When I think of Sinterklaas, I think of Pokémon. Not because I still do anything with those charming Japanese creatures today, but because it takes me straight back to December 1998. The month I received Pokémon Red and my world instantly became a little more magical.

Back in late 1998, Pokémon was everywhere. We watched the show on television right before school. More and more kids started getting one of the two Game Boy versions, and Pokémon stickers and cards slowly began taking over our lives. I desperately wanted the game for my Game Boy. And since my parents bought it at the local game store, I knew I would be getting the red version on Sinterklaas evening.

The Long Wait and the Legendary Strategy Guide

But the wait felt endless. Luckily, my parents received a free strategy guide when they bought the game. And that ended up in my shoe the very first time we set it out. Setting out your shoe is a small tradition in the Netherlands in which kids receive a small present during the few weekends before Sinterklaas. Naturally, I devoured it in the week that followed. Wherever I went, the strategy guide came with me. And off course long before I actually owned Pokémon Red, I had already read the book multiple times.

Which was a bit strange of course. I had never played the game and had never played a Japanese RPG before, so I barely understood what I was reading. But I still knew every page by heart. The strategy guide even included a sticker sheet with all 150 Pokémon that you could place in your own Pokédex once you caught them. Genius.

How Pokémon Changed Everything

It is no secret that Pokémon changed my life. Not because I still play it today, but because it introduced me to a video game genre filled with English text and allowed me to enjoy it. My younger brother received the blue version in January 1999, and with a link cable we managed to complete each other’s Pokédex.

The everlasting influence of 1998

The fact that Pokémon played such a huge role in both my childhood and pop culture is unforgettable. I vividly remember spending nearly twenty four hours completing the game and finishing the Pokédex. And I loved every second of it. Years later I eagerly bought the silver sequel, but it never had the same impact. I was older, my interests were shifting, and I never finished the game. It proved that nothing could ever match that winter of 1998.

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