Sentimental Value: Truly Appreciating Your Pokemon

[someguy.fromnevada]

Pokemon has grown into such an amazing franchise, with over 720 Pokemon available to the community, a vast number of regions, an endless array of Leaders, Trainers, and more... but the one thing that seems to be lacking from the game itself is how people bond with the game. Sure, the sentimental of one of the games being your first game, or being the first game you managed to beat means something, but do your Pokemon mean something. Have you ever just felt bonded to your Pokemon, does naming them actually make them more important to you, do your Pokemon feel like a family, or are they simply something you use to win?


For me, every time I catch a Pokemon, I do my best to take the utmost care of them and avoid letting them faint at all costs. I can't imagine how much Pokedollars I've spent on them just to stay stocked up on Potions, Fresh Water, and all that good stuff. Heck, I've spent my fair share of Pokedollars on Antidotes, and believe me, it feels worth it. Of course, it increases the game's difficulty a bit, but overall, it just feels like I'm doing what is right for them and not so much for myself.

Indeed, becoming the "Pokemon Master" is an amazing, and beating the Elite 4, Gym Leaders, and all that is truly a blessing onto itself, but knowing that my team isn't suffering as much as most teams do, greatly means a lot to me. Truth be told, I really wish there was a ROM hack where we didn't have to fight Pokemon, where we could just kick back and relax with them, play Pokemon mini-games and chill.

I don't know, maybe it's just me (most likely), but when it comes to these games, I feel very close to the Pokemon I have, I feel as if they are more than just a team and more than just a battle party, but I feel they are like family, they've been there for me when my real life wasn't and for that, I am grateful to have them. Sure, I'm still playing the old school GB games in real life on the actual console, and indeed I'm playing everything else on PC, but even so, they mean a great deal to me, and I was just curious if anyone else actually cared about their Pokemon, or are you simply just playing the game cause it is entertaining? Do your Pokemon mean more than just your team to beat the next rival, the team to beat the next Elite group, the team to beat the next Team _________... are your Pokemon more than just a team?

 

[Socratic]

I've always been attached to my Pokemon, but not truly in an "I care for them" way such as you told. I'll organize boxes for them to be most comfortable, I'll name them, and I'll always heal them up during/right after, but mostly I used Pokecenters. One thing, though; you'll never feel more bonded with your Pokemon than when you do a Nuzlocke.

 

[kingdenas]

Yes, sometimes I've been attatched with some of my Pokémon. Sure, not in the same strong way as you, but I do care about them. I remember in Pokémon X, I had a Female Meowstic, and I loved taking care of her, either in Pokémon Amie, Super Training, and even battling. I really loved that Pokémon <3

 

[Lunar]

I always try to keep my Pokemon from fainting and in a way I think I definitely care for them. When you playthrough a Pokemon game as if it was your journey then I think the Pokemon you have become even more special because it's like they really are your own.

One thing, though; you'll never feel more bonded with your Pokemon than when you do a Nuzlocke.

This. And especially if they die, that's the worst.

 

[kingdenas]

One thing, though; you'll never feel more bonded with your Pokemon than when you do a Nuzlocke.

This. And especially if they die, that's the worst.

That's why I don't do Nuzlockes! And because I suck at making Pokémon stay alive. Plus, I'm lazy to start one.

 

[KipKipFox]

Oho, I definetely care a lot about my pokemon. That's why I love the pokemon games- I love raising my pocket monster family! :3 I name just about all of them. I'm currently working on leveling them all to 100, fully EV training them all, and getting them to full affection in Pokemon Amie. And in ORAS, winning all the contests. I don't freak out when they faint though. I can always heal them up.

That isn't to say I'm attached to every 'mon I catch. Usually when I train some post-game, they tend to be dissapointing battlers, or I just don't feel bonded with them because I didn't use them take down the Evil Team, or the League. So whoever is with me the most tends to win a place in my heart.

You bet when Sun & Moon comes out, I'll be transferring them all over, so they can all be a huge family :3

 

[Lead Zeppelin]

I'm not the most caring person during my play throughs. Mostly because I've been more of a completionist than anything else. Very few pokémon make it above being a tool for success. I think that's more due to the pokémon I have available to me. Too many decent choices I like. A little heartless, yes. However, I do have Pokémon I will have trouble filling my team without yearning to bring them. (Dammit Salamence...fine, I'll take you...no, no...I need to train Snorlax..but Salamence...) I'd like to think I care about my Pokémon, but I'm a stoic, heartless person in the end.

 

[Kabocha❤]

I always nickname them and think of personalities they may have, nothing overly protective, but I like to see my Pokemon as more like a group of nerds fighting for money and luxury than a pile of stats.

 

[Hikarin]

I tend to project a personality onto certain Pokemon, so that when they faint I feel really bad about making a dumb decision or something. Also ribbons. The two signs that I care about a Pokemon are that it has tons of ribbons, is named Hikari, or both.

 

[Imperator161]

I do tend to become very attached to my Pokemon, though I've tried to tone some of it down in recent years. I nickname everything (except the Pokemon I plan on trading, or hatchlings, which I only nickname after I decide to train them), and I don't like to see my team faint if I can help it. I'm less concerned about them fainting than I used to be, though, and I've also relaxed certain other rules. For example, I used to refuse to put my starter in the PC (or any of my core team members, for a time), because I didn't want to "upset" it, and when I first played Red, I refused to have my starter in anything other than the first or second slot, because I didn't want it to feel abandoned. I'd go through multiple steps of rearranging my party to avoid ever putting my Blastoise anywhere other than the front of the party or the end of the party.

I still develop attachments to my teams, though they aren't as strong as they used to be when I was younger. I still have such vivid memories of my Blastoise on Red, and my Gold team, but I'm not as concerned about my other teams (though I still like them). I used to make all of my team members go through individual challenges back on Gold (e.g., every member had to beat the Elite Four individually with no items - not the easiest thing to do for my poor Pikachu vs. Onix, where it had to Slam the Onix to death because all of its other moves were electric attacks).