Pokémon and us, 30 years later: growing up, connecting, and continuing to catch them generation after generation

If you played Pokémon from the first generation, your story may be similar. In a video game magazine, back in 1996, there were some comments about a new title in Japan that would be coming to the Game Boy. Under the name Pocket Monsters, some very peculiar creatures were the center of attention, and it was sold to you as something that could make it to our continent. Months and years passed, and finally, it was announced that Pokémon, led by a small yellow electric mouse named Pikachu, would finally come into our lives. The slogan, beyond a promise, was a challenge, an obligation: Gotta Catch ‘em all!

A world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits you

Although it wasn’t such a big craze at first (maybe for about two weeks), I still remember that afternoon in a department store looking at Game Boy games. It was the same game, but not quite: two different editions that forced me to make a decision that, for me, just entering my teenage years, seemed important. The red dragon or the blue turtle. It would be an exaggeration to say that it was a defining moment in my life, but it did start a tradition that has lasted for nearly 28 years. Pokémon Blue was the first game I got my hands on, but not the last. As always, the trip home flew by as I read the manual, with Professor Oak’s recommendations for newbies to this new adventure, and learned about mechanics, the evolution of these species, and how to capture them.

Before the 1998 boom began—before the anime, trading cards, manga, and movie—Pokémon was just a game complemented by my imagination. It was convincing my friends to buy the game, then finding a Cable Link so I could trade with them, asking on the message board of the old Nintendo site if anyone knew how to get through the Safari Zone—and waiting for a response, like a primitive way of using the internet. My first “hangover” from a video game, dreaming that I caught the same Sandshrew and Zubat over and over again after spending almost an afternoon and evening connected to my trusty Game Boy Pocket.

Looking back on what Pokémon has meant to me, I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. With each generation, there was this almost ritualistic obligation to buy a new game. It was a shared adventure, an experience that I knew my friends would also be having. At the same time, and without getting too hung up on it, I always found that sweet spot between a balanced team that included my favorite Pokémon... and the fact that catching certain Pokémon required a certain amount of patience.

Over the years, Pokémon became a way to connect with friends and strangers in a way that goes beyond a video game. Being able to continue trading Pokémon with my best friend from high school, even though life has separated us by miles, time zones, and countries, only makes me think of one of the great quotes from the series: “The power of science is incredible.” The fact is that connecting remotely was a dream about 27 years ago, when we had to be connected with a cable.

I can do that...

Beyond leisure, Pokémon also ended up having an impact on my professional life. From those days as a contributor writing about Pokémon technologies, to not believing I would be reviewing Pokémon Sun & Moon, to the moments when I started playing Pokémon GO with the rest of the editorial team. It was exciting, but also a learning experience: separating fanaticism and focusing on the experience.

During my time in Public Relations with Nintendo, it meant preparing media lists for Pokémon Sword & Shield in advance. And upon my return to the media, it meant attending important events such as the Pokémon World Championships, which took me to London, Yokohama, and Honolulu, not only with colleagues I consider friends, but also with other fans of what this franchise has created. Each in their own way, with a love for video games, the trading card game, or simply collecting these pocket monsters.

Today, on its 30th anniversary, I look back and think about everything Pokémon has been and everything it can still become. Just as there are great victories, there are also defeats, but the fighting spirit and desire to improve must always remain. Like the anime, despite keeping Ash Ketchum as an eternal runner-up for years, it finally gave us the gift of seeing him become champion, at a moment that an entire generation celebrated. At the same time, I see friends and acquaintances watching their children choose their first Pokémon as part of an almost rite of passage in their lives. Because we know that, all things considered, Pokémon will continue to be a part of our lives.

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