Vol. 3, Issue 10 - Jay's Pokémon Memories
The memories of a Pokémon fan called Jay, and a special grandmother who embraced and encouraged his love of Pokémon. Plus, a recap of the latest Pokémon news, and more from our mailbag
A warm welcome to Vol. 3, issue 10 of Johto Times! This week we are sharing another great memory from a Pokémon fan called Jay, who shares his earliest memories of Pokémon and how his supportive grandmother encouraged him to explore his interest in the series even further. We also have a recap of the week’s Pokémon news, and more from the Johto Times mailbag!
News
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) recently conducted an interview with Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of The Pokémon Company, celebrating the 29th anniversary of Pokémon. During the interview, Mr. Ishihara made comments on the reach of Pokémon, the problematic resell market of the Pokémon Trading Card game, his thoughts on Ash Ketchum’s story beyond the Pokémon anime, and how he sees Pokémon celebrating its 50th and 100th anniversaries! You can read the full interview on the BBC website.
Source: BBC
Pokémon GO's Might & Mastery season will take place between March 4, 2025 and June 3, 2025. Special Research relating to Dynamax Kubfu, as well as new Dynamax Pokémon such as legendary beasts Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, will make an appearance. More Pokémon from the Galar region will be introduced into the game, such as Nickit and Thievul. Information on all of this, including themed stickers, PokéStop showcases, field research, and seasonal bonuses can be found on the Pokémon GO website.
Source: Pokémon GO
A new Pokémon TCG Pocket Drop Event is currently underway, featuring Gible, Staraptor, Nosepass, Raichu, and Cherrim. The event is scheduled to last until March 17th, 2025. More information can be found in the in-game news section of the application. Last week, a new themed booster pack was added to the game called “Triumphant Light”, adding many new cards into the game, including an immersive Arceus ex!
Source: Pokémon TCG Pocket (in-game news)
Feature: Jay's Pokémon Memories
Jay is a Pokémon fan who, like many others, grew up living and breathing Pokémon, exploring everything the franchise had to offer. However, Jay was incredibly lucky to have a grandmother who encouraged and embraced his love for the series. This feature shares some precious memories and the very special bond the two shared over Pokémon.
Like many other millennials, I fell in love with Pokémon in the late 90s. I grew up in a quiet suburb of Minneapolis, and my introduction to it was through a Scholastic News article in school in 1998, but I became properly entranced the first time I saw it on TV. The Bulbasaur episode was my first, and I came to school the next day determined to convince my friends to watch the show when they got home. We all became fans, and then over summer break my little brother and I got Pokémon Blue and Red, respectively. By then, I had become totally entrenched in my love for Pokémon, from the cards to the toys to everything else. Being a part of the Pokémon phenomenon was just magic.
My parents had no taste for any of it, but my grandma was quite the opposite. She raised me more than anyone else, and [her] encouragement of my art and creativity shaped the artist I became. She loved Pokémon right alongside us, even playing Pokémon Blue, at least through the first two gyms. She loved the TV series as well and couldn't miss the opening song. As soon as she heard the song start on UPN's afternoon block, she'd take time out of reading her books or playing solitaire to sit in the living room with us.
We didn't have a lot of money, so a lot of my toys and cards came from garage sales, thrift stores and school or church sales. When Grandma was out hitting up neighborhood garage sales one summer weekend, she brought home a handful of Pokémon cards she'd picked up from one, for 10 cents each. Among them was a Shining Charizard from the Neo Destiny set, a card which I was so excited to have. I had no idea of its value at the time, although the fact that it was a Charizard was enough for me to be thrilled – I had two other Charizard cards, the base set card I bought from a kid on the school bus for $10 (something which would have made my parents irate, if they had known I had spent that kind of money on a shiny piece of cardstock) and a non-holo Dark Charizard I'd pulled in a booster pack. But this one was unique; I'd never seen it before.
I lost my grandmother a few years ago and I think of her often. Going through my old school card binder always brings back such fond memories of summers spent having picnics at the park, checking out library books, and hunting for fun toys and cards at garage sales. The monetary value of the card is a neat bit of knowledge I have about it now, along with some of my other first edition and shadowless childhood cards, but it's the sentimental value they hold of some of the best memories of my life so far that I really cherish.
I am so thankful to Jay for telling us about the happy memories that he and his grandmother shared and how Pokémon played a big part in them. It was an incredibly touching tribute, and his grandmother clearly knew how to spot a bargain! While I am incredibly jealous of that Shining Charizard, I hope that it will remain a part of his collection as a reminder of those times.
Mailbag
We have received another contribution to our mailbag this week from a reader called TubaGuyChris, who drew some pixel art of Ecruteak’s Bell Tower! Chris also provided some words to describe the setting for this image.
The sun gently sets on Ecruteak City. The Bell Tower rises above the clouds and is a beacon to the townsfolk and travelers afar. Natu nestle[s] down for the night on the lower levels, just as the sleepy flock of Hoothoot awaken[s] from their slumber above.
TubaGuyChris, Pittsburgh, United States
Thank you so much for sending over this pixel artwork to us! You did a brilliant job at capturing the Bell Tower, and I love the little details on the windows and bells you made. I also really like the clouds. You detailed them effectively and considered the lighting. You’ve certainly inspired me to develop my own skills when it comes to pixel art! Please keep up the great work!
That’s all for this week’s issue! If you enjoy what Johto Times provides, be sure to share our newsletter with your friends and loved ones to help us reach even more Pokémon fans. For Discord users, you’re welcome to join our server for the latest notifications from our project. We are still open to sharing your mailbag entries, so if you have anything you would like to share with us, drop us a line by visiting this link to contact us directly!
What lovely memories from Jay! I believe I recognize that giant Bisharp from pkmncollectors, very cool!
Amazing article.
And regarding your incredibly kind words, I’m not crying — you’re crying.