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"The Ride Ain't Over Yet!"
#ポケモン #Pokemon30thAnniversary
QUESTION OF THE DAY: What does Pokémon mean to you?
It may have taken me a few days to put together my #Pokemon30 celebratory post, but it's finally here! A collage dedicated to all the adventures I've had with Pokémon over the years, featuring photos of me and snapshots I've taken. 30 years (or at least 27 for me) of memories summarized in a single image. Some of these clippings I have never shared individually on here; others have been repurposed to paint this picture. Besides, I kind of hate carousels, only because people never swipe left to see every photo attached to a post. So, while February 27th, 2026, and the Pokémon 30th Anniversary are in the rearview mirror, I am glad I took the time to piece this together the way I want to tell my story.
The great thing about Pokémon is that everyone approaches the series differently. My experiences with it are not the same as someone else's. I don't really have any interest in shiny hunting, nor do I just want to buy and consume every new piece of Pokémon merchandise released every month. A lot of people who are interested in Pokémon do though. That's okay. There are well over a thousand creatures now and counting, and every one of them is someone's favorite. Sure, series like Star Wars or Spider-Man could have many different ways fans are passionate about them. However, you follow specific characters by watching the movies, playing the games, or reading the comics, doing what those characters are already doing.
Pokémon allows everyone's connection to it to be unique. People of any age who don't play the mainline games can still enjoy some aspect of Pokémon. Swap that with the anime, cards, "Pokémon GO," whatever, and there's something that makes people want to be a part of its world. I think about what former 4Kids marketing manager and head sales associate, @joshua_izzo, said on @TaraSandsVO's @4KidsPodcast: "Ash Ketchum is an aspirational hero. I want to be Ash. ... So, the fact that you can put yourself into Ash’s shoes and say, "That’s me." You can see yourself in those characters and say, “I want to do that and go and have that behavior.”" You're not Ash, but his experiences are things you want to individually do with Pokémon, whether in its world or ours. These journeys are even more impactful when connected with others. After all, "it’s about the friendships you made along the way," as Tara once said on her podcast.
From the moment I found out about Pokémon — whether through Nintendo Power or the hoopla in '99 at school — to watching the cartoon soon after, to getting Red version as my first game, and eventually getting that first pack of cards months later (because they were always sold out near me), it's been a crazy ride ever since. One memory I will always distinctly remember is my mom buying me a Base Set pack at a FuncoLand in October 1999, then heading next door to an ice cream shop and opening that pack while there, only to see the "Evolves from Charmeleon"/"Put Charizard on the Stage 1 card" text as I slowly revealed the rare card in the wrapper. That Charizard card, as well as pulling a Dark Raichu from the Team Rocket expansion in April 2000 (before I even understood what "secret rares" where and being confused as to why its card number was higher than the set total), were my top 2 cards when I was into that aspect of the series during those first couple of years. That piece of the series may be a thing of the past for me, but the memories remain.
Anyways, to make a long tale not as lengthy, Pokémon and I have been through a lot together in these 27 years. I have gotten to meet some of the English voice actors. I have come across a lot of other passionate fans on my journey, some of which I consider friends. I have teased my cat, Link, with Pokémon. I helped clean up the environment with a local community by collectively removing over a thousand pounds from the ocean thanks to "Pokémon GO" existing. I have been able to relive childhood imagination through the lens of GO Snapshot. I told my story as a fan-film, which has still yet to be released. I even visited Japan, seeing Pokémon's headquarters, artwork, landmarks, and points of interest along the way in its country of origin.
Even though I am no longer a part of the target audience, Pokémon still remains a part of my life. While it's only one small portion of my life, it has been a memorable one to have lasted this long. I'm not sure where Pokémon and I go next, but the adventure is only getting started. Here's to another 30, Pokémon!
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