You know what, no honestly liking Pokémon is not something you should hide. WHy should you as a fan of something, have to keep a hush hush on a favorite hobby of yours?
Isn't it kind of obvious? Most kids in this world care about their reputation at school. Liking Pokemon is considered very childish, because Pokemon is apparently of the childish nature. People
do care about what others think of them.
It isn't any fun, and it isn't right for others to judge you by what you like.
It isn't any fun? Well, letting the whole school know that you like Pokemon isn't any fun either, just so you know. No, it may not be right for others to judge you because of your interests, but it isn't exactly relevant. Whether it's right or wrong doesn't come into play in this situation. This is society's reaction to people liking childish things, and you can't change that. To avoid these reactions, people simply don't mention their fandom.
I personally do not keep what I like a secret from my friends or family, because I know they will accept the things I enjoy. Though for some, it is a different situation, but still if someone is truly a good friend or family member to you, then they should have no problem knowing that you like something such as Pokémon.
I don't think good friend or non-good friend is related. Telling people about a child-like fandom is mostly related to what everyone else thinks of you. It's about reputation, which isn't carried around between only your best friends. It is carried around by even people you don't know. People will look down at you for it, and there's nothing you can do about it if you open your Pokemon fandom up. Is it wrong for them to do so? Yes. But they do it anyways, and there's nothing you can do to prevent such a reaction.
It is nonsense to hide something of the sort, and if others make fun of you because of it, you as a person must learn to stand up to the plate and ignore those around you. Hiding secrets such as liking Pokémon can lower self-esteem in a person, and I disagree with the idea of having to hide your love or enjoyment for the franchise.
Um... Last time I checked, having people pick on you and make fun of you because you like Pokemon can lower your self-esteem too. lol. What's the point of letting people know you like Pokemon besides "getting it off your back" (given there's no one else that does)? It's really not a big deal hiding this stuff.