The Time I Almost Lost My Charizard
Sharing the story of the time I almost lost my Base Set Charizard card
When I was a kid, owning a holographic Charizard trading card was my dream. Among my peers, the powerful fire-breathing lizard was the most popular Pokémon of them all, so when I finally got my own, I was beyond excited! Unfortunately, I heard horror stories of cards being confiscated or stolen at school, so I always made sure to leave it at home with my other cards safe inside my folder. That way, I could be sure no one could ever take it from me – or so I thought.
One memory that is burned into my mind, as bright as Charizard’s flame, was when a so-called friend of mine decided to steal it from me! He was a childhood friend that I had known for years and would hang out with often. One afternoon, when Pokémon was at the height of its popularity, he came over and I showed him my trading card collection. As a kid, I couldn’t help but brag about the card I had in my collection, the one that literally everyone wanted. Until this point, I had no reason to believe that he would ever betray my trust: he was quite kind and friendly, and we never had a falling out prior to this. I guess my Charizard was too much of a temptation for him.
I must have turned my back at some point, because I recall that he suddenly said he had to go home. After I showed him out, I couldn’t help but feel that something wasn’t quite right. Following his oddly sudden departure, I went back to my cards to discover that my worst fear was true: my prized Charizard card had gone! A lot of emotions raced through my head, but anger and betrayal were at the forefront. I ran down the stairs and out of the house to see him walking away down the street. I started screaming for him to give me back my Charizard, and he started to run.
I gave chase and quickly caught up to him, tackling him to the ground on the field just outside my house. I saw that he indeed had my card in his hand. I managed to snatch it back, but the card was bent in the process. Understandably, I was quite upset, but I was thankful it hadn’t been torn in two. I stood above him, thankful that the card was back in my possession, and angrily told him to never speak to me again.
Ten years passed, and by that time I had already moved out of my hometown. We reconnected at some point and met up for drinks and a catch-up when I visited back home, and for a brief time we were talking again. I never brought up what he did, and he never mentioned it or apologised. Not long after, we drifted apart again, and our conversations, and ultimately our friendship, died out for good.
Moments in our lives like this can change a person, and I was definitely a lot more careful with my belongings from that point forward. I learned from a young age about trust and how it can be so easily broken, even by the people who we are confident will never betray it. I still have that Charizard in my collection, and its scar is a painful reminder of when I was so badly let down.