Does Zinnia like Pokèmon?

As a reminder, I’m celebrating 1,000 posts by taking a break from polyamory related questions and taking questions about literally anything else. Submit your non-polyam questions here! You can blacklist the tag “1kcelebration” if you don’t want non-polyamory-related posts on your dash.

Do you like Pokémon? Do you have a favorite Pokémon?

I do like Pokemon! I was in elementary school when it got big, and a kid in my class gave me a Diglett card. I started collecting the cards and had a huge collection, all in a binder with the sleeve holders and everything. It might still be somewhere at my parents’ house. I never played the card game - I didn’t have anyone to play it with - and I never played any of the video games, either, because I didn’t have a Gameboy or anything. But I watched the anime and loved the characters. We also had the Pokemon board game, which I remember being super fun - it had all these little disks for the different Pokemon that set into the board.

My brother liked Pokemon too, and it was something we really bonded over. I had a poster in my room with the original 150 Pokemon, and my brother and I had them completely memorized - name, number, and evolutions. It drove my mom nuts that we were “using space in our brains” that could have memorized the states and capitals, or something. I remember my dad taking us to see the Pokemon Movie when it came out in theatres, and getting the holographic Mew card, and just how big of a deal it all was.

My favorite Pokemon was always Squirtle, because he is just so super cute. I sometimes get called “fake” or “basic” because my favorite is a starter, but I never knew he was a starter; my only exposure to Pokemon was the cards and the tv show. I just love his perfect little face. I had a toy vinyl Squirtle that was so devastatingly cute, and my brother and I frequently fought over it. I don’t know where that went, but I have a bunch of cute Squirtle stuff today. Squirtle is still my favorite even though there are a zillion more Pokemon. I also liked Ponyta/Rapidash, Vuplix/Ninetales, and Dratini/Dragonair. I also had a pet hamster named Zapdos. Of the newer expansions, I like Pichu, Slakoth, Sentret/Furret, all the babies, Swinub, Buizel, Shellos, and Turtwig. So, basically, the cute ones.

These days I am super into Pokemon Go (level 39 and counting, Pokedex at 438). I still have never played any of the other games or the card game.