It's been nearly 25 years since Pokémon first came into the world, and the franchise is just as popular today as it ever was. There may be a dozen or so more games and roughly several thousand new monsters to collect, but Pokémon remains at its core what it has always been: The very best.
I may not be the same excitable seven-year-old that fell in love with video games, trading cards, and animated series back in the late 90s, but I'll always remember what Pokémon meant to me back then. I still love it, and I always will, but nothing quite compares to the excitement of being a little kid falling in love with the wonderful world of Pokémon for the first time.
That's why I'm so grateful to beastmodeonem on Reddit for sharing a clip of their kid opening up a booster pack of Pokémon trading cards. The way the little lad screams when he realises he's pulled a shiny VMAX Charizard nearly ripped my heart in two. The moment he kisses his new find absolutely ended me. You can keep the over-the-top screams of YouTubers trying too hard, this is the real deal.
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Maybe it's because we're in a pandemic, or maybe it's because I haven't had enough sleep, but watching the little dude react with such pure, unrestrained joy over a shiny Charizard genuinely made me well up. Take me back to a time when all I needed to be happy was a fresh booster pack of Pokémon cards and a Penguin bar.
Perhaps my favourite part of this entire video, though, is the fact that the kid comments on the card's strength - not its monetary value. In a world where scalpers are buying up everything precious to sell on for ridiculous prices and packs of cards go for thousands of pounds at auctions, it's so refreshing to be reminded there are kids out there who just love the game for the game. Long live Pokémon.
Featured Image Credit: beastmodeonem/Reddit/The Pokemon Company