Friday, September 19, 1992 - Afternoon
After enduring a brutal queue that started before sunrise, Satoshi Sawamura, a devoted animal lover and Zaboru's longti friend, finally got his hands on the ZGB handheld. He had been buzzing with anticipation since the TV ad aired, showcasing the release of four launch titles, especially the one that spoke directly to his soul: Pokemon.
To most, the idea of catching creatures in a video ga sounded fun. But for Satoshi, a college student studying zoology, this was more than fun—it felt like a natural extension of his passion. He saw Pokemon not as just fictional beings, but as magical versions of the animals he adored in real life.
Without hesitation, he had bought not one, but two ZGB units. When asked by the cashier why he needed two, he simply said, "One for Pokemon Red, one for Green. How else can I compare them properly?" He also wanted to support his friend Zaboru, whose vision and creativity had built the company behind the magic. Plus, coming from a well-off family, finances were the least of his concerns.
After arriving ho, Satoshi bolted to his room and locked the door. He dumped the two carefully packed ZGB boxes on his desk. He began unboxing the first one with giddy excitent. Inside, he found a sleek ZGB with a glossy blue casing, a user manual, a thank-you note from ZAGE, and two Z-Batteries wrapped snugly in foam.
"Neat. Really neat!" he murmured as he examined the device. He admired the build quality, the button layout, and how comfortable it felt in his hands. He opened the manual and read through it ticulously, eager to understand every feature of this futuristic handheld.
He popped open the battery compartnt, slid in the Z-Batteries, and heard a satisfying click as he closed it. The ZGB powered up with a cheerful chi and the ZAGE logo glowed on the tiny screen. "Amazing," Satoshi whispered.
Next, he turned his attention to the two Pokemon ga boxes. One was bright red, featuring a powerful, fire-breathing dragon-like creature with wings and fierce eyes. The other was vivid green, showcasing a bulky dinosaur-like creature with a blooming flower on its back. "Pokemon... huh. These aren't just animals. They're sothing else," he muttered, grinning.
Curious to see the difference between the two, he opened the Red Version first. Inside was the ga cartridge, a thick ga manual, a ZGB ga catalog, and a small surprise: a black pin with a gray "Z" insignia. He picked up the pin and turned it over in his hand.
"Huh? A Z pin? Not a card this ti?" he said aloud. "Well, that's cool."
Then he flipped through the manual book and was taken aback by its level of detail. It included a full character roster, comprehensive move lists, and even a chart on how various Pokemon evolved. His eyes widened in amazent. "Whoa! Pokemon evolve? That's so cool!" he exclaid, grinning from ear to ear. The concept of evolution, growth, and change deeply resonated with him as soone passionate about biology. It was more than a ga chanic—it mirrored nature in a way that thrilled him. This only made him more excited to dive in and explore the world inside the cartridge.
Quickly he Sliding the Pokemon Red cartridge into his first ZGB, he powered the system on. The screen lit up, showing the now-iconic Pokemon intro. The title screen glowed with "Pokemon Red" in bold letters, and the fire dragon—Charizard—roared across the screen.
The classic chiptune the began playing.
Satoshi was instantly hooked.
The ga started with a simple, pixelated room. A little character stood in front of a TV. Then the ga prompted him to na the character, and without hesitation, Satoshi typed in his own na.
"That must be ," he chuckled, already imrsed.
He moved his tiny avatar downstairs, guided by the classic, charming music in the background. His in-ga mom greeted him warmly, reminding him to go see Professor Oak. The mont felt oddly personal. Satoshi smiled to himself, appreciating the attention to detail in the environnt—the rug, the table, the tiny potted plant in the corner.
"This ga really wants to feel like it's my world," he thought.
He stepped outside into the pixelated town, his screen filling with greenery and small houses. The familiar chiptune lody Pallet town played as he made his way to the professor's lab, heart pounding with anticipation for what ca next. The adventure had only just begun. From here, the adventure truly began.
Soon, Satoshi was faced with his first big choice: selecting a starter Pokemon. There were three Pokeballs on the table. Inside them were Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Each looked cool in their own way, but Satoshi didn't hesitate.
"You. The little fire lizard. You're mine," he said, selecting Charmander.
He nad it Kazanmaru.
Then another character ca—the rival and Professor Oak's grandson—and there was a prompt to na him. "Huh, na a rival?" Satoshi thought for a second, then grinned mischievously. "Hehe, Zaboru. Now you are my rival!"
Within minutes, he was exploring tall grass, battling wild Pidgeys and Rattatas, collecting items, and leveling up his Charmander Kazenmaru. The chanics were simple, but layered with surprising depth. He had to choose moves wisely, switch Pokemon when needed, and decide which ones to catch and train.
Every ti a wild Pokemon appeared, Satoshi's heart raced. He couldn't help but shout, "GOTTA CATCH THEM ALL!" even when he missed.
An hour passed in what felt like minutes. He had caught a Caterpie, a Pikachu, and even a Nidoran. He was on his way to challenge the first gym.
But curiosity got the better of him.
He powered off the Red version, picked up the second ZGB, and inserted the Green cartridge.
This ti, the title screen featured Venusaur, the bulky plant-dinosaur hybrid. The intro sequence was slightly different. The ga opened the sa way, but when it ca to the starters, Satoshi picked Bulbasaur.
"Let's see how you compare, leaf boy."
The early ga felt familiar, but when he entered the tall grass, he began encountering different Pokemon than in Red. Oddish, Bellsprout, and owth appeared where there had been Pidgey and Ekans. This small change intrigued him more than he expected.
He played until he had five new Pokemon not seen in the Red version.
Satoshi leaned back in his chair, both ZGBs glowing softly in front of him.
"This is insane," he whispered. "It's not just a ga. It's a whole ecosystem. Each version is like a different bio. If I want to really catch them all... I actually need to trade between the two."
He flipped through the ga manual and found a section labeled "Link Cable Feature." It showed how players could connect two ZGBs and trade Pokemon between versions. Satoshi's eyes lit up.
"I need to find soone to trade with... or maybe I'll just trade with myself," he laughed.
His parents knocked on his door a few hours later, asking if he wanted dinner.
"I'm good! Just catching so more monsters!" he yelled back.
He returned to the ga, fully imrsed. The music, the battles, the collecting—everything about Pokemon resonated with him on a level no other ga ever had. It was like soone had taken his passion and turned it into a fully playable world.
Little did he know, this was just the beginning of a lifelong journey.
And in the heart of that journey was the ZGB. Satoshi definitely plays both Pokemon gas!
To be continued.
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