Fan Creates Charming Homage to Pokemon Diamond and Pearls Opening

As fans look back on 25 years of the Pokemon franchise, it comes with loving memories of the little aspects of numerous games. Through shiny encounters, strange Pokemon themed easter eggs, and even hype for upcoming titles like Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, fans are squarely focused on their Pokemon tales. Yet one moment that every single Pokemon player can share fond memories of is that first step of the journey by selecting a starter.

Each game has its own story around the player choosing which Pokemon will accompany them throughout their journey. From your rival choosing your own starter's weakness in Pokemon Red and Blue, to players having to save Professor Birch by selecting a starter in Ruby and Sapphire, there are always new ways players start their Pokemon games. Even the more subdued Pokemon selections do come with a charm that players will always remember, like one Redditor who decided to recreate Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl's in a cute way.

In Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh region opts for a more direct form of having players decide their journey's beginnings. Simply enough, Professor Rowen instructs his assistant to open a briefcase that houses the three starting options being Turtwig, Piplup, and Chimchar. While not the most loving of encounters, there are fans who still look back fondly on picking between the Grass, Water, or Fire types respectively. One such person was Redditor smugglehog who used homemade plushies to bring them to life.

Smugglehog opted for a much more simple recreation effort, yet it is one that oozes with an undeniable charm and obvious love behind the project. For the 30 second long video, smugglehog recreated Rowen's own briefcase and placed three plushies representing the Sinnoh starters. The plushies themselves were handmade by smugglehog who has a history of making knitted Pokemon. Smugglehog provided a closer view of the plushies on their Instagram page, lovebirdloops, which shows some of the others they have done. As for bringing the briefcase to life, smugglehog confirmed that it was made thanks to a painting easel.

To truly add charm to the moment, smugglehog opted to use extra sound effects and music to really create the scene. With the noted help of Redditor saltimmortalsea, the video includes some of the route music of Diamond and Pearl along with each Pokemon featuring their cry upon close inspection. With many Pokemon fans praising Diamond and Pearl's amazing soundtrack, it's not all that surprising it is included here.

While smugglehog's tribute is to the original 2006 releases of Pokemon's fourth generation, they also serve as a means of preparing for another adventure in Sinnoh with Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. With the faithful Diamond and Pearl remakes set to release later this year, smugglehog may have to reuse those plushies for another recreation.

Nintendo decided it was best to go big or go home when Super Mario had its 35th anniversary last year. While it announced a hugely anticipated collection of ports in the form of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Nintendo also had some totally new games for fans to look forward to. That celebration may be winding down, but it's set the bar for Nintendo's other celebrations this year. One of those is Pokemon's 25th anniversary, and things are already looking up. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the ports that everyone was hoping for, and Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the kind of new and innovative game that's great for celebrating how far the series has come.