I grew up with Pokémon. And when I think back to being a kid, it’s amazing how much Pokémon was a part of it. There were trading cards at school, comparing what you had, trading with friends and trying to find the one you were missing (where did my holographic Charizard go?!). We never actually played the game, we just collected!
There were also all the random Pokémon things you could collect. I distinctly remembered bouncy balls with little Pokémon inside them and when Tim the Toy Man brought his retro collection in to work I had a wave of nostalgia (again where did mine go?!).
Of course, there was the Game Boy... I didn't have one but I 'borrowed' my friend's older Game Boy Color and spent hours wandering around the world, catching Pokémon, battling, training, evolving Pokémon. I still play the originals on my Steam Deck! Back then there wasn't an internet forum so the tricks and tips to evolve your Pokémon had to be shared from friends at school.
Then of course there were the TV show and the books! I do still have the box set DVD's and my original books!
Gotta Catch ’Em All
The collecting part of Pokémon I think has been the element that keeps the franchise so engaging. I had a Pokédex and a book that had all the Pokémon from the first generation. I feel like there are too many Pokémon for me now, but back then there were just enough that it wasn't overwhelming but was hard enough to collect them all to keep all of us interested and competing at school.
Pokémon could easily have been a massive childhood craze that disappeared. Instead, nearly three decades later, kids are still discovering it. My three year old announced to me that when he's 10 we can watch the show! Maybe I'll start him earlier...
There are new games, new Pokémon and new generations of fans while people like me who grew up with the original Pokémon are still interested in it too. I think that's a big part of why Pokémon has lasted. It keeps changing, but the basic idea hasn't really changed at all. You just try to catch them all!
A Few of My Pokémon Picks
I've really enjoyed seeing our Pokémon range grow at Book Hero and now Toy Hero. Some of it is aimed at the latest generation of young Pokémon fans, while other things immediately make me want to be a kid again!
Pokémon Trainer Guess - Kanto Edition
I would have loved this as a kid! It's basically a talking Poké Ball. You think of a Pokémon, answer its questions and it tries to work out which one you're thinking of. Even better, this is the Kanto Edition, so it's the original generation of Pokémon I grew up with.
Pikachu Soft Toys
It's hard to have a Pokémon collection without Pikachu. We've got a big 30cm Pikachu plush, a smaller version and the Squishmallow which is my designated pillow when I'm reading to my three year old in bed!
More Soft Toys
If I'm being controversial... I prefer Blastoise over Charizard. And this plush is a must have. (Also Eevee is just the cutest)
Box Sets and Guides
If you want to catch up on Pokémon the handbooks. guides and box sets are the way to do it!
Puzzles!
If you just want a relaxing weekend activity and some nostalgia along with it, check out our 4D puzzles and Jigsaws!
Final thoughts
Pokémon has changed a lot since I was trading cards at school and playing it on my Game Boy. But there's something quite cool about walking through our warehouse now and seeing Pikachu, Blastoise, Pokémon books, games and toys sitting on the shelves. It turns out we never really stopped trying to catch them all!