Ah this thread's making me relive this forum properly. It's a bit crazy to think I joined Pokecommunity back in the 6th grade when I was 12 years old. I just turned 27 now. I used to be insanely active till around middle of college, when real life took over. I haven't been around much at all these last few years. I'll pop by at least once a year, mostly to see how the place is holding up.
Let's start w/ what life was like back in the early years of my time here, during middle school and college. I, I'll admit, wasn't exactly huge on Pokemon itself. I love the game (and still do, currently waiting on a trade request haha). But my domain, so to speak, was always this specific forum, Off-Topic. I guess to me, Pokecommunity served as an alternate for Facebook, a social media platform where I could create my online persona (I didn't have 'real' social media till around college). The people here were amazing. The whole forum was full of personalities. Names that I can think of off the top of my head are Razor Leaf, Livewire, Morkula, Chase/Castform, Fairy, Went, Forever, Sydian, Sheep, Kanzler, El Heroe Oscuro, Klippy, Ace and so so so so many more. OT felt like a literaly beehive, full of activity and people just conversing and having a great time.
Speaking of Off-Topic, one thing that was different was this subforum's name. It went through a ton of changes, such as Other Chat, Chit Chat Café (this was the best one and anyone who says otherwise doesn't like fun and is wrong, sorry not sorry), and probably a ton others that I can't remember. In all seriousness, I really did prefer the funnier names, since that was sort of the point of the subforum, a place to just chill out. I guess that's probably the first big negative I have to say about how PC, or at least this subsection, is currently. It feels too... sterile. I'm probably speaking out of place, since I really am not active. But just a cursory glance gives me a very cookie cutter appearance to the site. Sort of like a hospital. It just feels too proper. Perhaps that's unfair, since the activity on Pokecommunity as a whole has taken a hit. Forums just aren't what they once were. But I'm just speaking what crosses my mind currently.
Other notable stuff? PC's Prettiest Profile Contest was a personal favorite of mine. The idea itself wasn't mine, but I really liked the first iteration and pushed to have to be a reoccurring event. PPPC really captured the forum feel in terms of being a contest, honestly. There was also Member of the Year. Back then, I thought it was the coolest thing ever... but yeah I guess you grow wiser with age. Popularity contests never really achieve anything. I'm assuming we got rid of those a while ago.
There's plenty that people have mentioned already, such as emblems. And community day as well, no clue if we still do that. And the April Fools day pranks! Todoroki was probably my favorite. And there's the Slowpoke one. Is there a museum of sorts this forum has, cause I'd love to be able to relive moments like that. Honestly, this forum was such a huge part of my childhood, and just thinking about Pokecommunity for more than a second makes me really nostalgic. I made so many friends here, before I had friends in real life, and it sorta sucks that the nature of the internet/forums made it so that we all got... distant.
There's a lot of people out there I wish I could say hi to one more time, but if I had to pick one, that would be Geoff/Morkula. Geoff, thanks for being a friend to me and always having my back. Sorry I let you down w/ getting rehired on staff all those years back, I know you really went to bat for me and I messed up. I'm doing good in life, better than I'd anticipated. I hope you're doing good too. And the same goes for anyone who read this far. :)
-Dipu/Honest/Dakota/Vertigo/Bloodex/Bloodex-fire (lmao the last two are SERIOUS throwbacks and are giving me insane middle school vibes. Brb while I put Misery Business by Paramore on blast)
