What parts of Pokémon make you feel the most nostalgic?

[LPBvgc]

It was Early 2018, I was 10 years old, and there was this card shop that me and my dad would go to for PTCG Tournaments. I was pretty bad and didn't want to learn (I was more focused on the SNES Classic they had). I would try different strats out (like Mewtwo GX and EX + Lunala Prism Star), but my main was a Royal Blades Garchomp + Lycanroc GX Deck. I still have the deck assembled (with a few changes) to this day.

I would also watch the new anipoke episodes and play USUM + Gold and Yellow.

Looking back, this was a MUCH better time of my life compared to what I am going through, and I miss that. It's why I am biased towards the 3DS Era, it was a time when life was simpler for me.

 

[Just A Seaking]

I'm really not sure why this track in particular has this effect on me - BW was not my first Pokemon game, and while I like the post-game routes of Unova well enough, they're not my favorite areas in the game - but something about Route 11-15 (Autumn/Winter) just overwhelms me with nostalgia, especially when the chimes come in around the :55 second mark. There are other tracks that I look back on fondly - Route 47/48 or National Park (Night) from HGSS, or Pokemon Center (Night) from DPPt come to mind - but none of them are as powerful for me as this one. As silly as it is to say, it feels like home, somehow.

 

[Basedwell]

The parts of Pokémon that are nostalgic to me are also among the most depressing. I was fortunate enough to have people to play these games with growing up, and even when I was alone I could at least do things like, say, post about Pokémon online, or actively search out new people to hang out with. Pokémon played a very strong part in helping me form many of my strongest friendships to this day.

So, what’s the problem?

The problem is that this is a luxury that only certain people are going to have access to at the stereotypical age group you’d be playing Pokémon games at as a kid. A lot of people have severe social anxiety, and even more don’t have access to the Internet. And if you grew up in a family facing financial troubles, just forget about it entirely. The economy across the world isn’t in the best spot right now on average, and so much of Pokémon’s appeal comes from whether or not you’re lucky enough to even be able to afford or access these offerings. I’ll be the first to say here that I don’t think this industry is currently in a sustainable position. It doesn’t help that the TV show is virtually exclusive to things that require an Internet connection and (in the case of streaming) a subscription service as well, and that things like the manga and especially the cards are unreasonably difficult to get your hands on at an actually fair price point.

My point I’m trying to make is, Pokémon was never meant to be something that only “rich family kids” could enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade the childhood I had for anything, and especially the people in it, but it was nothing more than sheer, dumb luck I was able to experience any of that in the first place. In fact, I actually feel worse playing the games now that I have my own source of sustainable income and, if I was able to, I’m getting to the point where I’m thinking about giving away my older games to kids in need.

Get a grip, dude. I assure you children in poor circumstances have much more pressing concerns than access to video games, and frankly the last thing they need is another screen to stare at all day and escape from reality.

If you want to help children, by all means, do so. If you want to give your games away by all means (although I will say most kids aren't going to have the proper hardware) do so. but if you actually want to make a difference there are places to volunteer. opportunities will present themselves throughout your life too, so always be on the lookout for those.

Anyways, I wasn't allowed to have Pokemon cards as kid. One day I brought some home from school and remembered hiding them from my parents, I wore the same pants a few days in a row. My dad found them eventually. One time I did buy a book from the Scholastic Book Fair with an orange cover that was some sort of pokemon guidebook. I vividly remember the pictures of Ursaring and Teddiursa, and Girafarig. I also watched a Pokemon movie with my dad, around the same time I saw A Phantom Menace on DVD. I remember Team Rocket and Meowth, and I think Latios and Latias, but I'm not sure.