29 years later, and Pokémon still hits me in the feels

Ah, Pokémon. Everyone and their grandmother knows of it, and all of us millennials grew up with it, so much so that it likely forms some of our early videogame memories. It certainly does for me; Pokémon is up there, along with Jak and Daxter, Tomb Raider, and Crash Bandicoot, as one of my core childhood memories. There have been some highs and lows for the franchise, and you know what else there’s been plenty of? Tears.

Over the years, Pokémon has done a great job of hitting me right in the feels, and no, I’m not talking about Ash sacrificing himself in the first Pokémon movie, Charmander’s tail nearly going out, or Ash saying goodbye to Butterfree (though that comes full circle years later). Not because those moments don’t hit you like an emotional dumbbell, but because I’m focusing solely on the feels you get from the Pokémon games instead. Honestly, I’d be here all day if I had to talk about all of the times the movies and anime made me bawl like a baby.

The first moment that continues to live with me all these years later is Cubone’s mum. Yeah, I’m starting with that, and I’m sure many of you know exactly what I’m talking about. This scene is from the gen 1 Pokémon games, and during my recent replay of Pokémon Let’s Go: Eevee!, this moment hit me harder than ever before. I knew it was coming; I was ready to go through Lavender Town, or so I thought.

There’s something very different about my life these days. The last time I played through a generation one adventure was quite a long time ago, and since my last journey in Kanto, I lost my mum. I think it goes without saying why this particular storyline hits me like a freight train these days, as it revolves around a Cubone just wanting to see its mum one last time after she passes away. Of course, Team Rocket sticks its beak in, kidnapping this poor, sweet ‘mon from the Pokémon Tower, and it’s up to you to go and rescue it. You didn’t have to ask me twice before, but now I don’t need any instructions; nothing could stop me from saving that little guy and ensuring he gets the goodbye I long to have.

I wanted to hurt Team Rocket more than what the Pokémon games allow. As I held my Joy-Con firmly in my hand, I wished it were Palworld I was playing so I could whip out a rifle and go ham at these people. But alas, I work with what I have and ensure Cubone gets to say goodbye to its mum. It’s bittersweet, and it hits me in the feels, even more so now that I can relate to the loss, something I couldn’t do before. It felt almost cathartic in a way during my most recent playthrough, and it gave me an all-new respect for this memorable quest.

The next emotional, gut-punching storyline I want to talk about comes from the gen 9 Pokémon games Scarlet and Violet. If you’re familiar with the goings-on of Paldea, you can likely guess what I’m talking about, and it’s one that I think many people can relate to, especially if you have dogs or a pet of any kind. Arven’s dedication to save his companion, Mabosstiff, is nothing short of applaudable. Unfortunately, I can, again, relate to this a little too well.

I have two furbabies in my life, one of which is Monty. He was my mum’s dog, so to say that there’s an extra special connection between us is an understatement. Scrappy Doo, if you somehow develop the skill of reading and find this, I love you, too. Years ago, not long after getting Monty, the little lad was hit by a car, and he was very poorly. Let me tell you, there was nothing we wouldn’t do to save him. Maybe we did it too well, as years later, he still expects to be hand-fed salmon.

Anyway, in Scarlet and Violet, Arven is searching for legendary herbs guarded by Titan Pokémon, as they have healing capabilities, and he hopes that giving Mabosstiff all five will lead to his recovery. To begin with, you have no idea what’s going on; you get a tease that he has an ulterior motive, then after defeating two titans, you find out his real reason for tracking down the Herba Mysteria, as he brings out Mabosstiff, and trust me when I say I suffered from emotional whiplash the first time I journeyed through Paldea.

On the one hand, I reacted as I do whenever I see a dog, ‘oh my god, he’s so cute,’ then it hits me that the pooch is sick, leading me to the other end of the spectrum, as I practically shout ‘no, they can’t kill the dog.’ I’m someone who checks Does the Dog Die, so yeah, no dogs are dying on my watch. Humans, I don’t care. I love horror games and movies, and it’s not uncommon for me to root for the killer against particularly annoying victims. The bond between Arven and Mabosstiff is lovely to see, and it’s especially tear-jerking when the big dog makes a full recovery.

While there are many more emotional moments I could talk about, I’m keeping this to just three for today. The final feels-smacking moment I want to discuss is winning the Pokémon League. It seems so simple; it’s the end goal of any mainline game, and you know what? It still gets me now. These games take hours upon hours to complete, especially the more recent ones, so defeating the Elite Four and seeing your team become immortalized is thrilling.

If I can return to my recent playthrough of Let’s Go! Eevee, watching the induction of my team filled me with pride as the camera focuses on them individually while they, essentially, fly into the hall of fame. Most of my team had been with me since before I got my third gym badge, so we really did grow together. No matter which Pokémon game you play, winning the league can be emotional, though I certainly didn’t feel that in Scarlet and Violet, but that’s not your be-all and end-all; getting into Area Zero is.

While there are many more moments I can discuss, these are the three that immediately spring to mind from the games, but perhaps I’ll share more of these with you another time. The fact that I’m a ’90s kid likely amplifies the emotions Pokémon can evoke in me due to nostalgia, but nobody can deny that the franchise is good at throwing a gut punch from time to time.