Friday, September 19, 1992 - Afternoon
After enduring a brutal queue that started before sunrise, Satoshi Sawamura, a devoted animal lover and Zaboru's longtime friend, finally got his hands on the ZGB handheld. He had been buzzing with anticipation since the TV ad aired, showcasing the release of four launch titles, especially the one that spoke directly to his soul: Pokemon.
To most, the idea of catching creatures in a video game sounded fun. But for Satoshi, a college student studying zoology, this was more than fun—it felt like a natural extension of his passion. He saw Pokemon not as just fictional beings, but as magical versions of the animals he adored in real life.
Without hesitation, he had bought not one, but two ZGB units. When asked by the cashier why he needed two, he simply said, "One for Pokemon Red, one for Green. How else can I compare them properly?" He also wanted to support his friend Zaboru, whose vision and creativity had built the company behind the magic. Plus, coming from a well-off family, finances were the least of his concerns.
After arriving home, Satoshi bolted to his room and locked the door. He dumped the two carefully packed ZGB boxes on his desk. He began unboxing the first one with giddy excitement. Inside, he found a sleek ZGB with a glossy blue casing, a user manual, a thank-you note from ZAGE, and two Z-Batteries wrapped snugly in foam.
"Neat. Really neat!" he murmured as he examined the device. He admired the build quality, the button layout, and how comfortable it felt in his hands. He opened the manual and read through it meticulously, eager to understand every feature of this futuristic handheld.
He popped open the battery compartment, slid in the Z-Batteries, and heard a satisfying click as he closed it. The ZGB powered up with a cheerful chime and the ZAGE logo glowed on the tiny screen. "Amazing," Satoshi whispered.
Next, he turned his attention to the two Pokemon game boxes. One was bright red, featuring a powerful, fire-breathing dragon-like creature with wings and fierce eyes. The other was vivid green, showcasing a bulky dinosaur-like creature with a blooming flower on its back. "Pokemon... huh. These aren't just animals. They're something else," he muttered, grinning.
Curious to see the difference between the two, he opened the Red Version first. Inside was the game cartridge, a thick game manual, a ZGB game catalog, and a small surprise: a black pin with a gray "Z" insignia. He picked up the pin and turned it over in his hand.
"Huh? A Z pin? Not a card this time?" he said aloud. "Well, that's cool."
Then he flipped through the manual book and was taken aback by its level of detail. It included a full character roster, comprehensive move lists, and even a chart on how various Pokemon evolved. His eyes widened in amazement. "Whoa! Pokemon evolve? That's so cool!" he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. The concept of evolution, growth, and change deeply resonated with him as someone passionate about biology. It was more than a game mechanic—it mirrored nature in a way that thrilled him. This only made him more excited to dive in and explore the world inside the cartridge.
Quickly he Sliding the Pokemon Red cartridge into his first ZGB, he powered the system on. The screen lit up, showing the now-iconic Pokemon intro. The title screen glowed with "Pokemon Red" in bold letters, and the fire dragon—Charizard—roared across the screen.
The classic chiptune theme began playing.
Satoshi was instantly hooked.
The game started with a simple, pixelated room. A little character stood in front of a TV. Then the game prompted him to name the character, and without hesitation, Satoshi typed in his own name.
"That must be me," he chuckled, already immersed.
He moved his tiny avatar downstairs, guided by the classic, charming music in the background. His in-game mom greeted him warmly, reminding him to go see Professor Oak. The moment felt oddly personal. Satoshi smiled to himself, appreciating the attention to detail in the environment—the rug, the table, the tiny potted plant in the corner.
"This game really wants me to feel like it's my world," he thought.
He stepped outside into the pixelated town, his screen filling with greenery and small houses. The familiar chiptune melody Pallet town played as he made his way to the professor's lab, heart pounding with anticipation for what came next. The adventure had only just begun. From here, the adventure truly began.
Soon, Satoshi was faced with his first big choice: selecting a starter Pokemon. There were three Pokeballs on the table. Inside them were Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Each looked cool in their own way, but Satoshi didn't hesitate.
"You. The little fire lizard. You're mine," he said, selecting Charmander.
He named it Kazanmaru.
Then another character came—the rival and Professor Oak's grandson—and there was a prompt to name him. "Huh, name a rival?" Satoshi thought for a second, then grinned mischievously. "Hehe, Zaboru. Now you are my rival!"
Within minutes, he was exploring tall grass, battling wild Pidgeys and Rattatas, collecting items, and leveling up his Charmander Kazenmaru. The mechanics were simple, but layered with surprising depth. He had to choose moves wisely, switch Pokemon when needed, and decide which ones to catch and train.
Every time a wild Pokemon appeared, Satoshi's heart raced. He couldn't help but shout, "GOTTA CATCH THEM ALL!" even when he missed.
An hour passed in what felt like minutes. He had caught a Caterpie, a Pikachu, and even a Nidoran. He was on his way to challenge the first gym.
But curiosity got the better of him.
He powered off the Red version, picked up the second ZGB, and inserted the Green cartridge.
This time, the title screen featured Venusaur, the bulky plant-dinosaur hybrid. The intro sequence was slightly different. The game opened the same way, but when it came to the starters, Satoshi picked Bulbasaur.
"Let's see how you compare, leaf boy."
The early game felt familiar, but when he entered the tall grass, he began encountering different Pokemon than in Red. Oddish, Bellsprout, and Meowth appeared where there had been Pidgey and Ekans. This small change intrigued him more than he expected.
He played until he had five new Pokemon not seen in the Red version.
Satoshi leaned back in his chair, both ZGBs glowing softly in front of him.
"This is insane," he whispered. "It's not just a game. It's a whole ecosystem. Each version is like a different biome. If I want to really catch them all... I actually need to trade between the two."
He flipped through the game manual and found a section labeled "Link Cable Feature." It showed how players could connect two ZGBs and trade Pokemon between versions. Satoshi's eyes lit up.
"I need to find someone to trade with... or maybe I'll just trade with myself," he laughed.
His parents knocked on his door a few hours later, asking if he wanted dinner.
"I'm good! Just catching some more monsters!" he yelled back.
He returned to the game, fully immersed. The music, the battles, the collecting—everything about Pokemon resonated with him on a level no other game ever had. It was like someone had taken his passion and turned it into a fully playable world.
Little did he know, this was just the beginning of a lifelong journey.
And in the heart of that journey was the ZGB. Satoshi definitely plays both Pokemon games!
To be continued.
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 10 advance chapter for 3 bucks considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc