Pokemon!

Hey faithful readers! Today I wanted to post about something I have no doubt any of you who know me well have heard me speak of already -- Pokemon.

For the few people who don’t know, Pokemon is a video game franchise (that I have more or less been a fan of since I was about 9), a trading card game (which I am also a fan of and play at a weekly league), and an anime series (which I stopped following when it switched to cable only when I was about 14). In it, one captures and battles creatures called Pokemon, and there are extensive strategies about how to make Pokemon stronger and use them in battles. Over its time, it’s gone from the original 150 species to what is now over 600 (as of the yet-to-be-released-in-America new games).

As to my interest in Pokemon, I first played it at my grandparent’s house on my cousin’s gameboy. I was incredibly addicted overnight, though I couldn’t really finish the game as my cousin had me restart it every time I played it. After a while, though, my mom wouldn’t let me anywhere near it. She heard on the radio that the games contained channeling (which, to be fair, they did. though it was hardly a central part of it), and didn’t let me or my siblings play them. She did eventually relent (I honestly forget why), and the craze continued back on its way, and has for 10 years. It’s been somewhat on and off as I grow older and cycle between losing and rediscovering interest, but of my obsessive interests, this is one of the biggest overall.

Why am I so interested in it, despite my being 10 years past it’s targeted demographic? I’ve thought about it a lot, actually, and the best answer I can give myself is that it is, simply, fun. Thoughtful card games, well-made and addictive video games, and a world that is simple enough to explain in a small paragraph yet complex enough to require several hundred page strategy guides, it’s incredibly easy to get pulled into it once you let yourself. And no wonder it’s an Aspergers soft spot; it was created by Satoshi Tajiri, who was diagnosed with it himself. He based the idea of tradable creatures from his own fascination with insect collecting.

Where am I right now in my Pokemon addiction? I have several friends who are also interested in it, and I cannot tell you how much, being someone who’s been in and out of countless Aspergers addictions, it makes a difference having people I know and respect share an interest with me like this. I go to a Pokemon Card game league on Thursday nights, and still play my video games, though somewhat less than I used to. I’ve been watching Pokemon news and information sites for information on the American release of the next games, which I very much look forward to, as well as reading up on the world in the games and cards (I am dead serious when I say there is enough complexity in the games to write volumes of encyclopedias). I would recommend Pokemon in an instant, especially to people with things like Aspergers, however, beware! It is incredibly addictive, and I can tell from experience it is incredibly easy to take the series more seriously than it is intended. Don’t give it any more time or money than it deserves...

Thank you for reading, ttyl, YBIC and @
-Caleb