Pika-Pika-Chu! A familiar sound to many, the infamous sound of Pikachu is an unmistakable one to most of this generation, and will perhaps resound through the halls of LB with the creation of the new informal Pokémon Club.

Pokémon, the second most-renowned video game franchise in the world ever, according to the official Pokémon wiki, is a multi-media franchise that is owned and developed by the ever-popular, Japanese-games manufacturer, Nintendo.

With the goal to complete the Pokédex, an electronic device designed to catalogue and provide information regarding the various species of Pokémon featured in the video game, the fun and adventure in capturing all the virtual monsters has caught the attention of many, including students at LB.

“Pokémon Club is a legitimate thing, and the number [of members] is growing, steadily but surely,” junior Anthony Gold said.

Still in the process of finding a sponsor for their club and being approved, members of the loosely-organized club meet up wherever they can just sit on the ground and duel each other on their DSs.

Created due to the largely-shared interest in the video game, the club was made for just having fun and bringing back students’ childhood and memories, although there is competition for trying to become the best Pokémon Trainer at LB as well.

“I joined the Pokémon Club because I’ve always wanted to be a part of a group of students who battle each other,” senior Caleb Monteymor said. “We have aspirations to put together a large scale tournament, and we need more members.”

From duels to socializing to reminiscing old childhood memories, the Pokémon Club holds many attractions for its members.

“My favorite part is the bragging rights, and the trash talking about the battles,” Monte said.

Some argue that Pokémon is not age-appropriate for high schoolers, but the club members think otherwise.

“If there is anything that you like to do, whether it is looked at for more mature group or a younger group of people,” Gold said. “You should just do it and not worry about what others have to say.”