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"Pokémon X"

A Personal History with Pokémon

By David C. Benson
On October 25, 2013

  • This Flyer was distrbuted to every student´s mailbox. This week´s editorial is writen in response to this flyer

Originally, this was going to be a straightforward review for the newest Pokémon game, "Pokémon X". I was going to review it like I would a normal game or movie, but something came across my mind. The review was going to be almost exactly the same review that everyone else has given, aside from a few small aspects. During the game, I had thought about all of the main series Pokémon games that I had played. It would be better to just talk about my experience with this game.
I remember getting my first copy of "Pokémon Red" when I was in the first grade. I didn't really know how to progress in the story, but I loved what was going on. I loved learning the different Pokémon names and attacks. What helped was watching the "Pokémon" anime, which aired at the same time. Even when I was a kid I knew it was corny, but I ate it up, and I recently watched some old episodes with a big grin on my face. I always imagined the games looking like the show in my mind's eye.
Of course all the other kids were just as obsessed as I was. I remember getting a book that had all the details of the original 150 Pokémon (mew wasn't included for mystery's sake), and I would read it all the time. I then remember getting the second game, "Pokémon Gold" in which my starter was Chikorita (Pokémon veterans may laugh here but I don't care). I got much farther in this game than in Red and I remembered much more of the story.
Fighting against the last few Team Rocket grunts as they tried to renew their forces and steal Slowpoke tails, staying up late training my team to beat all the competition, beating my older brother with much better strategies than he could imagine, it was a great time. I loved looking at my gold cartridge, knowing that there was more to learn this time around with a nice, rustic feel.
I then got "Sapphire", but I noticed something, I was starting to get made fun of for my love of Pokémon. I just wasn't interested in what the other kids were into. I, of course, got into another show and game known as "Yu-Gi-Oh!", which didn't help my social standing. I remember thinking what would happen if these two worlds ever met? I couldn't blame my peers since I remember looking at the newest season of the show and being embarrassed. I really liked the Pokémon, but even I couldn't handle how stupid all the characters became.
However, while I wasn't doing well socially, I was still enjoying the game. This was the first time ever playing Pokémon that I reached the Elite Four and beat them. I was so proud of myself, but really couldn't tell anyone. I remember leaving the game alone for a long time and never touching it since I was going through issues. In a moment of weakness (that to this day I regret), I got rid of all my old Pokémon games and merchandise. I had become a silent observer to a game I once played and watched lovingly, with my eye glancing over once in a while.
After getting a DS years later, I saw that there was a new generation of Pokémon coming out. I remembered how I felt about Pokémon when I was younger and decided to bite the bullet. I didn't tell anyone what I was doing, out of fear of ridicule, and saved up for "Pokémon Pearl". I remember playing the game and deciding to go against the starter type I usually pick (grass) and pick water instead. I remember playing the game through and experimenting until I got bored. After selling the game to GameStop, the guilt immediately hit, and I now have a copy of "Diamond", which my younger brother plays.
"Heart-Gold" is the next game, and it was beautiful. The Pokewalker system was great and nostalgia hit me like a truck. I remember crying at the beauty of the new music for Ecruteak City and seeing my Bayleef behind me. I was falling back in love with Pokémon and it seemed to be growing up with me. This was proven when I picked up "Black", and found that it had the most interesting story of any Pokémon game yet. The game deals with the relationship between trainers and Pokémon, with Team Plasma having the best interest in mind for Pokémon. I still love the character of N. He's the only antagonist that really doesn't want to hurt you but convince you his way is better.
As I'm writing this, I'm looking at my stuffed Chikorita and Pokéball and thinking about "Pokémon X".
I decided to start with Chespin, the grass type starter, for two reasons. I love grass types and everyone kept making fun of him online, so I decided to go against everyone. When starting the game for the first time, I was greeted to a beautiful sight as we see Professor Sycamore doing the normal Pokémon introduction. He presented a beautiful mural as he moved and talked. How the sprites acted is exactly as I imagined it as a kid. I was curious as to why I kept encountering only old Pokémon instead of the new 150. This is because of the newly introduced "Pokémon Bank", which allows you to store at least 3,000 Pokémon and transfer them to future games. I like the thought that some older Pokémon fans will have their Pokémon from the GBA games for the years to come, because when you really get down to it, Pokémon is a sentimental experience.
You really get attached to your team and the struggles you go through the game, thanks in part to the twists and turns it presents. It feels like Pokémon is stepping up its game, especially with the live cut scenes. This feels like the one beloved piece from my childhood that has really grown up with me. While still being fun, it raises the stakes and can still be challenging. I barely made it past the champion, and I'm twenty-one years old.
If you're a Pokémon fan, you already bought this game and it would be pointless to tell you to get it. If you're new to the series however, this is a fine place to start (although a personal suggestion would be Black or White). Now that we're all older, we have a better memory of this series and remember where we were when this franchise came to be. If there was any mascot worthy of our collective nostalgia, it would be the 25th Pokémon, that yellow, electric mouse itself.
 


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