Pokémon in Common Terms

One of the problems I face as a Pokémon fan is to relate and explain Pokémon to other people who may not know Pokémon as well as I do. There are, of course, such people; they may be totally removed from anything related to it, or they may play games or be a fan of Japanese things but are out of touch with Pokémon. If I wish to converse with these people, I have to find a way to communicate with them about Pokémon; in other words, I have to speak or talk with them in common terms.

In a previous post, I discussed about terminology in Pokémon, and evidently, there's a lot of that in it. It may be something that I cannot escape discussing when I discuss about Pokémon, so it would be ideal to discuss this in the simplest of ways. Certainly once others begin to understand, it would be possible to start talking about the terms as they are. This is especially true for the creatures, of which people may know of only one, the ever-popular Pikachu; it would perhaps be best to introduce them first and then talk about them as they are. Others deserve the full understanding, but perhaps on a gradual basis.

Explanation efforts seem to be easier when someone has played games or is a fan of Japanese things. In that case, it may be possible to discuss things that they understand so they have something to compare with, making it easier for them to relate. But then I also have to understand the things that they understand so I can connect to them, and yet that's a good thing - I understand their things and they understand my thing, Pokémon. It's in a way a quid pro quo, a beneficial exchange for us.

With the advent of mobile Pokémon games on smartphones, my task of explaining could be considered to become easier. The most influential of these is of course Pokémon Go, which can be argued to have brought Pokémon to the masses (again). I can use the game as a visual aid for demonstrating other facets of Pokémon, while having a good foundation for that demonstration. Pokémon is highly visual as well, so these games are helpful in that regard. It may just be possible as well to goad others into playing these games to the fullest experience and to have something further in common.

To talk about certain things may be hard, but to talk about certain things that people may not know well is harder. Such is the case for me and Pokémon, which despite its popularity may not be fully well-known. Fortunately, there are a few ways I can discuss it and present a good understanding. As a fan, it becomes my responsibility to be able to discuss what and why I like Pokémon, and these ways to discuss it become solutions to this problem.

One year ago: Cosplay: CLAS:H/ICGP 2017, Regional Edition