In 2016, I played Pokémon Moon for 71 hours. I spent that time catching every Pokémon in every area I could, to meet that ever-repeated and series-endorsed goal of "catching them all". I liked this somewhat, but ultimately the experience left me feeling apathetic, and somewhat hollow. I had caught hundreds of little guys, and yet - or perhaps, because of that - I felt cold towards them all.

They were mere vessels for the game's PC storage system, sacrifices at the altar of completionism, put into a permanent sleep - both canonically, and in my heart, as my attachment to the buddies I was meant to be taking care of faded away. At a time I do not recall, I stopped playing before "Po Town" on the game's third island.

Over the next six years, I would watch as the world kept turning. But those 71 hours would never leave me. When I saw cute fanart, funny Guzma memes, and remembered my friends I had left behind, I felt a sad longing to return. But I never did.

In 2021, I played Pokémon Y for 60 hours. I had decided, due to my extensive experience with the game (X and Y were my first Pokémon games, and I played them to completion in 2013) to engage in a "Nuzlocke". You are probably familiar with the rules: you can only catch one Pokémon per area, you must nickname every Pokémon you catch, and if your Pokémon faints it is dead.

I set to work making my Pokémon as strong as they could possibly be to overcome the cruelties they would later be subjected to. I would shower them with love and affection in the "Pokémon Amie" mode, in which you pet them, feed them, and play games with them. I would research the best way for them to grow up, and engage in "Super Training" to give them the best possible growth stats.

This was a process that took hours. I would reach the maximum "Affection" levels on them all, and the most growth I could manage. I grew to love my little buddies, and watched as they grew up into the strongest thems they could be. My heart grew towards them, and my own "Affection" stat would be maxed out on them all.

In 2022 - I got side tracked playing the entire modern Persona trilogy - I suffered my first death. My heart was torn apart. Then I tried to get further, and I suffered another. I shut the game off and turned it back on to return my poor little buddies to life, but it was already done. As per the rules, they had died. I had failed them as I had six years ago, but this time I knew the responsibility was in my hands. I gave up on the Nuzlocke.

For that reason, and the unfortunate fact that Pokémon Y is not actually very engaging as a game, I remembered Pokémon Moon. I thought "I wish I could return to playing Pokémon Moon". And then I realised:

There is literally nothing preventing me from just doing that.

In 2022, I played 79 hours of Pokémon Moon before becoming Champion and seeing the end of credits. (I will play more for the post-game story soon.)

I decided that I didn't want to do things as I had before: I wanted to forge the connections I had in my Nuzlocke. But I also didn't want to suffer loss. Nuzlockes are keenly aware of techniques to increase your affection towards your little buddies, applying both artificial scarcity on Pokémon and forcing you to nickname them so that you have a stronger bond. It decides to use this knowledge for evil. But what if it could be used for good?

I created the "Littlebuddylocke". Like a Nuzlocke, you can only catch the first Pokémon you encounter in an area, although exceptions are made for duplicate catches, and you must nickname all of your captures. However, I simply tore out the permadeath. There is no penalty for failure.

There was no "catch them all" here; only "catch some". And maybe all my obsessive completionist brain needed was some limits?

As I played, I enjoyed reuniting with the characters I hadn't seen in so long. I laughed a lot at the game's really just very funny writing. I felt captivated by the game's small-scope, personal story about both your journey and the journey your friends Lillie, Hau, and Gladion go on. I like those kids! This story is very good!

But I also grew attached to my own, personal, and unique little buddies.

Sam, my Litten (and eventually Incineroar) who was with me from the start.
Morgan, my Sylveon powerhouse who beat the hardest boss in the game besides the champion at 1HP.
George, a Gyarados of unspeakable strength with an already bonkers Attack stat inflated by Z-Splash.
Mina, a Trevanant who I had to run around to catch again after my game crashed, who I had to ask a Goblin Bunker buddy for help getting the trade-only evolution. (Thanks, DJ!)

As I had in Pokémon Y, I would max out my little buddies' Affection in the slightly redesigned "Pokémon Refresh". To do so, I would obsessively visit Alola's various Cafés to obtain "Poké Beans", the food you feed to your little guys that's a scarce resource until halfway through the second island. I petted them on the bottom screen using the pen, which is a great time and I don't understand how Pokémon ever did not have this function.

All my little buddies are the best, and better than all the best. I am their united parent, and they are all my magnificent children. I carried them as much as, and it must be said, they carried me. Because why have a world filled with all these cute little buddies that Pokémon does if not to hang out with them?

I could tell you about how Pokémon Moon has the best story in the series, although I wish the plot had let some beats play out a little longer. I could tell you how it engages in major yet minor adjustments to its formula to deliver a captivating and unique gameplay experience amongst other entries that (wisely) it's not replicated since. I could even tell you about how it's a beautiful game with an engaging cast of characters.

But I want to tell you about how much I loved going on a journey on my little buddies, and fighting grueling battles that I could keep trying and experimenting with strategies for until I had a victory. How I had four separate attempts on the (kinda-)Champion, until I eked out a win using meticulous awareness of the strength of my little buddies and the weaknesses of my opponents.

It is 2022, six years after I began my long, winding journey with Pokémon Moon and it's colourful Alola region. And I have finally become the first Pokémon League Champion of the Alola Region. Long may me, and my buddies who got me here, reign.

Alola!