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TheHistoryofPokemon

CameronMatthews

Shore
WesternHighSchool12th
16January2014

Everygreatchildhoodisbuiltoffaloveforafictionallovingcharacter,andPokemonisafoundationformanybeautiful
childhoods.EventhegreatcreatorofPokemonwasinfluencedtothegreatideafromhisyouth.SatoshiTajirithought
backtohischildhoodwhenheusedtocatchbugsandsmallanimalsforfunwhenthebigpictureofPokemonwas
imagined.(source1)OverthepasttwodecadesPokemonhasprovedtobeagrandidea.Takingthewholeworldby
storminthe90sPokemonhasclimbedthetowertosuccess.Anyvideogamethathaslasted20yearshasprovedtobe
trulysuccessful.ThegloryPokemonhasenduredcouldnothavehappenedwithoutGameFreak,Pokeentertainment,
andtheGameitself.Startingworkonedayinagarageandwithinmonthsmovingtoa22storybuilding,workingfor
nintendointokyosoundslikeadream.
SatoshiTajiritranslatedahobbyofhischildhooddaysintoanotherhobbyofhis,videogames.Inthelate70sTajiri
practicedcatchinginsectsandlittlecritters,andifhewasntoutsidedoingthathewasinsidethearcadedownthestreet
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playingspaceinvaders.Tajiriremembersadistinctmemoryofhimcatchingatadpoleandbeingabletoseeitsinner
organsthroughitstranslucentbody.(Source2)InapokedexentryaboutatadpolepokemonnamedPoliwagitsays
this.POLIWAGhasaverythinskin.ItispossibletoseethePOKMONsspiralinnardsrightthroughtheskin.Despite
itsthinness,however,theskinisalsoveryflexible.Evensharpfangsbouncerightoffit.(Source2)Tajirilovedarcade
gamessomuchonearcadegavehimaspaceinvadersgamemachine.AfterstudyingtwoyearsofelectronicsTajiriand
somefriendsstartedavideogamemagazinecalledGamefreaktopublicizevideogametipsandcheats.Aftersometime
ofmagazinestheGamefreakteamdecidedtoattemptmakingagamethemselves.AroundthistimeNintendohad
releasedtheGameboyhandhelddevice.TheGameboyhadsomethingspecial,Thecablelink.Tajirienvisionedasmall
creaturebeingtransferredthroughthecabletoanotherGameboy.Pokemonwasagrowingideaandwiththe
mastermindofsupermariobroshelpingTajirisellhisideatonintendo.Inthesixyearsittooktocreatethefirst
pokemongame,GamefreakwasnearBankruptcy.Tajiricouldbarelypayhisworkers.Fivequit,andTajirididnteven
payhimself.Helivedoffhisfatherinordertogetthegameofhischildhoodreleasedbynintendo.In1996Thegame
wassurprisinglyacceptedandreleasedbyNintendo.Thegameaftersomemonthsgrewsteadilytothetopofthe
charts.Tajiriwithaplantosellmoregamessecretlyprogrammedasecretpokemoninthegamemew,whocouldonly
beaccessedbycommunicationwithanothergameboy.
WithsuchsuccessinthevideogamedepartmentNintendowaslookingatthefutureofPokemon.Afterthegame
hadprovedtobeagreateffortNintendostartedthereowneffortincreatingananimatedseriesofPokemon.Theseries
wouldstarayoungtrainerfromasmalltownnamedAshKetchum.Theseriesquicklybecameahit,risingtothe
topratedkidsshowinjapan.(source3)PikachubecametheposterrecognizedPocketmonsterinallofPokemon.
PikachuasAshsfirstandfavoritePokemon,isplacedasthemostpopular.ThroughoutthetelevisedshowAshisona
missiontocollectall8differentPokemongymbadgesandbecomethebestPokemonmasterever.Theseriessoonhad
itsownproblemsindecemberof1997fromacertainepisodeofabombexplosiongivingnearly700kidssudden
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seizures.(Source2)Theshowhadbeenshutdownforfourmonthsandwasunderinvestigationbythejapanese
government.Evenafterresumingtheshowhadsomemorebutminorissues.Acoupleofepisodeswerebannedinthe
U.S.dotoculturaldifferences.Howevertheserieswastrulyanintellectualideaandstillgoestothisday.Pokemonalso
madeitswaytobroadwayin2000withashowcalledPokemonLive.TheshowwasstunninglyanotherPokemon
marvel.TheplotofthestoryfocusesaroundAshleavingachancetohearalectureonSnorlax,apokemonthatsleeps
fordaysbeforewakinguptoeatnearly900poundsoffoodanditssleepdisorderstobattleatrainertoearnadiamond
badge.ThestoryhasmuchmoreromanticismthaneverseeninPokemonsuchasacharacter,Misty,clearlyhavinga
crushonAsh.(source4)
1996,PocketMonsterManiahadtakingoverJapaninamatterofacouplemonths,andby1998ithadspread
tothewesternhemisphere.Whatwassogreataboutthegamethatnearlyeverykidloved.TheRolePlayingGame
startswithalabcoatprofessorintroducingyoutothewonderfulworldofPokemon.Aftertryingtoventureintotall
grassProfessorOakstopsyoujustintimewarningyouthatwildPokemoncouldattackfromtallgrass.Oakthendrags
yourcharacterbacktohislabwherehetellsyoutomakeoneofthehardestdecisionsakidwillevermake...Choose
yourstartingPokemon.AfterpickingbetweenthreedifferentPokemonyourrivalchoosesoneaswell.Youarethenon
yourwaytocollecttheeightgymbadges,arriveattheindigoplateau,anddefeattheelitefour.Alongthewayyouwill
battletonsofPokemonandmeetmultipleothertrainers.Onceyouhavedefeatedtheleaguechampionyougainaccess
toasecretcavewheretheoneandonlylegendaryMewtwocanbecaptured.ThefirstoriginalPokemongamefeatured
150catchablePokemon.In2000anewgenerationofPokemonwasreleasedSilverandGoldwithaplentifulamount
ofnewspeciesofpokemon.SincePokemonhasgrownevenmorenowreachingover718differentPokemonwiththe
newestreleasePokemonXandPokemonY.(source5)AndbeenlabeledthebestsellingRPGofalltime.(source1)
ThemostrecentPokemongamewasreleasedOctober2013.ThegamecanbeplayedonNintendos3DS,ahandheld
systemwithanoptiontoviewyourgamethreedimensionally.Nintendohasdoneagreatjobinhelpingdevelopthe
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GamefreakCo.andoverallPokemonFranchisetothegreatsuccessitistoday.
Fromdownindirtsbroketotopofthelist,PokemonhasstruggledlikeanangryPidgeytryingtoescapea
Bulbasaursimprisoningvinewhip.Theideawasboundfordiscoveryandaccomplishmentfromdayone.SatoshiTajiri
tookaawesomememoryfromhisyouthandturneditintoamemoryforkidsallaroundtheworld.Pokemonfromthe
startescalatedtonewheights.TopsellingRPGofalltimetopratedchildrenseries,atoptradingcardgame,andoneof
themostwellknownfranchisesinNintendo.WithmultipletiestomemoriesPokemonhasbecomeagameoftheages.
Anyonetoeverplaythegame,collectcards,orwatchtheshowcansharetheirownrecollectionsoftheirfavoritegame
oftheiradolescence.Pokemon,agamemadeforchildren,playedbychildren,whogrewupandstillplaywiththeirlittle
sister.

1."HistoryofPokmonBulbapediaBulbagarden."2005.22Nov.2013
2.BewareofPokemania.|TimeMagazine."2013.1Dec.2013
3."Ash'sPikachuThePokmonWiki."2008.4Dec.2013
4."TheCompleteHistoryofPokmonMashable."2013.5Dec.2013
5."GlitterBerri'sGameTranslationsEarlyConceptArt."2013.5Dec.2013