Lately, I’ve been watching what some would say is an unhealthy amount of Funhaus videos using the YouTube App on my PS4. As some of you may know there is no ad blocker on the app, therefore I’m forced to watch at least 10 seconds of any given ad. The Pokemon 20 ad came on about every other video and it wasn’t until the 20th (see what I’m doing?) time I saw that little indian boy running that it hit me. Pokemon is 20 years old
In first (or maybe it was second, I’m old) grade a couple of my friends were talking about this awesome new cartoon known as “Pokemon”. They turned to me and ask me “Whose your favorite Pokemon?”. I had no idea what Pokemon was at the time but from what I understood it was a show about monsters that fought each other. Instinct told me any show that involved monsters fighting usually had a dinosaur in it so I looked them dead in the eye and confidently said “The Dinosaur One.” Sure enough Charmander and all his evolutions are still my favorite Pokemon to this day. I retold that story because I still remember that moment perfectly. It was my first introduction to Pokemon, which unknowingly gave me my first taste of anime fandom.
Pokemon was the first video game series to completely consume me. I still remember walking around Target with my copy of Red version in hand alternating the box from front to back. When Pokemon Yellow was announced my Dad drove me to Toys R Us to reserve my copy. I lost my shit when Pokemon Gold & Silver revealed to me that there was more than just 151 different Pokemon. Pokemon Stadium was the last Pokemon game from my childhood that had its grip on me until Fire Red and Soul Silver tugged on my leash. And now here I am, a twenty-something year old trying to EV train my gang of pocket monsters.
Of course you can’t reminisce about Pokemon without mentioning the trading card game. I was never into baseball cards so Pokemon cards were the start of my short lived card collecting career. I remember going into collectible stores and staring at the Charizard card through the display case. My little ass hole brain couldn’t comprehend why my Dad wouldn’t just buy this $80 piece of shiny paper for me. I mean, I asked nicely. My binder game was on point though, with my whole collection beautifully displayed in protective sleeves. Unfortunately I have since lost my entire collection.
Last but not least, the Anime. I bought the VHS (google it kids) which contained the first three episodes of the original series. From the moment Ash got fried to shit by thunder I was hooked. I remember having to constantly adjust the tv antenna (google that too kids) so I can watch the show since I didn’t have cable. I wasn’t able to watch every episode but there are two that stand out to me in particular. The first being when Ash decided to try to release Pikachu to be with the wild Pikachus and the Cubone episode. Those episodes did what no other cartoon (or show) had ever done to me before, they got me choked up with emotion. The theatrical movie gave me my first dose of plot twist when they killed Ash for five minutes. What a rollercoaster ride that was, and I HATE rollercoasters.
When I think back to Pokemon and my childhood I have nothing but good memories. It played such a huge role in my life and shaped a lot of who I am today. Who knows if Senpai Social Club would even be a thing if Pokemon didn’t exist. So Happy Birthday Pokemon! Twenty years later you still find ways to improve on the same formula that got us all hooked in the first place. Here’s to hoping history repeats itself and you give all the jr Senpais the same experiences you gave us.
Gotta go catch em all, later Plebs
- Matthew