20 years ago on February 27 1996 a new franchise was born called Pokémon. Pokémon has always been an everlasting presence in my life for the 16 years I’ve been alive. Ever since I was three years old when my late grandpa turned on a random channel that was showing Pokémon, I’ve been glued to it.
I remember when I was really little my cousins Jeff and Jason would come over to sleepover or hang out and I accidentally got them hooked on Pokémon by just watching it. When I turned six my mom bought me a Gameboy Advance and a copy of Pokémon Emerald. I don’t think I completely understood that I didn’t have to catch every Pokémon I saw. I remember naming 26 of the same Pokémon after my first grade classmates.
Pokemon has helped me not only have something fun to watch and play, it helped me through scary moments as a child. I used to live in Chicago and they had tornado warnings all the time. When I cried my mom would put on some of my Pokémon DVDs and it would keep me quiet and happy till the storm was over.
In the spring of 2007 the fourth generation of Pokémon games, starting with Diamond and Pearl, was released. This was the first time I actually remember a new wave of Pokémon coming out and it was exciting to me. Since then both generations five and six have came out. I don’t remember much of generation five except finding my new favorite Pokémon Zorua. Generation six however I vividly remember keeping track of all the new Pokémon that came out at the time wanting to learn more and more about them. That was four years ago. Since then four main series games have been released, one arc of the anime series has ended and another has began, countless new trading cards have been released, and four new movies have come out.
This year we are suppose to get a Pokémon fighting game and a Pokémon app that will allow you to catch Pokémon in real life. Just recently it was announced two new main series games called Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. The titles just excite me because with one of the games called Moon this might mean we are finally getting a dark type gym after 16 years since this type was introduced. I have been waiting basically my entire existence for a dark type gym. It also excites me that this supposed new region may be based on another place in America which it seems that it’s based of Hawaii.
I can’t explain why I am so attached to this franchise. Maybe it just appeals to me, maybe it’s the interest of where the series is going next, maybe it’s the whole reason I’m in AP English to begin with, or maybe it’s because I remember my late grandpa is the one who introduced me to it at a young age. Whatever the reason is, I know I’ll follow this franchise till it’s end or until I have kids that can follow it instead.