By Pokemon Professor A
Shopping for school supplies can be a tedious challenge for Pokemon trainers of all ages. Want to go back to school in style with the characters that show off your personality, but not sure where to look or how to pull it off? Get the inside scoop as we dive into much more than paper and glue, faster than you can say Pikachu.
Stylish Characters
Mew is cute, Jigglypuff is a singer, Zoroark is a beast and Zekrom is a boss. Every character has a distinctive flair all its own. Pick characters that show off your own personality. If someone at school or on campus connects with your Oshawott clear file, and you chose it because you feel like there’s an Oshawott in you, it’s likely that person will connect with you, too. Make more friends who love Pokemon just as much as you do.
Make it Match
Look and feel coordinated with a matching set of school supplies. There are several ways to achieve this magical matching look. One method is by color. Create a collection around a shade that is your favorite. Cleffa, Wigglytuff and Chansey perfectly reflect powder puff pink. Gengar, Sableye and Spiritomb are all darkly purple. Another matching method is to choose supplies featuring Pokemon of your favorite type. Tepig erasers, Victini note books, a Reshiram pencil pouch and Charizard pens would be a great set. The third way to be coordinated is to find supplies from the same game or series. Tepig, Oshawott and Snivy are a popular trio for the Pokemon Black and White game series. In Diamond and Pearl, Dialga and Palkia were the spotlight legendaries. Take a moment to think about how you want to organize your supplies.
Shopping Online
Despite the year-round popularity of the Pokemon franchise, school supplies featuring Pikachu and other popular pocket monsters may not be available locally every year. Stores typically only carry merchandise for the latest fads and trends. However, in Japan, the franchise is extraordinarily popular and a lot of school products are made for kids. Online shopping gives you the versatility to find Japanese products at any time of year. Japanese Pokemon school supplies tend to be very well made and will last all year. A good example of the difference in quality is a clear file verses a paper folder. Paper folders get bent and crushed inside backpacks. By January, they are torn and worn out. Clear files retain their shape and must be severely bent to become damaged. These plastic folders can last all year and maybe even longer when nicely handled.
Retail Options
When shopping at retail stores quality is sometimes an issue. Quite often, the supplies featuring hit characters found in large, American chain stores like Target or Wal-Mart are cheaply mass produced and of poor quality. There are exceptions to this rule. Sometimes Hot Topic will sell officially licensed backpacks, pencil pouches and other items. With the sales and promotions offered, these nicer quality items tend to sell out fast. Remember that every time you go to the store, it’s a gamble. You may find a great deal or leave empty handed. How many times have you called ahead to put an item on hold and it was gone when you arrived? Bottom line, you never know what will be in stock when you arrive.
Make it a Pokemon Adventure
Whether shopping online or in stores, having a positive mindset can help take away the stress and make it a fun activity. Hunting down a lucky Victini t-shirt for test taking days can be just as challenging as capturing it in the game. Making a wish list is just like creating your own Pokedex. Every time you find something on your list, you’ve “caught” it. Take this creative approach to have fun getting the job done. Good luck hitting the books in style.