Pokemon has been running since 1996. I remember getting my copy of Pokemon Blue on holiday in the US, desperate to get started with Squirtle. My brother getting red with no idea really why, other than being hyped on my excitement. Cable-link battles and trading, you name it.
Years have passed and I’m still playing Pokemon, Pokemon cards and a variety of other Pokemon-adjacent activities, now approaching 40, I’ve followed the series diligently, played all the main titles, and endeavoured to catch them all.
The thing is, there aren’t 151 of the little monsters anymore. Nope, with the release of Scarlet and Violet (I’m starting Scarlet soon), we’re witnessing the barrier of 1000 Pokemon being broken. 1008 or the pocket monsters now exist.
It seems like a small sidenote in a massive history. But 1008 Pokemon is massive. I mean, I used to know the originals by name and number order. Now, beyond starters and some key Legendaries, I’ve just allowed them to wash over me it.
It’s a milestone
The Pokemon Company obviously realise that it’s a milestone though, releasing a video to celebrate exactly that.
Running through all nine generations of the mainline series, starting with the humble Game Boy.
Just look at those monsters!
Moreso, look at how the Pokemon series has grown, changed and evolved over the years. Adjusting to new hardware, creating new locales and giving new generations their first time.
Water starter always, by the way…..
Sure, the release of Scarlet and Violet has been marred with issues, and I’ve purposely held off to see if it gets patched and workable. But there’s no denying the force that is Pokemon.
Watching the video back, you forget just how far things have come. Have they peaked? Have they gone past their peak? I don’t know, I just keep playing them because that core turn-based battling will always just work for me. New evolutions, new types. I don’t care, I embrace it all.
With a patch promised for February to fix some of the bigger issues, we could see a smoother experience on the Switch. After all, an open-world, 3D Pokemon akin to Breath of the Wild has kind of always been our dream of us in our youth in the 90s. Knowing we’re this close and not meeting our expectations is a bummer. Let’s hope we get there soon.
Pokemon for life?
How many others out there have been playing Pokemon since 1996? Do any readers partake in the trading card game? I personally just lost three straight matches today with my new Mew VMax Battle Deck. I was so certain I had this one in the bag!
The fact is, Pokemon has been in my life for a significant amount of time, and whilst it maybe doesn’t take up as much time and mental space as it used to, I can see myself being able to share it with my son in a few years time, and watch as the next generation of trainer goes forth. Of course, I won’t just kick him out of the house and tell him to go on an adventure…..that seems a little excessive.
With 1008 Pokemon, can we expect to see more? More originals? More sweet designs? Every generation has a smattering of really cool new creatures and a lot of fluff. Let’s hope for more really cool ones. Of course, none will ever be cooler than Sandshrew, but hey. Let them keep trying, I guess?
Spanning generations of players, and consoles we know it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. So let us see what the future holds!
Does anyone fancy a battle sometime?
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[…] love Pokemon, I always have. I remember fondly getting my copy of Pokemon Blue as my brother picked up Pokemon Red whilst we were on holiday in the US. Gameboys, rechargeable […]