a drawing of Pokemon, including Pikachu, Pichu, Turtwig, Chimchar, Meowth, Piplup, Mime Jr, and Gengar.

Pokemon: An Online Exhibit

By Ally Bichsel

Pokemon Memes

Text from the image: me: hmm what happens if I forcibly bend this thing. thing: *breaks* me: (image of pikachu with a wide open mouth and a surprised face)

Surprised Pikachu is a meme template that came from a screenshot from the Pokemon TV show. Many people use it as a reaction picture in a situation where something expected happens, but they're still surprised.

Distressed Rowlet is a meme template that also originated from a screenshot from the TV show. People use this meme template to accentuate situations that are stressful, or situations where they stress themselves out more than they should.

Text from the image: when you walk out of a store without buying anything and keep repeating to yourself 'keep calm and act natural, you're innocent' along with an image of an owl-like creature with its wings on its head, showing stress
Text from the image: the group of water bottles in my room when I bring in another one, with an image of five turtle-like creatures. Four are in identical clothes, one is in different clothes, but all turtles are excited to see each other, with wide open mouths and closed eyes

Another example of someone using a screenshot from the anime to make a common situation funny.

The Pokemon games and TV shows really count on a random kid who just started training pokemon instead of *checks notes* all the other experienced trainers, including gym leaders and pokemon league champions. Makes sense.

an image of a large train, a small toy train made to look like it's pulling the large train, and two railroad workers. The train is tagged 'the region about to be destroyed,' one worker is tagged as 'the pokemon champion' and the other worker is tagged as 'gym leaders,' and the small train is tagged as 'a kid who got their pokemon 2 days ago'
text from the image: Legendary Pokemon waiting for some kid to wander into their cave and catch them, along with an image of a pink cartoon character from Animal Crossing in a cave-like room

Legendary Pokemon are usually only found in really secluded areas, like caves. I've always wondered what they do while they wait for someone to find them...

Some Pokemon (usually grass type) have moves where they can drain another Pokemon's power and use it to heal themselves, like giga drain.

an image of someone's hand that has 'no one heals themselves by wounding another' written on it. an image underneath of a pokemon battle between roselia and spinda with the text 'roselia used giga drain!'
text from the image: using my level 100 starter to beat a trainer I avoided at the beginning, along with an image of a man playing ping pong with a paddle that's larger than his torso

When you don't have the time and patience to battle yet another trainer on your way to town, I don't have a problem with avoiding battles. But when I need more money, I usually have to go back and fight them with way stronger Pokemon than they have. Oops!

The photo option in Pokemon GO! made for some very... awkward situations.

an image of pidgey, a bird pokemon standing on someone's stove while they fry eggs in a pan. pidgey is looking at the pan. In the next image, pidgey is looking angrily at the person cooking the eggs
text from the image: you've heard of elf on the shelf. now get ready for... accompanied by a picture of eevee, a brown, dog-like pokemon standing on a television, implying 'eevee on the TV'

Elf on the shelf was soooo last year... Now it's time for Eevee on the TV.

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