Cherrim

Age 34
she / her
Toronto
Seen 6 Hours Ago
Posted 6 Days Ago
33,049 posts
20.4 Years
We're all here because of Pokémon, but what got you into the Pokémon fandom in the first place?

For me, it's actually a little bit hard to remember because it was so long ago! I do distinctly remember that the first time I ever saw a Pokémon, it was a Pikachu that someone in my afterschool care had drawn. He drew it on the same page as Mr. Hankey from South Park so I thought Pikachu was from South Park as well, and since the concept of Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo was quite frankly disgusting, especially to an eight-year-old girl, I had no interest in trying to learn more about Pikachu at the time. It wasn't until a little later that Pokémon seriously took off that I started paying attention--it seemed like almost overnight, everyone started collecting Pokémon cards. That got my attention, and I was completely enamoured with the art on all the cards and wanted to see all of them. Because of the area we lived in and the sheer popularity of the series as all the merchandise flew off the shelves, it was quite a while before my parents managed to track down any booster packs (nevermind decks to play with) to give my brother and I.

We didn't have any consoles because at the time, my parents didn't like the idea of video games, but I started watching the anime soon after discovering the cards and it made the wait for owning cards of my own a little more bearable. I started learning to draw more seriously than crappy-kid-drawings just so that I could draw all my favourites (and even had that boy teach me how to draw Pikachu as well as he could!) and when I eventually got cards of my own, I was so thrilled. I was even more thrilled when I was finally able to play the games a while later when my parents caved and got us a Gameboy + Pokémon Red.

So I'm pretty sure it was the cards that looped me into this fandom and here I am today, 15 years later, still posting on a Pokémon forum. I couldn't be happier.

What's your story?


paired with professor plum.

Flushed

never eat raspberries

Seen November 4th, 2017
Posted May 18th, 2017
2,301 posts
9.7 Years
My parents bought my sister Pokemon Yellow and a Gameboy and my siblings kinda all shared it since she wasn't the most interested in it. I got my own GB with Red soon after (prompting me to believe Yellow was released first until I learned otherwise like a decade later), and have been with the series ever since. In the early stages I watched the show and collected the cards, but that kinda petered out even when I continued to play the games.

Hiatus

Seen 1 Day Ago
Posted July 24th, 2021
12,283 posts
10.8 Years
Although I no longer follow it, anime was what first got me into Pokémon, if I remember right. Over the years, unfortunately, my interest has been lost, which caused me to stop watching, but there are indeed a lot of favorite episodes of mine, as well as seasons. My most favorite of all would be Advance Generation; in general, I loved Hoenn, and characters that they featured here--such as May, Max, and Drew--were all pretty unique and original in their own way, which made me cling week in and week out just so I could see them do their thing. Not only that, but the plot was also quite intriguing, and I loved how much tie-ins they had made with Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. After DPPt series was introduced, unfortunately, I started to limit myself from watching due to some reasons that I can't recall, and it went downhill from there.

Anime is what got me in, but what kept me sticking would have to be the games. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have been a fan any more, sadly. I love playing them, and still do.
Age 30
Male
Seen June 28th, 2019
Posted December 13th, 2015
3,801 posts
13.4 Years
Mom got one of the games for me as a birthday present back when I was around 5 or so in an attempt to get me to try something new at the time. I felt rather overwhelmed at first when trying to get adjusted to the in-game environment but after I got my first few badges, I couldn't stop playing when I got back home from school. Gotta love Gen 2.

Firox

eepz, come help pwease!

Age 37
Male
Seattle, WA
Seen September 15th, 2021
Posted July 17th, 2020
2,585 posts
11 Years
I still remember for me it was the anime in 1998.

I just searched through channels when I came back from school, and found Pokemon. I been a fan ever since (didn't play my first game until 2004)
I ♥ Foxes and Cats!! - art i drew myself
instead of 'Catch 'em All' for me would be "gotta Pet 'Em All"
check out my arts: Jyo Espy - my discord name changes often, numbers: #0363

Zenith95s

El Psy Congroo

Male
India
Seen October 13th, 2015
Posted October 9th, 2015
220 posts
13 Years
My fandom did start from the anime, but I almost left it half-way until I discovered that Pokémon had a video game.
I still remember the first game of the franchise I ever played, Pokémon Gold. And say what, I was unable to defeat the game. Later I played Leaf Green, which, luckily I could beat until after the Champion of Elite Four.
It wasn't until when Platinum released that I was more interested in completing the games. (Platinum happens to be my favorite game, because I used to fantasize the three dimensions a lot.) From there, it was a downhill, I dreamt Pokémon everyday. I love this franchise a lot. :)

I do not own any Pokémon game nor any Nintendo console :( Forgive me for not supporting the franchise; if I get any chance in the future I plan on buying every game.

Bellum

I'm Rin. Rin Okumura.

Age 26
Male
True Cross Academy
Seen October 11th, 2015
Posted May 1st, 2015
203 posts
10 Years
For me, it was Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team.
Although the first console I ever had, was a gameboy advance, I never had any pokemon games on it. Well my parents got me my first DS, and the bundle they bought, had Mystery Dungeon Blue with it, at first I wasn't all that interested in it, and continued playing The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past, and Super Mario World on my GBA. After a few months, I got bored of playing Zelda on my gba, and playing my various other DS games (I honestly can't remember what any of the others were, it's been so long since I played them), so I thought I would give Mystery Dungeon Blue a try (and I never even opened it, it was still in mint condition). That's when I fell in love with the Pokemon Franchise. Also, that's when I also discovered my love for Mudkip. My character was a Mudkip (which I named Peanut, and have been naming my Mudkip's, Peanut ever since) with Cyndaquil as my Partner.

"You trusted me, so I'll trust you too. That's what being friends means, doesn't it..?" - Rin Okumura, Blue Exorcist

moon

they/them
Seen 10 Hours Ago
Posted 22 Hours Ago
37,443 posts
15.5 Years
The TCG :3 Suddenly everyone at school had cards and traded. Nobody knew how to play the game, haha, we just traded and pretended that our cards were our pokémon teams. Yeeeeah I was young ok. Then someone had a Gameboy and the games but that looked so complicated and was in English so most didn't bother with it when we had the cards xD

The anime also hit me early on. Used to watch it in the mornings before school. I didn't play the games until I was a teenager honestly ^^
paired with Ivysaur
Seen August 13th, 2016
Posted August 1st, 2016
66 posts
10 Years
The anime. Before it aired on TV, I saw adverts for it in magazines and stuff, then I saw Episode 1, loved it, kept watching it, discovered there were games, I got a Game Boy Color with Blue and Red versions for my 8th birthday and the rest is history.
Check out my new MUSIC VIDEO!!!!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWWFhoogAdw

Beloved

Fictionally Destructive

Where ever my master takes me
Seen November 22nd, 2014
Posted November 21st, 2014
253 posts
16 Years
September 8, 1998, I woke up at 5 in the morning to get ready for school, sat down for my normal early-morning cartoons, and was caught in Pokemon's insidious web. Ever since then, no matter how hard I struggle, Pokemon just won't let me go.


Mikiebear
FC: Unknown ATM
Friend Safari Type: Unknown
Pokemon: Unknown
PM if you add me so I can add you. Always looking for friends.

Thomas

HAIL HYDRA!

Age 34
Male
Lafayette, LA
Seen February 11th, 2022
Posted November 22nd, 2018
5,984 posts
19.2 Years
I genuinely can't remember. I'm sure I got the game when it first came out though. Whichever was released first, the anime or the game, that is what got me into the other. I have the vivid memory of being in Toys R Us as a kid in the late 90's with my aunt and my brother. We would always make a b-line straight for the video games section. When she got back there to meet us we obviously begged her for a video game. She bought me Pokemon Blue and bought my younger brother Pokemon Red. To this day Blue version is my most played game. I have probably logged thousands of hours into that game. I've replayed it more time s that I can count. To this day I replay it at least two or three times a year on an emulator. Sadly I don't have my original cart or game boy anymore.

Emboar

Male
Iowa
Seen 4 Weeks Ago
Posted December 28th, 2020
6,658 posts
8.7 Years
Well, really it started when I downloaded Pokedex 3D in April of 2012. I loved that, especially after my friend gave me entries for everything except Pansage and Simisage. Finally, in November of 2012, I bought Pokemon Black.
Male
Ciudad de Los Ángeles
Seen October 22nd, 2014
Posted September 5th, 2014
13 posts
8.7 Years
As a kid I didn't know whether I was coming or going. I got caught up in the anime (probably as a result of my friend Chris). I didn't know how to work the TV and I never understood that X show airs on X channel. I seemed to think Pokemon would be on any channel I wanted it to be on! I relished every second when Pokemon would come on by chance!

Thursday

Age 30
Male
South-East America
Seen April 6th, 2023
Posted August 9th, 2016
456 posts
13.3 Years
One of my friends back in elementary school gave me all of the pokemon cards that she had multiples of. Oddish was the first one I got. After that, my brother got Pokemon Red and I constantly played it.
Thursday
1006-0591-1577

Seen January 1st, 2023
Posted March 23rd, 2022
3,316 posts
9.2 Years
I started with the anime. I would race home from school to watch it because it would air almost right when I walked in the door. Then I began collecting cards and random merchandise for a while until one of my cousins introduced me to the games. After that the games slowly became the only thing Pokemon I used.

moon

they/them
Seen 10 Hours Ago
Posted 22 Hours Ago
37,443 posts
15.5 Years
It's interesting how the games were usually not what got us into Pokemon, but now the thing that keeps people into the franchise. Not everyone, but most it seems.
paired with Ivysaur

Brendino

The Ruins of Alph
Seen 3 Days Ago
Posted April 6th, 2023
8,567 posts
13.4 Years
I'm about 98% certain that it was the anime that got me into the Pokemon franchise, as I remember watching the very first sneak peek episode (Battle Aboard the St. Anne) back in the day, even before they aired the first episode of the series. The TCG came around not long after that, and I was pretty much hooked from day one. It wasn't until about two that I first played one of the games, and I didn't have my own copy of Pokemon until I got Gold in early 2002.
Age 32
Male
Seen August 21st, 2021
Posted August 19th, 2021
2,334 posts
15 Years
I was given a gameboy colour and Pokemon Yellow for my birthday. A while after that my cousin sent me his Pokemon Blue.

I don't really remember being aware of the anime before that point. As a little kid I watched the Where's Wally cartoons and got the books religiously.

My parents probably just asked the clerk what the big thing for the gameboy was.
Looking for X & Y friends, friend code is: 2964-8571-0102
Send me a pm if you add me.
Age 28
Male
Distortion World
Seen December 13th, 2020
Posted February 26th, 2018
2,473 posts
12.9 Years
My parents. They were buying me plushies and those chocolate eggs with figured and some standing paper pieces. I was obsessed with them. I know for a fact that I was a fan of Pokemon even when I was in kindergarden because I was in a group of kids obsessed with it lol.

Games wise, a friend of mine gave me a PC emulator and some Pokemon games, about 7 years ago. :D

"The future you see is the future you get."

Hikamaru

Age 30
Female
Australia
Seen January 24th, 2019
Posted September 4th, 2018
50,214 posts
12.2 Years
For me it was the anime. I was only 7 and I was like channel scrolling (because I was very curious when I was little) and suddenly I came across the Pokemon anime and I fell in love with good ol' Pikachu myself to the point I got a cute Pikachu plushie.

Sadly the plushie is no longer with me, but that was my first discovery of Pokemon and what made me get into the franchise.
Gone forever for personal reasons.
Visit my Tumblr page if you wish to contact me.

http://daikenkki.tumblr.com/

Megan

She/Her, It/Its
Online now
Posted 19 Minutes Ago
17,732 posts
10.3 Years
The moment when people at school started trading Pokemon stickers. That was only a couple of weeks before the TCG made it to our country, if I recall correctly...
Moderator of Previous Generations, Forum Games and VPP
You got a thing!
Age 31
Male
Fortree City, Hoenn
Seen December 6th, 2017
Posted November 14th, 2017
1,276 posts
9.5 Years
I was at primary School when Pokemon came to the UK and everyone was obsessed with it I was mostly into the cards and the anime (or cartoon as we called it back then) and the toy merchandise as I didnt have a game boy I had to play on Emulators. I remember Parents hated Pokemon (because of the cost) and teachers hated it to (because of play ground disputes over cards and "Pochantis" cards as our headteacher called them were banned).

It was Ruby on the Gameboy advance that got me into the fandom proper when I could enjoy he franchise for what it was rather than as a fad.