As a 90s baby, I find myself reminiscing about “the good old days” where Wonder Balls, Pokémon, Push Pops, and Hey Arnold! reigned supreme. When we played outside, ate lots of Fun Dip, and called our friends on our landlines to make plans for the next day. 90s kids are very protective and defensive of the objects and activities that made up our childhood, and rightfully so. These things are what trained us and molded us into the adults that we are.

While it’s perfectly acceptable to be defensive and protective of the memories you have of your childhood, 90s kids, it’s not okay to be possessive of it. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you, believe me. But we can’t claim ownership on Recess and jelly bracelets if they bring other people joy. We can’t keep them to ourselves and make faces when younger generations try to participate in the activities we ourselves thrived on as children. We need to share, without judgment.

I say this because I’ve been watching a lot of Pokémon on Netflix lately, and with the Pokémon outbreak that happened last year upon the release of Pokémon Go, I find that many older fans of Pokémon throw shade at younger generations of Pokémon enthusiasts because they “don’t know enough about Pokémon to be a fan,” or “don’t even know who the original starter Pokémon were,” or “haven’t even played Pokémon on Gameboy cartridges.”

Remember how your mother always told you that your younger siblings just wanted to be like you because they thought you were the coolest thing since Ring Pops? Well, imitation is still the sincerest form of flattery.

These younger kids just want to be like us. They want to become Pokémon masters just like we always did and still do. They too want to battle and complete their Pokédexes. They want to learn as much as they can about Pokémon, watch the cartoons, and earn badges. In short, they’re just like we were 10, 15, 20 years ago. (Maybe more for you really long term fans.)

We know that Pokémon is fun, exciting, and gave/gives our childlike minds a purpose for waking up, walking around to different Pokéstops, pulling out our Nintendo DS or Gameboy and training really hard to be the very best. If we love it so much, why not share it with others?

There’s something to be said for tradition. Keep passing Pokémon down generation after generation. Teach those who have come after you about the old ways and engage with them in the new ways. Instead of creating a divide between old fans and new fans, let’s instead build a bridge. Imagine a Pokémon convention where the ages of those in attendance span from 5 years old to 82. Imagine all of those trainers dressed and ready for battle, Pokéballs at their side. Boys, girls, and non-gender conformers in one place, for one purpose – the love of Pokémon.

Let us train together, let us journey together, and may the best trainer win.