My Pokémon Story
I didn’t fall in love with Pokémon because of the games or the cards. It started with a poster my brother won at an arcade… and a Koffing silhouette that changed everything.
I was in fifth grade when I first heard about Pokémon. Back then, everyone at school had a Game Boy Pocket or Color, battling their way through Pokémon Red and Blue. My brother and I thought it was dumb — just another fad we weren’t interested in.
That changed on a random weekend when we were staying overnight at my Nanny’s house. The next morning, we were supposed to take the bus downtown to this arcade in Orlando. I was hyped because I couldn’t wait to play my favorite game, Star Wars Trilogy. My brother was more into winning tickets. He hit a jackpot, cashed in a bunch, and walked out with a Pokémon poster — the one with all 151 original Pokémon listed on it. I didn’t care much at the time, but he hung it up like it was treasure.
A few days later, we were both off from school and decided, “Why not? Let’s give the show a shot.” We waited for four o’clock, turned on WB Kids on channel eight, and watched our very first episode. Right before the commercial break, the screen flashed:
“WHO’S THAT POKÉMON?”
We had no idea. My brother grabbed his poster, and we scanned every silhouette until we found the match — Koffing. When the show came back and confirmed it, we lost our minds. That moment hooked us. After that, we watched every day after school and counted down to new episodes on Saturday mornings.
Back then, we only had two TVs in the house. On Saturdays, my parents watched their shows in the living room, so I’d take over their bedroom. I’d sit right on the floor in front of their TV — legs crossed, cereal bowl next to me — and watch the new Pokémon episode like it was the most important event of the week. That little routine became one of my favorite parts of being a kid.
That Christmas, everything changed. We both got Game Boy Colors — mine was purple, his was yellow — and a stack of games: Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Pokémon Pinball, WrestleMania 2000, and Mickey’s Dangerous Chase. I dove into Red Version, slowly figuring out how to beat the game and searching for my favorite Pokémon. I played so much that I could get all eight badges in a single Sunday.
I always gave myself all three starters because I wanted it to feel like the show. I traded with friends constantly, not realizing my Haunter or Kadabra would evolve after trading — and then I’d beg them to trade back.
Then came the cards. My brother got his first booster pack — a Fighting pack — and pulled a holographic Machamp. I was amazed. That’s when I knew I had to start collecting too. I was jealous when he randomly pulled a Charizard, but my favorite pull ever was a Dragonite. That card felt magical.
As the years went on, the show introduced new Pokémon, new regions, new adventures. We got older. My brother drifted away from it first, and eventually I did too. But not completely.
Even now, on my break at work, I’ll catch myself playing Red Version on my phone. I try to find new ways to make it exciting again — like starting with a Koffing and using only Team Rocket Pokémon to see if I can still beat the game.
And honestly? I can’t wait for the day my son gets older. Maybe he’ll get into Pokémon too. Maybe we’ll do card runs together, play the games, and make our own memories — just like my brother and I did.
