Community: Miltanks For The Memories - 30 Years Of Your Pokémon Stories

"I peeled off the label"

I grew up in a pretty strict fundamentalist household in the southern U.S., and my parents were against all things Pokemon (and to this day I'm unclear on why exactly). I'd have to sneak in episodes of the anime while they were away or asleep. When I was gifted a copy of Pokemon Blue from a friend, I peeled off the label so they wouldn't see the distinct logo and throw it out. In the last year, I finally decided to order a replacement label, and it was surprisingly emotional to clean all the residue off my old cartridge and make it look almost brand new again - almost healed my inner child in a way!
charliecarrot

"I traded him my Mew"

I was standing at a graveside when a man came over - a distant cousin I hadn’t seen in years. After offering condolences, he asked if I remembered the last time we’d met. I didn’t.

He smiled and told me that in the 90s he’d brought his copy of Pokémon Blue to our house. He’d collected 150 Pokémon and was overjoyed when I traded him my Mew to complete his collection.

It had meant everything to him as a child. As thanks, he asked if my son would like to choose a shiny from his old Pokémon card collection some time.
JollyPostman

"the old 'uncle Nintendo'"

I’m a bit younger than most people on these forums likely are, as my first Pokémon game was Pokémon Y. I remember leading up to the release, one of my friends at school pulled the old “uncle Nintendo” out of the hat and claimed he already had a copy of the game. I was so young that I believed every word he said.

The most memorable tall tale was when he told me that Jessie from Team Rocket was revealed to be the player’s mother, but only after the 5th gym of course. It wasn’t until maybe a year or two after I played it that I remembered what he had said and put together that it was all false and he was just lying about having the game. But alas, it was memorable enough to become a standout memory from my introduction to Pokémon.
Jaden Danieley

"I took the time to honor him"

When I was 7, Pokemon came to America and I remember playing Blue while my friend David played Red. We were obsessed, watching the show and battling all the time. He just passed last month from cancer a day before his 36th birthday. While I was absolutely devastated, I took the time to honor him by replaying LeafGreen on my old SP and picking Squirtle so my rival could have David's Bulbasaur he'd chosen back then.
Joey Craig

"down to my last ball"

A great memory I have for pokemon was when the first EXRaid passes came out for Pokemon Go. Me, my mom, and my dad got invited and we met a whole bunch of people who I am mostly still in contact with today. We beat the Mewtwo and were given our balls to catch him with. I was down to my last ball and with shaking nerves, heart pounding out of my chest I threw out my last ball. 1 shake.. 2 shake...3 shake.. Gotcha! I almost passed out from the tension and elation of catching Mewtwo!
Diana Lee

"my level 100 Empoleon by my side"

The first Pokémon game I owned myself was Pokémon Pearl (thanks to my friend Jack for lending me Sapphire a million times before that). By the time Pearl was stolen (yes I cried), I had five-hundred hours in the title. I would create my own little imagined stories and run back and forth between already beaten trainers, as if I was Ash Ketchum. It was also the first game I did a road trip in, where I would start at the beginning of the map and walk all the way across it with my level 100 Empoleon by my side.
AStupidID

"it came only in English"

I have one good memory. English isn't my native language, but I saw Pokemon Red on television and on a local magazine, so I saved money for a year to buy the game, I was 11 years old at that time Pokemon Yellow was released. So I bought the game, but it came only in English. That doesn't stop me, I play the game with an English-Spanish dictionary by my side translating almost all the words. I almost learned English thanks to Pokemon. I was at an advanced level in comparison with my school friends.
Henry Percy

"I dreamed about it"

My biggest memory of Pokémon is Gen 2. It came during a period in my life where I was in a residential in the middle of a battle for custody between the state and two family members. It took four years to conclude and those games were the reason I kept my sanity. Getting lost in that world of Johto and Kanto so much I dreamed about it. I got Gold and Silver as the last Christmas gift I ever got from my godmom who’d pass away a few months later, adding to the memory of the games.
Rachel Schaeffer

"dancing around a giant Moonstone"

When I was a kid, I would stay up late playing Pokémon Crystal on my Game Boy Color. I would also play it while delivering newspapers. One night, I was traveling to Mount Moon. As I walked through the entrance, a bunch of Clefairy were dancing around a giant Moonstone. Once they noticed my presence, they fled. Still, as a child it felt so magical seeing wild Pokémon outside wild grass. Years later, a new Pokedex entry confirmed what I had seen first hand. Seeing Clefairy dance during a full moon does indeed bring happiness.

"The bidding turned into a war"

Back when legendary anime convention AyaCon was still a thing, I was gophering at the charity auction. There’s some cosplayers in the audience cosplaying as Team Rocket. Lifesize Meowth plushie and all. And there was one lot on display that everyone knew they were going to fight tooth and claw for. A giant Pikachu plushie.

The bidding turned into a war. Back and forth between them and another deep-pocketed attendee. I’m displaying the electric rat to the masses, which eventually became just turning back and forth In the middle of pitched battle, when the other guy went a bit too rich for Jesse & James’ collective blood. 'Not having that,' I thinks. 'Something must be done.'

I ambles over to Rob (our wonderful multi-faceted MC du jour), leans into the mic as the Rockets try to crunch numbers on the fly, and I said: "Yknow, if you get hold of this, Pokémon ENDS."

Realisation hit. Hard. You’ve never seen a couple of cosplayers more conflicted in your lives. Devastated at the thought…

…but so committed to the bit that their eyes actually anime-flashed in reply. The crowd was fully invested as they furiously mustered all the finances they could, including borrowing from pals, to take on their adversary - it was almost a preview worthy of the con’s closing cabaret show in and of itself - but when they finally managed it and declared a higher bid, there was no way their nemesis could go against it. The entire theatre vs him.

Magnanimous in defeat, we were treated to the one thing we never thought we’d ever see - Jesse and James successfully getting their sweaty paws on Pikachu. The place erupted in laughter and applause as they almost Deion Sanders high-stepped towards their age-long quarry. Nobody could begrudge them that.
Whirlwound

Bonus!

Before we wrap up, here's a selection of just some of the other memories we were sent, plus some amusing one-liners as a little bonus...

In Pokémon Blue I wanted to build a team of 6 Kakuna since that was my favorite Pokémon at the time. Unfortunately for me that didn't really end up panning out so well. - Expa0

A male Gardevoir will always be my number 1 beauty king and good luck charm. - Gardevoir Boy

I may have spent the first few hours not leaving the house (6 years old me didn’t realize the “rug” downstairs was actually the exit door!). - Daniel P.

My brother and I had bunk beds, and we would both lie in our own bed while trading/battling Pokémon in Gold and Silver. That poor Link Cable was stretched to the max all for the sake of comfort and not having to sit next to each other. - slowpoke_tail

Take this comically large leek to the face, Hiya! - garfreek

I ridiculed my friend for playing a baby game. On and on I went until he convinced me to try it. After 15 minutes I gave him $20 to borrow the game for a month. - Steviecomebacks

It's cute seeing people like unpopular pokemons. I still haven't found a fellow Natu lover though... - Karolin

I remember when I beat my first Pokemon game (X version), I was sobbing literal tears. I was 10 and I didn't understand how to make a competent team. Honestly, I still don't I just choose my favorites and load them up with attacking moves - OrangeMango

I really took the guy's words to heart when he said "don't walk into the long grass"! Ended up having to pass it to my dad for help, and thankfully, he didn't care for the Pallet Town residents' warnings. - Callum

My best friend at the time traded Pokemon with me (from his Blue version), gave me various tips, and ultimately helped me surpass the Elite Four. Shout-out to John-Daniel, we started hanging out with other crowds and drifted apart, but I hope you're doing well! - Broosh

An Abra appeared, but it was sparkly, some would even say shiny! So naturally, 7 year old me thought this was an issue and reset my game. Pain pain, pain. - James

Pokemania in its prime was indescribable to anyone who didn't live through it. I breathed Pokemon day and night. I played the game, watched the cartoon, collected the cards, and bought the toys. I've never experienced anything close to that level of excitement and doubt I ever will again. Pokemon isn't just a franchise to me. It's personal... - Jenny H.

Turns out only the FEMALE Salandit (which are only 1/8 of the species) can evolve. WHY, GAME FREAK? - SlowPokemon

From Pokemon red to ZA, every time I am a child again. - Jay T

One time in elementary school, me and my friends had heard it was going to rain all week long. Knowing recess would be brought indoors, all 5 of us brought our DS systems to play... None of us realized we all had Pokémon Heartgold/Soulsilver until then, and from that day forth we did it every indoor recess we could. - Anthony L.S.

Countless hours spend as a 7-year old getting car sick from the combination of staring down my Game Boy screen in the back of the car with the tune of Viridian Forest on, what feels like, endless repeat. - Bankaj

He had started a new game and had erased hundreds of hours I had poured into my save game. Don't drink and play Pokémon, kids! - Pillowpants

My memory comes more from my Final Fantasy loving friend at school at the time, one morning running into Humanities lesson, moaning about “ some unknown game called Pocket Monsters keeping FF7 off number 1 in Japan”.

Now, both middle-aged, we live 4 doors apart, and he still hates Pokémon. - Mark Grainger

Every Saturday we'd watch the cartoon, and hear Declan Donnelly shout "Misty!" - Uncle_Franklin

I was maybe around 7 and I found my older brother’s copy of Soul Silver. I took it (without asking, oops!) and started the game up. The character was called ‘JAMES’, which is my brother’s name, but younger me didn’t know how to reset the game so off I went! - aaalexander

...and that was the legend of Mega Golf the Darmanitan. - David

My cousin played Pokemon Red before he knew how to read, so he accidentally released every single Pokemon he had. Except for one: his level 10 Magikarp. Splash splash. - Zaruboggan

I read the back over and over and slept with the plastic case every night. Once I finally saved enough, I started my Pokémon journey with “Chugge” the Chimchar. That first day was magical! - Bowsers-Inside-Story

I got to take the morning off school and Mom took me to McDonalds for breakfast while I played my new game. I had one of their baked apple pies and I remember I picked Bulbasaur as my starter. - Styrophoamicus

I remember vividly playing Sapphire and being told by a friend to use Steel Wing for the second gym, as it was a flying move... Still haven't forgiven the guy. - tanaka2687

Level 70 Articuno Red/Blue
The kid opposite me on the game link cable busted this thing out against my level 50’s balanced party. He killed 2 or 3 of my guys. But after that all he could muster was 5 level 30 Pokemon who were easily wiped.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. - YarrCaptainJuan

Words to live by, Captain, and a perfect place to wrap things up. - Ed.

Our thanks again to everyone who wrote in and shared their Pokémon memories - far too many to feature them all here! Feel free to share your own below as we look ahead to Gen 10 and what the future may hold...