By now most of you know of, or have played, the new Pokemon game - you know, the one in which you run around town and try not to get hit by cars. If you’ve been on any social media in the last week you have also noticed the memes online about the teams in the game. Well, from personal experience I can safely say this: if you're playing the game, you picked the wrong team.
Let me give some more background information on Pokemon teams first. So there are three teams that can be chosen when you hit level five. There is Valor (red team), Mystic (blue team) and Instinct (yellow team) to choose from, each being represented by a super rare and legendary Pokemon. Each team also represents a certain way of thinking or playing: Valor is more about fighting in gyms and being powerful, Mystic is mostly about being feeling justified and having a good connection with your Pokemon, and Instinct was more about collecting Pokemon and having a sense of wisdom.
When I hit level five, I was hanging out with a few friends and we were conflicted on which teams to join. Personally, I play most of my video games solo, and I do consider myself to be pretty wise (but hubris is pretty unwise) so team Instinct seemed like the best choice. Instead I noticed an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I instead decided to join team Valor, just to get a new reflection on this type of gaming.
Most people will probably decide on their own what team they want to be; and will likely decide which team suits their personality best. But if they would have gone against the grain, they would have noticed a whole new world open up to them. In the last few day I have met people I would have never met, I have done things that I generally wouldn't have done in normal games, and finally I have seen things exclusively through a red shaded outlook.
Joining a team that is exclusive to your type of thinking may lead you to full on ignorance in the game, and in its community. Right now I have love for all three teams; sure they have some downfalls, but every team is unique and brings a new set of emotions and thoughts to the table. Playing for one week on a team that is usually depicted as the angry, almost evil and despicable team has been an eye opening experience.
Not only does this change game play, but it changes how you view the world around you. Instead of walking past a gym and thinking in ignorance about wasting time being powerful, I now stop and talk to my fellow teammates and help devise a plan for victory. This means I can see what the reasoning is for that type of thinking. I now understand why people prefer to be the most powerful person in the game - and it leaves me feeling... empowered!
For the first time in my life I understand why it is important to sometimes be that jerk. Getting out of your bubble and culturing yourself is a life lesson. Picking the same thing over and over again is insanity - so why not add a little bit of others insanity to your life? At the end of the day you are still playing this game with everyone else: running after the same Pokemon, fighting the same gyms, and catching every Pokestop you can.
So do yourself a favor, if you're about to choose a team, change it up a little bit and go for something new. Don't fall into the social media hype surrounding the teams, competition is healthy and having a new outlook will help you out in the long run. Don't let this exclusive to Pokemon Go! Either, you will have many chances in life to join the team that reminds you of… you. Change is very difficult, but it can also be empowering.
