{"id":7206,"date":"2019-05-09T12:40:04","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T19:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=7206"},"modified":"2019-05-10T15:39:47","modified_gmt":"2019-05-10T22:39:47","slug":"why-a-generation-of-kids-grew-up-to-catch-em-all-with-pokemon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/how-millennials-have-evolved-with-pokemon\/","title":{"rendered":"How A Generation Of Kids Grew Up To Catch ‘Em All With Pok\u00e9mon"},"content":{"rendered":"

This weekend,\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon Detective Pikachu<\/a><\/em> hits theaters. For many, it’s the first exposure they’ll ever get to the Pok\u00e9mon franchise, but for an entire generation (that would be mine), it’s been a constant part of our lives.\u00a0<\/span>Pok\u00e9mon Red<\/em> and Blue<\/em> debuted in the United States in 1996. Over twenty years have passed since the games hit the market. In that time, it\u2019s been a part of several major cultural phenomena around the world. Though I can\u2019t speak to the incredible impact it had (and still has) in Japan, I can certainly give some perspective on what it’s meant to a generation of\u00a0<\/span>millennials right here in the U.S<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Games Were Unlike Anything We’d Had Before<\/h2>\n
\"Charizard

Charizard and Blastoise in Pok\u00e9mon Red and Blue (Courtesy: Pok\u00e9mon Company)<\/p><\/div>\n

First came the games. Pok\u00e9mon Red<\/em> and Blue<\/em> and subsequent Pok\u00e9mon materials hit four sweet spots that other properties have failed to tackle with such combined success. There\u2019s an open world just waiting to be explored, offering the last of the play in the street until the street lamps come on kids a whole new world to dive into. You explore that world to find your favorite monsters, allowing you to build your perfect team on the quest to catch \u2018<\/span>em<\/span>\u00a0all. Next up there\u2019s the battle aspect, offering endless combinations between attacks and types, as well as teaching strategy as you learn to take on different gym leaders.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those three fundamentals built an important foundation for me and my generation while growing up, but I saved the most important hook for last. The Pok\u00e9mon themselves are what make the world mean so much. They\u2019re not just monsters that you fight with until they pass out and toss to the side. The creatures created to take young trainers on their journey matter not just in the overall scheme of the game, but on an emotional level for each player. Back in the day (get off my lawn), we started with one hundred and fifty Pok\u00e9mon. That\u2019s one hundred and fifty different creatures, all with their own unique traits to identify with. Sure, there\u2019s a strategy to which monsters you keep on your team to take down gyms, but every life-long Pok\u00e9mon trainer has their favorite. That one creature that you couldn\u2019t bear to transfer into storage, because what if you hurt its feelings?<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then The Anime Series Hit North America<\/h2>\n
\"Ash

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu in the animated Pok\u00e9mon series (Courtesy: Pok\u00e9mon Company)<\/p><\/div>\n

This franchise isn\u2019t about collecting pocket monsters. We\u2019re all out to catch \u2018<\/span>em<\/span>\u00a0all, but we\u2019ve all continued our involvement for twenty years because of that connection. A connection that was only made stronger by the North American debut of the show in 1998. The creatures we met and cared for in the games had suddenly hopped off of our Gameboys and onto our television screens in adorably animated form. Ash Ketchum, the earnest protagonist, dreamed of big adventure on his quest to collect them all. If you couldn\u2019t relate to Ash, the show also introduced Brock and Misty. The unique and trope-y personalities of the trio ensured that there was something for everyone, giving kids yet another part of the world to connect with. Not into plucky heroes? Don\u2019t worry, Team Rocket\u2019s there for all of your villainous needs!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The introduction of Ash and his friends was important, but that importance is mostly due to the connection with the Pok\u00e9mon. The feelings of loyalty trainers felt to their favorites were only made stronger by seeing them connect with the humans on screen. We all panicked when we thought\u00a0<\/span>Charmander\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0tail would go out for good in \u201c<\/span>Charmander<\/span>: The Stray Pok\u00e9mon.\u201d If you didn\u2019t cry when Pikachu thought Ash was dead and spent an unbearably long time trying to revive him with its lightning in\u00a0<\/span>Pok\u00e9mon: The First Movie<\/span><\/i>, I don\u2019t even know how to talk to you.\u00a0 These adorable digital creatures started to matter to all of us like they were our own pets. That love would continue to drive sales through multiple iterations of the games on both handheld and console, as well as a wildly successful card game that still sells to this day.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The World Is Constantly Evolving Even Today<\/span><\/h2>\n

For those who missed the Pok\u00e9mon train and never felt so inclined to hop on, it might seem strange that folks would remain engaged with a world so many years after its introduction. The simple answer to that is the fact that the world is always expanding and, forgive me, evolving. Since 1996 we have gone from one region and 150 creatures to nine regions and a whopping 807 Pok\u00e9mon. New favorites have been added, along with new worlds to explore and new characters to relate to as the series has soldiered on. The evolution of the franchise has allowed it to constantly expand its fan base while still remaining loyal to the factors that made it thrive. All of which takes us to the cultural phenomenon that is Pok\u00e9mon GO.<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And Then ‘Pok\u00e9mon GO’ Changed The Game…Again<\/h2>\n