Pokémon 30th Anniversary

Summary

Black People Love Paramore – Pokémon 30th Anniversary (March 5, 2026)

Podcast: Black People Love Paramore
Host: Sequoia Holmes
Co-Hosts: Ryann Graham
Guest: Garrick Vernal (Sequoia's fiancé)
Theme: Celebrating Pokémon’s 30th anniversary with humor, nostalgia, and a distinctly Black cultural lens

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Episode Overview

This episode is a funny, lively, and sincere roundtable celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. The hosts explore the franchise’s cultural impact, their personal histories with the games, show, and cards, and dissect why Pokémon resonates so strongly with Black audiences. Along the way, they break down Pokémon’s pop-culture footprint, debate the best theme song in cartoon history, play “Name That Pokémon,” and unpack which characters and monsters reflect who they are.

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Main Discussion Points & Segments

1. Kicking Off: Descriptions, Shame and Pokémon Pedigrees

00:19 – 06:36

• Sequoia introduces Pokémon in her trademark, semi-chaotic summary:
  • Quote: "Essentially, Pokémon is about a young man named Ash Ketchum. And he has this dream of catching Amal. And Amal is Pokémon." (03:07)
• Garrick and Ryann good-naturedly roast Sequoia’s description but affirm her hit-the-vibe spirit.
• The hosts share their Pokémon bona fides—Garrick is an “avid Pokémon connoisseur,” Ryann still plays, Sequoia humorously confesses she never got into it as a kid.
• They joke about societal shame around adults enjoying Pokémon.
  • Quote: “Why can't men have fun? You know what? Let men have fun again.” — Ryann (02:44)

2. Pokémon’s Origins, Brand Power & the 30th Anniversary

06:36 – 10:00

• Pokémon’s roots and explosive Westward expansion are discussed:
  • "Only brought anime to the west, you know." — Garrick (06:54)
  • “It is the world’s highest-grossing media franchise ever.” — Sequoia (09:14)
• Debate over which franchises rival Pokémon's revenue lead; Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Mickey Mouse, and Hello Kitty are all considered (09:32 to 10:10).
• They reminisce about the Pokémon Go phenomenon (10:07–12:37):
  • “I feel like Pokémon Go really did kind of hit the streets, like, crack in the 80s.” — Ryann (11:18)

3. Why Do Black People Love Pokémon?

17:17 – 27:10

• Sequoia asks why Pokémon resonates with Black audiences.
• Garrick connects Pokémon’s basic cable access and Kids’ WB “Black channel” status to why so many grew up with it.
  • “WB was Black.” — Garrick (22:44)
• Ryann and Garrick reflect on the accessibility of the cards, show, and games, even if you didn’t have lots of money.
• Ryann notes the “rebellious” dimension—parents sometimes banned Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Harry Potter as 'the devil' (27:00).

4. Pokémon Media Touchstones: The Movie, Card Craze, Generational Appeal

27:35 – 36:40

• Emotional impact of the first Pokémon movie (1999), especially the tears over Ash’s stone-turning:
  • “I didn't know that a piece of media that I am watching could make me cry. I was genuinely distraught.” — Garrick (27:45)
• Pokémon trading cards’ wild resurgence, profits (2024 profit: $12 billion, per Sequoia, 14:47).
• Community and friendship are embedded in the games (“You need a friend that has Blue so that you can trade,” 34:08).
• Noted: Pokémon’s design genius; “there’s a Pokémon for everyone” (36:10).

5. Personal Pokémon: Faves, Powers, and Who Are You?

27:28 – 41:41

• Deep dive into favorite Pokémon:
  • Ryann: Gengar, Crobat/Golbat, Psyduck
  • Garrick: Blastoise, Squirtle, Abra family (esp. Alakazam), Gengar
• Sequoia is pegged as a “Ninetales, Persian, or maybe Jigglypuff” person.
• Discussion of blackface-coded Pokémon (Jynx), drag/femininity, and exposure to LGBTQ+ adjacent characters in the Pokémon world.
  • “Whenever you saw, like, anybody being flamboyant... it never struck me as odd, right, just because of the exposure, honestly, from Pokémon.” — Garrick (40:33)

6. Name That Pokémon: The Game & Black Culture Connections

36:23 – 47:14

• Sequoia attempts to name Pokémon based on shadowed outlines—often with hilarious results (“Onion” for Bulbasaur, “Versa” for Eevee).
• Reflective moments about representation, celebrity favorites (Lady Gaga, Trevor Noah), and cultural touchstones like plushies from the Japan Pokémon Center.
• The segment pokes fun at collective memory and "everyone was collecting cards, no one knew how to actually play" (26:43).

7. Theme Song, Nostalgia, and Enduring Love

50:43 – 54:55

• Epic singalong to the original Pokémon theme song:
  • “I want to say, arguably the best theme song of all time.” — Garrick (50:43)
• The hosts reflect on the power, emotional resonance, and near-80s rock grandeur of the Pokémon theme—plus the PokéRap at the end of every episode.
  • “Because you teach me and I teach you—messaging right there.” — Sequoia (53:46)

8. Wrap-Up: Pokémon’s Lasting Power and Lessons

56:17 – End

• New Pokémon generations, changes in the lead characters (Ash finally becomes the Pokémon Master and leaves the show, replaced by new kids, 56:19).
• Power of “found family,” representation, and inclusion. Pokémon as space for “disenfranchised minority people... to see themselves” (57:28).
• Sequoia attempts to unlock a Chanel bag reward for naming Pokémon (“Char Blaster” is not canon).
• Closing with reflections on legacy: “We’re all pocket monsters!” — Garrick (57:43)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “[Pokémon] brought anime to the west” — Garrick (06:54)
• “Pokémon Go hit the streets like crack in the 80s.” — Ryann (11:18)
• “The fact that there’s a Pokémon for everyone... Every Pokémon is someone’s favorite.” — Ryann (36:11)
• “It's ferns and galaxies... Yes, it is capitalism.” — Garrick/Sequoia (34:03)
• “Char Blaster is crazy.” — Garrick (60:25, as Sequoia creates her own Pokémon names)
• “Why can't men have fun? Let men have fun again.” — Ryann (02:44)
• “We’re all pocket monsters.” — Garrick (57:43)
• “Bring back the yearn, baby. Real yearners.” — Garrick/Sequoia (64:33)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:19 – Sequoia’s wild Pokémon synopsis
• 06:41 – Why it’s the 30th anniversary episode
• 10:07 – Pokémon Go phenomenon
• 13:00 – Guess that Pokémon’s profit
• 17:17 – Why Pokémon connects with Black audiences
• 22:43 – WB was Black
• 27:35 – Emotional impact of the first Pokémon movie
• 36:23 – “Which Pokémon would Sequoia be?”
• 40:33 – On Pokémon’s treatment of gender/queerness
• 50:43 – The theme song as best cartoon opener
• 53:46 – “Because you teach me and I teach you” – Theme song messaging
• 56:19 – Ash retires; new Pokémon generation
• 57:28 – Pokémon’s connection to “othered” identities
• 60:25 – “Char Blaster” and the Chanel bag bet
• 64:33 – “Bring back the yearn, baby. Real yearners.”

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Episode Tone & Energy

Breezy, irreverent, and hype—full of rapid-fire anecdotes, playful shade, and open celebration of nostalgic Black nerdery. The episode balances humor with real cultural commentary, invites listeners to laugh at (and with) themselves, and closes on affirming notes about representation, inclusion, and generational joy.

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For Further Listening:
Check out other episodes exploring Black love for “niche” pop culture, anime, and gaming if you vibed with this lively Pokémon celebration!

Transcript

[Ryan]

Foreign.

[Sequoia]

Welcome to Black People Love Paramore, a podcast not about the band Paramore, but a show about the common as well as the uncommon interests of. Of black people in order to help us feel a little bit more seen. I'm Sequoia.

[Ryan]

I'm Ryan.

[Sequoia]

And today we also have a special guest. Hey, my man. My fiance, Garrick Vernal.

[Garrick Vernal]

Hey, it's your boy.

[Ryan]

It's your, your boy.

[Sequoia]

It's your boy. And if you are a boy or a five star bitch or anything in between, rate us five stars on Apple podcasts, on Spotify, on all the things. I would really appreciate that. Also talk to us. You guys have been talking to us, been very vocal. The comments on Spotify are going up. Comments on YouTube are going up. Everything is very lovely having a good time chatting with you guys, even when you guys play me sometimes. Remember in the last episode, not the Lizzy McGuire episode, the episode before that, I was like, I described High School Musical perfectly. And you guys did not leave me five stars for my description. I said, if you liked my description of High School Musical, drop five stars in the comments. I didn't get a single five star, so they didn't like so many people. So then when I pressed them about it in the next episode, so many people were like, here. Damn.

[Ryan]

That's what I'm saying. But what I'm saying is, like, somebody

[Sequoia]

literally commented here, damn, but it's bullying.

[Ryan]

What I'm saying is that you are bullying people into complimenting.

[Sequoia]

Somebody said, here are five stars for Sequoia's ego. Somebody gave me one star. Said, here, damn. It was just like a lot going on. So I appreciate y' all nonetheless. Thank you so much.

[Ryan]

To be fair, when she described it, it was one of the worst descriptions of high school music.

[Sequoia]

And I'm gonna do it for Pokemon as well.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Thank you very much. Please. That is a good maybe.

[Garrick Vernal]

Maybe it should be. How bad is this Description? Give it 5 stars if it's only good.

[Sequoia]

No, because it's always good. Because I only know how to do good things. So today, as you can tell, we're talking about Pokemon. I have an extensive, almost encyclopedic knowledge of Pokemon. But just to fill in the gaps, in case that, you know, I missed something, we brought in Garrick, who is an avid Pokemon connoisseur, player watcher, that type of thing. And then Ryan still plays Pokemon to this day at his big age. And so, okay, like, let's not do

[Ryan]

it that way, because, like, yeah, I

[Garrick Vernal]

do at this big age. This is exactly why people didn't play it as much like. That's because of the shame.

[Ryan]

You tried to shame us.

[Garrick Vernal]

Tried to shame us out of our.

[Ryan]

I don't take Cheetah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Childlike wonder.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Why can't men have fun? You know what? Let men have fun again.

[Sequoia]

You should be building a house. You're talking about have fun. That's why you can't have fun.

[Garrick Vernal]

I'll build a house while watching Pokemon.

[Sequoia]

Okay. Exactly. You'll make people work faster.

[Garrick Vernal]

We will actually.

[Sequoia]

Happy for you, actually. So here's what Pokemon's about. I'm gonna go ahead and give a gym.

[Garrick Vernal]

This is the synopsis. Yes.

[Sequoia]

This is the synopsis of Pokemon.

[Garrick Vernal]

Please. Thank you.

[Sequoia]

Essentially, Pokemon is about a young man.

[Ryan]

Man, man already.

[Garrick Vernal]

Already getting crazy.

[Sequoia]

Named Ash Ketchum. And he has this dream of catching Amal.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

And Amal is Pokemon.

[Garrick Vernal]

Amal.

[Ryan]

Amal is.

[Garrick Vernal]

Is.

[Ryan]

Do you mean Amal is a Pokemon or do you.

[Garrick Vernal]

No.

[Sequoia]

Catch all em. Apostrophe.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sequoia]

Wanted to make sure what that is is Pokemon. He was given his first Pokemon, Pikachu.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

By a man whose name is just barely escaping me at the moment.

[Ryan]

You have something in common with this.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. You do.

[Ryan]

You really do.

[Sequoia]

Oak.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Okay.

[Sequoia]

Tree.

[Garrick Vernal]

Tree.

[Sequoia]

Oh, my God, look.

[Ryan]

There we go.

[Sequoia]

And then he.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, okay.

[Sequoia]

Oak.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oak.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

So give it into him.

[Sequoia]

Oh.

[Garrick Vernal]

Gave him nothing more than that at all.

[Ryan]

And

[Sequoia]

that sent him on a journey to want to catch the rest of them. And then he has his adversaries, his ops, if you will. The twins. Those two people.

[Garrick Vernal]

Twins?

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. No.

[Sequoia]

Are they dating?

[Ryan]

Sure.

[Sequoia]

Are they dating?

[Ryan]

Well, no, you tell. You're the expert.

[Garrick Vernal]

Weird.

[Sequoia]

Why?

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

Yeah. So they're twins, and they're called. I don't remember, but they have a cat. Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

All right.

[Sequoia]

And that cat is evil, and they are evil. Oh, they're Team Rocket.

[Garrick Vernal]

All right, all right, all right, all right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sequoia]

They're Team Rocket and bad. And bad. Mr. Bad.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Right. Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

Oh, they are the. They are bad and Mr.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes.

[Sequoia]

Right. They are bad and Mr. Bad.

[Garrick Vernal]

Correct.

[Ryan]

Right.

[Garrick Vernal]

Wow.

[Sequoia]

Yeah. And that's what Pokemon is about.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

It's him catching them off up his ops and Mr. Oak.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

All right.

[Ryan]

I've honestly.

[Garrick Vernal]

Wow.

[Ryan]

To be fair, that is honestly better than I thought.

[Garrick Vernal]

I was genuinely like, you're not lost. You. You know, I know the general shape of what the show.

[Ryan]

Correct.

[Garrick Vernal]

Is.

[Sequoia]

I do. Yeah. And he be evolving them and all types of stuff.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, you know, you would know. Evolving Them.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, he be doing stuff. So you got the Pokeballs.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yep.

[Ryan]

Do you know what Pokemon stands for?

[Sequoia]

Close poking men.

[Garrick Vernal]

There it is.

[Ryan]

Right?

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, you got it.

[Ryan]

All they do was just very good all day.

[Garrick Vernal]

Pokemon.

[Sequoia]

What does it stand for?

[Ryan]

Pocket monsters. Yeah. Whoa.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

What happened to the sea?

[Ryan]

Because you just. You drop it.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's like a.

[Ryan]

You drop it in Pokemon. Pokemon.

[Sequoia]

Okay. Pokemon.

[Garrick Vernal]

That might have been a translation.

[Sequoia]

Probably a translation that makes sense.

[Garrick Vernal]

But yeah. But yeah.

[Ryan]

You're honestly not far off. I mean, that is actually pretty much what. And if you think she did a good job, you like, let's.

[Garrick Vernal]

Five stars. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Five stars.

[Sequoia]

What is there a Pokemon emoji?

[Ryan]

Really? Not like I was thinking.

[Sequoia]

Right.

[Garrick Vernal]

No. You could drive.

[Sequoia]

You could drop lightning bolts. Five lightning bolts for Pikachu.

[Ryan]

I like that.

[Garrick Vernal]

Thank you very much.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

The most famous Nintendo is aggressive as far as like, imagery. Imagery and licenses. In fact, they will kill you.

[Ryan]

Like, you can't like even. Like when they put Pokemon on clothes and stuff like that, people get mad. Or like when they do collabs, like, they'll drop stuff. Even still, the Pokemon are still very cute. And like, they haven't updated the graphics specifically because they like Nintendo fights with some of the like, game designers in making it still friendly for the family. Because like a lot of times people who get older don't like playing Pokemon because it still has like a kitty aesthetic, but that is like strictly the brand of Pokemon. It's like, no.

[Garrick Vernal]

Like, they're like, no.

[Ryan]

It has to look like this. I mean.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

And it's fair.

[Sequoia]

Also, we're doing this episode because it is the 30th anniversary of Pokemon. And I figured, like, this is probably a big deal, right? I was like, it's probably a big deal, right? Probably do an episode about it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Just a small.

[Sequoia]

It made sense. Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Only. Only brought anime to the west, you know, 100.

[Ryan]

I feel like like all the little boys in the world who became anime men.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

It would not exist because of Pokemon. Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Thank you.

[Garrick Vernal]

It was a little. Yeah. I mean, yeah. You did create a group of people that could be diabolical. That's true.

[Ryan]

But some of us aren't.

[Garrick Vernal]

Some of us.

[Sequoia]

A good amount of non diabolical Pokemon right here.

[Ryan]

I also want to just caveat when we said it was a Pokemon thing. I want to note that you and Jewel both were like, that's bullshit. So don't let this description she's giving.

[Sequoia]

I texted the group chat with Ryan and Jewel to determine what our next few episodes are going to be about. I was like, so I see that it is the Pokemon's 30th anniversary sometime in March. I feel like that would be a good episode. Question mark. Like, but I'm not, you know, I'm not a Pokemon pokey girl. Like that. And Jewel was like, yeah, I'll set this one out. That's boy. And I said, no, I agree.

[Ryan]

And I was Ryan, because I. Disrespectful. I understand you guys may be not playing Pokemon today, but, like, the fact that you two didn't. Like, I thought everyone.

[Sequoia]

I never had a piece of interest.

[Ryan]

Was it. Was it, like, your mom? Because my cousins couldn't play.

[Sequoia]

Because they said the closest thing I have to a sister. Yes. The closest person in my family I have to a sister. My cousin. She's a year younger than me. She was deeply into anime, very into Pokemon. She played with Pokemon cards. So every time we were together, I was forced to watch it. Forced to interact with Pokemon. And I was like, I don't like this. I actively dislike this.

[Ryan]

You didn't play, like, you didn't play the game. You didn't watch the show.

[Sequoia]

I mean, I was in the room with all aspects of Pokemon. I was present.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Yes, reluctantly. I want to watch Barney.

[Garrick Vernal]

You wanted to watch Barney?

[Sequoia]

I wanted to watch Barney. They did arts and crafts on Barney, and I was an arts and crafts type girl. Okay. You know, I wanted to have the purple saran wrap and, like, you know, make stuff with it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

I don't recognize that, but I love that.

[Garrick Vernal]

It looks like you were pulling cheese.

[Sequoia]

I would never touch cheese. Okay, here's the actual description of Pokemon. Well, it's not a description.

[Ryan]

It's kind of just like the history.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Pokemon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of video games, animated series, and films, and a trading card game and other related media. The franchise takes place in a shared universe in which humans coexist with creatures known as Pokemon, a large variety of species endowed with special powers. It is the world's highest grossing media franchise ever. Ever. And it is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

[Garrick Vernal]

And it's. I mean, it's nuts.

[Ryan]

It's so crazy.

[Sequoia]

It.

[Garrick Vernal]

Like, when you look at media franchises and you see the gap from Pokemon to number two, it's a. It's an aggressive amount of space.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, it is. Who is number two?

[Sequoia]

Do we know?

[Garrick Vernal]

No.

[Sequoia]

Okay. I can't remember.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's probably like, Harry Potter maybe.

[Ryan]

Probably Harry Potter.

[Sequoia]

That makes sense.

[Ryan]

I actually. Probably Harry Potter could see, like, Zelda being in there. Depending on how they break it apart because. Or actually, no, you know, it's probably.

[Garrick Vernal]

If it's media, I think if it's. If it's just straight up media, I think it's. I think it would be Harry Potter. That would be my guess. That would make it Lord of the Rings, maybe Star Wars.

[Ryan]

Only because they have those movies. I feel like. Like, Harry Potter has games, books, movies, shows in a way that, like, this is similar to Pokemon, where Pokemon has games, books.

[Sequoia]

There's a world.

[Ryan]

TV shows, like, so. And fucking physical spaces. That's the other thing. They just open up. Like Pokemon World in Japan right now.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah. It's a part. Yeah. Like Pokemon. When Pokemon Go came out, I was there. That was a fucking. That was a moment, you know, Crazy. That hit harder than the pandemic, if I'm being honest. Where it was. You're walking around. You're walking around, and there's just kids in the street.

[Ryan]

Not just kids, adults.

[Garrick Vernal]

Adults in the street.

[Sequoia]

This was 2016. Yes, July 2016.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes, it's 2016. And you're just like. I remember going to the pier for the first time in years because I wanted some Pokemon.

[Ryan]

Oh, I didn't realize you played as well, so I didn't know you played either. I didn't. So I tried to play Pokemon Go, but it was so rudimentary when I first started, because you literally just went and threw balls. Like, they. It was like a part of that augmented reality.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes, absolutely.

[Ryan]

So, wait, like, because wasn't the part of Pokemon Go was like, it would geotag Pokemon a certain space, and so

[Garrick Vernal]

you can only get. You can only get in that spot. Yeah, yeah. Or it would, like, only spawn every so often in that spot or something like. Or it's like, oh, my God, Lucario is over here right now. Or something like that.

[Ryan]

I remember people, like, running to go see.

[Garrick Vernal]

Running.

[Sequoia]

People were getting hit by cars.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Ryan]

I. I feel like Pokemon Go really did kind of hit the streets, like, crack in the 80s.

[Garrick Vernal]

It was like.

[Ryan]

It was insane.

[Garrick Vernal]

It was. It was the most I've seen people outside, I feel like post phone, right? Yeah.

[Ryan]

And I see.

[Garrick Vernal]

Look at that.

[Ryan]

Pokemon bringing people together.

[Garrick Vernal]

Crazy. Shamed us crazy.

[Sequoia]

Because this.

[Garrick Vernal]

That was. That was also the dream of, like, just wandering around and then you get a. A vibration in your pocket. Just like, there's a Pikachu next to you. You're like, nico. Where? Where? Where?

[Ryan]

It was so funny. I remember, like, this was when we were at our. We Were all at Buzzfeed at point this time, I believe, in 2016. And I remember they would get. They would be in the office, like, it came out. And I remember we were playing, and

[Garrick Vernal]

there would be, like.

[Ryan]

I don't know if it was like a Pikachu. It was probably like a Zubat or something stupid just kind of like popping up in the office and, like, you would see people, like, running to the corners or going to the little. It was. It was fun for a second, but all you. You couldn't battle. And that was always my problem with it. But I do think they updated it later to where you can battle. I remember I worked with a guy who. He, like, is, I believe, still actively trying to collect all the Pokemon, because you can collect them in the real world on Pokemon Go and then put them into your actual Pokedex in a game. Like, they. They like. It's like, there's so many ways you can, like, transfer them around into the game. And he's like. He's trying to fill his national decks, and he. He's not a virgin, but he is single.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay. Okay. Well, he might. It might be because his. His job requires a lot of travel. Yeah, he has to.

[Ryan]

He's Go, kids.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's focused. Yeah, he's focused.

[Sequoia]

You know, one is.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, he's trying to be like.

[Ryan]

Trying to catch them all.

[Sequoia]

Right.

[Garrick Vernal]

At the end of the day, it takes a lot.

[Sequoia]

You guys, if you had to guess how much money Pokemon brought in in 2024.

[Garrick Vernal]

In 2024.

[Sequoia]

2024. Profit, profit, profit. 24. Give me a number.

[Ryan]

I also think that's the year that Violet and Scarlet came out. I'm not mistaken.

[Garrick Vernal]

So that one that was on the switch.

[Ryan]

Yes, The. The full switch one, which is open world, which is. Have you played?

[Garrick Vernal]

No, no.

[Ryan]

So fun. Open world Pokemon.

[Garrick Vernal]

Great, great.

[Ryan]

Like, yeah, it's very, very fun. Yeah. I'm gonna guess. Cause if that's the year. I believe that's the year that that came out. So that's gonna boost the numbers. They still have that show running. Goddamn.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Huge.

[Ryan]

It's gotta be over a billion.

[Garrick Vernal]

I'm. I'm gonna say well over a billion. I'm gonna say, like $20 billion.

[Ryan]

20 billion.

[Garrick Vernal]

I'd say $20 billion.

[Ryan]

I was gonna guess like three or four.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay, okay.

[Ryan]

Cause I'm like, I don't. You know what? Games are not cheap anymore. Games used to be we were playing Pokemon as a kid.

[Garrick Vernal]

But you're also. I'm sorry, Today you're also just talking about the game, like the game could make, you know, however many million. I'm like, I'm thinking about the, the merchandise, cards.

[Sequoia]

How much profit profit did Pokemon make?

[Garrick Vernal]

The cards went ballistic. Over the past, you know, five days,

[Ryan]

they had a resurgence.

[Garrick Vernal]

They've had a resurgence like crazy. Crazy. I mean, I'm looking at this Charizard. It's the dragon, the orange dragon.

[Sequoia]

That's what that is. I'm looking at a game later and I'm going to have to guess them. And I'm excited that you told me.

[Garrick Vernal]

There you go. But I know that there's like, there's one that people just had when, when it, when the first run of cards came out that if you kept it around, it's worth like five to ten grand.

[Ryan]

Like, it's, I think it is the holographic Charizard, because I think Logan Paul just sold one and I think it

[Garrick Vernal]

was like 100,000 or something like that.

[Ryan]

Yeah, but okay, but if I had to guess. Okay, you're right. I was thinking just video game.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

With that in mind, I'm going to guess 10 billion then.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

I get. Yeah, 10 billion.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

And you said 20.

[Garrick Vernal]

I said 20.

[Sequoia]

The answer is 12 billion.

[Garrick Vernal]

Wow.

[Sequoia]

In profit? In profit. In total sales, it was 103.6. What? The billion.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh my God, that's crazy. Well, profit margin.

[Ryan]

Well, think about it.

[Sequoia]

They're probably margin kind of low, but

[Ryan]

no, I'm telling you, I'm pretty sure that's you. They developed that game, so marketing the game, putting that game out on top of producing cards, I feel like. Okay, okay, I, Putting a game out would be very expensive. And then to market it, it makes sense.

[Sequoia]

Imagine you work for Nintendo and you find out that Pokemon made $12 billion in profit last year and your salary is $50,000.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

What do you do?

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, ain't no way they make it

[Ryan]

like, No, I think they make it.

[Garrick Vernal]

They all, Yeah, I think they make money. I, I, I've heard that Nintendo's very litigious and they also treat their employees really well. It's like, let me find out.

[Ryan]

It's like when they like, they say their family and they mean it. It's not like the Western, like startup be like, we're a family, but we'll fire you. I think they mean it.

[Sequoia]

I think they said I didn't like Pokemon. I was lying.

[Garrick Vernal]

That being said, you probably do have to work seven days a week.

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

You are, it is your life.

[Sequoia]

I don't even want to work. Five.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Well, man, you probably don't want to work. You wouldn't be like Ash. He works every day.

[Garrick Vernal]

He works every day?

[Sequoia]

Yeah. I'm nothing like that.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's a straight grinder. He grinds.

[Sequoia]

If you had to guess Ash's sign, what would you guess it to be?

[Garrick Vernal]

I don't know.

[Ryan]

Look it up. Because I think he does have.

[Garrick Vernal]

I mean, his birthday is probably a real date. He does have a birthday and he.

[Ryan]

He's got to be a. Or not. Well, maybe Virgo, but he's got to be an Earth sign is what I was saying.

[Sequoia]

He feels so earnest to me. What I know of him. I'm not looking. But he feels so earnest to me. I would have to let me.

[Ryan]

He started this journey at 10 years old. Don't mind you. Ash is 10. Perpetually 10. Yes. He left the house at 10 years old. No fun.

[Garrick Vernal]

But that's when all the. That's when all the kids go. That's when all the kids go to go find. Cuz Gary went at the same age.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah. Gary was his rival.

[Garrick Vernal]

Team Rocket was.

[Ryan]

That was his real op.

[Garrick Vernal]

Was Gary. And Gary used to.

[Ryan]

Whoop it.

[Sequoia]

Gary was that little Pokemon it.

[Ryan]

No girl.

[Garrick Vernal]

What?

[Sequoia]

Who is Gary?

[Ryan]

Who is that?

[Sequoia]

Sorry, Gary.

[Ryan]

It's Professor. Yeah. Professor Oaks. Not just Oak. Professor Oak's grandson.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay, sorry.

[Ryan]

Let me.

[Sequoia]

Professor Oak's grandson Gary was his op. Gary isn't a cat.

[Ryan]

No, that cat.

[Garrick Vernal]

Should we. We shouldn't say his name, right?

[Sequoia]

We shouldn't. No, I know. I know the cat's name. I'm not going to say right now, but I know his name.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Do you.

[Sequoia]

Mewtwo.

[Garrick Vernal]

Wow.

[Ryan]

Okay. Honestly, not far off, but not right.

[Sequoia]

Okay. Okay.

[Ryan]

Whatever.

[Sequoia]

Meow. Mix. Now.

[Garrick Vernal]

Now it sounds like you're being.

[Sequoia]

Ketchum's birthday is May 22. Make him a Gemini.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, whoa.

[Ryan]

That blows my mind. Actually, I was gonna. I was gonna guess Capricorn.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, he does.

[Sequoia]

He gives.

[Ryan]

Capricorn.

[Garrick Vernal]

He gets mad, though. I'll say that. No, I think that he's like, pleasant, and then he gets upset.

[Ryan]

I just don't. Because you say that after you found out he was a Gemini. That is where I'm concerned and you

[Sequoia]

live with one, so. Yeah, I've never gotten up.

[Garrick Vernal]

I'm thinking about the. No, you.

[Sequoia]

I've never been pleasant and gotten. I've never. I've never seen Stu, so why would that be your interpretation of Gemini?

[Garrick Vernal]

Y' all are mad switchy.

[Sequoia]

Huh?

[Garrick Vernal]

You're mad switchy.

[Sequoia]

That's homophobic to say the wrong.

[Ryan]

I Was going to say he used how to switch when I walk and I don't. That's what I heard.

[Garrick Vernal]

He switchy.

[Ryan]

That. That was a.

[Sequoia]

It felt akin to switching. That's what it felt like.

[Garrick Vernal]

You're trying to get me in a corner. F word. You're trying to. You're trying to force me in a corner. And it is what it is. I absolutely. Then it is. Then if. If I was. Then I was.

[Ryan]

Him being a Gemini makes me very happy. But I did not expect that. Like. Yeah, I think he gives. He feels too focused.

[Garrick Vernal]

He is focused.

[Ryan]

He's like singular.

[Garrick Vernal]

That's what I'm saying. Like, I think that. I think that he is very, like, earnest. Sure. On one end and then on another end. He's very like, competitive and like, straightforward and like, he'll. He. He gets angry.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Especially in the beginning. He was pretty short tempered.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. That's why Pikachu was.

[Ryan]

He used to shock the shit.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Every time. Every day.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Literally every day.

[Ryan]

Most.

[Garrick Vernal]

But they.

[Ryan]

I don't know that Pikachu has it. Look it up. Maybe he does have a Pikachu.

[Garrick Vernal]

Well, their whole thing is that they were character foils. They were the same where it's just like Ash was very hot headed. And then also. Nice. And then Pikachu was hot headed.

[Sequoia]

Oh, that makes sense. On TV Writer. Right? I like to see it. Pikachu's birthday is February 5, making him an Aquarius.

[Garrick Vernal]

Aquarius.

[Sequoia]

It's always your favorite song.

[Ryan]

Always. Aquarius. Also, I love that Pikachu has a birthday. I think that's one of my favorite. Like the fact.

[Garrick Vernal]

Why. Why do you have. I love that they have birthday. I love. It's the best.

[Ryan]

But yeah. So Ash leaves his town. Pallet town when he's 10 years old. He's like on this journey and he runs into his two friends. You didn't bring up his friends? Do you remember their names?

[Sequoia]

I thought his friends were the Pokemon.

[Ryan]

I mean. Well, yes.

[Sequoia]

I didn't know he had friends. Shut up.

[Ryan]

There's the famous. The girl, Misty and Barack. You don't remember, like his two buddies.

[Sequoia]

Oh, so that's not Team Rocket.

[Garrick Vernal]

No.

[Ryan]

You were confused. No, Team Rocket is Jesse and James and they.

[Sequoia]

I never knew them. People's names.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Truth and love spreading reach to our stars above. Jesse. I'm not gonna do the whole thing, but they like. You don't remember them?

[Sequoia]

No, I do.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

Misty and Brock. Yeah, his friends.

[Ryan]

His friends.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Ryan]

So they. They were gym leaders that he first fought Against. And then they joined him on his journey the rest of the way. Misty, like, gave up the gym. She was, like, supposed to take it over, and she gave it up. Brock from her sisters and then from his dad, I believe he left it to his dad afterwards. And then they went on the journey together. And they were with him for, like, a solid, like, five generations. And then they would bring in new people. Like, they, like. I think once we started to age out of Pokemon, they brought in new people. Because I remember I slightly watched it with Don and Max, I think was the next. Oh, that was, like, around diamond and Pearl, and those were, like. That was when they. They had got through Johto or Hoto, however you say it. And then I remember diamond and Pearl was the game, and that was, like, gen 3 or 4.

[Sequoia]

I remember diamond and Pearl.

[Ryan]

You remember the game.

[Sequoia]

Do you actually know those names? Like, I recognize those names.

[Ryan]

Do you remember, like, Cryst? It was, what, Sapphire and. No, Silver, Gold, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Pearl. Do you remember? Did you play any of them?

[Sequoia]

I did not play any of them,

[Ryan]

but you just remember the name.

[Sequoia]

So I was present.

[Ryan]

Diamond and Pearl, I think, was the one on ds. And I think that is where I started to trickle out. Okay, where did you drop off for?

[Garrick Vernal]

I started after I. I trickled out after, I think, Firered. So, like, when they. When they re released Red, I was like, oh, this is. Is. Yeah, it was like new sprites and all that stuff. That was cool. And then I start. Yeah, I started to, like, taper off after that.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

So I did after, like, the Jojo.

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah, that makes sense. Like, that's like gen 2, gen 3.

[Garrick Vernal]

Ish.

[Ryan]

I remember Leaf Green and Fire Red came out. I think there was, like, the 4th ish generation was starting. But they, like them. They combined the two games into one, which was nice. God.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, this. I mean, because you're, like, walking around and you're just like, all right, I don't want to get a whole other cartridge to go to the next region.

[Ryan]

Oh, that's crazy.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, it's just like. Just do both of them, please. And I loved it.

[Ryan]

And the fact that they're bringing it back for the 30th anniversary on Switch. I cannot wait. I want them to.

[Garrick Vernal]

I know they're not.

[Ryan]

I think they're keeping it, like, traditional, but I want them to make it open world again, because I know that you don't play the games anymore, but once they switched it to being, like, literally, the Pokemon are just in the streets running around.

[Garrick Vernal]

That's great.

[Ryan]

It makes it so much more fun.

[Garrick Vernal]

That's great.

[Ryan]

And you're just battling before. You would be like a cutaway. Does that cut scene.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Cutscene.

[Ryan]

Yeah, a cutscene to a battle. But now you literally just run up and then a Pokemon will just start, like, shooting attacks at you.

[Sequoia]

In Pokemon Go.

[Ryan]

No, no, no, no. This is in the new games. In Pokemon Go, they were just, like, running around.

[Sequoia]

Right. And they battled. They do now.

[Ryan]

They didn't when we started.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

You were going to ask us a question. I could nerd out all day.

[Sequoia]

Why do you guys think Pokemon resonated with black audiences so much?

[Garrick Vernal]

With black audiences?

[Sequoia]

Yeah. As blacks. What do you guys think?

[Garrick Vernal]

I don't know. I think it was like. And this is, you know, not having cable growing up. I like, I. No, no, no.

[Sequoia]

Was it on basic?

[Garrick Vernal]

It was cable. It was. It would come on, like, WB and all that stuff. The kids wb?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

And WB was black.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes. So I think that might be, you know, one of the.

[Ryan]

I don't think I realized that it wasn't on cable. Like, I remember watching it, but I don't think I recognize what channel. But that is a good point. It was probably so accessible.

[Garrick Vernal]

Right, right. It was on. It was on Cartoon Network as well, because that's Warner. So, like. Yeah, so it being on Kids, wb, that was like the first thing I would watch when I got home. And then it would sometimes be playing in the morning, but when we left.

[Ryan]

So, yeah, I think that coupled with. So even if you weren't watching it on tv, the fact that you could also buy cards.

[Garrick Vernal]

So I feel like, because there were

[Ryan]

so many ways to play that were like. I mean, not, like, affordability. It just makes it more accessible. Whereas, like, even if you couldn't watch the TV and you couldn't afford a game, you could go down the store and buy a pack of cards. I remember, like, everyone was collecting these cards. Like, I remember kids say they played. I don't have distinct memories.

[Sequoia]

No.

[Garrick Vernal]

Nobody. In the same way that. That nobody knew, like, the exact rules of Uno. None of these kids played the. The. The Pokemon game at all. The card game at all.

[Sequoia]

For 30 years, the American Black Film Festival has been a home for bold storytelling and emerging talent. This May, we're celebrating a major milestone, and we want you there. Join us for ABFF's 30th anniversary, the Homecoming, happening May 27th through the 31st, 2026 in Miami Beach. Experience everything ABFF is known for. Hollywood premieres, Creator Conversations, Masterclasses And Best of Independent cinema, networking and live entertainment all in five Unforgettable days. Everyone has a story and yours belongs here. Get your pass [e-mail] miami and use code PARAMORE10 for 10% off your deco pass. We'll see you in Miami Beach May 27th through the 31st.

[Austin]

Howdy there. So sorry to interrupt whatever amazing show you were listening to, but it's time for an ad. I'll be so quick and get you back to your show. Don't worry. I'm host Austin One half of a podcast called Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries that I make with my good friend Brenda. We talk about the pop culture stuff you like, like Thundercats and Yu Gi oh. Did you know that the Thundercats are cousins with Vera Fawcett or that Yu Gi oh once caused a riot? You probably want to know more. You can find us at Maximum Fun or wherever you get podcasts. Every single Tuesday,

[Garrick Vernal]

the wizards answer eight by eight the conclaves call to demonstrate their arcane gift, their single spell. They number 64 until a conflagration 63 and 62 they soon shall as one by one the wizards die till one remains to reign on high.

[Sequoia]

Join us for Taz Royale an oops.

[Garrick Vernal]

All Wizards Battle Royale season of the Adventure Zone every other Thursday on MaximumFun.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sequoia]

I thought it was just like you have the stronger Pokemon.

[Ryan]

You know, they're like, oh, it's like it's.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's closer to Magic the Gathering than it is anything else. I would say it is. You have to have energy cards in order to get your Pokemon to do the move that it, that it needs to do.

[Ryan]

I remember there were like beads that you like, like attract your health. It was something weird. Like, I remember it's way more complex.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's way more complex than people.

[Sequoia]

Like, nobody was playing that.

[Garrick Vernal]

I don't think they were.

[Ryan]

I always talk about it as if

[Garrick Vernal]

they played and I'm like, I don't.

[Ryan]

It looks complicated, right?

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. I don't think that any six or seven year old playing and like, I

[Ryan]

think we just had them.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And now, you know what I did play was Yu Gi oh. I actively played. I would go to like.

[Garrick Vernal]

But it is. But the Pokemon game is close to Yu Gi oh as well. Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

They're similar energies. Yeah.

[Ryan]

I feel like Yu Gi oh was like easier to physically play the card. I would go to like Toys R Us and play in the tournaments. I was like that type of kid as like oh, my God.

[Sequoia]

The game was.

[Ryan]

But yeah, I never played Pokemon, the card game, but I was heavy. But, yeah, I imagine it's just, like, accessibility, and then maybe there's something a little rebellious about it because I remember one of my cousins couldn't play because they said it was the devil.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Pokemon was a devil. Yu Gi. Oh. Was the devil. Harry Potter was the devil.

[Sequoia]

Everything.

[Garrick Vernal]

Any. Anything that. That create that had an imagination attached. The devil.

[Sequoia]

Any imagination. Right.

[Garrick Vernal]

You better not use your imagination. Better not.

[Sequoia]

God. Is your imagination okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Anything else?

[Sequoia]

Imagine. Jesus.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Hey, which Pokemon had the best powers? Like, what are your favorite Pokemon? Which powers were the best? Give me, like, three.

[Garrick Vernal]

I'm sorry. Really, really quick. Yeah, the. I feel like the thing that really got all of the kids on Pokemon was that fucking movie.

[Ryan]

Oh.

[Garrick Vernal]

When the Pokemon movie came out, I didn't know that a piece of media that I am watching could make me cry. I was genuinely distraught.

[Sequoia]

What year did it come out?

[Ryan]

You know, 99 or 2,000.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, I think it's 2,000. It was like, Pokemon 2000.

[Ryan]

2,000.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

But it was. The Pokemon movie came out November 6th, 1999. There it is. And everybody went to the movie because you could get the car.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

The promotion from the promo card. And you were like, oh, let's go see the movie. And then you just. You just watch a boy who is driven get destroyed. And, you know, spoilers for those who of. Those of you who didn't see it. Ash gets in between a blast from Mewtwo and Pikachu. Or Mew, either way. It was a battle. It was a battle. And he turns to stone. And Pikachu goes up to him and tries to wake him up and starts crying. Everybody, like, just not a dry eye in the theater. Losing our fucking. I'm thinking about it now. Is still giving me chills. It was nuts. It was like. And you know, Pikachu is adorable, right? And you're just watching him lose his friend.

[Ryan]

And also because Pikachu, obviously, all Pokemon can say is their names. Meowth.

[Garrick Vernal]

And he literally. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The actor. The actor's going off.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

He's.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's. He's getting choked up. He, like, his voice is screeching. Yeah.

[Sequoia]

You feel that?

[Garrick Vernal]

It was.

[Ryan]

Yeah, it was very emotional. And then through the power of Pikachu's love and Mew, they bring Ash back. It really is a great piece of cinema.

[Garrick Vernal]

That is true. Truly.

[Sequoia]

Are they gay? Are they dating? Mew and Mewtwo and through the Power of love. You said through the power of they love, Mewtwo learns.

[Ryan]

So Mewtwo is a. He's a mutant that humans created, and so he hates humans. But then he learns that not all humans are bad.

[Garrick Vernal]

Right.

[Ryan]

Through the bond between Pichu.

[Sequoia]

Well, that's a horrible thing that has

[Garrick Vernal]

proven to be incorrect. It is.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

But he learns that humans can have bonds with Pokemon.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Either way.

[Garrick Vernal]

But he. Yeah, I think that was. That was the thing that really, like, sends it over the edge for me personally. And then also, like, I think Mewtwo is. Is. It's really cool to watch. I was gonna say Professor X and Magneto in Pokemon form, which is very cool. Mew and Mewtwo, I feel like, is like, oh, Mewtwo is like, Pokemon. You guys are slaves. Stop going in the Pokeball. Get rise up.

[Sequoia]

Correct.

[Garrick Vernal]

Very Malcolm X.

[Ryan]

Really?

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

And then Mew coming in, like.

[Ryan]

No, we're all good. We're chilling. Do it. Get this.

[Garrick Vernal]

Mewtwo has psychic power, so he can talk. So he's, like, speaking, like, full on.

[Sequoia]

I knew. I've seen that one Speak. When you all said they can only say so meow. I said, now. I know. I know. The cats be talking.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Meow. Can he learn? Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Mewtwo is a cat, too, right?

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

No, I mean, I get how you get that.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's not a cat. Yeah, he's a. He's a bbl.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, he's a cat. That's a cat to me. And Pikachu is a cat to me as well.

[Garrick Vernal]

Wait, which one?

[Ryan]

It's definitely a mouse. It is literally described as an electric mouse mouse. Yeah, that is like, Pikachu. That is literally, like, if you look him up in the poke.

[Sequoia]

I had no idea. Are you funny? No. Pikachu is a cat to me.

[Ryan]

Wow, that is crazy.

[Garrick Vernal]

That is.

[Sequoia]

I would have never called him. Yeah.

[Ryan]

My favorite Pokemon.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

By far, is Gengar. I think Gengar is like, oh, poison type. A lot of people's favorite. But, like, he is just like, this mischievous little, like. Like, demon sprite.

[Garrick Vernal]

He'll pop in and out. Yeah. When they met him.

[Ryan]

Oh, yes.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. He was, like, tagging up stuff. He's a little ass. He's a little.

[Ryan]

They meet him in the cartoon. Like, he. They're supposed to be battling, I think, Sabrina.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And like.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

They're like, in this haunted house.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

He's, like, fucking around. He fucks with him the whole time.

[Garrick Vernal]

He keeps on doing, like, pranks on them. And him. Gengar Haunter and Gas yeah, yeah. And so he's cool.

[Sequoia]

What is. What is his power?

[Ryan]

He's a ghost type. So he does a lot. Like, Shadow Sneak would be his thing. So, like, he, like, disappears into the floor, will appear, and then attack.

[Sequoia]

Got it, got it, got it.

[Ryan]

He's also got ghost poison.

[Garrick Vernal]

Like, that's.

[Ryan]

If I had to create a team, it would be a Gengar, a Crobat. But if we're only sticking to Gen1, I would have to settle for a Golbat. And then my last one would be a Psyduck, who I fucking. They used to stress my Psyduck. They stressed the fuck out.

[Garrick Vernal]

Psyduck.

[Ryan]

He always had a headache.

[Garrick Vernal]

And they would make.

[Ryan]

You don't know what any of these things are.

[Garrick Vernal]

Psyduck. Psyduck was a little psychic duck that was always having headaches.

[Sequoia]

Psyduck.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Misty hated him.

[Garrick Vernal]

And he would always.

[Sequoia]

I recognize him.

[Garrick Vernal]

He would. Whenever she wants to bring out a. A strong Pokemon, he would just come out. It's me instead. What's up?

[Ryan]

He was so fun. He would just go, sigh.

[Sequoia]

So he's exhausted.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's exhausted. His brain is too large in there. I'm stressed.

[Ryan]

I would never let him evolve, though. I love that.

[Sequoia]

Okay, so those are your three.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Who are your faves?

[Garrick Vernal]

Gotta love Big man. Blastoise. Love. Love. Blastoise Love. Squirtle.

[Ryan]

That's your go to starter from the first gen. Squirtle.

[Garrick Vernal]

Every time. And I love the Abra family. Oh, God. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Alakazam is like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you're like, yeah, it's a Lady Gaga song.

[Sequoia]

But yes.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I. I do love Gengar a lot.

[Ryan]

Yeah, he's great.

[Garrick Vernal]

I love Gengar so much. I don't. I. I just. I don't know something about him. He's cool. Yeah. He's a. He's a sick Pokemon to have around. Yeah.

[Ryan]

He's like.

[Sequoia]

He'll be.

[Ryan]

He'll be like a good boy.

[Sequoia]

Squirtle. Gengar.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Okay. Do you have Last Voice, Alakazam or Abraham? Any of them.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Abra always try to catch in the game.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes.

[Ryan]

Because he only knew teleport.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And so, like, the moment you try

[Garrick Vernal]

to battle him, he'd be like, but you need Abra. Because if you. You need to evolve him to get Alexandra.

[Ryan]

And that's how they got you, because they made you buy more games because you could only get an Alakazam if you traded.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And you had to have a friend

[Garrick Vernal]

who had the other one.

[Ryan]

See, Pokemon also Made you have actual friends.

[Sequoia]

Capitalism.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes. I think it's.

[Sequoia]

It's ferns and galaxies.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes, it is capitalism.

[Sequoia]

Sure.

[Garrick Vernal]

But then also the. It would. You would want. For. If you're really capitalizing on this scenario, you would be, oh, I have to get this one too. Or this. I have to get red and blue in order to get all of the Pokemon. But the game made it so that it's like, no, you need a friend that has blue so that you guys can trade rather, you know, than buying both.

[Ryan]

You had to actually know something. It forced you, which Understood.

[Sequoia]

Understood.

[Ryan]

Kind of like Pokemon go where you want you.

[Garrick Vernal]

They bring people together.

[Sequoia]

The community aspect of it.

[Garrick Vernal]

They do want you to be outside

[Sequoia]

the second biggest franchise. I just looked it up. Oh, Pokemon is huge. And the second biggest. You guys did not guess it. But when I say you're going to be like, how did I not guess that? I don't want. I'll let you. I'm going to let you take a second.

[Garrick Vernal]

Is it Marvel?

[Ryan]

Is it Marvel?

[Garrick Vernal]

It might be Marvel, but I feel

[Ryan]

like that's too broad.

[Sequoia]

Think less boy.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, Barbie.

[Ryan]

Or is it sailor?

[Garrick Vernal]

It's probably hello Kitty. Oh, hello Kitty.

[Sequoia]

That's not. Don't think girl. Think less boy. It's more. It's more.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's still boy.

[Sequoia]

It's more general. It's not boy.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's more general.

[Ryan]

Okay. The helic can't be sailor. No, say it.

[Garrick Vernal]

What is it?

[Sequoia]

Mickey Mouse and friends.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, duh.

[Ryan]

Of course.

[Sequoia]

And then Winnie the Pooh, which is crazy to me.

[Garrick Vernal]

Disney.

[Ryan]

Not the same. For some reason, I don't franchise Winnie, who is separate.

[Sequoia]

Oh, no. You know what? No, it does say the Walt Disney Company. I'm looking at franchises, but yeah, Star wars is four, of course. Disney Princesses is five. So Disney really is one.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. They separated the princess segmented a lot

[Ryan]

of this at this point. So like, that really, it is like Disney surrounded by.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Ryan]

But yeah, I. You're right. I bet those things were bought by Disney because, like, Star wars is separate. Winnie the Pooh probably existed before Disney bought it.

[Sequoia]

Yeah. Yes. It came out in the 20s, in the 1920s.

[Ryan]

Interesting. Yeah. Yeah. I'm like. But I do think that like, like the other thing about Pokemon that makes it so there's a Pokemon for everyone. Like, I remember watching this thing recently. They were like, every Pokemon is someone's favorite Pokemon.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes.

[Ryan]

And at this point there's a thousand. But like, there's like, there's a store in Japan where you can go, it's like the Pokemon store, and, like, they have a plush of, like, everyone. And they're like, the joy of this place is that, like, anytime someone comes in, some, like, somebody loves all these games.

[Sequoia]

Knowing me, can you guys tell me who would be my favorite Pokemon? What is my favorite Pokemon? I don't know.

[Ryan]

I'm gonna stick to. I'm keeping it to 150 because I imagine.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sequoia]

150, sure.

[Ryan]

I would guess. Can we pull up ninetales? That's gonna be my guess. Ninetales is like a bad bitch.

[Garrick Vernal]

She's like.

[Ryan]

She's very flowy. It's a fire type and, like, a good little. It's like a. It's like a cat. It is a dog, but, like, cat, like.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

She's a fire psychic type, so she can read mine.

[Sequoia]

Oh, she's pretty.

[Ryan]

She's very pretty.

[Sequoia]

She looks like Chanel. She looks like my cat.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. You see?

[Ryan]

I mean, yeah, I'm like. I feel like you would like this one. This would be my best for you.

[Garrick Vernal]

I would say Persian.

[Ryan]

Oh, damn.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, I would say which is. Which is Ninetales adjacent.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, it's another cat.

[Ryan]

It is. It's like the evolved form of. Of Meow.

[Sequoia]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Persian's cute, too.

[Garrick Vernal]

I would say Persian. Could you put in Persian next to Giovanni? Oh, yeah, yeah, that would be Persian.

[Ryan]

Oh, that would be you. You, like, ask Giovanni. Like.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

I'm trying to think of what else, like, because I'm sure the only pink Pokemon I can think of. I don't think you would actually.

[Garrick Vernal]

There it is. The one with him sitting down.

[Sequoia]

The pink one is Mewtwo, isn't it?

[Ryan]

He is purple and, like, light purple.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, I.

[Ryan]

The pink one is in the game, and so I don't want to say their name.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

I don't think you would actually, like. Maybe. Maybe I'm surprised.

[Sequoia]

Should we just.

[Ryan]

Do we go to it?

[Sequoia]

Should we play the game?

[Ryan]

Yeah. Okay. Wait. Okay. Can we pull up? There's. I think there's only 12 of them, but they're all from the first.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. It's also. So it's funny that we're saying Persian, but then also I'm saying Persian Ninetales. But in spirit. It would be Jigglypuff.

[Ryan]

It would 100%.

[Garrick Vernal]

It would be Jigglypuff.

[Ryan]

I think that is.

[Sequoia]

You think I'm a Jigglypuff ass bitch?

[Ryan]

Kind of. Also, Jigglypuff is in chat. That was Lady Gaga's Favorite.

[Sequoia]

Wait.

[Ryan]

Oh, wait. Pull up the game first. Also, Psyduck was Trevor Noah's favorite Pokemon, which I have, like, kindred spirit.

[Sequoia]

Wow. So celebrities be saying they favor Pokemon.

[Ryan]

And, you know, I'm saying the celebrities said it because they is the 30th anniversary, and I'm sure they were paid to say it.

[Sequoia]

Oh, it just came out.

[Ryan]

Yeah, came out during the Grammys.

[Sequoia]

Okay. Okay. Okay. Also, a couple of the plushies up there are from the J. The Japan store.

[Ryan]

Oh, is this like. Yes, exactly. The plushies will look like this. And they have, like, one of these from. Do you know. Do you know that one? You don't. You're not going to know that one.

[Sequoia]

Definitely not.

[Ryan]

Okay, let's pull up the game.

[Sequoia]

Yes. Are closed.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Ryan]

So it'll be just a black and white or a black image. This is how they used to do it in the show. You can look now.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, I know. I remember.

[Ryan]

Oh, great. So they're like, name that Pokemon.

[Sequoia]

I can do. Okay. Okay, I'll try. And then you say you. You go, gary.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh. And then I go, yeah.

[Sequoia]

Cause Ryan made.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I made it, so I know them all, but I know you know that.

[Sequoia]

Okay, so you can confirm the actual answer. I'll give it an attempt.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, hilarious.

[Sequoia]

Okay, that is Squirtle.

[Garrick Vernal]

Come on.

[Ryan]

No, that's right here. Correct.

[Garrick Vernal]

Sorry.

[Ryan]

No, that's good.

[Sequoia]

I mean, I don't know who that is.

[Ryan]

Could you guess his name?

[Sequoia]

Onion. Onion.

[Ryan]

Onion.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's Onion.

[Sequoia]

What's his name?

[Garrick Vernal]

Bulbasaur.

[Sequoia]

It's not. No.

[Garrick Vernal]

See, this is where it's gonna get aggressive because it's just, like, showing the picture isn't gonna do anything.

[Sequoia]

No, I need the name.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, great.

[Ryan]

They don't have the names.

[Sequoia]

That's okay. But, yeah, that's why I said Garrett

[Ryan]

Gna say, let's go to the next one. Okay.

[Sequoia]

Oh, that's that Babish that we just looked at.

[Ryan]

It's not.

[Sequoia]

It's the. It's the unevolved version of that Bad. We just looked at.

[Ryan]

It's also not. But I see how you get there.

[Garrick Vernal]

You're not.

[Ryan]

You're in the ballpark. This one has a lot of different things. It can become she's verse this one. The gays love this one.

[Sequoia]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan]

Ariana Grande loves who? Ariana Grande loves Arian Grande.

[Sequoia]

Be watching Pokemon.

[Ryan]

Arianny has this one tattoo.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, y' all gotta, like, actually talk to each other about this. And stop hiding your love for Pokemon.

[Ryan]

No more being in the closet.

[Sequoia]

That's yeah, versa.

[Ryan]

Versa. Versa.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's versa.

[Sequoia]

Evie.

[Garrick Vernal]

Versa.

[Ryan]

Let's go to the next one.

[Garrick Vernal]

So funny.

[Sequoia]

Who was that? Y' all didn't tell me.

[Ryan]

It was Evie.

[Sequoia]

Oh, that's her.

[Ryan]

This one is a problematic scene. The next one is.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay, so this one. Yeah, I feel like. So I. I mean, just going back to James and this character, I feel like seeing. Watching Pokemon as a. As a young man, whenever you saw, like, anybody being flamboyant or. Or any. Any form of, like, man being like, okay, so this. This man is a little bit more feminine or whatever, it never struck me as odd, right. When it, like, just be. Just because of the exposure, honestly, from Pokemon, like, even if I'm. What I mean, when you see. It was just like, oh, this is somebody in drag. Yeah. And it's just like, okay, this is still.

[Ryan]

It's acceptable or not even acceptable. It's like. It's like, oh, this is just a

[Garrick Vernal]

part of the world. It's part of the world. It's just, like, exposure to it. And so when you. When you as a person walking around in the world as a young man growing up, and you're just wandering around and you see somebody and you're like, oh, this person is. Oh, look at how weird. It's like.

[Ryan]

It's not weird.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's not weird.

[Ryan]

This was just on my TV show.

[Garrick Vernal]

I know what this is. I know this is.

[Ryan]

But I've seen this before.

[Garrick Vernal]

I've seen the. I'm familiar with it, and I know that it's not the, like, the scary thing that people want to make it out to be.

[Ryan]

Okay, we need more Pokemon in the world.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, we do.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Absolutely.

[Ryan]

Wait. Okay, so guess you're not. This shape means nothing.

[Sequoia]

No.

[Ryan]

Let's see what it looks like, and then Garrick will give you the answer. Okay, this is what it actually looks like.

[Sequoia]

Oh, see, I knew what it looked like. I did, because I was like. I remember this character's in blackface and they have pink lips. I remember thinking that. But I don't know the. I don't know nothing else. You think?

[Ryan]

I mean, yeah, it is kind of blackface.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, that look like blackface to me.

[Ryan]

She looked that bitch. This is Bob the Drag Queen, I

[Sequoia]

was about to say. That is very much giving, like.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

Give her.

[Sequoia]

Exchange.

[Garrick Vernal]

This is Jinx.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Okay. Jinx.

[Ryan]

All right, let's go to the next one, Jigglypuff.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay, there we go.

[Ryan]

The thing about her in the show, she was obviously the singer of the group. The lead singer. I don't think you would like her.

[Garrick Vernal]

I think you would.

[Sequoia]

You do?

[Garrick Vernal]

I. I think you would, actually.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

In the show. I think you would.

[Ryan]

Again, going back to.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, she be. She be fucking niggas up, dog. She. Okay, so Jiggly fucking niggas up.

[Ryan]

She did.

[Garrick Vernal]

Jiggly's probably. Beth's power is that when she sings, she puts people to sleep and she gets offended by it.

[Ryan]

That's how she wants to just be a star.

[Garrick Vernal]

She wants to be a star.

[Sequoia]

Oh, she's mad that people fall.

[Garrick Vernal]

She's mad that people fall asleep.

[Sequoia]

Oh, she sounds iconic. She sounds really funny.

[Garrick Vernal]

She will draw on you if you fall asleep or she will slap you away.

[Sequoia]

That's funny. Okay. Okay. See, I knew. And look, you will always be famous. I only knew your name. Jiggly. That's fair. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Let's go to the. I think there's. Yeah, a couple more.

[Sequoia]

Oh, now this is Mewtwo.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay. Wow. Okay, you do know this going. I'm sorry. Going back to Jigglypuff in the. One of the only, if not the only Pokemon in melee to win the tournament. The Evo, which is the biggest.

[Sequoia]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Fighting game.

[Sequoia]

I remember that.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Her, like, attack in her is a counter or whatever the she does when she falls asleep. It's one of the strongest game in or strongest moves in Smash Brothers.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Sleeper hit character.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Shout out to Hungrybox.

[Sequoia]

Okay. Yeah. And the next one was a desk. That's Mewtwo.

[Ryan]

Mewtwo.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

This one is a trick one because.

[Sequoia]

Oh, that's three people. Okay, that's.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, this is funny. This is funny. This is funny.

[Sequoia]

That's Team Rocket.

[Garrick Vernal]

No, it is a Pokemon, but it is hilarious. Why it looks like that?

[Sequoia]

All right. I don't know. I don't know.

[Ryan]

Go to the next one.

[Sequoia]

Sharkboy and Longboard. Hot Dog.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

What is it?

[Garrick Vernal]

So this is Doug Trio, but you only see the heads sticking out of

[Sequoia]

the ground until people decide what their body looks like. That's so funny.

[Ryan]

Three men.

[Sequoia]

That's hilarious.

[Ryan]

Together so far.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Go to the next one. This is Later Jin. So I think it got a little more difficult. You'll know it when you see it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

Maybe that looks like I. Okay, that looks like she's Nicki Minaj.

[Ryan]

Okay. Yeah, I see how you get there. It is very Nicki Minaj.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Does that help? Do you know it?

[Garrick Vernal]

No, No, I don't remember. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Okay. Give her a name if you have to. I'll show you. The name.

[Sequoia]

Afterwards, you give her a name.

[Garrick Vernal]

Phoebus.

[Ryan]

It evolves from Phoebus, if that's helpful.

[Garrick Vernal]

That means nothing to you? Okay. No.

[Sequoia]

Pluribus. It.

[Ryan]

Don't feel bad. It's late. This is like gen 4 or 5.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Ryan]

This is melodic. Oh, so she, like. She's like the ugly duck. She starts very ugly, and it becomes this beautiful thing. I think there's, like, two more. You'll know the next one for sure.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Oh, well, never mind.

[Garrick Vernal]

You know.

[Sequoia]

Oh, this is hello Kitty, Correct, Right?

[Ryan]

Absolutely.

[Sequoia]

It's mute. Mute. Wait, hold on, hold on. Meow, meow. To meow meow. I keep want to say meow mix, and then I know that's not it. Meow, meowy, meowing.

[Ryan]

Keep. Say it.

[Sequoia]

Meow, meow.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my God, that's it.

[Sequoia]

Meowth. Okay. Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

He has money on his head.

[Ryan]

He sure does. And then. Yeah, I think this might be the last one. After this, maybe. Oh, no, we just did this.

[Sequoia]

Oh, yeah. And this is versa.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

You'll know this next one for sure. Oh, I. Okay. They're both in this room. They're both in this room.

[Sequoia]

Oh, that's. That's evolve Pikachu right there. That's not Pikachu.

[Ryan]

It's Pichu.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's different.

[Ryan]

He's a baby.

[Sequoia]

So that's unevolved Pikachu.

[Garrick Vernal]

Unevolved Pikachu.

[Sequoia]

Okay, whatever.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, same. And I'm getting that one.

[Sequoia]

Oh, this one I know.

[Ryan]

Oh, do you really? I'm shocked by that.

[Sequoia]

This is mewtwo. Evolved.

[Ryan]

Does that help?

[Sequoia]

That didn't look, now it's a frog.

[Ryan]

Okay, I don't know what that is. Greninja.

[Sequoia]

Which greninja?

[Ryan]

Ash had a badass greninja.

[Garrick Vernal]

He did. He was hard.

[Ryan]

Sick.

[Garrick Vernal]

It was so, like, Ash had a greninja. Ash had a greninja later. But his. So, like, his tongue is his scarf.

[Sequoia]

Ash ketchup.

[Garrick Vernal]

His. His tongue is his scarf. And it's really cool and it blows in the wind.

[Ryan]

He's a water shuriken.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, he's a water shuriken. He shoots water out of his.

[Ryan]

You're like, mm, yeah, I think that's the last one.

[Sequoia]

Great, Great.

[Ryan]

He did a good job.

[Sequoia]

Thank you.

[Ryan]

Oh, no, I'm wrong. You do know this one.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, no, I do. That is the panda.

[Ryan]

Okay, close. Let's see what he looks like. Cause that is close. Yeah, he sleeps all the time.

[Sequoia]

Sloth.

[Ryan]

No, Close.

[Garrick Vernal]

No.

[Sequoia]

Slay.

[Ryan]

Slay.

[Garrick Vernal]

What do People do when they sleep.

[Sequoia]

Snore. Snorth.

[Ryan]

That's northwest.

[Sequoia]

Yes, yes.

[Ryan]

Northwest.

[Garrick Vernal]

That is. That is good. One to one, very deductive.

[Ryan]

Snorlax. North.

[Sequoia]

Okay. Snorlax.

[Garrick Vernal]

All right, that's funny.

[Ryan]

I think that's. I think that actually is the last one.

[Garrick Vernal]

Now, everybody had to know what a snorlax was because in the game, he was blocking your way forward, and that was like, the first real obstacle that you get. You're just like, I don't know how to get this. This nigga away from me also.

[Ryan]

Cause I didn't read the games when I played. I used to just try. I never read anything.

[Sequoia]

Wow.

[Ryan]

Did you guys read or you didn't play?

[Garrick Vernal]

I didn't read any.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I just, like, walked around and I said, why can I get past this?

[Garrick Vernal]

That was the first time I had to, like, ask an adult. What the. Like, what do I do? How do I get past this?

[Sequoia]

Okay, what's this? Right? What's this video here?

[Ryan]

This is the celebrity saying there. Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Okay, let's do this.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, Shaw's leclette.

[Ryan]

Who is this? Do you know that, man? I don't know.

[Sequoia]

She's an F1 driver. Yeah, see, I do know voice, though.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, you do.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

He's on the pier. This is.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, this is. He was trying to do the Pokemon Go.

[Sequoia]

All right.

[Ryan]

Yeah, Come on.

[Sequoia]

Oh, Jigglypuff.

[Ryan]

Correct. Who is that?

[Sequoia]

She's from Sex Lives of College Girls. Question mark. Yeah.

[Ryan]

There's your girl. I want to know how they directed Lady Gaga, too. See, I love. Oh, God.

[Sequoia]

Wow.

[Ryan]

He's from the new one G. Let's go. It's good.

[Garrick Vernal]

That's not. That's from.

[Sequoia]

Oh. Oh, 30. I know.

[Ryan]

It's crazy to me that it's 30.

[Garrick Vernal]

She's from. Never have I ever.

[Sequoia]

Never have I ever. Sorry. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Ryan]

Super cute. Oh, I love that lady. I don't believe that. Lady Gaga. I don't believe her. I don't. No, sorry. I believe that she is a world where she plays Pokemon. I think they gave her 100.

[Sequoia]

They asked her, they said. She said, what? Which one? Makes sense for me. And they said, jigglypuff.

[Ryan]

She was like a dark type Pokemon gym leader. There's no way.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, absolutely. She. She would play Sabrina in the live action movie.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah. Also, Detective Pikachu rips. I love that movie. It's a good movie.

[Ryan]

Have you seen the AI videos of Pokemon? Like, they've started to make AI videos that are, like, national Geographic.

[Garrick Vernal]

But. Oh, that's funny.

[Ryan]

I love it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. I know.

[Ryan]

AI is bad for the planet.

[Garrick Vernal]

It is.

[Ryan]

But every time I see an AI Pokemon in the Real World video, I

[Garrick Vernal]

stop and watch it. It's just like, I gotta see this.

[Ryan]

I'm willing to poison water.

[Sequoia]

Wow. Wow. To get some AI Pokemon. Look.

[Garrick Vernal]

Wow. I remember, like, growing up and hoping and praying that animals would be able to speak in the same way that Pokemon did. Like, say their name a little bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sequoia]

Huh.

[Garrick Vernal]

And just. Just a Pokemon saying lion or something like that. I'm sorry, A lion.

[Sequoia]

A lion saying lion. Or like, a cat saying Pokemon are fun. I. I like them.

[Garrick Vernal]

You do?

[Sequoia]

Are you guys impressed by my knowledge?

[Garrick Vernal]

Well, I love. We so impressed.

[Ryan]

Thank you so much.

[Sequoia]

Thank you so much. So there was a TV series as well. There was the movie. There was TV series.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Which one did y' all like better?

[Ryan]

The movie.

[Garrick Vernal]

The show? Yeah, the show.

[Sequoia]

The.

[Ryan]

No, the show is like. I remember we. I text you, text you about Digimon,

[Garrick Vernal]

and I was like.

[Ryan]

It was, like, a while ago. And I was like, oh, Digimon is kind of funny. You were like, no, it's not that good of a show. And you're like, pokemon holds up. And so I went back and watched Pokemon. That show is, to this day, still good. Still good. Like, it is a very good show.

[Garrick Vernal]

I like the theme song. Yeah. Theme song is, I want to say, arguably the best theme song of all time.

[Sequoia]

It is very, like, empowering or, like, uplifting. You know, like the chords that they choose in it.

[Garrick Vernal]

It is also one of the last times that you heard somebody just like, like, go for it in a theme song.

[Sequoia]

Not. Not too much for Nintendo. Nintendo coming. I heard you attempting our song.

[Garrick Vernal]

We.

[Ryan]

We, in fact, do have to catch them all.

[Sequoia]

You know, it's giving Phil Collins. I know it's not Phil Collins, but.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's not Phil Collins. But it is of the same elk, for sure.

[Ryan]

As a kid, and not even as a kid. I'm through a good chunk of my adulthood. Thought it was Michael Jackson.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, so he was the background singer for Michael Jackson.

[Sequoia]

Oh, wow. So you just had a good ear.

[Ryan]

This sounds like. Okay, I think we have it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Because I'm like, when I heard. I, as a kid was like, oh, this is clearly Michael Jackson singing.

[Garrick Vernal]

And he is sending.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my.

[Sequoia]

Here we go. Here we go.

[Ryan]

God. Even the first chords. Oh, my God, it is so powerful.

[Garrick Vernal]

So good.

[Ryan]

That don't sound like Michael Jackson.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

So good.

[Sequoia]

I hear how you get there. Yeah, I hear you. There is my cause Come on.

[Ryan]

I will travel Come on. Searching far and wide we didn't even get to the Legendaries. God Damn it is so 80s rock. Just

[Garrick Vernal]

the swell of the. The. The. The choir in the background.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my God.

[Ryan]

That's Jesse and James.

[Sequoia]

Yes.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yes.

[Ryan]

And that's Gary. Yeah.

[Sequoia]

So true.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my God.

[Sequoia]

You teach me and I'll teach you.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my God.

[Ryan]

Wow. So he is killing it.

[Sequoia]

He's crushing soul patch.

[Ryan]

Yeah. I love it. There's a. There's another.

[Garrick Vernal]

There's a second verse. Yeah.

[Ryan]

I did not know this one, so

[Garrick Vernal]

I didn't know a lot of. And I feel like a lot of kids didn't know because that there was another vert or that it continued because at the end of the Pokemon movie, this plays in its entirety, and everybody's

[Ryan]

like, oh, this is like, pre Internet

[Garrick Vernal]

in the way we know it.

[Ryan]

So. Yeah. Like, I wouldn't have known to look this up. That's crazy.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah. I had no idea that there was another verse.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's just.

[Ryan]

I feel it. That's what I'm saying.

[Garrick Vernal]

This feels.

[Ryan]

Makes me feel it.

[Sequoia]

He felt it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

I love when people are into what they're doing, you know? Like, this is a grown man. This is like a grown man. He probably didn't know what Pokemon was at the time when he started. When he was g. This, he was just into it.

[Garrick Vernal]

He didn't care.

[Sequoia]

He did not care. He's a musician. Because you teach me and I teach

[Ryan]

you messaging right there. Come on, come on.

[Sequoia]

We are one.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

Got to catch him up.

[Sequoia]

Pokemon.

[Ryan]

Oh, God.

[Sequoia]

Does it continue? Oh, it does.

[Garrick Vernal]

There's a. There's a. A repri. A bridge reprise, Whatever.

[Sequoia]

Stop.

[Ryan]

Is it guitar solo, like. Yeah, yeah. He is, like, really in it, too.

[Sequoia]

The. Oh, wow.

[Ryan]

It feels so 80s.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

But the other thing is, like, the Poke rap, I. I never learned it that because, like, I wasn't. I could probably learn it now. So at the end of every episode, to get you to learn the 150, they would do what's called the poke rap. So they were like, come on, learn them now. They'd be like, shoot Mewtwo, Charizard, Pikachu.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

It was very, very silly.

[Sequoia]

Very funny.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Sequoia]

That was.

[Ryan]

I honestly. That is a karaoke sleeper.

[Sequoia]

We'll do that at karaoke. Yeah, that'll be a fun one.

[Ryan]

I love Pokemon so much. It is, like, a very silly, funny. It just keeps going, and Pokemon keeps getting. I Know, we stayed in kind of the original 150, but it gets.

[Sequoia]

How many of them are there now?

[Ryan]

There's over a thousand now because I remember the a thousandth Pokemon. It's some dumb name. It's like a Golden Sleep Stinky. It looks really stupid. I will say the designs of Pokemon. Let me look it up.

[Sequoia]

It's only so much you can do. Like, they have a thousand. Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

They started.

[Ryan]

His name is Gold Digon.

[Sequoia]

Goldigon.

[Ryan]

I will. I'm trying to think. It's spelled G H O L D E N G Golden.

[Sequoia]

O L D. Oh, I see Gold.

[Ryan]

Yeah, There we go. It looks dumb. Like I will say.

[Sequoia]

Yeah, no, it does.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

A little bad.

[Sequoia]

Oh, yeah. That looks way worse than they used salon.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, wow.

[Ryan]

I would say they started pretty strong.

[Sequoia]

Oh. Period. Big hips, belt around the big dress.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

But I. I miss when it used to be something that you see in the real world. And then it's like kind of based off of that. And so that's a fork. Oh. Huh.

[Ryan]

You. This looks like a fork to you. I. I don't. It looks like a can to me.

[Sequoia]

Like a bot. A bottle opener.

[Garrick Vernal]

It looks like a can.

[Sequoia]

A can. Yeah.

[Ryan]

A fork. Makes no sense. But I'm. But okay.

[Sequoia]

This is a two prong fork. Sure.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah. There is also a trash one. Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Like, they get rubbish.

[Ryan]

Like, they always give these type of Pokemon to Team Rocket. Team Rocket stays throughout. They did not give up. They kept trying to steal Pikachu for years.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

But, you know, Ash isn't even on the show anymore. Like, they retired.

[Garrick Vernal]

He.

[Ryan]

He became Poke Master. He lost many times, but then like, last, maybe like. Like 2024, 2025. They gave him a send off and so he's gone. And now they're two new kids who have taken over. Ash is not the lead of the show anymore.

[Sequoia]

I don't like change.

[Ryan]

I mean, but it makes sense. Ash was our Pokemon. And like, we have grown up and I think they wanted to introduce it to new kids. And it's like.

[Sequoia]

So Jesse and James are dating. Are they.

[Ryan]

Are they 20 years?

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. They were just clear.

[Ryan]

Like, Jesse is like rich.

[Garrick Vernal]

Felt like. Yeah, he is.

[Ryan]

He pretends to be. Or like he left his family's money.

[Sequoia]

Yeah. Okay. Do y' all have anything else about Pokemon that you would like to say?

[Ryan]

I want you to play the game.

[Garrick Vernal]

It's beautiful. I think that everybody should play the little Poke the pocket. No, Pocket. Tcg. The trading card game. Oh. I don't even Know what that is?

[Ryan]

Oh, tell me.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my God. It is fantastic.

[Ryan]

Oh, it's the app.

[Garrick Vernal]

The app. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Keith's trying to get me to play it too. He told me it was very fun.

[Garrick Vernal]

You would love it.

[Sequoia]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

I would love it. It's the best. It's really fun. And I think that that's what got me back into it.

[Ryan]

I think my favorite thing about Pokemon is that there's something for everyone in it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And you can find yourself in any Pokemon. I think that's why so many disenfranchised minority people. I don't know how I'm saying. So many people who feel othered in some way relate to this show because I feel like you can see yourself in some body or some Pokemon in this show.

[Sequoia]

In a pocket monster.

[Ryan]

In a pocket monster.

[Garrick Vernal]

We're all pocket monsters.

[Sequoia]

That's how they got so many.

[Ryan]

That's how they got it.

[Sequoia]

The little monsters.

[Garrick Vernal]

There's so many beautiful little stor as well. Because, like, even in the, you know, original 150, so many of Ash's Pokemon left or like they came into his life and then had to leave, like. Or that he. He found them on the. On the gritty streets and he rehabilitated them and now they're back, you know, so like Squirtle. I just saw that one. He was. Yeah, he was.

[Sequoia]

He's a cop.

[Ryan]

He is copaganda.

[Garrick Vernal]

But no, no, no. Oh, no, he's. He's firefighter now. They used to. They were in a gang.

[Sequoia]

Squirtle.

[Ryan]

Yeah, but you're right, he was in a game.

[Garrick Vernal]

He's a part of the Squirtle squad. And they used to.

[Sequoia]

Ninja Turtles.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

This is the start of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

[Ryan]

I think that you're right. This came after Ninja Turtles was 80s.

[Garrick Vernal]

This was 90s.

[Ryan]

But you're right, maybe there. There's some crossover there. But he wasn't a gang.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, he's in a gang. He's in a full game. He's got him on the right side, the right path. And now they're firefighters.

[Sequoia]

And now they're fire fighter.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

And I think Char, like, Charmander almost died. It was.

[Garrick Vernal]

Char almost died. No, but like, it was crazy.

[Sequoia]

He.

[Garrick Vernal]

He got a Charmander and he had to. Charmander's fire on its tail is its life. And he almost. And it was. He was raining. He was underneath a little. A leaf. And Ash just came up and like, held him through the night, through the rain, so that he wouldn't die.

[Sequoia]

He was A good Gemini.

[Garrick Vernal]

Rights.

[Sequoia]

We deserve more than we're given. We do. If I can name five Pokemon.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Will you name how many you. How many Pokemon should I name, Garrick?

[Garrick Vernal]

All right, let's go with five.

[Sequoia]

Okay. And you're gonna buy me a Chanel bag. Oh. Oh.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my God. I mean, we already like more than five.

[Sequoia]

I let you name your number.

[Ryan]

Number. Okay.

[Sequoia]

And that's the number you named. All right, so.

[Garrick Vernal]

But five that we haven't said.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I agree.

[Sequoia]

That's fine.

[Garrick Vernal]

And close your laptop.

[Ryan]

I love this. Wow. That might be hard.

[Sequoia]

Thank you very much.

[Ryan]

We haven't named the ones in this room. That might be a good start.

[Sequoia]

Charmander. Okay, we didn't say that one.

[Ryan]

We.

[Sequoia]

Okay, we didn't say that one. Okay. Charizard.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay, we said Charizard.

[Sequoia]

Okay, so which one? You only said one of them.

[Garrick Vernal]

All right, so what's the one?

[Ryan]

Both, but go for it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, what's the. What's the one in the middle?

[Ryan]

Yeah, there's one in the middle.

[Sequoia]

Charizard. Charmander. Char Blaster.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, okay, sure.

[Ryan]

That's not even two. That's actually.

[Garrick Vernal]

You should take one away.

[Ryan]

Char Blaster is crazy.

[Garrick Vernal]

I. I really do love how like. Like how pervasive this Pokemon has become to where when you say something wild, I get to make fun of you for it because, just like, you don't

[Ryan]

know what is a Char Blaster, and

[Garrick Vernal]

I'm talking about a children's show.

[Ryan]

You don't.

[Sequoia]

Fair.

[Ryan]

But to be fair, you're right.

[Garrick Vernal]

Correct.

[Ryan]

That is a crazy thing to say.

[Garrick Vernal]

That is a crazy thing to say.

[Ryan]

But you have two more or you

[Sequoia]

have four more along those lines. Blastoise.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

I mean, that's one of my. It cannot be named in the previous episode. This entire episode.

[Sequoia]

Is this Charizard?

[Ryan]

It is.

[Sequoia]

Okay. And this is Squirtle.

[Garrick Vernal]

It is.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

This is Flappy Bird.

[Garrick Vernal]

Sure.

[Ryan]

It's probably. I know what it's called. Don't look it up. I can tell you you're wrong.

[Garrick Vernal]

Damn.

[Sequoia]

This is not in English. Okay. That is Flappy Bird.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Sure.

[Sequoia]

This is a shadow agent.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Ryan]

He works bad guys.

[Sequoia]

He looks sad.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

He's a water sign. He's certainly a water sign.

[Ryan]

Okay. Wow.

[Sequoia]

Okay. He is Oct. Squid.

[Ryan]

Okay. Squid. Okay. So Flappy Bird and Squid.

[Garrick Vernal]

And Squid.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, Two, like, rocket power characters.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah. All right.

[Sequoia]

And this is Shut the Geico.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah, the Geico. Geo.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

That's great.

[Ryan]

That's fair.

[Garrick Vernal]

That's fair. Huge.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sequoia]

That is Bulbasaur.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Ryan]

He does come from Bulbasaur, so that's close. So this is where Bulbasaur starts.

[Garrick Vernal]

And then.

[Sequoia]

So you all telling me that's not the same?

[Ryan]

I mean, maybe at different points in their life.

[Sequoia]

Okay, that's Bulbasaurus Rex, Right? That one.

[Ryan]

This one or this one?

[Sequoia]

That. That. The other one. The black one. Okay.

[Ryan]

Oh, the black one. Okay.

[Garrick Vernal]

That is.

[Ryan]

To help.

[Sequoia]

Yes. Bat plug.

[Garrick Vernal]

Bat Plug.

[Ryan]

I see how you get there. Yeah. Multifunctional.

[Garrick Vernal]

You are going to get sued into oblivion. I'm sorry. We're getting married. We are gonna get sued into Obliviate. Oh, my God.

[Sequoia]

I like it. My Chanel. I don't really care.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Yeah, you were so.

[Sequoia]

I think I've earned it.

[Ryan]

I honestly, I won't tell you if you're right or wrong. The audience you at home. Let us know if Chanel's sequoia is

[Garrick Vernal]

getting a Chanel back.

[Sequoia]

Right. Thank you. I appreciate that. So I'll send you the one that I like.

[Garrick Vernal]

Okay.

[Sequoia]

It's the medium size envelope flap.

[Garrick Vernal]

Amazing.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Garrick Vernal]

Medium size.

[Sequoia]

Yeah. How.

[Ryan]

What is that? How big is that? This?

[Garrick Vernal]

That's about. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Oh, wow.

[Sequoia]

Maybe. Yeah. Maybe a little bit smaller.

[Ryan]

That would cost you that solid 10 grand.

[Sequoia]

That's gonna be a 10 racks. Yeah. It's not that crazy. And that's it for our show today. Yeah. Thank you guys for joining me to talk about Pokemon. I feel like it was a very productive, very fun conversation. I hope you all feel seen and understood. And I hope that I did not on your favorite thing. No, you right.

[Garrick Vernal]

Everybody should love everybody.

[Ryan]

Fun.

[Garrick Vernal]

It is very.

[Ryan]

It is. I. I'm. I was a Digimon. Oh, Kirby. Yeah. Is this a Pokemon or not? I told you their name already.

[Sequoia]

Kirby. Yeah, no, that's. That's from Smash Bros.

[Ryan]

Okay. But Pokemon are also in Smash Bros. Yeah. So is it a Pokemon or. No.

[Sequoia]

No.

[Ryan]

Good. Yeah.

[Sequoia]

Because. Yeah. You wouldn't ask me, but it does look just like Jigglypuff.

[Ryan]

Honestly.

[Garrick Vernal]

Maybe a rip.

[Ryan]

I think that's what I'm saying. I believe Kirby.

[Sequoia]

That's why everything's confusing. That's why I don't be knowing. Because everything is everything.

[Ryan]

Oh, there's Charmander.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh, my God.

[Ryan]

We didn't even talk about how horny Brock gets. Brock is just a horny, horny man. He wanted to sleep with everybody. So all the nurses in the. Every city was named Nurse Joy. He and Officer Jenny and he.

[Garrick Vernal]

Everyone.

[Ryan]

He was.

[Garrick Vernal]

Everybody's a twin. What? Yeah. Yeah.

[Sequoia]

In a children's show.

[Ryan]

Anime. They all have it.

[Garrick Vernal]

Bring back the urn, baby. Bring back the year.

[Sequoia]

Wow. Real yearners. If you are a yearner, drop it below.

[Garrick Vernal]

Oh my God.

[Sequoia]

Tell us who you yearning for.

[Garrick Vernal]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Did any of you have a crush on Brock? I kind of did. I'm not going to lie.

[Sequoia]

He did.

[Garrick Vernal]

Look, he. He did like seem like he was like always doing the light skin eyes.

[Ryan]

He. Yeah, constantly.

[Sequoia]

Oh, your favorite.

[Ryan]

Ryan, you know, unfortunately.

[Sequoia]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Also he was a good cook. He was good with his hands.

[Garrick Vernal]

He like a builder.

[Ryan]

I don't know.

[Sequoia]

They could squeeze you. Yeah. That's it for today's episode. If you have any comments or suggestions, you can email us at Black People Love Hairmore Gmail dot. I've received your emails. I respond to them. Y' all are so nice, so fun. If you have any feedback, I always welcome that. I do appreciate that. And that's it. You can find us at BPL POD across all social media platforms. And we'll see you next time.

[Ryan]

Gotta catch

[Sequoia]

Pokemon. Bye,

[Ryan]

Sam.