Twenty-five years ago, I drove my mother up the wall every Saturday to take me to the local Toys R' Us in South Florida.

At the time, the retailer hosted some of the first Pokémon Leagues in the U.S. — it was a place for neighborhood players and traders to convene and battle or exchange cards.

The league was in its infancy, but drew dozens of kids from my block, all of us carrying tattered binders and folders full of the first generation of Pokémon cards.

It was also one of my earliest experiences with the media franchise's competitive scene.

My nerves were wracked every weekend, and even though I never really competed, there was always a player or two willing to show me the ropes.

It was a modest setting over 20 years ago, but this past weekend, over 25,000 people gathered at the Ana

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