(Left to right) Zack Estrada, Quinn Ruschhaupt, William Howard, Alan Martinez, Daniel Ibarra and Kaysen Barker hunt for Pokémon during Community Day, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at Sewell Park.

What started out as a few students gathering to play Pokemon Go together on campus has evolved into a club for students to discuss, debate, socialize and bond over trading cards, video games and all things Pokemon.
Zack Estrada, a computer science freshman, was introduced to the Pokemon world at a young age by his older brother through the trading card game. His love grew as generations of Pokemon were released, and he continues to add to his collection of trading cards. Estrada said that he has watched the franchise evolve from a simple card game into the worldwide phenomenon that it is today.
“I joined because it’s a great opportunity to meet other people who play and love the game,” Estrada said. “It offers wonderful interactions with others and plenty of chances to increase your knowledge as well.”
While some members of Pokemon TXST are relatively new to the franchise, most players discovered the world of Pokemon at a young age. As the childhood game of many born in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Pokemon has built an empire off of its nostalgic characters and ever-growing universe.
One of the more interesting perks of a large Pokemon community at the university is the ability to discuss and competitively train Pokemon to battle, a childhood dream come true for many lifelong Pokemon fans.
Pokemon, short for the original Japanese title Pocket Monsters, began in 1996 and made its television debut a year later. Its sudden boost in popularity overseas in Japan evolved the company into a mixed media franchise boasting the third-best video game series of all time, an anime television series with over 1,000 episodes and the highest-selling trading card game of all time.
Pokemon Go made its debut in 2016 as the first mobile Pokemon game, and it is still popular today. Players can participate in a three-hour long event called Community Day, a random monthly worldwide recurring event dedicated to celebrating players in the Pokemon Go community.
Community Day players have only one goal in mind: catch ‘em all and win gym battles. Players are encouraged to go out and hunt for certain rare Pokemon, items and gameplay necessities that appear at a higher rate.
Urban areas often offer better gameplay than rural areas due to more points of interest such as statues, parks, art and memorials as well as consistent player traffic. “Pokestops” located near buildings like the LBJ Student Center or in areas like Sewell Park offer users an opportunity to collect gameplay necessities and battle. This makes Texas State an ideal location to play Pokemon Go and interact with fans alike.
Alan Martinez, a chemistry senior, recently started playing Pokemon Go in July. Although he is new to the Pokemon universe, he said playing Pokemon Legends: Arceus quickly turned his curiosity into a passion. He first discovered Pokemon TXST on Nov. 5 during one of the Community Days.
“I just randomly bumped into Quinn Ruschhaupt as I was playing, and she told me about the club,” Martinez said. “This is just a great way to meet new people, and to also spend time outside.”
Other club events and meetings feature trading card game days, movie nights, discussions and presentations about upcoming Community Day events. The organization is open to any student who is interested in Pokemon.
Joshua Hatley, a geography and environmental studies sophomore said that his love for Pokemon started when he would trade cards with friends in elementary school. As a member of Pokemon TXST, Hartley seeks to share his passion as an enthusiast with other Pokemon lovers.
“To see more people getting into the thing that I held so dearly [growing up] is amazing,” Hatley said. “Years later I’m still playing Pokemon Go and I find myself making friends and memories all the time, especially during big events like new updates and community days.”
The club plans to gather even more participants through upcoming events such as the highly anticipated Community Day event next month. December’s Community Day event has not yet been announced.
Pokemon TXST meetings are held every Thursday. New members are encouraged to drop by to meet, challenge and engage with other Poké Fans.
For more information on Pokemon TXST and its meetings, visit its Twitter @PokemonTXST.