Aiden's Parting Pokémon Gift
A bittersweet memory from a Pokémon fan called Aiden, who received a Pokémon card from an old school friend.
Throughout our lives, we form connections with people, sometimes through a shared interest we are passionate about. This is especially the case when we are younger, forming bonds with our friends. Unfortunately, events beyond our control can cause them to end. But those truly special relationships can never be broken, no matter the distance between us. Sometimes reminders of those friendships remain, and this memory from a Pokémon fan called Aiden of his friend Seojin is a great example of that. The following events took place between 2011 and 2014.
So, my friend and I met at some point earlier in elementary school, and by the time we hit fourth grade, her family unfortunately decided to move away. If I remember correctly, it had something to do with job opportunities in a different part of the country.
Originally, we had met because we sat in the same desk pod (our desks were grouped up into small "pods" of about three or four desks). As we began to learn the interests of one another, it was obvious that we had some significant things in common. We both enjoyed similar types of books, which at the time were the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. We also enjoyed similar types of games. During those years, Pokémon was a very popular game with children, so it was very easy to find others who enjoyed the game. Fortunately for us, we found out quickly that we shared that interest.
From there, we started to have conversations about Pokémon, and we even started bringing our favorite cards to class to show off. We both enjoyed collecting Pokémon cards, which was cool, even though it was not something I took very seriously. More often than not, I would find cards loosely hanging around the house and simply pick out the ones that looked the coolest. Although I never knew the exact origins of those cards, I would guess that my brother got them from school. I suppose he was likely engaging in the same bring-your-cards-to-school activities as me. Even though the individual cards didn't hold much value to me, it was still fun to see what other people thought.
As the years passed by, our interest in Pokémon never waned. By the time we hit the fourth grade, which was a few or so years after we had met, the news eventually broke that it would be her final year at the school. It was very unfortunate news, as it is any time an old friend must depart. However, on her last day at the school, she was very kind to bring me a holographic Charizard card. Although I do not know the origins of the card, I have made some guesses. To my knowledge, the card was only printed in Japan. Given the fact that she is from Korea, I have always assumed that it was a card she grabbed herself or got from a relative. It was an incredible act of kindness and thoughtfulness, and that card has always been special to me. For the first time, I had an individual Pokémon card which stood out from the rest. The notion that the cards cannot hold significant value faded from my mind in an instant. Even though I am still not an avid collector who takes his own collection very seriously, I was certainly given a perspective on why it means so much.
Unfortunately, I have not seen her since she gave me the card. At the time, we were too young for social media, so contact doesn't exist these days.
Since then, I have certainly been distanced from Pokémon a lot. For a number of years, I put down my 2DS and didn't play Pokémon, let alone think about it (outside the handful of times when I craved the soundtrack). If I remember correctly, I bought Omega Ruby and dropped the series from there. However, this last summer of 2023, I had some extra time on my hands and decided to play through Pokémon Platinum. I had no regrets! It was a great game to experience for the first time, especially considering Pokémon Pearl was my first Pokémon game ever. From there, I re-joined the Poliwager community on Poliwager.net and have been an active member for about four months. I'm not sure why exactly I decided to do that, but I haven't looked back since. I would say my love for Pokémon has found a way to reignite itself after all of these years.
I’m incredibly thankful to Aiden for sharing his memories of his friendship with Seojin and how Pokémon became an important topic to bond with. I hope someday that the two can be reunited and catch up on their lives and what has happened with Pokémon since they last spoke!