What First Attracted You to Pokemon? What Keeps You a Fan?

[Miss Doronjo]

Basically what the title says, what first made you attracted to pokemon? What keeps you being a fan in the franchise of pokemon? If you've ever quit, and came back to pokemon, why did you come back to pokemon?

For me, when I first liked pokemon, I was just watching the very first episode of pokemon. I liked it along with digimon, so I was compelled to keep watching. Then, I was such a fan as the episodes came by, I begged my parents to buy me a game boy color, and with it, my first game: Pokemon Yellow. ^___^ What keeps me playing? Well, it was the new generations of pokemon. I though hell--why not get to know them all? So, I continouly bought each pokemon game, and played pokemon in each generation, including spin-offs like the pokemon trading card video game, pokemon XD/colosseium, etc. And, well, its fun! Its a real time-passer. <3

 

[Oryx]

My parents actually are the ones that kept my sister and I interested when we were kids, because of the games in pairs. We always had to have similar things, and they felt that it was a waste to buy the same thing twice, so it was like Pokemon was made for us.

I got out of it recently, barely played my Pearl and played HG sparingly, but B/W got me back into it and now I've put 105 hours into it.

 

[.Haxorus]

I bought Pokemon Crystal when I was little (can't remember how old). And I'm still into the series today because I'm an RPG freak. :)

I never really thought about quitting...I liked every generation. The first two were my favorites, though.

 

[mondays suck]

How did I get into Pokemon? Well, I was 7, on vacation down in Bavaria and some other kid played Pokemon all the time. I liked it a lot, so back home I bought a GB Pocket and Red Version. And got Tetris as well somehow, just as awesome!

So... I stopped buying the games after GS because I didn't feel at all like buying a new GB. Still kept playing them though. During all that time, my GB Pocket dropped from tables more than once, but one time it dropped onto some hard kind of floor and stopped working. That was not even a month before the release of DP, so I switched over to Pearl. Then, somehow (I honestly don't remember details, weird since it's a more recent past...) I switched over to ROMs to be able to play the good old games again, and somehow I stayed here. Got into Challenges, that kept me busy with Pokemon for yet another while and I'm not over with it yet.
Currently I'm taking a break from Pokemon apart from haunting PC though, after too much excess in the last year I just need one.

 

[ATM the Mudkip]

My friend gave me his broken red version a few years back, which you couldnt save anything on. I mustve started like ten games, over and over, it was so fun, and I knew I needed more, so I borrowed a different friends Ruby version, which I never gave back, which was good because he didnt want it(he eventually gave it to me for good). Ruby was my first true experience with Pokemon, which is why now adays its my favorite Pokemon game and all of my favorite Pokemon are from it. Im crossing my fingers for a Ruby/Sapphire remake in two years after the third installment of Black and White comes out.

 

[Dark Piplup]

Well my brother's friend introduced my brother who introduced me who then introduced a friend. At first I thought some Pokemon were cute or cool. So soon I started in the TCG and got a Blastoise in my first pack! So I thought that was fun so I tryed the games. I still play them because they are very fun and bring back good memories.

 

[Lady Minchi]

my little brother had a silver GBA and pokemon ruby was one of his games. One day I stole it from him and began playing. I soon found myself begging for a pink GBA, sapphire, and emerald. Then the pokemon mystery dungeons...everytime a new game came out, we got it. (We also started watching the tv show.) I keep playing it because I love feeling like a child once again. It has also taught me some terms in the past. x3 (like taunt)

 

[Timbjerr]

Pretty much the contents of this massive spoiler.

Spoiler:

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Pokemon evolution fascinated me and I wanted to keep playing the games to see just how every pokemon was related to eachother. I still remember the feeling of awe when I first saw a Raichu (in Lt. Surge's possession in Red) and was like, "OMG, that little Pikachu I caught in the forest will grow up to be this beastly thing?! :D:D:D"

 

[AntiZero]

I grew up with my family "trying" to get me to like Pokemon. I was born the year the first games came out in the US and my parents always bought me the merchandise, like a Pokemon blanket and Pikachu plush. I never honestly liked it much. though. The first game I owned was Silver, and even that really didn't get me into it.

I really got into it 2 months before the release of R/S. I bought a copy of Crystal and I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE with that game. :) It was my favorite game EVER. Then after I beat the main story multiple times I lent it to my friend, and he moved to California when he still had my game T_T

So I eventually bought Sapphire, Fire Red, Leaf Green, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Heart Gold, Soul Silver, and now Black and White, which currently fuel my love for Pokemon.
:D

 

[Baconkillszombies]

My fandom still lies with the anime and the refined fights that go along with it. I honestly don't need a television show with gore or annoying hints of romance, so all that leaves is shows for kids and some whacked out movies that use a lot of philosophy and stuff. Back to the point,the anime has it's up and downs. Sometimes I am bored and change the channel and other times I am hooked like when Ash faced paul for the last time.

As for the games,they play a secondary part for me. I honestly love the first play through,but the subsequent playthroughs become more like a job.

Step 1: Get exp share
Step 2: Catch a team of ghost and dragons
Step 3: Take out exp share for dragonair and grind like there's no tommorow
Step 4: Buy like 500 hyper potions and dozens of revives
Step 5: Lose to the elite 4 while leveling up slowly, using potions more and more
Step 6: Assemble a team of pokemon that are generally ten to 20 levels below the elite four teams and battle using revives/ effective type moves
Step 7: Farm money to buy coins to get stuff from the casino

Step 8: Redo the game and try to do it more effieciently

 

[Zayin]

In my case, it first started when I received Pokemon Blue for Christmas, when I was about 8-9 I think. I hated it at first because I didn't know how to read English, so I didn't understand anything. Then, a few months later, a classmate told me there was this new show coming up on Teletoon, and that I just HAD to watch it, which I did. I became addicted right away and started playing my game again after understanding what was its purpose. Then, I got even more addicted to Team Rocket in the 2nd episode. Later, everyone in my class played and watched Pokemon, and most of us were trading cards as well. It was crazy, but so fun! Pokemon took a really important place in my childhood! ^o^ So many good souvenirs...

Now, I mainly watch the anime because I never stopped loving Team Rocket (lmao) and because it's so naive I enjoy it after a hard day of school. I'm partly still a kid too I guess :P. Then I play the games cause they're well-made and fun. Phew!

 

[Riruka Dokugamine]

I was a kid, not sure what attracted me, it may have come with my Gameboy Color or whatever. As for what keeps me a fan, the great handheld games of course.

 

[PlatinumDude]

The trading cards and show first got me into Pokemon. Right now, the video games are what keep me going.

 

[jynx]

The season 1 English theme song really.
I wanted to listen to it everyday, so I watched the show.
and then I got involved with "fighting with friends" in the Pokemon style
then I thought it was fun.

 

[Zeffy]

What attracted me and keeps me a fan of Pokemon are the games. If it weren't for the games, I would've quit Pokemon now. And one thing that keeps me a fan too, is PC. Because of PC, I keep being updated on Pokemon stuff. ^o^

 

[Mr Cat Dog]

The UK, along with the rest of Europe, gets things a bit later than the rest of the world. So much so, that if things - such as Pokemon - are massive in the US/Japan, hype will develop over here. Essentially, this hype coupled with really good word of mouth and all of this going into the mind of a very impressionable 9-year-old and his younger brother meant that the marketing could have been dire and I still would have begged my parents for a copy of Blue version.

All these years later, I can't say I've been a fan consistently. The games are all very good, even the ones I can't remember much of such as Sapphire, and they have that familiar yet different quality about all of them - as well as the introduction of new Pokemon each time - that keep me and everyone else coming back for more.

 

[shengar]

When I walked in a store 10 years ago, I saw Pokemon Red with Charizard as their mascot in the box cover, sparkling brigthly in shelf and caught my attention. The awesomeness of Charizard intrigue me and I bought that. I've been hooked to pokemon ever since.

What keep me hooked with Pokemon untill now is their unspeakable charm, nostalgic feeling I've got when playing, and PokeSpe manga.

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

Seeing the previews for it in Nintendo Power. Pokemon was the first RPG-style game I laid eyes on, and back then the concept of raising a bunch of beasts and exploring the world sounded very intriguing.

And in a way, that's what keeps me coming back to the games... the experience of setting off to explore a region, training a select group of the wildlife to become respected throughout the land as the toughest of them all.

 

[Meinfoo]

For me it's probably the design. Pokemon can be badass, sweet, snobby and clever, it never ceases to amaze me how they can keep pumping out such great designs. You only have to read a few "On Origin Of Species" columns on Bulbapedia to understand the depth and layers of thought put into them. The adventure side of things is great, and the fact that there are so many to choose from makes your adventure and Pokemon very unique to you.

 

[~Ryukaa]

Wellll, let's see.
When I was a kid, my dad bought me a bunch of Pokemon VCDs, and my cousin had Gold version. After watching some, I fell it love with it, really. xDD;;
It was funny, I thought Ash was cool, and the concept with travelling with monsters was quite fun.
So I tried the game. It was fun, had good music, and was naturally addicting. xDD;;
So yeah.