I don’t think I’ve admitted that I am a rabid Pokemon fan. Oh aye, I played Red, Blue, Yellow,
Gold, Silver, Crystal, and Sapphire. I’ve been out of the loop for a while, but I recently
purchased Pokemon Colosseum and I’m right back in. I used to play the trading card game
tournaments, but that was before Gold and Silver came out (and the consequent cards). I’m
tempted to go out and buy new cards and build a deck that could beat those haymaker decks,
which always kicked my ass (Scyther, Hitmonchan, Chansey, and so on ...) I even played the
Pokemon Trading Card game on Gameboy! I remember about having a heart attack when I saw
they were making new Pokemon. If I develop carpal tunnel, it will because of Pokemon.
The cartoon show ALWAYS annoyed the crap out of me. I HATE Ash Ketchum, because he
always believes his Pokemon’s heart will overcome the obvious battle disadvantages he puts them
in. “A Bulbasaur ... go, Squirtle!” And I’m yelling, “No, you jerk, plant is weak to fire! You
don’t throw out a water!” It also always pointed out the excruciatingly obvious. “That Pokemon
is red.” Or “Is that a Pokemon?” Are there normal animals on their world or what? You never
see them. I guess that’s what I get for being a sixteen-year-old watching a show aimed at seven
year-olds. But it doesn’t stop me from watching My Little Pony, so why should it stop me from
watching Pokemon?
To get to the point, this is my team from Gold and Silver, the one I beat the game with. (At least
in Silver, cause of Lugia.) This is my favorite of all my teams, because of the relationship I felt I
had with my Pokemon. This was the only team I had that my starter Pokemon was also a final
member (Cyndaquil to Typhlosion). I had to tame an Eevee to get an Umbreon, and yes, I caught
the Legendary trio the old fashioned way: chasing them all over Hoenn and putting them to sleep.

Bakufuun - A male Typhlosion. I learned his Japanese name before I learned his American one,
and liked it much better. So that was his nickname.
Brink - A female Umbreon. So named because she was on the brink of not learning Faint Attack
at level 36, which is the most powerful Dark-type attack an Umbreon learns. She evolved at level
36 and learned the attack, just in time.
Suicune - I never know how to pronounce this name. But one of my all-time favorite Pokemon,
second only to Mewtwo.
Entei - Entei is actually the weakest member of the team, in my opinion. He’s always getting
knocked out, even though I taught him Steel Tail.
Raikou - This guy’s been overlooked in the movies, despite being an electric badass. People have
called the Legendary Trio cats and dogs. How do you manage that?
Lugia - Ah, Psychic Flying. I think I’d be disturbed if my Pokemon spoke to me. It’d just feel
wrong to stuff ‘em in a Pokeball. Entei talked in the movie, but Suicune didn’t. ???

My trainer name was Tara, despite the fact that you can’t play a female trainer until Ruby or
Sapphire. All of my trainers had female names. Anyway, I dug up an old drawing I’d done of my
Gold trainer and redid her.