I am embroiled in a horrible episode with my neighbour, as they build a god awful loft extension, without following any legal precedent, and seem hell bent on damaging my property as they go. It’s been (so far) 9 weeks of unpredictable 24/7 stress, mess, arguments and damage as I end each day with a new problem. My entire household is affected, even the cat.
Yet… I am trying to find solace in happy memories of a simpler time, and I was thinking today about specific areas throughout the Pokémon games that I have a fondness for, and old friendships forged around a love of Pokémon, and cosy evenings tucked up with my Gameboy or DS whilst the world raged around me as it does now.
I’ll never forget, for example, the sofa in my childhood room with countless plushies on it, and how sinking into it and looking through my cards or playing Pokémon Ruby seemed to make everything else vanish.
Pokémon doesn’t look the same to me nowadays, but the good stuff is still there, and what’s been can’t be taken from me either.
I’d like to hear, if you can share any, specific memories of how Pokémon got you through rough times or how it helped you to escape for a bit. I could really do with it!
first off i’m sorry to hear about your current stress!!! living in community or close to other people is both a blessing and a curse, truly the human condition.
similar to you, i have a very cozy memory of sitting on a pillow in our living room, tucked beside the radiator (ssssssssssteammm heat) on a cold winter evening, trying and trying and trying to beat the E4 with my single overleveled venusaur and the array of random pokemon i caught on victory road who were there for moral support and to dispense revives. i remember my mom calling me in for dinner at one point, and i sat at the table in the kitchen scheming over strategies. i didn’t succeed that evening, but the warm glow of the lights, and the sound of radiator pinging and popping, and the excitement i felt with each attempt, all made it worth it
The pokemon community has been there while I have gone through stressful life events. It has been a wonderful escape and support pillar. I will always thank all those who were there knowingly and those who were there unknowingly.
As far as the games or pokemon itself, its a wonderful distraction to get lost in card art or card goals. The e4 tournaments have also been a great distraction with less time commitment even though I suck at them.
So overall, it has helped me to have an enjoyable hobby with enjoyable people.
Sorry you are dealing with this. Very frustrating.
Pokemon has always been a pleasant distraction from dealing with things like this. Trying to become absorbed in nostalgia gives my brain a break.
I don’t have any specific instances I want to talk about, but memories like what crindy wrote are what formed my nostalgia. Playing the games on car trips, using a flashlight under the covers to play at night, learning you could battle and trade with your friends with a cable or connect to the N64, realizing FireRed was a remake after starting and still being excited.
Actually, route 119, Fortree City, and route 120 combine to make my favorite zone in all the games. Loved sitting in the rain, farming berries, looking for cool secret hideouts and then decorating them. I always look forward to getting here when I play Emerald.
I had this pokemon cork board where Pikachu is sitting on Ash’s head and Ash had a sort of soft smile on his face. I can’t tell you how many times I would talk to that cork board about my life and hard things I was going through as a kid. The same thing was true for a Pokemon pillow as well. I’d cry into that thing for forever. Pokemon was definitely there for me as a kid and I’m really grateful for that.
I have always listened to pokemon music while I work. And while I run, fwiw. This is like not a specific “thing that happenedTM” but I saw GlitchxCity put up some big megamix a couple weeks ago with the big headline 15th ANNIVERSARY MIX and I had to take a deep breath because I was listening to her (and others’) early shit when I was up way too late in college and so much, like so fucking much stuff good and bad has happened since then and here I am still jamming to game music that’s only gotten better over time
Pokémon has been there for me recently, when a neighbour of mine started repeatedly calling the cops on the builders performing my completely tasteful and legal loft extension. He called the council about criminal damage but it was just a bit of concrete landing on his shed. It’s not my fault he keeps his nerdy pokermong cards in there. It serves him right anyway since he practically scammed me out of my own collection and tried to date my mum.
Back in 2018 my (now) ex-gf seemed to be struggling with depression, and living together with her kind of rubbed it off on me as well. Coming fresh from the crypto bubble of '17-'18, I turned to collecting Pokémon as I had done in my childhood, and now with a job I could afford and discover many more cards. Getting weekly packages was a nice small treat that definitely helped improve my mood and go through that difficult stage more easily
Thanks for the kind words. I think those areas are a huge part of what I love about Hoenn as well. The concept of the tree-city is very cool, I loved the invisible Kecleons, just added a little something extra fun as a kid. That plus the Regi-cave round the corner from Lilycove (and the Lilycove bay as well) make it some of my favourite areas of the game.
I’ve had some unexpected expense that has meant I can’t do my usual small packages and things to look forward to this month, and it really is surprising how much it helps! Definitely a trinket-oriented human being.
just took persistence and some lucky sleep powder rolls
