Thank you, Pikachu
To the electric mouse that shaped my life.
Dear Pikachu,
Whilst many feel that they were born in the wrong time, I feel fortunate to be a 90’s child. Everything seemed new and exciting, but everything also felt more creative. Spice Girls brought the rise of girl power. Some of the best TV shows and music were made in the 90s. Many of the great bands that I listened to either started in the 90s or made their best records in the 90s.
As a child with learning difficulties, school was often a challenge. I never seemed to fit in at college and was an easy target for bullying because of how sensetive I was. Though coming home to play pokemon and seeing your cheerful face made life barable. My life had always been tough, but you made my childhood a happy one.
If I had to have one fictional character brought to life, I would choose you. Ever since you were introduced to the world, everybody fell in love with your rosy cheeks and adorable voice. I know you almost didn’t become the pokemon mascot, but it’s so hard to imagine pokemon without you. I truly believe that you are the reason why Pokemon became so massive in the 90s, and is still a beloved franchise to this date.
Not everyone knows pokemon, but they know you, Pikachu. You were such a huge part of my childhood. You’ve influenced and shaped my life far more than many other humans combined. And most people that know me associate us together because I have an Eevee handbag.
Because of your adventures with Ash, that helped me inspire a love for Japan and travelling. I have met a lot of my best friends all over the world through Pokemon. Because of you, I was never lonely.
What always amazed me in Pokemon was the diversity and inclusion. Pokemon had a lot of life lessons as well which were very deep and made a big emphasis on the power of love and friendship. I also think the huge roster of availible pokemon in the games also helped it become what is is today. Battling plays an important role in Pokemon, but so does collecting, training and doing our best to remain fair.
The pokemon games often recycle plots. The synopsis for most mainstream games are that you are a ten-year-old picking a starter and you go off to challenge gym leaders whilst taking on a villainous group who are trying to take over the world with their extreme ideals. Then once all that is done you battle the elite four, then the champion, and then you become the champion itself. Then once that is over the world is pretty much your oyster.
It’s a lot to take in for a child in the real world. For me, I think most of the main games are quite easy because I am so used to the games. Sometimes we had our own challenges and twists in the game. Pokémon Yellow is still one of my favourite games because I got to have you follow me around. It was a great touch. It warmed my heart to see you so happy.
It was also a pleasure playing with you on Let’s Go Pikachu for the Switch. The greatest thing of all is that you left a legacy on me. I watched Pokemon with my nan 20 years ago as a child. I have also watched pokemon with my friend’s kid when I babysat for them. I can see your legacy lasting a lifetime. Even though I won’t be here in a 100 years, I know that you will be.
About the Creator
Chloe Gilholy
I live in Oxfordshire, England. I used to write a lot of fan fiction and mainly just write poetry now. I've been to over 20 countries and written many books. I'm currently working on a horror story called Heavenly Seas.
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