WATCH: This Longtime Fangirl Shares How Pokémon Has Inspired Her To Catch 'Em All

If you grew up in the late '90s and early '00s, nothing—I mean, NOTHING—reigned supreme than Pokémon. They were literally everywhere—on TVs, on video games, on cards, on stuffed toys, pillows, shirts, what have you. Pokémon was THE pop culture obsession of kids and teens back then. For Gaby, 25, her love for Pokémon started when she was in grade school. Her cousin had lent her a Game Boy cartridge where she first got to play Pokémon Yellow.

From then on, Gaby has amassed a ton of Pokémon merch and honestly can't recall how much she's spent on the fandom! "Because this is an accumulation over the years, I can't really give an exact figure. Because, as someone who goes to cons, and as someone who is a bit of a hoarder and a collector, it's a lot. From the games to the dolls, I have accumulated a lot of stuff," she shares.

She's gone to cons and events through the years, but it was only in 2020 when she got to visit an official Pokémon Center in Singapore. It was an experience she wouldn't forget because it was her very first time out of the country as well. Gaby shares, "In Changi Airport, they had a Pokémon Center there, and it was the first time I had ever been to a Pokémon Center. First time out of the country, first time in a Pokémon Center. You can imagine my glee when I saw all that merch on the shelves. Just, wow. And, you know, I heard the tagline, 'Gotta catch 'em all.' I really wanted to buy all of that, if I had the money."

Gaby, whose top three fave Pokémon are Snubbull, Psyduck, and Jigglypuff, has seen many changes in the fandom and in herself as a fangirl. Not only has the number of Pokémon increased from 150 to 893 (yup, there are THAT many now), but Gaby has let go of most of her collectibles when she was a kid. "To be completely honest, I don't have as much merch as I did when I was a kid," she says. "Mostly because I'm not sentimental, and I had to get rid of some toys. I kinda feel bad for that now but I had a lot. I had a lot of Pokémon dolls before."

To know more about Gaby's longtime love for Pokémon, here's Episode 22 of Fangirl Diaries:

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Are you also a Pokémon fangirl? Share your faves in the comments section!

Catch a new episode of Cosmo Fangirl Diaries on Facebook and YouTube on Fridays!

VIDEO PRODUCED BY: Jacinda A. Lopez, Andie Estella, Lily Grace Tabanera , and Louise Ferrer

VIDEO EDITED BY: Alyza Angeles

Follow Gaby on Instagram.

 Follow Jacinda, Andie, Lily, and Louise on Instagram.

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Source: Cosmo PH