On a sunny afternoon, children sat under the eaves, some holding candies, some spreading out drawings, and talking excitedly: Charizard, Pikachu, Mewtwo… These names are myths in their mouths and creatures on the colorful papers in their hands. In today’s turbulent and complex world, it is rare to be able to calm down and talk to a card.
“Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket Edition” is such a gentle return. It is no longer an impatient competition, nor a noisy competition, but a digital extension of picture books, a new small world that allows people to collect their childhood with peace of mind. Unlike previous paper cards, this mobile game uses soft lighting and clear images to make the cards seem to jump off the paper and rotate lightly on the screen, telling us quiet and magical stories.
“The Strongest Gene” is the first picture book in this pocket world. The three card packs include Pikachu, Charizard, and Mewtwo. The 286 cards are like the pages of a picture book. Each card has no ID tag, but has a clear number, which is as neat as a poem. The diamonds and stars of rarity are not just a sign of strength, but also like the seal left by the painter on the drawing paper, telling us: “This card has a different meaning.”
Charizard EX ignites a fiery flame, but it is not just a symbol of battle, but a kind of passion, a fire that jumps in the heart of a teenager. Pikachu EX releases 90 points of damage with two points of energy, as if the little yellow mouse running on the TV screen finally jumped into the palm of the child. And Mewtwo EX’s “Psydrive” is more like a gentle thunder, awakening our awe of mystery and wisdom.
However, the beauty of the game does not lie in the pursuit of strength, but in the joy of collection. In the “enhancement packs” that accumulate quietly every day, there is a kind of waiting and surprise: every twelve hours, a new card pack can be opened, just like the new grass sprouts in the yard when you open the window every morning. Two card packs are like two small wishes, which can be stacked, but you can’t be greedy or rush.
In the “Get Card Challenge”, trainers can see the cards obtained by others and try to draw them. It is a gentle connection between people. No need to say much, just one glance, the pattern on the card is enough to make people envious or smile knowingly. This may be a rare sense of neighborhood in modern society: you know what I like, and I know what you cherish.
“Pocket Edition” no longer emphasizes competition. It removes the complex venue settings and no longer requires skilled operation of cards, but it retains the fun of “seeing pictures and identifying treasures” in card pictures and collection. Just like the comic books we collected one by one when we were young, turning a page is a world. It is a picture book above technology and a reproduction of childhood.
A novice trainer may not know how to match Charizard and Pikachu, nor can he calculate the composition of the deck, but the light in his eyes when he opens the card pack is the expectation for the future and the hope for a better future. This is the same as when we were flipping through old picture books in the window on rainy days when we were children.
Recharging Treabar is like buying a favorite picture book in a street shop. It is not just a way to get cards, but also a kind of participation and a ritual. It allows children in this digital age to feel the process of collecting and the sweetness of achievement.
Although the card is small, the sentiment is long. A card is a Pokémon story, a journey of growth, and a spiritual connection. May we all pick up the heart that has not been forgotten in childhood in this gentle card world.