Journey to catch them all — Episode (8)
I think what Pokémon company realized early on is how to position themselves as a brand, how to be ubiquitous without feeling intrusive.
Virtual pet
Looking at the picture above, your eyes would first land on me, then shift to Squirtle — maybe thinking, “Oh, he must be a Pokémon fan.” Next, you’d take in the cozy, colorful house, and only then might you notice some Pokémon quietly sleeping or playing. They blend in naturally, never overshadowing the scene — and that’s intentional.
Pokémon are like pets but on steroids— companions for endless adventures in a world where you take center stage.
And because we love our pets, we want to take them everywhere and build lasting bonds with them. If we had to get a new one every year, there would be no real emotional connection — it would feel disposable.
Pokémon understood this and came up with a solution: make Pokémon into immortal digital pets — companions you can transfer from one game to the next, carrying your bond across generations.
To illustrate an example, if you started hearing about Pokémon in 2018 and caught a Pikachu in Let’s GO, you can then use it in all other games as years go by. (2018, 2019/2020 SWSH, 2021/2022 Arceus/BDSP, 2023/2024 SV), All the ribbons (awards) you collect carry over with you, it’s like an ever-living photo album.
In fact, you can transfer Pokémon all the way from FireRed (released 21 years ago) to the latest game, keeping your journey alive across decades.
And this idea of a nostalgic connected world is loud and clear, this is an image from BDSP physical release, stating that if you have a save file from Let’s Go and have a save file, you get a free Mew!
Speaking of taking your pets everywhere, Pokémon GO captures this feeling beautifully — when played in moderation. Your Buddy Pokémon if you enable adventure sync will get stronger when you take more steps (without opening the game) and will even collect postcards from location you go to.
What if I don’t have the time?
But what if you don’t have the time or energy to care for a pet? Does that mean you shouldn’t get one? You loved having one as a kid… but now? Oh well.
That’s where Pokémon cards and merchandise come in. If there’s a Pokémon you’ve always loved, you can keep it close in the form of a card or a plushie. You don’t have to play the card game if you don’t have the time — just collecting the cards can be satisfying, and simply having a plushie can be a nostalgic reminder of your childhood. And when you do find the time or feel like diving back in, the ever-expanding Pokémon universe will be right there waiting, without any fear of missing out.
A colorful experience
Having a cozy experience that you can share with friends and family is the reason why I am having this second wave of loving the series.
As an adult, Life can be very overwhelming where you can easily lose track of your inner child. Yet, a part of both you and I exist in this virtual world and it’s damn refreshing to jump back every once in a while.
Fire away Ed sheeran, Celestial.
Updates
i just bought Shinning pearl, that’s why i wanted to do this episode.
Most notable edition is Jirashi. 😀
