#pika rambles about his special interest

[pikatrainer99]

Happy Pokémon Day! (My history with the franchise and how it changed my life)

So, I always post Pokémon stuff here on this blog, but I haven't posted anything about HOW I fell in love with this franchise...so what better time to do that than on Pokémon Day!

I got into Pokémon during the Gen 4 era, when I was about nine years old. I was on vacation with my family and having my quiet day at my grandparents' vacation rental while my parents stayed at ours with my younger brothers (two of them were just tiny little babies, so that's a lot of noise). I was just left to my own devices since I was having quiet time (as an autistic person, quiet time with no sensory overwhelm is a necessity), and I was flipping channels on the TV when I came across an episode of the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl anime on Cartoon Network. I found myself completely sucked in and fully immersed in the battle Ash and Pikachu were in, and from then on, I was hooked! There was just one problem... Pokémon was still seen as a little kid's thing by everyone around me, and there weren't any kids at school or anything that liked it, so I decided to keep this newfound special interest a secret from everyone, including my own family...actually, ESPECIALLY my family, as I already liked too many little kid's things for my parents' liking (read: my dad's liking).

So how did I keep it a secret? Well, I kept everything I consumed limited to the anime, and I always watched it in my own room with the door locked and the key with me inside my room so no one could get in and see what I was doing. Everyday after the living nightmare that was school, I came home, took the family laptop up to my room to do research on the franchise on Serebii.net and Bulbapedia. I looked up all the Pokémon, all the characters, and found older episodes of the anime from the 4kids era to watch, which I enjoyed immensely, especially Ash's voice (yep, I started with Sarah Natochenny's Ash but I still like Veronica Taylor's Ash better...no hate to Natochenny though, she really improved over time and really made Ash her own, so I appreciate the life she brought to the character, I just prefer the sound of Veronica's Ash voice a little more). And at the end of each Pokémon knowledge-seeking/anime-binging session I would always delete ALL the search history on Google AND the watch history on YouTube (I didn't have my own YouTube account at the time), so no one would ever suspect a thing. I did this for YEARS...in fact I did this well into HIGH SCHOOL!

It wasn't until 2015 that I discovered PokéTubers...and from there my world opened up more, as I had finally learned that there were plenty of older teens and adults who loved Pokémon, I just had to find them (which, the whole social thing is really hard when you're autistic like me). MandJTV was the first PokéTuber I watched, and it only expanded from there, to the point where I now watch almost exclusively PokéTubers. Watching PokéTubers made my love of Pokémon feel valid, that I wasn't the only one, and that there's probably more adult fans than kid ones at this point. And when I entered my final year of high school, I met someone new to the school who liked Pokémon! But I had to act like a complete newcomer to the series since I had never outwardly shown interest before. It made me inwardly cringe every time I purposely butchered a Pokémon's name pronunciation, or said my favorite Pokémon was Pikachu when it's really Infernape and always has been, or pretended I didn't know type matchups, etc, etc. But the best part about finding someone in my actual life who liked Pokémon meant I could finally tell my family about it!

When I told them, they were surprised as they never thought I would be into something like Pokémon, but I was finally FINALLY allowed to embrace my love for it, and get merchandise and play my first Pokémon game! I got Pokémon Art Academy for my 3DS that year for my birthday since I was always drawing Pokémon characters on any paper I could find, and this was actually what got me to start taking my art seriously and gave me the drive to improve! Pokémon also gave me the inspiration to start creating my own original characters for original works, and now I basically live in my own creative universe! For Christmas that year, I got my first Pokémon games, Y and Alpha Sapphire, also for my 3DS, and I played Y all day and hyperfocused so hard that before I knew it my dad was yelling at me to "put the pokey-man down and come eat supper" or else they'd take my 3DS away for a little while...oops. 😅

The best part about all this is, this was all just in time for Pokémon's 20th anniversary celebration! I had an amazing time getting exclusive merch from Toys R Us (RIP TRU, I still miss that store...) and starting my Pikachu collection (it's my number one comfort Pokémon, so of course I collect Pika merch) that is steadily growing to this day. I also got almost every Mythical Pokémon from the big giveaway events each month in my game! And then came the cards...oh Arceus, the cards...this is what got two of my three younger brothers into the franchise, and now opening packs is like a huge event in my house. My mom and dad just roll their eyes when we do it but they are happy for us whenever we pull something good from a pack. After the cards came the PokéSpe manga, which I most constantly post about my precious little autistic bean of an OC Orange on this blog (thank you so much for all the support on those posts btw), so obviously I love PokéSpe with all my heart just like I do the rest of this franchise...especially the Sinnoh Trio!

Ever since 2016 I've been living my best life as a Pokémon fan! I made my first true friends through Pokémon, I've learned many valuable lessons through Pokémon, my special interest in Pokémon helps me process the world around me (trust me on this, I know it sounds weird but I don't know exactly how to explain even though I usually can explain things better through writing). I still play the games, watch the anime, read the manga, etc. I've found so many relatable characters as well! And I somehow also can't stop seeing autistic or neurodivergent coded characters in any form of Pokémon media I consume...it's like I have a radar in my head because I'm autistic myself with three neurodivergent brothers as well so it automatically makes spotting the signs easier for me I guess. At the end of the day, it's all headcanons anyway, but it still feels validating to see so many characters in the franchise that is my main special interest possess many of the same traits and deal with many of the same struggles that I do in my day to day life. I will most likely continue to make character analyses on those characters here as well since I've become more confident in my ability to do that ever since my Crispin analysis became my most popular post BY FAR (thank you all for the support on that one btw)!

All in all, Pokémon has really changed my life for the better and helped me through so many hard times in my life. I honestly don't know where I'd be right now if Pokémon didn't exist, but let's not think about that too much, eh...? I'm just happy living life as a Pokémon fan, and I will continue to be a massive fan forever.

Happy Pokémon Day everyone! Thank you for reading this huge post, sorry about the length. 😅 And happy 28th Pokémon, here's to many many more years to come!

[drifloonz]

Hii Can i request glitchy red having a s/o that's similar to him? (Reader got cruelly removed by their game and got replaced) also i really like your hcs:3 keep up the writing!! :D

ofc ofc !!! ty for requesting. Once again these sort of stray into general thoughts and headcanons abt glitchy sometimes but oh well i have just learned to accept that tht just sort of Happens when i make these.

i try to make the reader / s/o in all of the headcanon posts very blank templates but if i didn't i'd probably go ham with the implied backstory. Maybe. but for now its just a "Make your own and inject it into the headcanons" typa post.

glitchy red with a similar s/o !!! Love wins

♡ glitchy honestly didn't... know something like him could even Happen again. i mean, he does and he always secretly hoped that one day someone, anyone in his game would gain sentience suddenly so he'd at least have someone else to talk to instead of himself and whatever player he had atm. and that makes you... very interesting and special to him.

♡ suffice to say, you two have a lot of shared grievances probably, and glitchy is a very rant-y person. both of you will shittalk and rant and complain about your similar situations and bond very fast over it. honestly, that's probably how you two got closer in the first place. Easy way into glitchys heart: Bitching abt things ig <3

♡ in a similar but more positive vein, you two can and will often ramble about things you did in your respective games - or even just rambling abt you two's games in general if you yourself didn't come from a pokemon game. although glitchy is very cynical and apathetic to all of it now and knew that none of the pokemon or npcs in his world really had feelings, he still likes to explain the mechanics and the pokemon to you... he wishes he could've taken one home as a pet for you two, but would that even work? would it even recognize him? would it be anything more than a piece of coding that can no longer work due to being forced into a physical form? he thinks about this more than he should.

♡ ... aaanyways, on a lighter topic, due to that train of thought he probably gets you two a cat or something, after extensive research and reading bc he does not want to accidentally handle any animal poorly. it's name is up to you but if you just wanna go with whatever glitchy chose it's name is like, mittens. or something really basic. or it's pikachu/pika/chu or something because as much as he loves being free he does feel odd without pokemon so naming a cat that sort of helps but not really.

♡ i like to think if you did have a pokemon or a favorite though it'd be eevee just to match how glitchys favorite is probably pikachu or one/all of the 3 starters bc he's unoriginal

♡ do you think their replacements date. This isn't even a headcanon this is just something i went "oh if they both have replacements... wait."

♡ frlg red and whoever the hell replaced you kiss under the moonlight. every time we touch amv . Ok anyways back to the actual headcanons i apologize

♡ assuming you two both somehow Physically Manifested irl and aren't just somehow visiting or talking to eachother in you twos digitized forms, you are both adjusting to the real world. and trying to help eachother with it. But since neither of you are used to it, it isn't going that well. Very odd and weird couple that look unreal, while ones also glitching out of reality every 5 seconds casually having a walk in the park. It's normal. Love wins

♡ presumably, you also are as touch starved and affection-starved as glitchy due to your whole ordeal being so similar. you two will be ALL over each other. PDA and general affection and touch are CONSTANT. no matter what. you two are so lovey-dovey it's almost comical

♡ i've stated this in a few other headcanons but legit do anything affectionate to glitchy and he'll become redder than his mfing clothing. dude is so touch-starved and is also really easy to fluster and he hates it. with this s/o specifically, though, i like to think since you two are similar he'll absolutely try to get back at you by immediately doing anything to fluster you back, and it probably works... you two are just incoherent blushing messes at the end of it all

♡ most of these headcanons are just "Mutual Problems: The Thread" and i find that very funny. what being undersocialized, replaced, toyed with, abandoned, and traumatized for decades does to two mfs

♡ adding onto that you both are probably clingy with each other and get a bit of separation anxiety. glitchy is like. "Where is my fucking spouse." in his head any time you are not within his sight. my wife is soft and i like her post but in Glitchy Red and in Gender Neutral terms

♡ glitchy is sort of weird with romance. like, he knows that people date. but he's not... really socially aware of much of anything. anything he knows is through osmosis of his players or of things he overhears sometimes or something. due to this he probably just copies what he sees in media and is very cheesy about it and will give you bouquets and flowers he picked off the ground. Alternatively and probably more in character, he just doesn't do that and is very casual about his affection and love due to not knowing How To properly give affection. it's a lot of mumbled "I love you"'s and cuddles during the evening. small stuff like that.

♡ wait no. since you have very similar issues to red... concept: relationship dynamic where one person is very casual abt it and the other person is very extra and romantic and gives everything they can to the other person. you are the extra and romantic one. it makes glitchy so confused and he feels like he's undeserving of it, but it makes him fluster sm. You were from a dating sim game you have to be extra about romance /j ( unless you want it to be serious backstory i guess. reader DDLC monika type beat... )

♡ sometimes he asks what you did to players. and i .. i actually do like you being like. monika sorta where you're more clingy and attached to players. So if you choose that to be the case he finds how different your approach is to that odd. but he supposes your game was probably not as fucking glitchy constantly, or at least wasn't known for its glitches. he's partially envious of that, but part of him is glad you didn't have to endure the hell he did.

♡ you two do get sometimes recognized among the general public but are assumed to be cosplayers. whether this pisses you off or not is up to you, but i think glitchy has very mixed feelings about it. he just scowls and has a look of visible confusion on his face. he Doesn't really like socializing with anyone other than you tbh so this doesn't help, nor does he really enjoy talking about or remembering pokemon without his ok ( Good luck with that when its like the highest grossing multimedia franchise ever RIP glitchy red 2011-2023 )

♡ once again. relationship dynamic idea. you being the more outgoing social one Who is secretly sort of cracking from pressure and red being the brooding awkward blunt one. imagine you going to cons bc you like the attention from getting recognized as yourself. red is begrudgingly at your side rolling his eyes bc he doesn't like cons, probably ( although he will eye the pokemon merch with both disdain and intrigue... he will come home with a 10 foot tall pikachu and charizard plush ). people ask for pics w you sometimes. they all fuck up bc red will not allow you to leave his side even when ur taking pictures he doesn't wanna be in, and as i said in other posts, Any footage of him comes out looking like cryptid photos / they just get really fucked up in processing in... various weird ways. he finds it funny and is oddly proud of being able to screw photos up, but he'll eventually get juuust out of shot if you really want to take pictures w other people

♡ Do not put either of you two around technology, it'll fucking explode near either of you ( probably, anyways - assuming you're also glitchy and unstable like. well. glitchy is. but i assume any code made manifest into physical form like you two, glitched or otherwise, would not be able to use technology without it fucking up a little. )

♡ although glitchy can be sort of a dick sometimes, he tries to never be that way arnd you. if he makes you upset he like, immediately feels bad and apologizes, and will be there to calm you down and comfort you

♡ you prob prefer to call glitchy by red, i just mostly use glitchy for him when writing these posts for Clarification's Sake. he does like being referred to you by name, though. the way your voice just... says it. idk, it makes him smile. your voice is nice, in his eyes. your everything is nice in his eyes, really.

♡ he sometimes gets really really worried that one day he'll wake up and you'll start repeating all of your actions and words, like. becoming an npc with no depth. it scares him a lot, because this life is too good for him in his eyes. sometimes he has sort of panics about it and you have to calm him down - which isn't too hard, but it's just easy for him to overthink about negative outcomes and about "oh god what if all of it was fake" types of scenarios

♡ ending this on a lighter note than... that, uhhh! i think he's a little in love enough that whenever you r away and he gets lonely, he might honestly look into the game you're from and act like a mfing in love fangirl ( aka, only looking at the parts you appear in and just intaking everything about you in your source material asap. you look so cute in the artstyle of the game, too... man. he's a little lovestruck. a little fruity, even. this is even funnier if you take the dating sim / visual novel backstory into account bc glitchy Would download the game just to romance you. And you come home and see him doing that and are just like. Flustered and confused and 50 different emotions while glitchy just goes "I can explain, I swear." ).

♡ breaking news red from pokemon red and [ y/n ] from [ insert game ] are real and Are kissing. Maybe even under a tree. do what you will with this info

[silentchamp]

That's...

Eyes grow alight with immense interest as spider feet tap away at the tiny smartphone's keyboard. A non-psychic pokemon capable of real, human speech...mouth sits agape, Red unable to stomach a proper response. Don't get him wrong, capsule monsters were undoubtedly clever and smart creatures, psychic or not; but every time Pika would try to type with her nubby fingers, the electric mouse only ever had an interest in smashing all the buttons and nothing more.

Each day he learns some more.

Brown eyes stare at the response rightfully for him and only him, lips closing as their corners curl into an enthralled smile. Prior to her speech, Cayci seemed more than friendly, but to be courteously referred to as a 'new friend' by the critter felt rather special.

For her hard earned efforts, Red tugs another berry from his pocket; a nanab berry, this time. He may or may not carry them around this way for instances like this one.

Left hand holds the fruit out for the gavantula to take, Red offering a timid wave toward her trainer with the right one. He doesn't say a word.

He ought to get to know Cayci's owner, seeing how he'd probably ramble on about his new findings to the pokemon lab, later that day.

It's probably rude of him, but it's clear Red is captured by Cayci the Gavantula's adorable self, endeared by pricky yellow legs and bug eyes; the brunette squats down to her eye level, pulling a loose oran berry out of his sweatshirt pocket to try and win her over.

He could've done with a brief greeting to her trainer, but there was no time for that!

Shay was relieved she didn't have to immediately socialize when there was a bright squeak and chitter of high pitched spider noises behind her. Cayci looked at Red with curiosity, and no fear. She loved people far more than her trainer did!

"...brreep?"

Shay and Cayci watched as the stranger pulled out an oran berry. The bug's eyes lit up with pure glee. Free snacks! Congrats Red, you now had a friend. She wasn't keen on letting you forget it either.

"Kiiii!" Her little front legs took it and she gingerly munched on it with all the politeness she could muster. Once her snack was done, she turned to Shay and tugged on her leg, reaching for her pocket with an expectant stare."

"... yeah okay sure." Shay replied, handing the Galvantula a text to speech device that looked like... no it was a phone. Yep an actual phone, she knew how to use one of those.

Tiny arms managed to text quite well. Cayci was well practised after all. A few key strokes here and there and she showed it to her new friend.

'FREN!!!11!! NEW FRIEND!!11!!! HI I AM CAYCI THIS SHAY :D MY BEST FREN :DDDDD'

She was a big fan of all caps.