Welcome to the world of Pokémon
Greetings and salutations! Thanks for stopping by once again. For the topic this week, I thought we could take a look at one of the most celebrated game titles of all time, Pokémon.
This is just one of my favorite things
“Welcome to the world of Pokémon.” I’ll never forget hearing Professor Oak say those words to me for the first time as a kid. Little did I know, I was starting on a path that would see me following this franchise almost my entire life.
I can remember the very first time I saw the Pokémon cartoon for the first time on an early Saturday morning. Everything about it was amazing, and soon I would be playing the video games and collecting the cards as well. Pokémon FireRed was the first Pokémon game I ever played, and to be honest, I probably put more hours into that game than any game since. In fact, I still try to play it at least once every year.
Starting with FireRed, I’ve since played almost every game in the series, and have made a serious attempt at catching all 807 currently existing Pokémon (which is one of the nerdiest things I’ve ever done). I’ve even taken a shot at competitive Pokémon, which if you are knowledgeable on the subject, you would know it’s not easy at all. After everything Pokémon and I have been through, I’d definitely categorize it as one of my favorite game series in the world.
Pokémon Popularity
I usually take some time in these blogs to explain each game I’m talking about just in case there is someone who has no idea what the title I’m talking about is, but Pokémon needs no such introduction.
Pokémon is currently the highest grossing media franchise of all time, making $90 billion in revenue. While I’m mostly a fan of the video games, Pokémon is far more than just that. With products spanning from video games, to card games and TV shows. Pokémon also has 22 animated movies, as well as the newly made live action Pokémon movie, Detective Pikachu.
The world of Pokémon spans much farther than media even. Depending on where you look, there is likely merchandise all over for you to see. Whether it’s a plushie, clothes, figures or toys, Pokémon merchandise can be found in pretty much any form.
More than just a series
Pokémon is a culture. People all over the world cherish the name Pokémon and are happy when they hear it. In the gaming community alone, Pokémon has meant generations of gamers choosing their very own starters and going on their first adventure. While it may seem odd to an outsider, Pokémon is truly a game where you grow attached to the pixels on the screen. I remember feeling so excited as a kid whenever I caught a new Pokémon, like I was adding a new friend to my roster. Now, that may seem a bit lame, but I promise, as a kid there was no better feeling then watching Pokémon on the TV, then going and becoming your own main character in the games, making friends with the Pokémon you meet and forming a bond with them.
There is a way of playing through the Pokémon games known as a Nuzlocke Challenge. It is essentially a set of self-imposed rules to make the game harder for yourself while playing. One of the hardest parts of the challenge is that you can only catch the first Pokémon you find in each section of the game, which makes each Pokémon feel special. You also have to nickname each Pokémon, which is an otherwise optional feature. Now the tough part, if the Pokémon were to faint in battle, you can't revive them. They must be released into the wild, never to be used or seen again. This means after hours and hours of training your Pokémon, naming it and going on your journey with it, you have to say goodbye to it and never see it again. I dare you to go through that process once and not feel sad letting your partner go.
A little bonus
If you are interested in playing Pokémon, but never have before, then you definitely should. Not only are the games fantastic, but there are so many more things to them that make them great. For example, knowing that the phrase “smell ya later” is actually a reference to Blue, the male antagonist of the first Pokémon games. Even more than references, Pokémon has its fair share of mysteries. If you are a fan of horror and Pokémon, you are probably aware of the mysterious ghost girl you meet in Pokémon X & Y, which is a mystery yet to have been solved. In fact, there are quite a handful of events in the series in which you run into ghosts, none of which have ever been fully explained or solved. There are also countless theories surrounding the games and its events which are extremely interesting to think about.
My hot take
I can’t talk about Pokémon without sharing my final thoughts on the series, so I’ll be brief. The best Pokémon of all time is Squirtle, FireRed was the best game in the series, Pokémon Platinum doesn’t get enough love and Charizard isn’t as cool as everyone thinks he is. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
As always, tell me what you think in the comments. Do you like Pokémon as much as me? Do you also think Squirtle is rightfully the best Pokémon? Let me know!
Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll smell ya later.
