3 Years Ago (and my pokemon life)

Jobey

Jr. Trainer
Joined
Jul 14, 2016
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I was 8 years old when the pokemon anime first came out in America, I remember watching it and just being completely in awe of it. I also remember the craze of the pokemon cards and battling them at recess. I then soon found out about pokemon games and I so badly wanted to play them, but being a kid in a family without a lot of money, I could barely even get a pack of cards ( those cards were mainly reserved as extra gifts for Easter, Birthday, and Christmas) so playing the pokemon games were completely out of the question. I remember asking for a GameBoy for Christmas 1998, but my parents made it a apparent that wasn’t going to happen especially considering I already had a Super Nintendo and my parents (rightfully so) were not about to buy me another gaming system.

I was upset of course, but I got over it, I mean I still had the show, my cards, and my imagination so I could go without the games. Eventually as time went on though, my interest in pokemon began to wane. I remember watching the episode where Ash leaves his Charizard and being annoyed so I started to watch a bit less. Then a few weeks later around March 2001, my dad quit his job and we were forced to move to a new home, a home where I could no longer pick up the channel of "UPN" that had the episodes on it. After that point, I kind of moved on from pokemon and gave what small card collection I had to my older cousin who he himself had a massive collection.

2001-2004 was such a turbulent time, my parents seemed to hate each other as my dad's abuse, drug use, and alcoholism began to rule his life. The only memory of pokemon during that frame was one night around 2003 while my parents were having a big argument, I took my little 3 year old brother in my room, locked my door and since it was the only cartoon I had, I popped in my MewTwo Strikes Back VHS and turned the volume up to drown out my parents and for my brother to watch. I remember how relaxed I was watching it, it reminded me of a far simpler time that seemed so long ago. I watched it 2 or 3 times after that over the next year or so just to take me back.

In October 2004 my parents at last had enough of each other and finally separated. After a random inspection by my dad's boss one day the trailer where we had once lived was condemned and as such buried. Not being on much in the way of speaking terms and not wanting to go anywhere near that hell hole again I didnt bother going back and getting any of my stuff as I just wanted that part of my life gone and both figuratively and literally buried. Looking back that's something I wish I could do over, because being only 14 I didnt realize in my resentment how much I was sacrificing. To this very day buried deep underground is a trailer with MewTwo strikes back, all my Godzilla movies, all my DragonBallZ merchandise, and no telling what else. LOL

After this point in my life, all kinds of little things start to happen that kind of sort of lead me to where I am now so to speak LOL. In 2008 I got internet for the first time in my life and was introduced to the concept of YouTube. In 2012 my cousin would have to go away from home to go to college far off. When I was at my grandma’s the Sunday before he left, I was helping him pack his stuff. It was then we come across his pokémon card collection. This was the first time I had seen these cards in 11 years and it really brought back some memories. It had seemed like just yesterday when I was a kid and watching the show and acting like my cards were real pokémon and just using my imagination for my own adventures alongside Ash Ketchum.

Later that night when I made it home I really felt like trying to watch some of those old pokémon episodes, it was a feeling that just overtook me. Sure enough, there was a person on YouTube that I would subscribe to that had every single episode of the first season of the pokemon anime. I fell back in love with pokémon and would sometimes sit back and watch them from that point on.

Then June 6th, 2016 came along and is the day I made one of the best mistakes of my life. I was off work for an entire week, bored out of my mind, and had the sudden itch to watch some pokemon episodes for nostalgia sake. I was however heartbroken when I went on YouTube and realized that the person’s channel had felt the wrath of the pokemon company and his channel was removed. So with that being noted I decided to use good ole google and typed in "watch pokemon online". One of the first things I see is a site called "Pokemon World Online".

So me in my infinite wisdom clicked on it thinking it had pokemon episodes on it. It was then I realized it was a game. This was quite a shock to me, I never knew of an online pokemon game, I always thought they were just on gameboys (wow, was I ever wrong X_X). I was ecstatic! I had always wanted to play a pokémon game but it was just never meant to be. I thought harsh with it and told myself “Mikey, you’re 26 years old! Way too old to be playing a pokémon game with a bunch of little kids!” I laughed to myself but downloaded it anyway, I just wouldn’t talk to anybody to keep it from being weird.

I was instantly hooked, I felt like an 8 year old boy again! This was so awesome! I didn’t know a damn thing besides some of the basic type strengths and weaknesses (the ones that just made sense mainly LOL). I didn’t know about EVs, I didn’t know about IVs, I didn’t know about special/physical moves or status/booster moves or entry hazards or any of that, I didn’t even know what the hell a shiny was XD but geez I was having fun, I played for almost 20 hours straight! I didn’t talk to anybody, just followed the wiki and just went on my way without a care in the world. After 2 days and about 28 hours of play time, I beat the gyms and I thought my adventure was over.

Looking over chat though, I saw something about battle tower, so I decided that’s where I would go next. I went there but realized all the pokémon there were level 100. That gave me something to work toward, so I trained all my pokemon to level 100. When I would get bored of them, I would look for others and train them. So it was then I realized gyms were just a small part of pokémon, catching and training were part of it too. After two weeks though, I made my first friend, and I realized that this was it, this was pokémon.

Gyms and battles are fun, training/hunting keeps you busy, but friendships keep you here. I’m thankful that I have made some amazing friends here in my 3 years. Some no longer play and some left, I even had a friend tragically pass away. She is someone I still miss and the loss of her still hurts, but thanks to this game I was blessed with the opportunity to know her and she will always be a part of some great memories, just like every other friend I have made on here. In the real world I am Michael Lee Jobe II, in the pokémon world I am Jobey, but in life in general I am simply blessed that this online world has made some real world friends. Thank you all and I hope for another 3 years at least. Sorry for the long message, but I hope those who read it enjoyed.
 
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whisMEAT

Youngster
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May 16, 2014
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quite an intersting story... what a journey u got...

i really laughed about how u find the game and how u hide playing it XD ahaha
 

Jobey

Jr. Trainer
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Jul 14, 2016
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i really laughed about how u find the game and how u hide playing it XD ahaha
Yeah, but I havent hid from it since those first 2 weeks, it wasnt actually much hiding to begin with, had somebody asked me my age I would have told them, I just tried to avoid conversation though XD but I quickly realized with some of my friends (all being atleast 18+ for the most part at that time many being around my age or older) that you're never too old for pokemon XD I embrace it now XD
 
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Yukiro~

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Jul 13, 2012
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This was a very amazing story, so glad Pokemon has been able do this for you. It's funny, when I joined this game originally back in 2009 (11 yeaars ago) I would literally stay up for like 24 hours at a time during the weekends or the summer and my grandmother was concerned for my health. Unlike yourself, I had played all of the Pokemon versions up to that point, but never in my life could I have imagined an online version of Pokemon. I was h00ked and to be honest I was the same as you in some ways.

When I first joined the game and seen people chatting I had no idea what was going on so for the most part, I was just scared to chat I thought maybe people wouldn't like me in the chat because I was weak? Plus there already seemed to be the clique of cool players and the few attempts I made to chat no one really replied over the already well known people. Tbh this just made me want to become known in the game or build my reputation and back then. Idk what was going through my mind at the time, but then I made my first friend Tekeshi1212 and I'll never forget that guys user name even after all these years. Making friends in this game had opened up a whole new door for me, granted I had plenty of irl friends at the time..but just having friends online was something else and from that point on I just knew I loved the game and of course with all the years there where aspects that I didn't like and even people, but it just gave me something to look forward to after a long day of school or when I was having a bad day.

Granted I was here also during a stage where you had to fight for a spot in the server. I remember waiting hours praying a player would log out and that I could click the login button faster than another player (this was also the reason I played for such long duration...I knew it would be hard to get back in)

I think even though these days it may not be as full or with as many people, but those memories keep me here.
 

justme1306

Youngster
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Apr 11, 2014
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yeah yukiro same for me - i remember my first guild - they was saying if u want people talk to you and be nice to you and get some respect you need to have something special in youre boxes to show - thats what i like from this community now it feels like a family - even if i dont play as much as before - i have fun logging in and chat

and i found this game after watching pokemon anime too lol i was feeling like it would be cool to have a mmos of pokemon catching stuff and getting badges but i wasnt expecting a game like that lol mostly 3D with trainer health - which you would need to care about food health and stay out of danger from wild pokemon :p
 

Mallow-

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Nov 15, 2011
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The part I liked best in this story be this line:
I thought ******* it and told myself “Mikey, you’re 26 years old! Way too old to be playing a pokémon game with a bunch of little kids!” I laughed to myself but downloaded it anyway,
A little wisdom straight from the garbage heap: You never be too old to have fun. And even old or not liked things now, may become useful or fun again some future day ;)
 

Jobey

Jr. Trainer
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Jul 14, 2016
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I agree, you never are too old, and the fact most of our players are in their twenties, further proves that ;)
 
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