Why is Pokemon So Popular?
Pokemon has been a pop culture power house for decades now, making it almost easy to forget its humble origins. Why do people love Pokemon so much? And what makes it so popular?
It makes sense to question the popularity of one of the world’s leading entertainment franchises – do people really just gotta catch em all that badly?
Let’s look at the humble beginnings of Pokemon, how it has shaped the childhood of many, and how the phenomenon has only grown since the nineties where it began to take root in our collective subconscious as a story and imaginative world of hope.
Pokemon is a story about hope
“The journey of the hero is about the courage to seek the depths; the image of creative rebirth; the eternal cycle of change within us; the uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know.”
If you are on track to make it to the Pokemon World Championships, it can be easy to forget that while you are chasing that big cash prize, Pokemon was originally – and remains today – a story about hope.
If we look back to the original storyline, it’s about the heroe’s journey – one kid out to catch em all and defy all odds. Much like the humble beginnings of Pokemon’s own creation, Red – the protagonist of the original game – also has humble beginnings. Pallet town – the town where he is from – is so small and insignificant that it doesn’t even have a gym to its name. Perhaps the only thing of note about this sleepy town is the famous Pokemon professor who lives and works there – Professor Oak.
With determination, hard work and courage, however, Red does great things, not only toppling a criminal organization, but beating the best Pokemon trainers in the land, and even challenging the elite four and beating them to become the world’s greatest Pokemon Champion.
Pokemon’s universe always expands
However, the story was never meant to stop there. Not much later, a new protagonist would awake in another sleepy town and take on the Pokemon world. Although this character would be from a different place, he or she would eventually take on the same challenge as the original protagonist, only to find that after beating the elite four, there was a whole other world across the seas to get to.
This indeed is one of the primary reasons for Pokemon’s great success. It doesn’t limit itself to one world or one set of Pokemon. The world itself is constantly expanding – taking us to new lands, meeting new Pokemon, and exploring new adventures.
This is how, decades later, the Pokemon company can still produce new games that rival the success of the old ones.
Pokemon is a story about growth
In real life, people don’t stay the same. They learn new things, grow, start new jobs, have new kids, see their kids grow, lose loved ones, gain loved ones and face trials and tribulations that continue to mold them for their entire lives.
How many stories or fantasy worlds follow this same pattern of growth? Many don’t. Typically, they are filled with characters that face one moment of crisis and identity and change.
In Pokemon, however, you are constantly challenged to change and grow. Pokemon themselves grow with each new challenge they face. They evolve, just like we do. Like watching our kids leave the womb to one day make their trek to college, we watch our Pokemon grow from small starter Pokemon we pick up at Professor Oak’s to large, mamothine powers ready to take on the world.
The Pokemon world challenges us to grow ourselves and learn new ways to cope with challenges and strive to be the very best. Whether you are taking on gym leaders in the Pokemon video games – learning how to counter their various Pokemon and move sets – or picking up the latest set of Pokemon cards, constant challenge awaits you in the Pokemon world.
Pokemon is a story about adventure
“When you’re a kid and get your first bike, you want to go somewhere you’ve never been before. That’s like Pokémon. Everybody shares the same experience, but everybody wants to take it someplace else.”
Everyone has a longing for adventure deep deep down. Even kids. I think that was the thing that drew me most to Pokemon as a child – longing for adventure. Only, when you are a kid, you can’t go the places you want to go. You can only ride your bike so far. No one is going to let you travel the continent at ten years old like they let you do in Pokemon.
Through playing the Pokemon games, however, you get to experience that sense of adventure in a safe way. Today, that sense of adventure has grown with the original Pokemon generation as they’ve aged. Today, Pokemon players take that sense of adventure with them around the world, taking on Pokemon championships, and competing for points to get access to the World Championships.
However, even for the young person still at home with no money to travel, Pokemon can light that first spark that invites you on adventures in your life well outside the world of Pokemon.
