I will never forget the one who got away. She was exotic, cute and fluffy. If I only had the balls at the time, I would have caught that Pokemon.
Its hard to believe how well Pokemon has cemented itself into Western Culture. Growing up, Pokemon and video games in general was something the dorky kids did; while it was still common for normal kids to be outside exploring nature and enjoying sports.
In the late nineties up into the early two-thousands, us neighborhood kids would get together in play games like Kick the Can. Basically everyone would hide and one person would have to find everybody. When someone was caught, they would have to stand near the can. Those still unfound would try and sneak out to kick the can over. If you successfully kicked the can over before being caught, everyone would hide again.
The opposite is Ghost in the Graveyard. One person would hide while everyone else would hunt them down. If they caught you and successfully tagged you. You became the new Ghost and would have to go hide.
But steadily video games and card games creeped into popular culture. The school eventually banned Pokemon cards during recess. They told us recess was meant for physical activities. Which is fair considering we were a bunch of kids with pent up energy. But more likely kids were stealing cards and picking fights.
Regardless, the games helped build strong bonds. I've had fun playing card games and video games but the outdoor games are a different experience. I don't see the neighborhood kids outside much anymore. The youth needs to bring these games back even put their own spin on it. Try it, its fun!
