Photo credit- http://cartoonwallpapers.info/pokemon/deviantart-more-like-mega-latios-and-mega-latias-spoilers-by.html
When I was little, my mother didn’t let my sisters or I interact with electronics. This led to endless hours outside, in our spacious backyard, throwing the frisbee to our dog, pretending pirates with a chicken on our shoulder, accidentally falling into our small pond next to our porch, etc. Then came along the television. After begging our parents- I think I was three years old then- into letting us watch the bright, cartoonish shapes dancing on the television screen. I was mesmerized. Whenever my mother brought us to her friends’ houses to gossip and drink wine while shoving all of their children into their TV room to watch Dora The Explorer. All of the other kids multitasked and colored pictures, played on tiny electronic games while watching the TV, and there was I, my doppelgänger, and my ginger sister sat, intently watching the screen like it was an unfinished puzzle.
After all those hours in front of the television, one show struck me as intriguing. I think I was five or six then, and I had recently started watching Cartoon Network. I loved all of the cartoons, especially Pokémon. I was fascinated with the idea of a magical land where ten-year-olds embark on a never-ending journey to catch and battle monsters with superpowers. So, of course, I became obsessed (That obsession continues even to today). My mom got a bunch of Pokémon cards at a garage sale and gave one to my sister or me whenever we did something good, as a reward. I remember my first was a Charmander, a fire lizard/dragon creature. I loved it.
Whenever I went to Target with my mother, our first stop would always be in the game section to check out the latest Pokémon stuffed animals and toys. By my seventh birthday, I had already had 178 Pokémon cards (including 13 holo cards,4 legendaries, and 2 in different languages. I was so proud), a stuffed Torchic, Manphy, Piplup, Pikachu, and a Pikachu alarm clock. (My new addition is a Bulbasaur I got in London. (Bulbasaur is a word, get over it, spellcheck.)) I couldn’t do anything without them. They were my everything. Well, that, and my sister, Tess. But still.
That’s quite a card collection you describe for a seven-year-old! Quite impressive. It must have grown quite a bit since then!
Pokemon has seen quite a resurgence of late. Does that make it better or worse to be a Pokemon fan?
Thank you! It has, because I’ve been spending all of my allowance on rare Pokémon cards on Amazon and EBay.
I’m not sure if it makes it any worse, or better. I just know I am a true Pokémon fan, even though my mom says it should’ve ended eight years ago.
Wow. I didn’t realize that your love for Pokémon was so deep seeded. I thought, that you, like everyone else (still don’t know exactly why, because you’re so unique) became obsessed with it after it’s reappearance on TV. I loved your description of your collection of artifacts. Great post!
I REMEMBER THAT! Mine was a Pontya and I was jealous of yours so I asked you to trade with me! I still have it, in my desk somewhere.