s cool at the moment.