Relating to Pokemon with Autism...

[ItsMeBrandon]

I can't remember whether I'd heard before that Satoshi Tajiri had autism. That interests me, knowing that I have Asperger's myself.
To answer your question, I would definitely say that a lot of my attachment to Pokémon as a whole is due to me having Asperger's.

A lot of it probably has to do with the fact that not only is the Pokémon formula good at appealing to a massive audience- it appeals particularly to people like us, I think.
Pokémon will not judge you regardless of the kind of person you are. If you're nice to them, they're nice to you. If you care for them, they'll fight for you. Their animal-like aspects make this believable.

Not only that, Pokémon as a series presents a world of so many kinds of people and places and Pokémon- it's very easy to jump in and express yourself the way you want to.
I began a sort of Ash Ketchum-like story for my own character in the Pokémon world at least 10 years ago, and I'm still refining it, to say the least. It's actually meant a lot to me in the last decade.
To be honest, I like to pretend my Pokémon can talk back to me, and while I know they can't actually talk and that it's weird, it's comforting for me to do. Likely because I've had less contact with my friends- of my own volition- as of late, being in college now.

Moving over to the more logical side, Pokémon also has pretty deep mechanics as well as its sheer volume of information- the Pokédex, of course. An Asperger's person who loves numbers and data can either memorize the entire Dex or take up competitive battles- or both. I got into the VGC metagame last year after realizing that I like the idea of competitive RPG battling over typical fighting games (e.g., Street Fighter). The slower and more methodical pacing of it appeals to me, and I think I prefer that partly because I have Asperger's.
I say this and yet I'm currently addicted to playing Splatoon 2 every day...

That said, even when I'm raising Pokémon for competitive battling, I still have an emotional attachment to all of them- I give them nicknames, I'd play with them in Amie/Refresh, etc. Most people in VGC don't do that, I'm pretty sure.

I've always embraced the fact that I have Asperger's, and though being socially challenged is pretty rough sometimes, I don't regret having the attachments I do as a result to series such as Pokémon, Mario, etc. Frankly, reading the posts in this thread has felt a bit vindicating to me.

 

[OshyHikari]

Even now, I sometimes get embarrassed though, because I'm a Autistic mid 20's girl who plays Pokémon. I know I shouldn't, but I sometimes get nervous admitting I like Pokémon in certain situations.

I'll be 25 starting next month, and I'm never afraid to show my love for Pokemon. I think the reason why I'm an autistic person who loves Pokemon is because it helped me learn more about numbers, since that's pretty much what loads of stuff in the Pokemon games is - base stats, the Pokedex, levels etc. are all basically numbers. I think I've heard of people who have become better at maths thanks to Pokemon.

I'm someone who's fascinated by creatures of different natures as well, which is pretty much what the Pokemon are. It also helps that a lot are based on mythological beings as well as stuff in Japanese folklore.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

I'm autistic myself, and have been a huge fan of Pokémon since 2001, although I stayed off it for a few years due to me getting burnt out with it. Black & White got me back into it, and now I've played almost every generation to date.

I think the reason I'm so into Pokémon is because (apparently) the creator had some form of autism or Asperger's, and he loved to catch bugs in his garden and catalogue them, much like Bugsy. I actually think he incorporated some elements of himself into Bugsy, as they are both "walking bug encyclopedias". I also like to collect and catalogue things, which is the other appealing aspect of Pokémon to me.

 

[Charming Charmander]

I have autism spectrum disorder and I've been a big Pokemon fan all my life. I love animation and animals and statistics and Nintendo, so Pokemon covers a lot of bases for my interests. And learning the creator had the same illness was inspiring and made the franchise feel more relatable to me. Also it's very nostalgic and takes me back to a simpler time, which I like.

 

[LadyTriox]

I have autism spectrum disorder and I've been a big Pokemon fan all my life. I love animation and animals and statistics and Nintendo, so Pokemon covers a lot of bases for my interests. And learning the creator had the same illness was inspiring and made the franchise feel more relatable to me. Also it's very nostalgic and takes me back to a simpler time, which I like.

I wish I grew up with pokemon like you did :/ I guess it helps that its like all i can talk about with people now in my life, but....I wish I didn't grow up liking stuff like barbie dolls and princesses so much xD; It makes relating to other people i meet so...hard.....

....Yes, I am Korrina's biggest fan, and this is the type of person I am/have been all my life. It is weird. Somehow Korrina still ended up appealing to me more than Valerie, though *shrug*

Still wish I could relate to others a bit more. Or at least....learn to accept them.....

I do have a lot of fears due to all this too. Think you're alone in the world? Hah....welcome to the life of the one person who relates to absolutely, and truly, no one else. Cept for maybe the several people I made up in my head years ago. Imaginary friends. Even after the age of 20.


....yeah.

Yeah, you don't know real problems till you've lived my life. So please; quit complaining already.

None of this is made up either, sad to say. Go ahead and cry. Though I rather.... no one feel sorry for me.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

I don't have autism myself, although I did know a few Pokemon fans on Tumblr and DeviantArt years ago who were autistic. I rarely pay attention to that kind of thing though since I hardly interact with other fans these days, but reading this thread gave me some intriguing insight. Most notably, I had no idea that Satoshi Tajiri was autistic until today, which I suppose explains why he's so private and elusive.

I didn't know that either. It's cool that he came up with such a cool game though. One that spans generations now. I still play and love the games as a whole. Looking forward for the re-release of Gold and Silver later on this month .

 

[AdvancedGenGenesect]

Sorry to say this, but the "Train to get stronger is just another aspect of Japanese culture put into one of their games.

What I mean is in many RPG games besides Pokemon that come from Japan the training before a big battle is associated with doing spiritual practices to get ready before going into a temple, and this is not the only sign of japanese culture in their games.

The pokemon not talking however is obviously similar to how real animals don't talk, but them talking would actually spwan more theories on a kids imagination and autism more than the actual situation.

 

[Deylt]

In one of his talks about Asperger's, Tony Attwood briefly explains that Pokemon and similar games "speak the Aspie's language".

https://youtu.be/LuZFThlOiJI?t=7m

Being on autism spectrum myself, I think I first got attracted to Pokemon out of a desire to learn everything there is to know about them. They were (and they still are) fascinating creatures. Also, when I was younger I felt extremely lonely and I think the whole discourse of "bonding with your Pokemon" really talked to me. In a sense, they felt easier to befriend than humans.

 

[LadyTriox]

Pokemon seems like the only thing i really 'understand', if i understand anything at all. It seems to give me relief for my autism more than anything else now maybe mostly through my crush on korrina, but I think a major part to why she appeals to me so much is a general understanding i have for pokemon as a whole. She doesn't SEEM so much like a character i'd be very fond of, with my girlyness and all, but her being from pokemon and her general 'pokemonishness' to her (isn't she like ash, in some ways, too?) seems to give her a lot of appeal to me, and her being a female crush too i guess. I'm still sorting this out a bit. Maybe it's really pokemon as a whole that helps me; not just one character from the franchice? Though I seem to focus on korrina mostly. But my happy memories of playing pokemon when i was younger (younger-ish) and generally bonding with them and learning they fight for honer and to train and get stronger and stuff...and they seem to relate to each other that way....in a positive to me sort of way?.....and my old pokemon forum too. Yeah, it's a little confusing to me too. But I think I do have a general understanding for this series that I often seem to over look.

Maybe its really a thing with my autism.

I appoligise if this post seems hard to understand. I don't understand it, either. Do I really understand ANYTHING? Does anyone understand anything?

As for my old pokemon forum, which i ended up deleting, due to too much drama being on there over time (but it DID have over 200 members in the end!!! ;; ), i feel its been a part of why pokemon means so much to me and all the friends i made there lead to my overall understanding of pokemon. And AAP rants and stuff.

 

[Smokin' weedle]

I wouldn't say pokemon is connected to autism. I think it's more the fact that it is somewhat childish that pulld me in. (And yes, I'm autistic as well) autistic people seem to have somewhat more childish behaviour overall, which is also why they are less accepted by people, in my opinion. It appears everyone here has had a much tougher childhood then me, which I think is really sad. Just as most people i have had some rough periods, but I've always had one or two people I could count on. It takes a lot of time for me to call someone a friend, and many people have never had the patience to get to know me, but those that did are the ones that knew how to treat you. Pokemon has helped me a lot, not only with bonding to people but learning to leave them as well, as people seem to leave my life a lot. (But for the most part Pokemon thought me English) i hope all your life's take a turn for the better, and that you can make some good friends!

 

[Pikachu Fan Number Nine]

I too have Asperger's. Pokemon has helped me through various tough times in my life, but it was only a few years ago that I found out that Pokemon's creator had it too.

 

[SpookyMimikyu]

I'm actually on the spectrum, more specifically I have high functioning autism. I've had many brief fascinations that would just fade to a side interest in time. Gemstones, birds, genetics, Mixels, Splatoon, Terraria...and current the two big fascinations that would fade into minor interests in due time are Kirby and South Park. But one thing that had been a major part of my life is Pokemon, ever since I first got Pokemon Diamond in 2007. If you get me started on the topic of Pokemon, hope you got a book because it's gonna be a long one. I'm a bit surprised to hear that a good chunk of autistic people love Pokemon too though.

 

[jnshucker12]

I do think I obsess over Pokémon because of my autism, and I do enjoy some of the more emphasis on relaxed gameplay instead of shooting everything in sight. However, I strongly disagree that I would not love Pokémon if I did not have autism. I love Pokémon and everything about it, that is all.

 

[MugoUrth]

Okay, I feel like I'm hearing this too much. "You need to be autistic to like Pokemon," or "you need to be autistic to be a furry" and stuff like that. I see no proof that there's a link between autism and Pokemon. I just happen to like games that don't portray humans as the absolute good and only creatures that are capable of good intentions, something I feel I see way too much, so I like Pokemon.

 

[Ash The Boy]

Okay, I feel like I'm hearing this too much. "You need to be autistic to like Pokemon," or "you need to be autistic to be a furry" and stuff like that. I see no proof that there's a link between autism and Pokemon. I just happen to like games that don't portray humans as the absolute good and only creatures that are capable of good intentions, something I feel I see way too much, so I like Pokemon.

I',m not autist and I like Pokémon.
You are free to like whatever you want regardless of your IQ, illness, etc.

I'm "live to have fun spectrum" lol, I try to make everything I do something fun, play video games, go to the market, study and play Pokémon.

 

[Bananarama]

I'm also not on the Autism spectrum, but I've seen a lot of folks on the spectrum that have been drawn especially to Pokémon, so I think there is a link. My best friend in elementary school had Asperger's and she said that Pokémon helped her interact with others more easily.

 

[LadyTriox]

I don't think people need autism to enjoy pokemon Pokemon has something to it that a lot of people can enjoy; autism or not^^ However, i think, for me, pokemon might not appeal to me as much without my autism. Especially since i am pretty feminine. I mean....i think other girly girls can like pokemon too. However, i didn't really grow up with it or anything, like maybe most of them would of? I think, in general, though, a lot of pokemon's appeal to me is related to my autism. However, i don't think people need autism to enjoy pokemon. Pokemon is a fun game that non autism/aspies can enjoy too^^ and i do stereo type a lot, its part of my autism. I may still like pokemon, even without my autism, regardless of my situation growing up and stuff. I'm really not sure. However, i do have autism, and i do feel my love for pokemon now relates to it. However, we all like things for different reasons. Thats why you probably don't have to have autism to like pokemon; we're all different Hope i worded this all okay.

 

[Drake Pokétrainer]

I have no clue if I can relate to it because of my autism spectrum disorder since I have no clue how it is not to have it.
But yeah, it was 1999, everyone was a pokemon fan. It might have been a factor why I sticked to the series and it wasn't just a passing fad for me. Especially my obsession to have a living dex and after I achieved that to get as many shinies as I could can be related to my autism.

But honestly, I've got no idea. I stopped seeing my autism spectrum "disorder" as a disease or something separate from myself years ago. It's part of me and makes me who I am. It's not something negative (as long as it's high functioning) and it doesn't make me special. Would I have become a pokemon fan without it? Absolutely. Would I have stayed one without it? No clue. It's like wondering if you'd be a fan of a certain series if you'd be a totally different person.

 

[ArcanineRaichu77]

I hope it's ok for me to post this here :3

I don't have autism, myself, but I suffer from OCD, General Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety. A lot of times when I've been feeling extremely anxious, or simply needing to wind down after a panic attack, Pokemon has really helped me. Playing Pokemon helps me not focus on, and gives me strength to fight back against my anxiety and intrusive thoughts from OCD, and always calms me down, much like reading does. On the social anxiety side, my love for Pokemon has helped me interact and be more open to talking with others about things I love and also dealing with large crowds. I think it's wonderful that this franchise can really help people cope with mental illness .

And if this doesn't belong here, I'm sorry. Just let me know and I'll delete this post.

 

[LadyTriox]

I hope it's ok for me to post this here :3

I don't have autism, myself, but I suffer from OCD, General Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety. A lot of times when I've been feeling extremely anxious, or simply needing to wind down after a panic attack, Pokemon has really helped me. Playing Pokemon helps me not focus on, and gives me strength to fight back against my anxiety and intrusive thoughts from OCD, and always calms me down, much like reading does. On the social anxiety side, my love for Pokemon has helped me interact and be more open to talking with others about things I love and also dealing with large crowds. I think it's wonderful that this franchise can really help people cope with mental illness .

And if this doesn't belong here, I'm sorry. Just let me know and I'll delete this post.

I think your post is fine you have disorders and pokemon help's you. I think a post like this belong's in this thread^^ Don't worry.

Yeah, autism is interesting. I wonder if i'd be a seriously different person without it too.

Sadly, i do worry if i didn't have autism, i'd become someone seriously detestable.

Maybe thinking that is part of my way of trying to embrace my difficult disability more, though o.o; Afterall, i like the idea that i can be a very caring person a lot...i really do feel for other people. I wouldn't want anything to change that for me If autism helps me to care, that's one trait i wouldn't want to live without....even if i take it too far and care TOO much time to time. Meh, still better than being an all out uncaring meanie. The world just doesn't need those :/