Original artwork, not a still
Youngster, Route 3
Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!
— Pokémon Red and Blue ‧ 1996
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The joke is the sheer commitment: a nine-year-old trainer who cannot wait to explain his clothing before sending out a Rattata. Gen I's tiny dialogue boxes made every throwaway trainer line a catchphrase, and this one stuck as the platonic example of a random kid with a ridiculous passion. Later games kept winking at it, so fans quote it whenever someone is sincerely excited about something humble.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Pokémon Red and BlueShow the scene
On Route 3 in Pokémon Red and Blue, between Pewter City and Mt. Moon, a Youngster in shorts stops the player and delivers this sales pitch for his outfit before the battle. In Bulbapedia's trainer listing he fields a level 11 Rattata and a level 11 Ekans, the kind of common early-route team the Youngster class is known for. The Youngster ("Shorts Youngster" in Japanese) debuted in Generation I as an average boy in a cap and short pants. Later games wink at him: a Youngster on Kalos Route 5 gives the same answer, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game's trainer catchphrases echo the shorts.
Sources (4)
- Bulbapedia: CatchphraseDefeat/victory catchphrase notesReference checked
- Bulbapedia: Kanto Route 3Trainers sectionReference checked
- Bulbapedia: YoungsterLeadReference checked
- Bulbapedia: Kalos Route 5TriviaReference checked
Context reviewed
