Transitioning as a Pokemon Fan

[SteveYoung]

This is by way my introduction but also my reason for joining the forum hoping to get some discourse in what is for me a very changed pokemon world. I am not sure how far I want to take pokemon, I am an older trainer playing red and yellow versions and boy things sure have changed. Having grown up a little and given the nature I remember loving my red version in hospital and completing the pokedex.

Now though I am older and the storylines don't really do it it for me like the old days though I admit they have significantly improved and I also wish to challenge myself more. At this point in my journey as a 'trainer' I understand to break the fourth wall completely as a player one should understand pokemon as a game of numbers. Types, stats, ev values, natures, held items, battle items, abilities and the rest of it beyond the aesthetics of the game really represent a few algorithms that basically determine whether you win or lose. Not to try and say strategy, tactics and at times perhaps even luck play apart after all we have all suffered that wayward critical hit (entropy).

Enjoying the ups and downs I now find myself resolved to develop a rich understanding of the numbers game that is the heart of pokemon game. I wonder then if anyone else has found themselves in a similar transition or made one and how their experience changed.

Did they enjoy the game more ?

Did their preferences of pokemon change ?

Did they enjoy developing a particular type of strategy or style ?

 

[shoz999]

I believe you want to re-title that as "Transitioning as a Pokemon Fan"?

For me personally, I, like most people, found myself discovering the Pokemon series through the anime as a child, enjoying the many wonders it offers and then eventually finding out the games. Pokemon Crystal Version was my first main series title and a favorite. I loved how GameFreak intricately designed the world to the smallest detail which is why I couldn't wait for the next Pokemon game, Ruby & Sapphire which I too enjoyed. However I'm an impatient fan and I couldn't wait for the next Pokemon games. So like any Pokemon fan, I killed time watching the anime... only I got more and more bored as I grew up. Advance Generation, the anime adaptation of Gen 3, bored me as I realized not only was this season going nowhere but it was how the first two generations of anime happened. I began noticing how the anime often did it's own thing rather than follow GameFreak's vision and when it tried to follow GameFreak's vision, it only disappointed me such as the rushed conclusion of the Team Magma/Team Aqua plot. I gave up on the anime realizing it was pretty much just marketing towards children with very little interest in actually adapting GameFreak's vision of the games. I almost gave up on the Pokemon series to be honest as I couldn't wait any longer and the Ruby & Sapphire games couldn't satisfy my interests no longer... until I discovered something on Serebii.net as an 11-year old child.

What I discovered were several pictures featuring all the player characters of the games from Gens 1 to 3 at the time, most of whom never appeared in the anime alongside with volume covers of what appeared to be a comic book and with that, Serebii thanking a mod for his work who goes by the name of Coronis. If that sounds familiar, he's the guy responsible for getting the word out there that the Pokemon Adventures manga exists and it's good, really good. I was curious but I'm not gonna lie. I originally thought the black & white images were kind of boring looking at first glance because at that point, I've never read a manga. Pokemon Adventures was my very first manga, a gateway to the world of manga but it was also a gateway to something more. It was an entry point to a side of the world of Pokemon I've never seen before that captured GameFreak's vision almost perfectly to the point I had absolutely no idea that some of these stuff were actually existed in the games. It was so faithful to the games that I even mistaken the manga-exclusive character Yellow as a character that must be from the games because of just how she looks like a game character that fits Satoshi Tajiri's philosophy of kids exploring the great outdoors. So what does this has to do with the games?

Pokemon Adventures faithful adaptation of the video games while taking it's own creative liberties opened a gateway for me to the massive lore of the Pokemon video games and competitive Pokemon that I previously had no idea existed. Not only that but to this day, whenever a person blindly says Pokemon doesn't have good stories without thinking too hard on it, you always have Pokemon Adventures as an strong example to prove them wrong. Grant it, it's no Cowboy Bebop but it's definitely proof that good Pokemon stories do exist. As of now, I enjoy the Pokemon series from multiple angles. Environmental storytelling, competitive, themes, cinematic storytelling, Adventures manga, TCG, character development, GameFreak's development history, how the Pokemon are designed from a creative viewpoint, the anime at times and etc. The topics I've mentioned itself could be divided into multiple differentiated topics that would annoy the hell out of the mods lol if I really felt like doing that many threads, that fast. As of now, Gen 5 is currently my favorite generation, with Gen 7 as my second favorite and Gen 2 as my third favorite.

 

[Leonhart]

I've never really considered myself to be the kind of player who focuses on training or battling. I only do that stuff when it's required during the main storyline of the games, then when I reach the post-game I only train as a way of getting my main team of Pokemon to level 100 and then I usually just stop training unless I need to evolve some other Pokemon. So I've never cared about things like IVs, Natures, or Abilities. I always preferred collecting Pokemon over anything else, and that still hasn't changed even after almost twenty years of playing the games. So I guess I haven't changed much when it comes to how I play the games, that's why I don't really see eye-to-eye with most other fans of the games since I don't play them the same way most people do.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

For me I’ve always loved the games but I feel like the anime changed drastically after the DP series. BW reverted Ash’s intelligence greatly and I stopped caring about the anime after that series ended. XY as far as I can tell tried to reverse the mistake and it worked a little but then SM aired and Ash became too cartoony.

 

[MockingJ]

I haven't changed much since I started playing. I still focus more on battling and completing the dex than anything else. The storyline of each games isn't my priority since I don't play for the fictional setting experience in the first place. I tend to ignore merchandise as well since I only buy the games and watch the cartoon on occasion, so I've probably spent less on Pokemon products than most people here lol.

 

[Bill the Typhlosion]

I've actually gone through a couple of different phases as a Pokemon player. Back in the days of Silver and Ruby, I would just play with a handful of my favourite Pokemon for the fun of it. Then during B2W2 I started learning about the competitive scene, and EV trained a couple of Pokemon. Then in Gen 6, I eventually started IV breeding as well! All of this was fun for a little while, but ultimately I found that it wasn't as fulfilling as the more casual way I used to play during my childhood. I missed being able to just enjoy the adventure without worrying about what natures my Pokemon had. I've now transitioned back to being a casual player, and haven't looked back since!

Something else I started doing during Gen 6, however, is completing the Pokedex and making a Living Dex. Growing up, I never bothered with the Pokedex because it was impossible to complete on my own, but now with tools like Pokemon Bank and the GTS it's become a lot easier. Although the competitive scene wasn't for me, I've continued to be a Pokedex completionist throughout Gen 7 because I find it to be a lot of fun. For me, it provides a perfect balance between casual and hard-core gameplay. It's a challenge that provides a sense of accomplishment, but I still feel like a casual player because I never pay attention to the natures or hidden stats of the Pokemon I collect.

 

[DANdotW]

I've always been a huge fan. From the initial games being released in the UK until now, I've played on in my own way. I've never really enjoyed competitive play, although I do enjoy a bit of Showdown. I've never really gone into breeding except for gaining baby Pokémon. I only ever really tried to fill the 'dex in rom hacks where I could do it. Although, I completed my Let's Go Pokédex, that was easy with PoGo.

I've never really changed my stance on the games. I'll get them, I'll play them and I'll love them. I've always been a casual gamer anyway. My passion really comes in with fanfiction and exploring the lore in my own way. I loved the Animé, enjoyed the Manga and toyed with the side games, but writing in the world is where I love to be.