#Pokémon20 on Daily Experiences Recount

Man, I have so many, but trying to think of them on the spot pretty much erases them all from memory. I did lose a match Turn 3 at a Battle Roads tournament to a deck built solely for messing around with stupid card mechanics back in 2010, though, if I am recalling correctly.

I definitely remember the first game I played at the local TCG league. I was using a Haymaker deck, where [Jungle] Scyther and [Base Set] Hitmonchan were my best cards. These two worked together against my opponent's deck, and I knew I won against my opponent's Gyarados when I pulled a Scyther.

Little did I know was that that win was the first step I took to become the league's leader. I still have the bright yellow Gym Leader shirt.

When it came to the Pokemon Trading Card Game, I recall buying the cards from 1998 to 2003. I recall that the decks I have owned are the 2 Player Starter set, the Devastation deck, and the Giovanni theme deck. The reason I decided to stop collecting the cards in 2003 was because not only did I grew out of collecting them, but that was also the year they stopped being translated and distributed by Wizards of the Coast.

I remember when the Pokemon Cards first came out. I was around 4, and my brother was 9, and so with his pocket money he would buy the base set (2.50 back in the day, whoo!). I was amazed at the different colours and all the different shapes of the Pokemon-and I loved the shiny ones. I remember saving up my pocket money so hard, and buying a fossil pack. It had my first ever holo, and it was a Ditto. I loved his simple face and he was my favourite colour. I promised myself I would always keep this card, no matter what. A few months past and obviously collecting the cards had become very popular in school. I had gotten more holos than ever, and was very proud of my collection.
However, there was this small group of girls whose life goal was to make me miserable during school. They always physically and mentally bullied me, I tried to ignore it and focus on the only thing that at the time made me happy; my Pokemon cards. During a lesson they stole my bag and folder of cards, tore most up and then chuck the rest around the playground.
When I discovered this I was devastated. The teachers didn't help as they blamed me for bringing them in. Of course other people pick a few up; some people kept them and other people handed them back to me. I just wanted one card though; my Ditto. One the girls who done it said they had torn that one up, but I remember with tears down my face desperately looking for it. I had given up hope when the lunch-time bell rang, I refused to go to lessons as I just wanted to keep on looking.
Whilst they phoned my parents to collect me as I refused to take part, I searched everywhere-under rocks, bushes, in between fence panels.
Just as my parents arrived I moved a bin aside and low and behold was my ditto card! They had stepped on it and scraped it across the ground so it was very beaten up. But it was mine, and mine to keep! My parents moved me out of the school after a few years, and the school I went to after had a lot of Pokemon Friends in, so they helped me collect more cards!

I've never really stopped collecting. There have been times when I've bought less, as I had other things going on, but no matter how many Gold Stars, Full Arts or EXs I have, I always have my Ditto card.