The Benefits of Starting a Pokémon Cult in School
Let me share a little tale about a 9-year-old kid who lived in an oversized family on a secluded farm in rural Puerto Rico. We’re talking about Corozal here, a town named after the Corozo palm tree. Now, this tree, spiky from head to toe, keeps to itself much like our boy did. Speaking to folks wasn’t his forte; it tied his chest in knots, a real uncomfortable deal.
Maybe it was the unholy amount of TV he watched alone, or perhaps something wasn’t ticking right upstairs, or it could’ve been those deep, existential thoughts that haunt us. There was plenty on his plate: a struggle with accepting himself, a family dynamic that was anything but easy, a brother whose mere presence sent shivers down his spine, and parents who, well, seemed too caught up to really notice him. Frankly, not much was going his way.
As time went by, he stumbled upon the perfect getaway… a Game Boy Color. Exploring “The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening” for lack of a better word, “AWAKENED” something in him… A passion for gaming. This game, with its dreamlike worlds and whimsical characters, became his nightly ritual, a slice of comfort under his bed sheets until sleep took over as the 8-bit retro melodies played like lullabies.
One day, while wandering through the mall, he went into K.B. Toys, his go-to wonderland. Right past the animatronic furry greeters guarding the store, something magical at the cashier’s counter caught his eye. It was a video game with a mean looking dragon on the cover and boy, did it pull him in. The red dragon looked graceful, powerful and confident. It had magnificent blue wings, white claws and a bright flame on its tail. Over the dragon the name read “Pokémon” with the iconic phrase Gotta catch em all.
Despite usually being able to sweet-talk his folks into buying him stuff from here, they drew the line this time. Undeterred, he saved his daily dollar for about a month, fixated on the game and its fierce red dragon cover star. It took him over a month to save the 29.99 needed to buy the game because he couldn’t resist buying his favorite Cheetos a few times at his school.
In the meantime, he tried to wrap his head around the game through a gaming magazine covering it, but RPGs were uncharted territory. He’d sneak peeks at his sibling playing “Final Fantasy 7” on the PlayStation 1, but that was off-limits for him, so it was back to the Game Boy.
He eventually read about the idea of linking up with friends for battles through something called a “Link Cable” and boy did this sound thrilling. However, imagine the boy’s horror as he realized that none of his school buddies had a Game Boy or knew what Pokémon was. That didn’t stop him; he took it upon himself to spread the Pokémon gospel, kickstarting a mini cult like Pokémon group among his school peers. He was the Poke Messiah of his rural middle of nowhere town Padilla Corozal. All his friends gathered around him during lunch recess to watch him play the game and at times trying it.
This enthusiasm spilled over, and before long, everyone was talking Pokémon. The TV series caught on too, but without cable, our hero resorted to buying the pricey VHS tapes.
Eventually, a pal snagged a Game Boy and “Pokémon Blue Edition,” sparking a collective effort to pool money for a Link Cable. The thrill of trading and battling Pokémon during recess was something else, turning their playground into an arena of sorts, complete with small-scale betting system. Bets usually went from 1 to 4 quarters.
Discovering legendary Pokémon like Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and the elusive Mewtwo brought them closer as well as traversing a dark annoyingly Zubat infest cave. They traded and battled their Pokémon for years to come. Through Pokémon, he found his tribe, overcoming his social fears and forging genuine connections.
In retrospect, those early friendships meant the world to him, shaping his future friendships.
And in case you haven’t guessed that kid was me. I never imagined this silly little monster game would make me a fan for the next 26 years. And yes… I’m still playing Pokémon and so is my 7-year-old son.
