I’m a huge Pokemon fan at heart, even at age 17. In fact, I’m writing a college essay on Pokemon. (It might not get me into college, but the admission officers might be entertained.) 

Strangely, I’m not alone in my interest of Pokemon; quite a few students can be seen on their smartphones in the world of Pokemon, playing different versions of Pokemon games.

Now, people often wonder, “Wait, aren’t high schoolers too old for Pokemon?” They are mistaken. 

Some even wonder why Pokemon is making a comeback in high school of all places, but the truth is, it isn’t making a comeback. Pokemon never left our hearts. The hours spent raising our precious Pokemon cannot be forgotten and when we were ready to start playing again, we find our old friends there, patiently waiting for us.

One hypothesis for this resurging of Pokemon interest is that nostalgia appears when seniors, such as myself, realize they’re about to graduate and try to go back in time by playing Pokemon. Or maybe, in a time of insecurity, high school students need to look to an old symbol of comfort and find solace in their old Pokemon friends. Alternatively, these hypotheses could just be over-thinking a simple matter, just like when English teachers ask why the curtain is blue in a particular scene. I never figured that out. But I digress.

In my case, I was just bored and decided to revisit the world of Pokemon. 

And I’ve decided to challenge myself even further that I did when I was younger. After all, most people agree that a game designed for 5-year-olds isn’t all that fun and challenging for young adults. That’s why I have decided to take Pokemon to the next level. 

For example, now my mathematical skills have advanced beyond basic addition, allowing me to examine the complex formulas behind the Pokemon game. Apparently, people can calculate the probability of finding a shiny Pokemon (an alternate color version) by looking at their ID numbers and some other data that I can’t even begin to understand, despite hours trying to figure it out involving bytes and something jargon like “xor.”

What does xor even mean? And more importantly, what foul demon came up with such an ungodly formula? This is a children’s game for heaven’s sake and even after 14 years of education, I still can’t understand the mechanisms behind it. 

Another more applicable example would be the catch rate formula. After being frustrated countless times watching the Pokeball shake and the enemy Caterpie break free, I decided to find out what the catch rate formula was. Yeah, I couldn’t catch a godforsaken Caterpie. Apparently, I’m not the best there ever was. 

Even though the formula changes for each game, it is still relatively simple and helps me calculate how to catch Pokemon. It looks like all the dreadful years spent on my mathematical education were worth it. 

The most recent Pokemon challenge I’ve embarked on is the Nuzlocke Challenge. In this challenge, the basic rules are that any Pokemon who faints or is defeated must be released into the wild. Usually, players can simply heal their Pokemon after a loss, rather than giving up on them forever.

This makes it seem as if your Pokemon dies upon losing a battle. After spending hours raising your Pokemon and fighting through countless battles with them, it’s heartbreaking to lose them. 

Or in my case, some of my Pokemon just die before I can even bond with them. May my Pikachu rest in peace. God bless him for he lived a long life from October 14, 2013 to October 24, 2013. 

Another rule of the challenge is that you can only catch the first Pokemon you encounter in each area and no others. For instance, I might meet a level 3 Pidgey in one area, so it’s the only Pokemon I’m allowed to catch.

These self imposed rules are meant not only to challenge the player, but to force the player to value their Pokemon. 

All in all, Pokemon is making a return for me, far from the target audience of the Pokemon franchise. I’m returning to the Pokemon world to once again prove that I am a true Pokemon master. Now I’m off to finish my Pokemon essay. And to celebrate my completion, I think I’ll buy the new Pokemon games and go on a playing marathon, while staying cooped up in my room. See you guys in a couple of months.