My first partner Pokémon was Tepig. I was a little late to the Pokémon party, since I started in 5th grade when I was around 10 years old, about the age of an actual Pokémon Trainer.
I quickly fell in love with the series! I loved the Pokémon, I loved the music and art, and most importantly I loved the world. Thinking about living in a world of Pokémon always excited me.
And while some may not enjoy the Unova region, I loved its vast cities and plains, its icy and desert regions, and beautiful mountains. The DS had a unique combination of 3D environments and lively 2d sprites that I feel the series has never reached again.
The Pokémon are also lively in battle, with fun animations and a great battle UI made possible by the split screens.
The story is one of my favorites in Pokémon too, with the mysterious N and Team Plasma calling into question the ethics of Pokémon battles and trainers. It’s not an easy question, and the game does not provide an easy answer, but through that journey you learn that you and your Pokémon have a special bond that you do not want to break.
While I used to be an avid Pokémon fan, it is hard to feel that way now with the direction the company has headed. With multiple broken releases and many mobile games, the company has grown from large to massive!
While I may not be a small little 10-year-old trainer anymore, it’s hard to shake your memories of your first Pokémon game. They’ll be something you always remember.
