We freely admit it (usually on a daily basis) that our lives only really began when we got our grubby Pokémon trainer paws on our first copy of Pokémon Red for the GameBoy! The load up screen, Nidorino versus Gengar still sends shivers down our spine today! It was a game that captured the imagination, hearts and shopping impulse of nearly every gamer and geek on the planet.
Pokémon Red and Blue have since gone on to sell over 175 million copies worldwide and spawned a generation of sequels and the cartoon series itself allowed for various spin-off games, merchandise and a whole way of life for hundreds of thousands of fans.
Whether you are a fan of the original 151 (Mew counts people!) or you are fanatic about all the new Pokémon in the Universe, maybe you are gym badge obsessed player or you are a pushy trainer and dolls their Pokémon up for the Contests – the franchise has spawned different types of trainers!
We caught up with Mairead Ralph, one of Ireland’s top (if not the very top) Pokémaniacs and founder of the only Irish Pokémon fan club for a chat about everyone’s favourite collectible creatures, Pokémon tournaments and life as a top trainer!
Can you start by telling us a little about yourself and the Pokémon Club?
I would say I’m just the average gaming girl, but I’ve discovered there is no such thing as an average gamer girl. I grew up in the beach town of Youghal in South Cork. Youghal is great if you like sunshine and beaches, but if you burn like me, it’s not so great! So video games became my thing and I discovered Pokémon in a magazine and got my first game for my birthday one year, I’ve been hooked ever since!
The Dublin Pokémon Club (Dub Poke Club for short) is my little way of uniting the Pokémon players for Ireland. On this page we can share news stories, swap Friend Codes, trade Pokémon, share battle tips and meet up for real.
Why was a club setup in the first place? Who set it up?
The Club was set up after the Pokémon Video Game Championships (big Pokémon video game tournament held by Nintendo) in 2009. I set up as a way of getting in contact with Irish Pokémon players. I was fed up trying to find Irish players hidden in larger sites such as Smogon, Serebii and Pokécharms so I set up the Club and it’s been going from strength to strength!
How many members are involved in the club?
Currently we have 92 Members. Some are my personal friends, some are people I’ve met in Forums and some are Pokémon fans who have found us on Facebook. We’re not as big as other groups on Facebook, but its quality that counts!
but I’ve discovered there is no such thing as an average gamer girl
We currently have a Gym Leader Challenge and a Best Pokémon Team running on the Discussion Board. I run a meet up every few weeks and try and meet the people behind the user name.
How can someone join the club? Where can you be contacted?
Join the Club is as simple as clicking Join on the top of the page. Everyone is welcome to join. I can be contacted by either leaving a message on the Club’s main page (as I read all the messages) or just sending me a Facebook message. I’m the only Admin of the Club so I’m not hard to find!
Pokémon has changed so much since it first began, do you still watch the series? What do you think about it?
I keep an eye on the latest happenings in the series in Japan. I think is only okay, at times it feels a bit dragged out, but some of the big battle episodes make it worthwhile. I don’t have the TV channels for it in my home anymore, which is a blessing as from what I have seen the new voice acting in English is dreadful and puts me off it. I do collect the movies on DVD when they get dubbed into English. I have every movie that’s out in English sitting in my DVD collection.
Are you a fan of the original 150 or do you think the new additions to the Pokémon Universe are a good thing?
I grew up on the original 150 so I still love them. The new additions just add to the charm, although some newer Pokémon make you thinking Game Freak (developers) are running out of ideas. We’ve had the Pokémon god in the last generation, where exactly do you go from there?
The handheld versions of the Pokémon games first kicked off with Red and Blue – what colour were you?
I was Blue all the way.
What is the most popular Pokémon played at the club? Who is your own favourite Pokémon? What is your favourite Pokémon move?
The move popular game played at the Club seems to be the latest pairing Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver versions.
My favourite Pokémon is Sandshrew, but I do like others as well. It would be safe to say I like all Pokémon. My favourite move depends on my mood, at the moment it’s Imprison, a move that locks the opponent out of any move(s) the caster knows. It’s a very advanced move that works fantastically when it works.
Can you tell us a little about your experience with Tournaments?
I began running Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Tournaments when I lived in Cork city. This gave me my real taste of meeting other Pokémon fans. I really enjoyed my time spend there.
The first VGC I went to was in London in 2009, immediately I was hooked despite losing in the third round. I went to the Paris qualifier in the same yea, coming in the same position, but it just made me more determined to go again.
This year I gathered some Irish fans and we stormed the Birmingham VGC, I placed the highest coming in Top 32 out of 256. I also went to Madrid VGC three weeks later and placed in the Top 16 this time. I hoping I can win it next year, I’m not going to let anything get in my way.
What is the future for the club? What sort of plans do you have?
I’m hoping to someday meet all the followers of the Club, either at a meet up or at Pokémon Event. Travelling together in a big group makes a big impact at these events.
I also have some tournaments planned for the future. The first with Nom-Con this year. We are running a single player Double Pokémon Battle similar in the play style of the VGC. Full rules and an FAQ can be found at Nom Con’s website – details for Registration can also be found there.
Any of the more technical game play questions can be asked here on Facebook and I’ll sort them all out.
Finally if you were trapped in an Arcade for eternity what one game would you play to pass the time?
I’d end up going between Mario Kart Arcade, Red Shell FTW!!
Competition Time!
Just tell us which Pokemon is outlined below and you could win yourself a Goodie Bag jam packed with amazing prizes! We’ll also enter all correct entries into our draw for a Sega Mega Drive! Send your answer using the form below.
Who’s that Pokemon?
