Jul 3, 2015, 11:44 PM
Story time!
So when I was a kid, Pokemon was a really huge thing at my school and, being kids, everything about the game became rumors and "guess what I found" stories. For example, I was the first among my friends to discover a shiny Pokemon (a Spinda, thank you very much kappa ) and afterwards we went crazy trying to discover everything we could about them.
Now the pinnacle of issues facing our eight-year-old minds was that concerning the leveling system. Once we realized that the levels went all the way up to 100 (We were eight. 100 was a big number.) we would fantasize about exactly what would happen upon reaching that top level.
Now perhaps my favorite of these theories was that, in the case of Sceptile, upon reaching Level 100, it would learn the super secret move by the name of "Ancient Cut". (I have NO idea where this idea came from. We were eight.) Suddenly this secret move became the focus of conversation on all of our bathroom breaks, as we all discussed theories. We had no idea what the move was or what it did, but all we knew was that we wanted to find out.
And so began a frantic race discover exactly what would happen to our most precious Pokemon should they reach the coveted Level 100. Each day we would excitedly return home in order to battle trainer after trainer, wild Pokemon after wild Pokemon, savoring every experience point we saw fill that tantalizing blue bar. Slowly I saw my own beloved Sceptile (named PUNCHER for...reasons. I was eight.) grow stronger and strong, inching towards that mysterious horizon beyond Level 99.
It became rhythmic, slow but steady, and yet rewarding. We would return to school each day and compare our progress. Each day we were a little closer. The 70s, 80s, 90s, after months of labor, we finally saw the end in sight. We were about to have our curiosity satisfied by the final discovery after a long-winded battle.
Then, it happened. The blue bar at last reached it rightmost side fore the final time and my beloved Sceptile was finally at its maximum level. I stared in awe at the majesty of the new third digit. A wave of elation and relief spread over me and yet...something was off. There was no fanfare, no acknowledgement, no "Ancient Cut". The game didn't seem as impressed with my accomplishment as I expected it to be. Suddenly, disturbingly, I questioned whether or not the effort was worth the result.
But as time passed and as I look back on the ordeal, I realize that the effort was not without its perks. First and foremost, it was a bonding experience between me and my friends, that are still now close friends, all these years later. Second, it was an excellent test of patience and perseverance that I went through at even a young age. Lastly, it cemented Sceptile as being among my favorite Pokemon, to the point that the very same PUNCHER now exists in my Gen 6 games.
So, in short, my best moment in Pokemon was finally leveling my first Sceptile to Level 100 all by myself.
So when I was a kid, Pokemon was a really huge thing at my school and, being kids, everything about the game became rumors and "guess what I found" stories. For example, I was the first among my friends to discover a shiny Pokemon (a Spinda, thank you very much kappa ) and afterwards we went crazy trying to discover everything we could about them.
Now the pinnacle of issues facing our eight-year-old minds was that concerning the leveling system. Once we realized that the levels went all the way up to 100 (We were eight. 100 was a big number.) we would fantasize about exactly what would happen upon reaching that top level.
Now perhaps my favorite of these theories was that, in the case of Sceptile, upon reaching Level 100, it would learn the super secret move by the name of "Ancient Cut". (I have NO idea where this idea came from. We were eight.) Suddenly this secret move became the focus of conversation on all of our bathroom breaks, as we all discussed theories. We had no idea what the move was or what it did, but all we knew was that we wanted to find out.
And so began a frantic race discover exactly what would happen to our most precious Pokemon should they reach the coveted Level 100. Each day we would excitedly return home in order to battle trainer after trainer, wild Pokemon after wild Pokemon, savoring every experience point we saw fill that tantalizing blue bar. Slowly I saw my own beloved Sceptile (named PUNCHER for...reasons. I was eight.) grow stronger and strong, inching towards that mysterious horizon beyond Level 99.
It became rhythmic, slow but steady, and yet rewarding. We would return to school each day and compare our progress. Each day we were a little closer. The 70s, 80s, 90s, after months of labor, we finally saw the end in sight. We were about to have our curiosity satisfied by the final discovery after a long-winded battle.
Then, it happened. The blue bar at last reached it rightmost side fore the final time and my beloved Sceptile was finally at its maximum level. I stared in awe at the majesty of the new third digit. A wave of elation and relief spread over me and yet...something was off. There was no fanfare, no acknowledgement, no "Ancient Cut". The game didn't seem as impressed with my accomplishment as I expected it to be. Suddenly, disturbingly, I questioned whether or not the effort was worth the result.
But as time passed and as I look back on the ordeal, I realize that the effort was not without its perks. First and foremost, it was a bonding experience between me and my friends, that are still now close friends, all these years later. Second, it was an excellent test of patience and perseverance that I went through at even a young age. Lastly, it cemented Sceptile as being among my favorite Pokemon, to the point that the very same PUNCHER now exists in my Gen 6 games.
So, in short, my best moment in Pokemon was finally leveling my first Sceptile to Level 100 all by myself.
