I'm going to be a Pokémon Master!

Do you all have any hobbies?

When you spend your days busy, it's easy to neglect the things you want to do.

If you keep suppressing your desire to do things, you might end up building up stress somewhere.

It's precisely because busy days continue that I think, 'hobbies are so important'.

Yesterday, I made this post.

I was happy to have so many people react to it!

This was my first time entering a tournament, but all of my opponents were such nice people. (I was also way too happy about the limited card.)

Actually, I've been hooked on Pokémon cards for the past few months or so.

And let me tell you, it's fun...!

Pokémon TCG Pocket is popular in gaming, but what I've been playing lately is the physical Pokémon card game. You can enjoy it by playing matches or collecting cards.

In matches, you have to think about your own moves while considering your opponent's moves, so it actually uses your brain quite a bit. Just like in tsume-shogi or tsume-go, it's common for a single wrong move to change the outcome of the game. (Actually, I love shogi and go as well.)

Since you fight while thinking about what you need to do to defeat your opponent or what the effects of their moves are, you naturally acquire logical thinking skills and memory.

Collecting is also fun because there are so many cute cards! There are many expensive cards, so I have to collect them while consulting my wallet, though...

Some people buy them because they like the card illustrations, while others buy them as a form of investment. The market price of Pokémon cards is constantly fluctuating, so there is also an aspect of economic learning in watching and thinking about those movements.

Lately, I've been finding comfort in cute Pokémon like this.

While I work hard on my notes, I also want to continue enjoying the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Speaking of Pokémon, I mainly played the games from the first generation up to Diamond and Pearl. My height stopped growing due to lack of sleep, but I believe I gained something important in exchange.

There was the anime, too. I still love Rica Matsumoto's "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master" so much that I even sing it at karaoke.

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When we say "hobbies," there are all sorts of things that fall under that category.

For example, sports, travel, music, gourmet food, reading, cooking, idols, anime, games, and so on...

Perhaps there are some people who, when referring to a specific hobby, might think, "People who do such-and-such are..."

But often, when you actually talk to them, they are all good people, so it's not good to judge based on preconceived notions.

I feel like there is a certain number of people who would hate it if something they liked were criticized, yet they are quick to criticize things they don't do themselves.

However, that's not right, is it? I believe every hobby deserves to be respected.

This applies to both oneself and others. It's better to honestly acknowledge and enjoy them.

I believe that depending on how you approach them, any hobby can become educational material.

It's not good to get so absorbed that you lose sight of yourself, but if you enjoy them within a reasonable range, I think hobbies can be quite effective.

Above all, when you are doing something you enjoy, you look lively, and it adds color to your life, doesn't it?

Especially in these busy modern times, I want to cherish my hobbies with confidence.