I've been a long time Pokémon fan, referring to myself as an OG Trainer whenever I get the chance. My endless treks through the various regions and the inhumane collection of captured small creatures have brought me immeasurable happiness over the years. But, what about these simple little sudo-RPGs makes them so addictive, so enticing, so fun? How did these weird little elemental animals form the highest grossing media franchise on the planet? There has to be something special going on in order for Pikachu to dethrone Mickey Mouse.
Let's roll back to the good ol' days... sitting in the back of my parents' late 90s Mercury Gran Marquee, as we rolled the battleship of a car down the highway. With E.L.O. and Little River Band playing on the stereo, I slid a new red cartridge into my original Gameboy and started my first adventure though the Kanto region. Looking back on that first adventure now, the original Pokémon games are unbelievably primitive compared to the newer releases, but they still overflow with charm. I will always remember Pokémon red and blue fondly. But, they were eclipsed by Pokémon yellow and my new atomic purple Gameboy Color. Suddenly, the Kanto region was alive in ways I'd only imagined. And, on top of it all, I had my Pikachu! Finally, I could truly play Ash's adventure from the Pokémon cartoon! Pokémon hit the perfect one-two combo with it's original Gameboy releases and the debut of the Pokémon cartoon. It was a wonderful time to be a kid.
My next major milestone in Pokémon took me to the Johto region in Pokémon Gold. Now, with my best friend also emersed in Pokémania, I took up my post in my back yard every afternoon. Waiting patiently by the fence until my partner arrived in his back yard. With link cable in hand, the training and battles would commence. It was at this age, I finally took my first steps into my lifelong addiction to the Pokémon Trading Card Game. With my first cards safely in a shoebox under my bed, and my game carts all loaded with level-100 monsters, I unexpectedly stepped away from the Pokémon franchise.
I was very busy with high school, beginning to date, and taking on my first job. I didn't have time for extensive gaming. So, I passed up on the Gameboy Advance altogether. Yes...I know....a terrible decision. The GBA was an incredible handheld that I cheated myself out of. But, fast forward to my college years....I had since become a PlayStation fanboy, and was proudly carrying my PSP around with me, looking down on all the Gameboy players I found. Until the day I pulled out that PSP to play and a friend from the dormitory pulled out a Nintendo DS. It's the first time I'd seen one in person. I couldn't help but be intrigued. I had to have one. I saved some money up and bought a used DS with Mario 64 DS and I was immediately hooked. After browsing the DS library at my local Wal-Mart, I finally decided to give Pokémon another try with Pokémon Black.
I don't remember much of Pokémon Black, but it definitely brought be back to being a trainer. I picked up Black 2 before making the commitment to staying with Nintendo's handhelds, selling my PSP and buying my first 3DS. I was amazed with the visual evolution these games had undergone. I devoured Pokémon X, Moon, and Ultra Sun. As well as catching up on some of the TV series online and rapidly building my card collection. I was back in the thick of the addiction and it was great! My only problem was that I was now in my late 20's and Pokémon players in my age group seemed few and far between. Oh, how wrong I was though. Thanks to a company named Niantic, all of us closeted Pokémon trainers would soon be out in the daylight, touching grass, and bragging about our lasting commitment to our game franchise. Pokémon GO rocked the world. And there I was, walking down the sidewalk with a Team Mystic button on my shirt. It was a Pokémon Renaissance and I was loving every moment of it.
A few years later, I was able to acquire a used Nintendo Switch with Breath of the Wild. After defeating Ganon once again, I made my way to my local GameStop and picked up a copy of Pokémon Let's Go Eevee. I was curious how playing Pokémon on my TV would feel. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was just as amazing as my younger self had imagined when I wished for Nintendo to make Pokémon game for the N64 or the GameCube. I continued my Poké-rampage through Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamon, Legends Arceus, and Scarlett. I refused to listen to the haters online and instead went into each game blind. And, with each game, I was never disappointed. New ideas, new experiments, and the slips and stumbles that accompany modern game designs were there, but none of them ruined my experiences.
Now, I am proud to take my kids to Wal-Mart and see them excited to look at the Pokémon Cards or to see the giant plush Snorlax. Even now, as I'm writing this, my daughter is happily sitting next to me playing Pokémon Go on her phone. (She just excitedly told me she caught an Oricorio) I finally have partners to enjoy the world of Pokémon with again. I was blessed to be able to give each of my kids a Switch Lite, and I love seeing them taking on the Gen 7 and 8 games as their FIRST adventures. I look back at how long I've been a Pokémon fan and how much the games and franchise have evolved over the years. When I sat in the back of that Gran Marquee, I would have never guessed what a Pokémon adventure in 2024 would look like. Now, I wonder how much farther the games will go. When it's 2050, and my kids look back on their first Pokémon adventure with their Ol' Dad, will they still be fans? What will the games look like? How big will the Pokédex be? Will I still be smart enough to enjoy those games with them, or my grandkids? I don't know, but I am excited to find out. Pokémon has been a joyful part of my life for 25 years now. Through 9 generations of games, thousands of cards, figurines, Happy Meal toys, TV shows and movies, Pokémon has been there as I grew up, became an adult, lost loved ones, and built my own family. And I'm proud to pass on my love of this franchise to my kids and excited to watch them pick up the Pokéball and game on!
Comments