Back in the Day

[killin_kobra]

The good old days are long gone. Pokemon Trainers are quickly becoming endangered species with the new games like Halo and Medal of Honor. If only we had someone better as the head of Nintendo that could recreate Pokemon to it's original glory

 

[Tamao]

I still remember how I first was introduced to Pokemon! Toys R Us sent me a promotional video about the anime and the figures, it was the weirdest thing EVER but I watched it so many times, eventually watching the anime and of course, getting hooked. Then later I played the games after getting into the show and the cards.

And my friend had a Charizard that I was DYING to trade for but there was nothing worth trading for him xD And the first holo card I got was a Nidoking, oh god I remember driving to so many Toys R' Us's to buy Pokemon cards! I also recall getting ripped off in trades a few times :/
Ahhh I miss it. And seeing the movies in theaters too. The first and second were amazing :) And all those toys from Burger King! Then there was all the excitement for the GS games, and Pikablu!

I think we all wish it was still like that, but it's nice that Pokemon is still around <3

 

[st.jimmy]

i remember when i first heard about it too!
there was this really nasty kid who at one point i was freinds withy and he told me in school because i "was the coolest kid around" (sarcasm i suppose) he'd give me the best card of the best card game ever!
the epicly amazing...switch card!
then i borrowed blue version of my freind and got addicted (at the age of 7-ish).

 

[M O M U S U]

I remember when I was in first grade, everyone in the class besides a few had Pokemon, and we would all play in class... even my teacher had the game, but she wasn't hardcore like we were back in the day.

And when silver and gold came out... oh my god, the memories are overwhelming. I swear, I still have dreams about the first week my friends and I had that game... one the best weeks of my life, and definitely the most nostalgic.

 

[Yaziyo]

Then I can also remember us wondering, "Well, there's a Red, Blue, and Yellow version... Where's the Green?" One of my friends said it was a Japanese exclusive, and we were all butthurt when we learned it wasn't ever coming to the US. I finally grabbed a copy years later, when I imported it from Japan with the Internet, and now everybody says "OMG. GREEN. WANT," as if they're resurrecting themselves from '99-'00. It's good to relive your pastimes...

My friend told me that Pokemon Green wasn't here in Australia because the plane that was bringing them over from Japan crashed xD

 

[Firefist]

So good times.
When I first got Red I was amazed and loved the game. I remember the time, when I first met a Pikachu. I was so excited and tried to think calmy how to weaken it, without bringing his HP to 0 lol
In school, everyone was in Pokemania. Discussing the games, playing and trading cards etc. In my greatness I forgot to take my trading cards with me, since I had to leave the room for class, and so they were stolen -.-
I loved the Anime. Always watched it after school. Once there was a marathon..... sooo happy xD
Everywhere where you would look, everyone was playing. We often met in my grandparents garden, turned on the gameboys and level up or pokemons with the missingno trick and rare candys xD
In the library, we often looked in the Internet for cheats and tricks for finding mew and stuff. One time it was the thing with the truck, next it was the thing with flying to a special place where you can catch it.
When G/S/C came out, I was like O_O. And when I got to know that you can travel to Kanto again, I was like O_O²
Actually the tradting cards became quite popular a couple of years ago. The games were fun and also the gbc game for it.
In the last year (10th grade), some of my friends played blue, firered etc on emus. It was almost like back then xD

 

[Magnius]

My history with Pokemon is vast. I played the Blue version then later Crystal. I think I remembered reading about it in Nintendo Power or something, then I brought the game. I specifically remember it was from Best Buy. I remember always watching the series, the new episodes and everything. Don't think it was allowed in my elementary school, but it was in my Middle School. I distinctively remember the cards being popular. Once in 5th Grade, I remember the teacher letting everyone dish out their Pokemon cards and everything, before they were going to try and disallow that too.

Before GS had came out, I remember going on the internet and finding sh*tty fan translations. I remember when Pokemon Gold came out, I was playing it during this group or something I went to and this one dude was like "He's playing Pokemon Neo". But yeah, during 5th and 6th Grade I would just walk around recess playing Pokemon and sometimes people would link up and battle. One of the things I most remember is I think me and this other dude were linking up and this dudes girlfriend(I know, boyfriend and girlfriend in freaking 5th Grade) said "Wow, that's cool".

Then in 7th Grade I got Pokemon Sapphire, but some loser stole it from me. However lol now I have my brothers Ruby since he doesn't play it anymore. As far as cards went, I think I stopped collecting them at about 7th Grade.

I'm in college now and I still play Diamond.

 

[fishyfins]

oh this thread takes me back. i first heard of pokemon waaaaay back in '99, before anyone in the UK had even heard of it. i visited Las Vegas that year with my dad, and saw a few cards in the shops, and watched a random episode on american tv (i think it was battling Erika and Gloom?). i then returned to the UK with tales of this strange thing id seen, and everyone thought how crap it was. then, a few years later, the wave hit the UK, and suddenly everyone had pokemon!

i got my first card (a charmander) free in a magazine as a promo to advertise them, and got pokemon red as an xmas gift the first xmas it was out. my god i played that game to death. think i took it everywhere for years XD.

i remember never being able to solve the puzzle to get into LT Surge's gym, and having to ask my dad for help. then getting hopelessly lost in seafoam islands. i remember when having mewtwo and all 3 legendary birds was the pinacle of the game, and having a team of lvl 100s (venusaur, mewtwo, birds and random... all with nothing but massivly damaging attacks) gave you godlike status. i remember going onto the internet, and finding all the free websites, with all the bizarre pokemon rumours about trucks, and huge fields, and pikablu, and how everyone believed them.

i remember the first (and only) time i pulled a shiny charizard from a pack of the origional pokemon cards. i ran all the way home screaming, i was so excited, and tripped up and grazed my knee. back in the day, i completed all the base set, and most of jungle and fossil as well. all the kids trading cards. something we just dont have these days. it drew us all together like nothing before it.

i remember watching the anime on a saturday morning. our one measly episode a week, with Ant and Decs incredibly lame pisstakes before the show that had you roaring with laughter. i remember crying hysterically (and still do) when i watch Bye Bye Butterfree (best episode EVER!)

i remember getting gold many years later, and thinking "man, this just isnt the same". i remember not knowing what shinies where, and now remembering "why does my chikorita sparkle every time i send her out?". i remember my cousin deleting my game twice, and going mad at her.

ahhh, those were truly the days. the days of a sainted childhood of freedom, now sadly lost on the tide of adulthood :(

what id give to live those days again

 

[.:Kanto:.]

-sigh- good times... But now kids love this 'Ben 10' thing. I seriously have something against that. It's just terrible and stupid! How could kids like it?!

Anyway, Pokémon was really awsome back then, and when the movies came out. Everybody would see them! Cinemas were packed! Good times :P