Hidden Details: Stupid Shit I Used To Do In Pokémon #2

Another Friday, another Hidden Details blog! I find myself putting more hidden details in my comics because I know I have to write a blog post about them. Not sure yet if that's a good thing. On one hand, these hidden details should come naturally and I shouldn't have to force myself to include them, but on the other hand, the pressure of this blog ensures that I'll keep including those hidden details consistently. So far I still enjoy making them, so there's no problem yet in my opinion!

Let's dive in.

First off, the theories on how to catch Mew in this comic are almost all based on well known theories/myths or theories I actually heard when I was a kid. I really did press A 50 times after catching Mewtwo. But I'll admit I made up some of the theories or I exaggerated them a bit.

This comic almost completely takes place in or around a school, so I randomly drew a sign that said "cafeteria". Later, I remembered young Dutch me pronouncing Digglet's Cave as "Digglet's Café", so I scribbled "Diglett's" on the sign as a reference to younger me.

Those aren't random names scribbled on the school wall. They're inspired by "real" Pokémon Trainers! Both Joseph and Emily appear in Pokémon Sun and Moon in the Trainers' School! Joseph is a student:

And Emily is a teacher:

And apparently, Joseph has got the hots for his teacher. Or it's just a bully messing with him and writing lies on the walls.

Also, "Mr. Oak" makes an appearance on the wall! Why, you ask? Well, because there's a "Pokémon School" in the Pokémon anime. And guess who's the Pokémon School's principal? That's right. Samson Oak, professor Oak's tanned and sexy cousin.

By the way, it doesn't make ANY sense that these Pokémon-characters from 2016 are being referenced on the wall of the school that's supposed to depict my childhood school from 2000, so let's just move on and not try to explain this stuff.

That Game Boy young me is holding in the first frame, by the way? That's really what my very first Game Boy looked like. I got a silver Game Boy Pocket for my 8th birthday, along with Pokémon Red. I still consider that morning one of my fondest childhood memories. I know that sounds quite materialistic, but things were just sooo happy and simple back then. Sitting on the couch in my PJ's, picking Charmander on my shiny new Game Boy... Sigh. Happy times.

These two guys are also based on real people! They were two of my classmates back then, Sebastiaan and Philip. A bit older than me. Always filling my head with all kinds of stupid Pokémon theories. I thought they were extremely cool. Still do, actually. Shame there's virtually no chance they're currently reading this. Heck, I don't even remember their last names, so I couldn't even try to find a picture of them.

Oh, yes, and of course, the Stussy S has to make an appearance when I'm drawing a school. It's becoming a recurring thing, actually. I've drawn that stupid S on regular occasions. Here are a few examples I can think of.

Among the graffiti on the wall in the second panel is me trashing (pun intended) on generation 5. But I always trash safely: this scribble could also be interpreted as "generation 5 = Trubbish", which is true, and a innocent statement to make.

Another reference to the Pokémon anime is being made in the second panel. The iconic "Gary was here! Ash is a loser!" can be seen above young me's head. Gary scribbles those famous words in one of the first episodes on a sign pointing the way to Cerulean City, enraging Ash:

The Game Boy appearing in third panel (the kid in this panel isn't based on anyone in particular, by the way), is ALSO based on a Game Boy I owned. A few years after getting my silver Game Boy Pocket I upgraded to a bright yellow Game Boy Color, simply because the local store didn't have any other colors. Times have changed!

Another one of those "not very well hidden" details, but the guy with the obviously fake theories has a dollar bill sticking out of his back pocket. Which is probably part of a bet he made with his friends, who are watching from behind the fence while he bamboozles poor young me. That's right, I take care of my lore in my comics.

The final frame, obviously, references a whole bunch of things appearing in the outlandish theories earlier in the comic. You can see that I (the trainer) indeed caught Mewtwo and named him "CATCHMEW". The trainer also has is name, MRPOOPY♀, written on his cap. Pikachu is holding a Water Stone (although he hasn't evolved to Pikablu, since Pikablu doesn't exist), and the trainer is indeed accompanied by a whole bunch of Lickitung. The Bill's secret garden theory in the third panel is apparently real, because he also managed to bring Yoshi and Luigi with him. The bubbles, the clown nose and the tulip in his hair are completely random and are meant to show just how gullible I was.

And that's about it! Hope you enjoyed these little revelations. See you all next week :)

Cheers!

- Abel