As per title, what is the most embarassing Pokemon-related thing you’ve done?
Did you fist-fight someone for that last 151 Booster Bundle on the shelf?
Did you believe a silly rumour?
Did you massively overpay for something?
I’ll start. As a fully grown adult, I saw a listing for the Japanese Trainer Mag “Snap Pikachu” and thought it was THE “Snap Pikachu”. Bought it instantly for $50 thinking it was the misprice of the century, then realised soon after that I absolutely played myself.
As a kid I thought I softlocked pokemon red. The teleporter pads in team rockets hideout in saffron are a one way teleport, and I knew I needed the card key on the other side of one. My brain assumed that when you step on one it forces you off of it the same way you step on it. I figured since I cant get around it then its a glitch and reset my entire game. Some odd hours later I get to the same setup and realize it was my fault, and was embarassed I wasted so much time, and didnt think it through.
My first ~6 months seriously returning to Pokemon in 2020 bring me deep embarrassment and shame.
I was pretty much the exact person you would stereotypically think of as the new 2020 boom collector. I way over extended on modern, bought a ton of packs I opened and singles that collapsed in value, all on credit of course (maxed both of my credit cards). I overpaid for pretty much everything I bought. I was crashing out on various social medias, arguing with people on E4, thinking I knew more than I did. Im pretty sure I’ve said some VERY dumb and dramatic things on here in my early days, so I’m glad the people here were so chill and nice to me despite that I can’t even bring myself to go back and look at it lol
Anyway, I’m lucky that I was only like 20 at that time and I was in a privileged enough position that I could make such insane financial mistakes and not suffer too greatly. I’m also proud to say I have learned, matured and grown since then. I was so embarrassed when I went to the first regionals to meet people from E4, I was like "aw man, the things I’ve said and done "
Not sure if it’s my most embarrassing moment, but in the same category as you: instantly buying something you’re surprised to see only to realize it’s the wrong version later on:
I’ve had been looking for a thin stamp 1st edition Base Set Pikachu for both yellow cheeks and red cheeks for a loooong time. Every week I just randomly looked at all newly listed 1st edition Base Set Pikachu cards on eBay, solely looking at the 1st edition stamps. It happened quite a lot of times that I got excited, only to realize the card wasn’t in English, but in German, French, Spanish, etc. Luckily, all those were noticed before buying, and before scrolling on.
But one time, I saw one, which was in English, so I instantly bought it. Arrived a couple days later. I opened it, and only then realized it wasn’t Shadowless. Obviously, English 1st edition cards doesn’t exist with shadows, and it turned out not just the 1st edition stamp was faked on an unlimited edition card, but the entire card was fake. Woops.. Luckily it wasn’t too expensive I guess.
Buying those butt ugly sneak-peek BW tins from a shitty card shop in Shaftesbury Avenue on the first day of my 2011 London trip, and have them stare at me from my open suitcase for at least two days, a rattling cacophony whenever I’m grabbing something from it. Too stingy to just immediately throw them in the bin like I should have, think I ended up keeping one and stuffed all the garbage cards into that which really I should’ve binned that one too.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite Pokémon was Jirachi and I wanted a card of it BAD. At the time, my mom was wary of buying on eBay because she was worried of getting scammed. There were some middle schoolers on the bus who would trade cards with eachother so I asked if any of them had a Jirachi card to trade. The one convinced me that his dad worked at Nintendo and said he was going to see if he could get me a copy. He came back the next day with a Jirachi card. I was desperate so I traded my ex cards, and most notably, a Gold Star Groudon. I get really embarrassed looking back at it
Yes, the condition you see it in is the condition it was when I traded for it. No, I didn’t care at the time. I want to get it graded one day because it’s my first Jirachi card
When Chilling Reign came out, I got binoculars and went “bird watching”. I opened a Booster Box on Tik Tok live, looking for one of the Legendary Bird Alt Arts while wearing said binoculars. I’m so, so, so, so sorry….
My first pokemon game as a kid was Emerald, and I spent an hour or so just battling taillows on the first few routes before my cousin came into the room and told me I had to go left to get to Petalburg. I had a lvl 21 marshtomp by that point
I restarted collecting in 2020 and for the first couple years I was purely buying cards I enjoyed for my binder. In early 2022, I had an ‘aha’ moment when I realized that every PSA10 Charizard had appreciated overtime.
Then Brilliant Stars dropped.
A PSA10 Vstar Charizard was $450 but I couldn’t pull the trigger because I didn’t like the card. It eventually fell to $275 and I bought it. I still didn’t like it, but I felt like a genius for not buying it at $450. All Charizards go up overtime right? I’ll eventually sell it for a profit and buy a card I like .
I completely forgot I had it until recently and just dumped it. It’s pretty embarrassing thinking about my thought process for purchasing it in the first place . It’s also pretty embarrassing that it was only 3 years ago.
I did the same with my Charmander in Pokemon Blue. I had not yet learned how to read so I didn’t figure out how to get past the old man in Viridian city. When my mom returned cartridge to blockbuster there was a lv. 40 Charizard on it
I can’t even bring myself to go back and look at it lol
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Obviously, English 1st edition cards doesn’t exist with shadows, and it turned out not just the 1st edition stamp was faked on an unlimited edition card, but the entire card was fake. Woops.. Luckily it wasn’t too expensive I guess. 
.
. It’s also pretty embarrassing that it was only 3 years ago.