While walking through the library or the lunchroom at HHS, you may find some people playing, trading, or sifting through binders full of Pokémon cards. This recent “trend” has grown throughout the school, having over a dozen students bringing their untouched cards out into the playing field again.
I recently found myself as one of these few playing the game almost daily. It seems to have spread from one person to another, as people see me and some of my friends playing, so they’ve brought their own cards. It keeps growing as more and more people are playing, making the playing pool larger and larger.
“One person started bringing cards, then someone else brought cards, so then at some point you see everyone … playing with cards,” Sophomore Konnor Kauffman said.
I have collected the cards since roughly 2015, although I got back into the hobby in the early summer of 2025, a decade later.
“Last time I played it, I was 4, and then I just started playing it again,” Sophomore Justin Skaggs said.
I started actually playing the game again at the beginning of this school year, when I saw a friend with some cards, and ever since then, more and more people have played.
“My friend Adam and my friend Nick, I saw them playing, I think in AP US History,” Senior Jess Gowan said.
Many people play Pokémon for different reasons. Some people like the collecting side more, using the cards to look at or to trade, compared to those who solely want to play the game.
“[I like] the cute animals, and the art on the cards, and how many variations of cards there are,” Senior Charlie McDowall said. “They’re just cool cards.”
Some people have been playing Pokémon since they were four, and some have just started playing this year. No matter how long you’ve played, or even if you don’t know how to, a community has been built around helping each other learn and teaching the game.
“I like how, no matter if you are good or not, you can still find nice people who are willing to help you learn to play,” Kauffman said.
The game isn’t super complicated, as the basic rules can be learned within a few minutes, but the skill ceiling is super high, so it does not become boring or too basic quickly. Many have learned just this year.
“When I came to school and saw other people playing, so I started bringing all my cards to see if I could play,” Kaufman said.
Pokémon looks like it’s here to stay for a while, and I think that’s good. It’s a good partner game that builds upon strategy and planning while also allowing you to meet new people. Next time you have some free time and see a game going on, ask them how to play. I guarantee you will find a new game to play and possibly some new friends to play with.
“I’d say my favorite aspect is the community it can build, because you can just meet people and then you both have a sudden interest in Pokémon, and now you’re friends,” Gowan said.
