Blame volunteer work. At the time I was doing the "big brother-type mentor thing," the kid I was paired with was really into Pokemon. So, I figured that if I was to talk to the kid, I should at least learn the lingo.

So, I bought a copy of Pokemon Blue and played through it. And yes, I had to have a guide book because otherwise, I was lost. Eventually, I got the hang of it and the kid and I started battling.

I turned out to be better than him. But, I encouraged the kid not to give up and gave him pointers.

That was back in, oh, 1999 or so? I remember going to the Stadium Tour 2000 at Woodfield Mall on April 1, 2000. At 7 AM, the mall (which wasn't even open) was jammed inside with kids just waiting to have Mew put on the Pokemon Red/Blue cartridges. I also remember a kid who proudly showed off his level 100...Squirtle. When I pointed out that Squirtle wouldn't evolve, he was understandably upset.

(This has been remedied ever since Sword/Shield. A rare candy will evolve a level 100 critter and not use up the candy.)

I've never been one for the competitive scene. Yes, I beef up my critters to their potential, but it's for the game, not for beating anyone in front of me. But show me an event that's nearby for a legendary/mythical critter? I'm there. I once went to Six Flags Great America just to get a Celebi. I remember hooking up my Game Boy Advance to 3 other units just to mix berries/records and give away an Eon Ticket.

Go to Gamestop for a code? Use the internet for a mystery gift? It's a lot easier nowadays to get legendary/mythical critters.

I can't believe that I've had every mainline Pokemon game. I guess I just got into the habit of getting it. And there have been so many quality of life improvements.

I've beaten Scarlet and Violet, but I left Shield unfinished. Scratch that, I've left Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon unfinished. I should really get to those before the Nintendo 3DS wi-fi goes down. Otherwise, those critters will be stranded forever.

(I'm currently transferring off my old critters to give to Phil Moyer. It'll involve a bit of legwork, but these critters deserve a good home.)

So, any questions?

--Doc