Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (00:00):
My
name is Harry The Handicapped
(00:01):
Hitmonchan and this is myPokemon story!
David Hernandez (00:44):
Welcome to As
The Pokeball turns, where every
voice, every journey, and everymemory brings us closer to the
world of Pokemon.
I'm David Hernandez and I'mjoined by a passionate creator,
an advocate in The Pokeballcommunity from sharing Pokemon
Continent to imagining a worldwhere accessibility thrives,
they bring their own uniquespark to The Pokeball universe.
Harry, the handicappedHitmonchan.
(01:05):
I'm honored to have you on AsThe Pokeball terms.
Welcome.
Harry The Handicapped Hit (01:08):
Happy
to be
David Hernandez (01:08):
I think you you
know, we talked a little bit
about it, for those who don'tknow you have a disability and
we're going to obviously diveinto that.
But you had a very kind ofunique question I kind of wanted
to bring on, because you havesuch a unique perspective, you
know, living in a wheelchair.
'cause a lot of us don't knowwhat that's like.
But you had something on yourpace to pitch that.
I want to ask, if you couldbring your own custom wheelchair
using any Pokemon abilities ormaterials, what would it look
(01:32):
like and which Pokemon wouldhelp you design it?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (01:34):
So
So that, that's an interesting
question.
if I If I had to choose, think II think I would choose ference,
The the, and hooking on from,uh, Violet.
violence.
Mm-hmm.
And the And the reason being I Ithink it would be totally cool
because I could totally get aference power power the chair.
Yeah.
Like they do the team style,motors and, and, and stuff like
(01:56):
that.
So I think, Rev think Red Roomand I think I'd go I go with
like futuristic but not butfuturistic.
Kind of like that, that, that,oh, what's a good example of
like kind like track.
Mm-hmm.
Track, yeah.
think Tron Wheelchair.
That, that's how I roll withthat.
David Hernandez (02:14):
so you imagine
it kind of like the team star,
the big kind of vehicle we'retalking about.
Uh, with river Room, right?
Is that what you're talkingabout kind of thing?
Or are you talking about Yeah,but the chair wouldn't be that
Harry The Handicapped Hitmo (02:25):
But
I but I was just thinking you
could you could kind of go withthat aesthetic.
because trust trust me, chairsthat big are not practical.
Right.
realistic.
David Hernandez (02:33):
There's some
limitations.
Usually the doors or the, Ithink the ways to get inside
usually kind of a big barrierfor y'all.
Oh
Harry The Handicapped Hitmo (02:39):
Oh,
yeah.
David Hernandez (02:40):
yeah.
Harry The Handicapped Hitm (02:41):
More
than you'd think.
David Hernandez (02:42):
So I thought
maybe it could be a Rotom form,
but it'd have to be an electricchair to where rot to can
possess an electric chair and itkind of runs and you get the
kind of, you know what I'mtalking about?
Like, you get the eyes of like,it's like the wheels instead and
then it gets like each time itmoves, it's like electric sparks
and stuff like that.
Chair.
Harry The Handicapped Hi (02:57):
chair.
Yeah.
David Hernandez (02:58):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's what I thought of when Isaw that question.
It was kind of cute.
It was kind of cool to thinkabout.
Yeah.
Harry The Handicapped Hit (03:03):
Yeah.
So honestly, the main reason Ididn't do I didn't do that is
because me personally, I feellike, a bit is older now.
Mm-hmm.
they They used it in Galar.
They used it in, Sun and andThey they used it in the novelty
for for me, of kind.
off.
lemme put it this way, Sure.
(03:23):
If somebody came to me and theywere like, we're gonna give you
a I'm chair.
I'm saying, heck yes.
But I'm saying from a, And thensaying I say in like a aesthetic
perspective, and and like, acontent perspective, so much I'd
love rather do something likerubber because I, I, so I love
multiple cars.
Mm-hmm.
I'm, I'm a I, I'm fan of big fanof old American muscle.
(03:45):
and, And, uh, I think it wouldbe totally awesome have have
like a chair, like like a carbody, but but not like a car,
like but just like a car facade,like the is parts about the car.
and then like you like you hadthe, the, then you could I mean
you could do like the, theflames.
It would, it would be prettycool.
I think.
David Hernandez (04:04):
And I kind of
wanted to ask, what is it about
Hitmonchan?
Is that kind of your favoritePokemon, or what's the reason
why you decided to choose Harry?
The Hitmonchan, what's the storybehind your Facebook page?
Harry The Handicapped Hit (04:11):
Yeah,
so hit the Hitmonchan, kind of
an kind of an interesting thingbecause I had people, funnily
funnily enough, my page, I had aguy troll me.
He's like, who likes Hitmonchan?
Nobody does.
And it was funny'cause the mainreason that I do is I love
boxing.
Okay?
Boxing is something something Ireally enjoy.
Um, because, oh, I want to beatpeople up.
(04:33):
That's, that's not it.
What it is, is I enjoy thediscipline, I enjoy the
technique.
because the thing the thing isboxing is a little bit like
martial arts in that respect.
respect.
Mm-hmm.
about It's about discipline.
what It what teaches you abouthow to how to control yourself.
also how to.
Basically go off when you needto.
(04:55):
and I, I and I, I think that's apowerful thing.
Um, just I just love the beautyof it.
the I love the skill.
Um, in and, and he, my favoriteboxer is actually it's not not
Tyson It's not any of thosepeople that people immediately
think when they're thinking ofBox.
I'm a I'm a big fan, technicalboxers like Ali.
(05:16):
and and the reason I say that isbecause, yeah, yeah, Ali
Muhammad Ali really strong, butwhat made him do it his was his
technique.
Um, could he could do thingslike the, that that no one else
could really.
and and I, I just find thatutterly.
to bring it Bring it backaround.
The reason I chose Hitmonchan isbecause I love boxing.
(05:37):
Mm.
And unfortunately because of mydisability, I can't box because
quite quite literally I haverods in my my back.
and they they basically told mewhen I, so this was when I was
18.
I got the surgery in 20 Theybasically told before me.
If you don't get this surgery,they're like, they organ
because.
(05:57):
spine was so curved that it wasliterally starting to compress
my internal organs.
so so yeah, that, that's that'swhy I was like, just just,
There's just there's justsomething about it.
Like, I think harder.
but it, it's, it's just It'sjust one those things where it's
it's something that if you putthe work in, you get something.
(06:17):
It's not It's not somethingthat's dependent on natural
ability, it's not dependent on,whatever.
whatever.
And the one of the things that Ipride myself on is, though even
though I can't grasp myself, I Ipride myself on technique.
So even though I though I can'tbox, I learned the I learned the
technique and I and I memorizedit.
David Hernandez (06:38):
Now I want to
just switch over to Pokemon real
quick.
We'll come back to theeverything else you're talking
about, but What was your firstexperience with the franchise?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (06:45):
My
first My first experience with
the franchise was actuallyplaying red on my cousin's game
boy.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
He had one of those, uh, 1998.
They're called the They'recalled the Play It Loud Boy.
They were They were the, coloredones.
So one red, you had, had, blue,had you had green.
I dunno if you've ever seenthose.
They're called Play it loud.
(07:06):
And as it turns out a couple ofyears later, when I was actually
3 or 4, they, they, uh, gave methat really?
so they So they actually gave methe play and I this day, and
it's in it's in originalcondition.
It messed that's with the screenis still good.
The only The only thing that,um, was added to the was the
(07:27):
original, screen screen money.
plastic plastic parts over thescreen itself fallen fallen off
years ago.
and so I And so I got an one andput it on, put it on, but that
doesn't really affect the valueor, or or quality at all, it
just protects the screen fromdamage..
David Hernandez (07:41):
What was it
like to kind of, I guess, get
that play at Loud Game Boy andstart playing Pokemon Red?
Like what was those firstexperiences for you?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (07:48):
So
it it was weird because, it was
basically just like I saw a coolmonster and, said, oh is cool.
And I was like, you know, Thefighting the Pokemon to level
up, you know?
mm-hmm.
And of course I was one of thosestereotypical kids.
who had Who had the startersthat was like level 75 of
everything.
(08:08):
Um, and, and and like who therest of my team was like and,
stuff like that because that waslike five, the the real starting
point, I'll think startingstarting point for me was
actually Pokemon on Silver, thatI got but I got a few years
later, And Pokemon Silver is thefirst Pokemon game that I beat.
Meaning I beat the Elite Four..
(08:28):
I beat all beat all of secondarygym game leaders in Tampa
because that's that's like not,not, I know some I know some
people are completion, but forbut for me Kanto gym leaders,
they're they're just optional.
like once you beat the EliteFour, I mean the rest of that
stuff is just icing.
There are some people that arepeople are.
Will you have never beatenbeaten the the game unless
(08:50):
unless you've all of beaten allof these?
I'm like, nah, nah, you werejust,
David Hernandez (08:55):
you were just
done after Joe though.
Dang.
You're like, I'm done.
I've already done Kanto withJen, Juan.
There's no reason for me to goback.
Harry The Handicapped Hi (09:02):
Pretty
much.
I, I, I did it again recently.
In fact, I, I actually phoneevery every single, every for
every single Pokemon game that'scurrently for the for the main
line.
own I own every single version.
I, so So I literally have red,red, blue, yellow, gold, silver,
crystal, ruby, sapphire,sapphire, emerald.
I'm not gonna go through all ofthem, but you get the idea.
(09:24):
Yeah.
Yeah.
basically own owned all of them.
I was I was fortunate because II managed to get red, red,
yellow, gold, gold, silvercrystal before they they got
expensive.
So I managed to Managed get allof those, including for like for
like 200 bucks.
Now Now are you're looking atall 200 bucks per So.
(09:49):
a good investment you had.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah, my Pokemon Collection Ithat think it's I somewhere in
the neighborhood of three tothree 4,000 that's and that's
just the game.
David Hernandez (09:58):
What do you
think it was about those early
Pokemon games, you know, PokemonRed and even you can go into
Pokemon Silver that kept youengaged with the franchise.
Like what is it about Pokemonspecifically compared to other
things that you found there?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmonc (10:08):
I
just love I just love the
adventure.
to be entirely honest with you.
It's, it's, it's the Adventure.
You can You can do what you.
can have your, you know, I mean,yes, it's within the content of
the game, you know, the contextof the game, but you can do what
you want.
You're not You're notrestricting to, have you don't
have to play for the like insome make games worse.
you If you don't play for whateveryone's playing, then you
(10:31):
that You don't you don't have,you know, if I wanna have a
team, puff, I can have a team ofa jiggly puff, you know, right,
I I team, manhan, I can have Ihave a, It doesn't doesn't
matter.
Mm-hmm.
I going to Gonna do that.
No, because you know, thingcalled strategy, you are you be.
Who you you.
(10:51):
I Mm-hmm.
not I'm not restricted by mydisability Pokemon.
In Pokemon.
I get my I get my starters,around around region.
I don't have to I don't have toworry about getting, I don't
have I don't have to worry aboutanywhere.
I anywhere.
I don't have to worry aboutdoing anything.
Mm-hmm.
the sheer enjoyment just findingPokemon Pokemon.
love training them And utterlyutterly destroying Miami.
(11:14):
Like the, that So, so that to meis, is is a win.
a win.
David Hernandez (11:20):
you know,
obviously you're in a wheelchair
Now, when you played Pokemon Redand Silver at the time, were you
still confined to the wheelchairor were you still like, what was
that disability like at thepoint period?
Harry The Handicapped Hit (11:29):
yeah.
Yeah, so question, question,lifelong my is goes.
I was born Okay.
Uh, what's I have what's calledCerebral Palsy.
Not to be not be, but it's anbut it's an umbrella term for
over 200 different conditions.
Right.
you, you, if you want specificthe form that I have is ID um,
which essentially means that mymuscles are tight and that, half
(11:52):
of my back was affected there.
Two of my were affected this inthis case, my leg.
David Hernandez (11:57):
So at that time
period you were already com
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (11:58):
in
a wheelchair and.
I on my first move of three,actually.
really?
Um, that, yeah, that's that'sactually the age where start
start making chairs.
Mm-hmm.
There are no chairs for anyonelonger than that.
so I've been I've been in 28now.
I've been chair for the for thelast 25.
David Hernandez (12:17):
Well, I was
gonna ask though was, you know,
as you grew up with Pokemon, wasit kind of different, you know,
being in a wheelchair comparedto like everybody else, maybe
around your school crowd oranything like that?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmo (12:26):
It,
yeah, I yeah, in in truth, I did
feel a little bit left outsometimes.
Mm-hmm.
that But that wasn't due toanyone else except me me.
Sure.
I'cause what I learned about AsI as I grew up was life is life
was perception.
Okay?
Okay.
So yeah, things happen to youthat you You can't control, but
you have you have control howover how you experienced.
(12:49):
I'll quote or Eleanor Roosevelt,can make one can make you feel
inferior without your consent.
And that that is absolutelytrue.
with disability.
You have You have to worth.
That's That's not something thatother people can give you.
if And if you're searching forother people's validation, I,
I've I, I've got a for you, fornot gonna not, That that is
(13:12):
something that you to to do foryourself.
yourself And and Pokemon on forme, was a one way where I could,
I.
Experience in some in some waymy what my as able-bodied
people, because the avatars werewere, None of the the.
have been disabled ever in thehistory of the franchise.
(13:36):
I And I understand why they dothat.
And I'm not saying they should.
saying not saying gonna I'm notgonna go company, go.
need to You need to make arealtor for a second.
why I know why they don't.
Mm-hmm.
But But it's it one of thingswhere it it allowed me to
realize in eight way, a way, avery limited way, but a
meaningful one.
it was like What it was like towalk around, it was what it was
(13:58):
like to climb a hill, it waswhat it was like know, fall fall
off a thing or legend getattacked by a bear.
you know?
David Hernandez (14:06):
I mean, you
could still get attacked by the
bear in her wheelchair.
Let's be honest, bro.
Harry The Handicapped Hitm (14:09):
But,
you know, see, I'm smart enough
not to go near the Years mywheelchair.
See?
ago.
David Hernandez (14:14):
Oh, fair
enough.
Fair enough.
Yeah.
Harry The Handicapped Hitm (14:16):
But,
uh, but yeah, that's me.
So
David Hernandez (14:20):
what was it
like to kind of connect with
your friends?
As you know, y'all were bothplaying Pokemon?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (14:24):
So
I so I basically just battled
with my friends a lot.
and this more more in the DIwireless wireless communication
became, Because when I was whenI was growing up, most of my
friends didn't have a cable.
and the and the few did, battlewith battle with them.
We just traded with so like, Heyyou need to evolve this Pokemon,
or Hey, I need I need thisPokemon.
(14:46):
And And it's funny because oneof The one of The Pokeball that
I have to this day, I got Ibrought in a trade a from a
queue.
So I So I had Emerald and he hadsomething, I can't I can't
remember what it was.
I think I had, and he and he hadmoved.
Sapphire.
And he he, me, me, the wholeteam and I and I.
(15:07):
my legendaries.
Because back then, you know, thelegendary just sat in my back
since I used them.
Um,
David Hernandez (15:16):
you would never
use a legendary Pokemon?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (15:18):
so
I So I did.
I will So I'll say GPA era, Imm-hmm.
Okay.
fact fact, I still have myRayquaza I've that I've had
eight I old.
David Hernandez (15:29):
So you never
restarted these game files?
You've just started once andthat was it.
Harry The Handicapped Hit (15:33):
Yeah,
I Yeah, I mean, I've a restarted
a few over the years.
years.
Um, most most of them I left untouch.
the The main reason?
Is because this is gonna soundsound.
So, but the but the main reason,because quite frankly, because
um, because of my disabilitygaining a lot, uh, uh, causes
actually, a great deal of pain.
(15:54):
so when it comes to a Pokemongame that I've sunk 60, 70 hours
in, I'm not as inclined to putthose 60, 70, 80, hours in.
Again, not because I dislike thegame, but because that 60, 70
hours is, is quite a bit ofexertion for me with my
(16:14):
disability and the way my bodyjust is Anymore.
And And so have to I have toworking, bursts.
when I when I was a kid, I usedto around 5, 6, 7 on my original
G-B-A-S-P, you You know, that's,I used to do, to I used to, I
used to I used, dungeon.
but I can't I can't do thatanymore, unfortunately.
(16:35):
I.
lot of a lot of the times whento I go start playing the game,
I'm lucky to get an hour, hourhour half before it starts
hurting to where it gets it getsharder to continue.
So I don't I don't play as muchabout you being that outta love,
but but of the sheer fact thatfact that I don't have, like I
used to.
David Hernandez (16:56):
well, just that
detail adds more, I'll say more
presedence of you giving up yourlegendary Pokemon because you're
not restarting these games.
Legendary Pokemon.
Usually people don't give him upas easily.
What made you want to trade yourlegendary Pokemon for your
friend's?
Pokemon.
Harry The Handicapped Hit (17:12):
Well,
Well, he had some really cool of
all, Okay.
And, uh, I think I think it wasdoom, Charizard, Um, I can't I
can't it's'em.
It's been so long, Like Likestill I still have most of them,
to be honest with you.
David Hernandez (17:29):
you feel like
the tray was kind of worth it,
it sounds like.
Harry The Handicapped Hit (17:31):
yeah,
it Yeah, it was, um, because and
you yeah, you asked, I this isthis when I was seven, see I
didn't see the value of keepingthe Regi's.
You Right.
see the value of, keeping theseand moving them from game to
game.
That wasn't really a thing.
Sure.
oh, the new Pokemon game cameout.
I'm gonna gonna play it.
And I trade with my friend, I'mgonna, you you know, X, do x yz.
(17:54):
you know, Yeah.
to be.
the good Good news though, andthis and this is actually very
good news, handheld games do notactually hurt me much as much as
playing on play a PS fivebecause I don't I, it is.
I, I guess I, it's becauserequire me to use my.
Central nervous system as muchfor like the, what I mean by
(18:15):
that is of my disability is finemotor motor skills Fine.
Motor by motor skills are thingslike writing, using using stuff
stuff like that.
Mm-hmm.
My, my motor skills are kind,They're not not great.
So so a handheld where it's moremore, actually gives actually
dexterity opposed to, say wherewhere.
(18:40):
apart.
And I also have to look up at ascreen.
It, it's hard to explain'causeunless you have have it, it kind
of That's just how it shakesout.
But fortunately for me, ThePokeball games are on handhelds,
and those handhelds allow me toplay for the hour, for the two
hour, Yeah.
(19:00):
can Can I just save my name andturn it out?
Mm-hmm.
to I don't have worry that I'mnot connected with my tv.
I don't have I don't have toworry that it's it's really
gonna lose power I'm a I'm acomplete idiot forget to charge
my, that's that's, that's why Ido that.
And that's, I love head.
it allows me to play those gamesthat I've played for years, and
(19:21):
it allows me to still enjoy afranchise that, quite frankly, I
enjoy I enjoy on more probablymore than any franchise I've
ever played in my life.
and, and that's partiallybecause I I say it on my, mm,
It's on it's on my terms.
not It's not on somebody else'sterms.
not It's not dependent onphysical capabilities lack lack.
(19:44):
It's dependent on my strategy,my ability, my desire.
Right?
Hey you.
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Don't go anywhere.
We'll be right back.
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(20:07):
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David Hernandez (20:25):
Now, I wanted
to know, since you played a lot
of Pokemon games, what do youhave a particular favorite
generation of games that youenjoyed playing the most?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (20:32):
so
my favorite is probably four.
but the reason I love gen fouris it was the first game that I
got at night launch, like theofficial, like midnight launch.
That was the first game I evergot, that way.
And I remember just looking atthe box art of Palkia because I
got Pearl and my brother gotDiamond.
(20:54):
remember I remember looking atthe back thinking, and thinking,
man, what the heck?
This is so so awesome.
And it it just was amazing, So,it was just magical.
David Hernandez (21:10):
I can
understand that.
'cause especially that was alsothe first time we had wireless
play and especially'cause ofMount, I think it's Cornets what
it's called, it made the regionfeel much more bigger than it
probably was.
'cause you know, you couldn't goanywhere without going through
Mount Cornet.
I don't think there was any partof Seno you could not pass.
Yeah.
And that alone kind of just madeit seem more, as much as I love
(21:32):
Gen three, gen three, the bigthing it struggled with was,
establishing, its kind of, I'llsay height in a way.
It was very flat.
Hillen was outside of MountChimney, but gen four, you had
Mountain Cort.
You felt like it was hilly.
Like it added that depth to thegame, I guess was what I'm
trying to say.
Yeah.
Harry The Handicapped Hit (21:47):
Yeah,
I know exactly what you mean.
It really was a huge depthchange, The way they handled it
you know it's kinda funny,people critque Gen four and they
say, you.
They say, oh man, so, Oh oh man,this stuff.
And I'm like, know, know, maybeI feel differently because I'm
disabled.
What I mean by that is I.
I learned very early on thatlife really is is great.
(22:12):
is beautiful.
You need to take the Take thetime to to life because those
moments that you have, you maynot you may not get, right?
yeah.
to seize to use the To use carpediem, deal, to you have to seize
right?
right?
to You have to seize everymoment because that makes that
(22:33):
makes it great.
So for me, that of Gen four kindof mirrored how I I had, because
of my my disability, so for me,never never felt like an I a to,
slower.
It never it never felt like animposition just to in take in
the atmosphere to just.
Marvel at all the things thatwere there, because the truth is
(22:57):
The Pokemon games are a lotdeeper than people give them
credit for.
but a lot of people just glossover it and go,"oh go, oh, it's
just a monster catcher, youknow?
you know?
Oh, you know?
more than that.
it's It's very obvious thatintended for it to be you
imagining yourself as a kid aworld that's that's new in a
(23:19):
world in a world that'sdifferent.
just Just like it's right?
Right.
The world is magical.
Things Things are magical thingsthings.
and then we get a little olderand we realize, oh, it's not
mystery.
It's just whatever phenomena,you know?
Oh, it's just the AuroraBorealis, or it's just the
whatever.
But when But when you're a kidmountain you that you see over
(23:42):
Murphy, you wonder you wonder ifthere's a dragon inside or or
you wonder if things are gonnaare gonna come out.
And I guess Pokemon kind of didthat, right?
Right.
you go to the mountain and youAnd inside pretty pretty cool
ones depending on the game.
and and what it really is, isit's the mystery.
it's the joy.
(24:04):
and I think they try really thejoy of the joy.
Being at the joy of Joy was justexperiencing a world is that was
different.
Mm-hmm.
Different from the world thatlived as people.
David Hernandez (24:16):
do you still
have that kind of joy when it
comes to Pokemon or even justthe life in general?
'cause you said for you it wasnormal for the game to be slow,
I guess in a way.
Do you still find that kind ofsense of mystery when you play
Pokemon or even life now?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmo (24:29):
So,
I'm going to be one of them
contrarians and be like Gen 9 inthe best they have ever been.
and reason the reason I say thatis, is, gen nine gen nine has
technical issues.
Yes, you can go nauseam aboutthe technical issues, but but
you know what they mean.
They They manage things dothings they've been trying to do
(24:49):
over for over a decade, they andthey managed to do them the in
the game.
Not only Not only that, they butthey managed to do it in a way
we've that you've never seenbefore.
The Pokeball show up on theOverworld.
Okay.
So So into a into a field, youwalk into a, there's a there's a
giant rock master of you.
That's that's never been abefore.
(25:11):
and and count don't count inthat in that because technically
title, Even though it count.
I'm not I'm not necessarily.
it because it's not a mainline.
but that really did, In ninenine really tried a lot of
things and they did a lot ofthings very well.
And, and And, and quite frankly,when I look at Gen nine, gen gen
(25:33):
nine was an experiment.
I can I can tell by Gen Gen ninewas They they wanted to what
they they could do.
And I, And and quite quitefrankly, I think I think that
Legend Z ca is gonna is gonna bethe fruition.
it's, know, it's gonna be theculmination what of what they
figured out with.
Gen gen.
(25:53):
I think that we're a certain acertain challenge coming in, um,
that we didn't see before.
And And I, I think that's thefact that the the.
they're starting to be moreyounger fans again.
'cause you know, it's kind of acyclical thing, right?
So the younger fans grow up andThen they become older older and
then and then those older fanshave, and then and then their
(26:14):
kids, you know, grow into thethe franchise.
And And so I think I think we'regonna see Great and full
disclaimer to those peoplesaying, how can you say Gen nine
is the best gen?
Well, I can say that that, thatas someone who literally played
every single game, didn't Ididn't stop A lot of a lot of
people.
said, They said after after Ijust couldn't I just after gen
(26:36):
six, I just after six, I justit.
The thing about Pokemon is, andthis is, this is just a personal
thing, and this is not an attacktoward anyone but I think what
people need to get better atdoing in the fandom is is, each
game as if it's not connected tothe rest of them.
Take each game as it is.
Don't Don't try to say, well,it's not it's not like that game
(26:59):
I played when I was, so it's soit not, I think you I think you
a disservice by doing that.
think that allowing nostalgia tobe the lens through which you
view Pokemon is a mistakebecause it's always meant to be
about new experiences, about newthings.
So treat the games that way.
(27:20):
Treat them as a new experience.
Do not treat them as a25-year-old.
Franchise that you've playedsince you were four, because
guess what, guys?
The games aren't any easier.
You just got better.
Um, that's That's basically thething is, is, you know, and I,
Warners and I, and I, and Ipromise you there's gonna be
(27:41):
comments, people this andthey're gonna go, you're just a
new Jenner.
You're not a Gen Warner guys.
I am a Gen Warner.
I grew up on that stuff.
And you cannot cannot tell thatthe that the gen one the and the
gen two and the gen threeobjectively better better than
the modern eight.
can You, you enjoy you enjoythem more because they with your
(28:02):
childhood and they, but you butyou cannot tell me that that
they're objectively betterbecause that is an outright.
And I'll And I to say thatanyone wants come at come.
it, because.
It is, true.
I'll use a perfect example.
gen five introduced experiencefor for catching Pokemon because
(28:25):
for those for those who don'tremember, to prior to gen five,
when you caught The Pokeball,you got nothing.
Mm-hmm.
could you level 70, legendary,go go through all stuff entire
entire wiped, and you you catchit and you nothing for it The
than The Pokemon itself.
Whoa.
(28:45):
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
like what a letdown.
And, and then, and then gen fivecame along and they were And
they like, finally gonna giveyou experience for battling,
which which makes, even evenfrom a standpoint.
You're, you're gonna tell methat my Pokemon.
fights this other Pokemon but itdoesn't doesn't.
(29:07):
for it because I decided tocatch it.
So what happened What happenedto that experience?
It just magically disappeareither.
Like so, So, I so it pretty thatthey actually made a lot of
quality life improve that thathave been steadi over over time.
the last thing I'll say on I'llsay, I do not I do not think
Game Creek is lazy.
(29:27):
hear I hear people say, game oh,game Creek lazy Oh, they've
never done this.
They're never doing doing this.
Well, news flash to you guystoo.
You obviously don't know howcorporate structure works
because the reason that thetime, so tight, some of these
some of these games have been awithin a year and a half When
(29:48):
when some other games takethree, four years.
reason reason that timeframe isa year and a half to maybe two
years maybe, is is becausethat's a corporate mandate That
is that is not the developersgoing, we're gonna put a game
out two years.
promise you.
They're you.
They're not sitting there going.
okay guys, let's do this again.
not That's not what they wantbe, I promise promise you.
(30:08):
But But they're accountable topeople and and you can't just
go, oh, well we didn't we didn'tfeel it was ready, we're we're,
we're, we're not gonna You can'tdo can't do that.
that That is not a, I havefriends who live and and work
in, you you don't get that levelof mm-hmm.
And so for all those people whosay that they're lazy, and that
(30:31):
they don't uh, they don't careabout the game that is from from
somebody who played them, one,one basically That is complete
complete loaded, It's not nottrue.
it's very obvious obvious thatthey, because how, how much how
much of it, times do many we.
of characters from previousgames?
(30:52):
A lot.
How many times do we see Pokemonfrom previous games or battle
people?
Uh, I'll use Sun and Moon.
We got to fight Fight in Sun infrom the the original game, They
just they just randomly show upand you get to fight at level.
They obviously cared a lot lot.
And so I feel like its rude ofus as fans that they say that
(31:16):
they don't care because if thatif that were the case, Why do
they go out of their to giveCharizard Mega forms?
Why do they go out of their wayto always add new mechanics?
David Hernandez (31:29):
Well, my last
question just in regards to gen
four
Harry The Handicapped H (31:32):
Mm-hmm.
David Hernandez (31:32):
if you were
gonna do a play through, what
six Pokemon would you have onyour team?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (31:36):
So
Torterra, Lucario, Hitmonchan.
If I can even get one, I'm, I'mnot even, have to look that up.
It's okay.
No worries.
I can judge you on that.
Um, Um, Hitmonchan if I if Ican, which think I think I can,
I think, think I'd have I thinkI to trade it up from
technically I could.
I, and and then I'd also doLuxray because I love Luxray and
(32:02):
Gastrodon, pink one, not theblue one because I just love
that little slug.
And, and, uh, the one probablyMagmortar.
Although Magmortar is kind of abig of.
because.
I usually didn't have anyone totrade with at the time, I almost
was never able to get them.
(32:22):
In fact, I don't think I I don'tthink I dropped original play
through of Pearl.
I don't think I got Magmortar orElectivire until I had already I
like like 600 hours.
so Oh, time to get Magmortar,600 hours.
600 hours.
David Hernandez (32:37):
So eventually
you start your Facebook page and
I wanted to know what theinspiration behind that was.
For those who dunno.
It's called Harry, theHandicapped Hitmonchan Facebook
page.
What made you wanna start thatpage?
It started last year, I believe.
Harry The Handicapped Hit (32:49):
Yeah,
it was it was, Um, um, what made
what Made the page Page was Ilooked at The at the person
community and I was like,there's no Hitmonchan.
I was like there's no Hitmonchanpage And I was like, Hitmonchan
is my favorite Pokemon.
And nobody ever talks aboutHitmonchan'cause they really
don't.
In fact, I don't think mostpeople even remember Hitmonchan
(33:11):
unless they played the earlygames.
but, looked at that and I waslike, you know, gonna make a I'm
gonna make a Hitmonchan page andthen I I'm not just gonna make a
Hitmonchan page I'm gonna make adisabled Hitmonchan page because
I'm disabled too.
and and quite literally mythought process was.
I'm disabled, you know, and, Iwanna reflect what actually like
(33:34):
for me as a fan.
And so I did.
one of some of the funny thingsthat joke joke with because I'm
with a bunch of Pokepages One ofthe admins, I always joke that,
uh, my, my, my favorite wouldbe, So I just, I just roll up on
them and sky uppercut.
But, uh,
David Hernandez (33:54):
well, well,
doesn't that mean, you know,
rollout?
Probably.
Harry The Handicapped Hitmo (33:57):
oh.
Um, Um, a, so a, a little bit ofan aside here.
um, Um, because with what you'retalking about with my page.
page, in The Pokeball communitythere is something called ROM
hacking.
I don't know if you're familiarwith with that, Essentially,
essentially you modify the oldROMs and add new features.
Well.
had a friend who I love dearly.
(34:20):
he is a rom hacker and he helpedme make a rom hack called
Rolling Thunder.
Now you might be thinking, whyis it called Rolling Thunder?
the answer to that is both ofthe protagonists that you can
choose, the boy and girl havecustom sprites and they are in
wheelchairs.
the custom sprites, you actuallyYou actually them pushing their
(34:42):
the over world.
it's a it's fire red, so it'sgen three.
and you get an extra group ofstarters and they're all wheel
based starters.
So one of them is Sandshrew, oneof them is Mareep, and the one
is Spheal.
And um, really cool because.
The characters are inwheelchairs, and the dialogue is
(35:04):
adjusted to reflect that.
in fact, the rival conversationswith Blue, he actually makes
jokes about your disability inoh my gosh.
So it's actually kind of funny.
Um, but uh, no, it, it wasgreat.
And, and I'll be honest withyou, when I, when I played the
finished product, I actuallycried a little bit.
(35:25):
that was that was the first timeI that I played a game where the
where the character reflected meme.
Mm.
and it changed things things.
A because no no, was I just Ijust, a random I was a trainer
in a in a wheelchair, throughThe Pokeball world in a world in
(35:46):
a world that's not people forpeople like me, just like world,
built for people people like me.
And And it was a very meaningfulexperience because, I got to
roll through the grass and andPokemon like like I imagine that
I were a real thing.
So it So it was a veryexperience and one which which I
(36:08):
absolutely do absolutely do notregret.
to take it take it back toFacebook page.
it's funny when When I startedthe the page and I page and I
other at the other page, some ofsome of them left messages on my
thing and they said, you why youhandicap tip handicap?
And And answer the answer tothat is not use the term term to
handicap.
myself.
(36:28):
most people do Not that are,that have disabilities.
In fact, in fact, it's actuallyconsidered, um, derogatory,
derogatory in some circle.
don't I don't consider itderogatory, Uh, uh, because
truth, truth, most people aren'tbeing derogatory when they do
this.
They just don't understand thatit's that it's not appropriate.
but But the reason I did thealliteration.
(36:50):
So Harry The HandicappedHitmonchan, triple H, for, for
wrestling fans out there, tripleH maybe.
Anyway, um, to play the game.
but that's why I did it.
It was the alliteration and Andto reflect the fact that I am
disabled.
Right?
right.
different.
and to be to, honest with you, Iam utterly blown away by the
(37:15):
response that I got from people,because it's been mostly
positive.
you get your share of trolls,which of course is the internet.
just That's how, it's But thethe vast the majority of the
people that I with been.
Beyond beyond.
In fact, I have I friends that Iwould not have made otherwise if
it weren't for the page.
(37:36):
so to all my Pokemon page madefriends out there, are gonna be
listen to some later.
I love you I love and you andyou know, you know, my impacted
my life in ways that I, I can'tbelieve, express words.
And if I and I.
I don't think they'd I don'tthink it be adequate, it's been
a it's been a beautiful thing.
(37:56):
I've b een able to see Pokemonjust not just as a game, just
not just as a car just as ananime, but but as a group of
people who just enjoy somethingso much that brings so brings so
much joy to their life.
And I I great great pride inknowing that I was a part of
that.
I was a I was a part being,good, good, happiness to to
(38:18):
someone, because for me, that'sis.
It's happiness, it's joy, butnot just in the super
metaphysical way way people say,oh my gosh, too much.
it's beautiful in that it bringsso much much happiness to
everyone.
much Pretty much that I everyonethat I know in the community,
(38:40):
brings brings them so much joyand it's and it actually saved
some people from making lifedecisions that wouldn't have
been good for them.
that.
Mm-hmm.
It it really is a beautifulthing.
So those for those peoplelistening, okay okay to love
Pokemon.
It's It's okay to, you you know,your have Pokemon tshirt Pokemon
(39:02):
Plushies, which I actually havea few on my shelf back behind
me.
it's okay.
okay.
There's There's nothing wrongwith that.
In fact, fact, frankly, beingcomfortable with that that and
having that part of life that'sliterally positive because it
makes makes you happy and thatand that.
(39:23):
matters way more than what Thanwhat people think about you than
what than what people you youknow, might think about working
on.
joy that that joy, that's allthat's all that really matters
because your experience withPokemon is entirely your own,
and and that's what makes yougreat.
David Hernandez (39:41):
Now, I know you
mentioned how earlier you
understood why Pokemon doesn't,you know, have a wheelchair
avatar choice.
do you ever hope they willsomeday, and if so, do you want
them to be like an avatar?
Do you want them to be actualcharacter within the game?
Harry The Handicapped Hitmo (39:54):
So,
I want to be the player
character.
And and reason the reason I sayis is.
there are lots of gamers likeme.
we're not talked about a lot,but disabled gamers are
actually, I think I I think Ilooked up a metric somewhere.
think they I can think thatdisabled make make a, uh,
(40:14):
actually I'll just actually, Ijust use general term.
Sure.
in general, constitute a$1trillion labor market.
So for businesses,$1 truly Toput that in perspective of the
United the United States.
I think somewhere in theneighborhood.
trillion.
So disabled people make up one17th of the nation's gross
(40:38):
domestic product.
So there definitely is a is aplace for for that in the in the
series.
But But given that PokemonJapanese Japanese franchise and
and historically the Japanesehave been very, I don't know how
to describe it, um, um, carefulin their portrayal certain
(40:59):
things I don't I don't thinkthey will ever do.
and and doesn't doesn't upsetme.
doesn't doesn't bother me.
Um, because Even even though wemake up a much larger, than most
most people, it's it's still avery, part of the overall fan
base.
financially speaking, speaking,it it doesn't actually make that
(41:20):
much sense.
But as a fan who has beenplaying since I was a child, it
would be something great to see.
And if they don't give us awheelchair A wheelchair because
animating many wheelchairs areactually kind of crazy, um, um,
especially in ay environment,which games are.
Um, made a they a character likethat, that would actually be
(41:41):
kind of cool because heck, heck,we seen more veterans, we've
seen, you know, know, scientistsand despots and mob bosses.
So there's there's some room inthere, I think, for people,
Mm-hmm.
people.
Yeah.
But at at the end of the the endof the day, also what's that's
(42:02):
also what's great about Pokemonon because even if even if they
don't add it in, I still canplay can, I that I choose, I can
I can still to to pretend thatmy character in wheelchair, I
don't I don't, it there becauseI have I have control over what
my character does.
I have control over team I teamI have, what what bag I get
(42:23):
first, what, what, you know,elite form member I like the
most.
Always love choices that I getto make.
Mm-hmm.
for me.
So.
David Hernandez (42:31):
So, Well, I
want to finish this interview on
this last question, for thosewho maybe don't have a
disability or don't know whatit's like to live in a
wheelchair, what's one thing youwish people understood better or
maybe take home with them fromthis interview about living in a
wheelchair or living with yourdisability?
Be
Harry The Handicap (42:48):
Disabilities
are exactly that.
They do not define you.
It is lack of ability.
It does mean a lack ofhumanity..
So what I mean by that is, a lotpeople automatically assume that
people with disabilities, theyjust and they just assume that
we, I don't, I don't, and thisis an assumption on my part as
(43:09):
well, and I'm not gonna that,not sure, but I, I get the
feeling that people assume thatthat we don't experience like
way, when in actuality weexperience the same things that
other people do.
Heartache, loss, pain, joy.
We experience all of thosethings, but experience them
(43:29):
differently.
And to, to, to, to wrap up yourquestion, the other the, would
say I would say is take taketime to get to know the disabled
people in their life.
Because most people, people,whether it's mental, a physical
one.
Take physical, the time the timeto ask what life is right for
And and instead what life islike for them, ask them.
(43:52):
in closing, I'll leave you withsomething that changed my life
life in a way that is that isunique.
When I When I was a kid, I usedto I used to me very upset.
and I And I used to be madbecause my body didn't do it.
I used to be I used to be upset.
I used to, me know, piss me offin, express.
and I I used to say, you know,my you know, my dad would say,
(44:13):
you know, are, why you.
this?
What you know, what's going on?
How can I help?
Can I, say, I used to say, well,you just won't understand.
You just won't understand.
And I used to say that.
then And then one day my dad mydad told me something and
completely changed how you been.
And he And he said, well, thenwell, then help me understand.
And the the moment he said thatmy world world changed because
(44:37):
realized that that times timethat I used to say that have I
couldn't have even said Beenteaching teaching people been
and helping them understand whatwhat life was like for me.
And And so just just remembermay we may look different.
and this is And of speaking ofthis be for general, may we may
(44:58):
look d we may we may differentlybut at our at our core.
are We, you.
And, and, and, and that thatthat is something that I wish
people.
could just, I wanna shout itfrom the rooftops.
We are We are not different.
We, we We we're, we're differentin our lives.
not We're not different in ourhumanity.
(45:18):
And that that probably the crux.
If if more people did that andunderstood that, I think I think
most of the things that Istruggled wouldn't wouldn't be a
thing anymore.
Some of those biases wouldprobably disappear.
Some of Some of them would stay,but but some of them would
(45:39):
probably disappear.
David Hernandez (45:40):
Well Harry, if
people want to connect with you,
if they wanna check out yourFacebook page, where can they
go?
By all means, please plug away.
Harry The Handicapped Hitmon (45:46):
So
my page is Harry The Handicapped
Hitmonchan.
Um, I also stream on Twitch, notby my Pokemon handle, but for
those who want to, see mystreams.
It is at the Real Wheel, Lord,Twitch and YouTube.
So.
David Hernandez (46:02):
well, thank you
for listening to, As The
Pokeball Turns, if this storyresonated with you, share the
podcast with a fellow trainerand don't forget to follow us.
For more voices, more journeys,and more memories.
I'm David Hernandez, andremember, your next Pokemon
adventure begins here.