Cyndaquil and Why It's Special to Me

So, for the people who aren't aware of Johto and the 2nd generation of Pokemon, this is Cyndaquil, the Fire starter of Johto, and my personal number 1 favorite Pokemon in existence. Now, I know what you're thinking, "How can you be so sure when there's 721 to choose from, and with a ton of Alola Pokemon on the way?" And my answer is that, unlike my other favorites, Cyndaquil defines important parts of my life, as weird as it may seem. Plus, think about it. My username, Cyndrqwill, is just a silly way of saying Cyndaquil. But even though I hold my other starter choices in high regard, Cyndaquil stands above the rest in a fashion that only it has ever managed to do, with Mudkip and Snivy being close behind it, but not close enough to reach a considerable reason to be my all-time favorite. If anything, Mudkip and Snivy helped Cyndaquil get to that point and get even higher up after the fact. But let me get into why this Pokemon means so much to me.

So, to be 100% clear, Cyndaquil wasn't my first pick back in the day. It was my 3rd, actually. After trying Chikorita, then trying Totodile, I tried Cyndaquil. And Cyndaquil worked the best for me and I loved it a lot more than the other two, and not even for its battle prowess or for its advantage early on in the game. It's hard to fully describe but Cyndaquil was the first Pokemon that really felt like a buddy to me, one I could always rely on in battle and one I could always count on, like a best friend. And as I got older, I only enjoyed it more. When I played Soul Silver for the first time, as soon as Elm gave me the option to pick a starter, I found Cyndaquil and chose it immediately and without hesitation. I pretty much sat there and said "Okay, Cyndaquil, let's get going on our adventure!"

Cyndaquil also represents another aspect that I always feared while growing up: Having to completely sacrifice anything that makes you silly or childish. And while, for the most part, you do have to, for the sake of growing up and being mature, there are still aspects that you can maintain as long as you know when and where is okay to be silly and childish, like with a group of good friends. Cyndaquil is a constant reminder that just because I'm growing up, doesn't mean I have to forget everything that made me happy or everything that I thought was fun while I was young. And on the flip side, its final form, Typhlosion, is a reminder that getting older doesn't change the kind of person you are. Your looks may change, but your personality can stay the same and you don't have to sacrifice it just because you're growing.

And finally, Cyndaquil is a reminder of the things I love in my life, and the friends I have that love Pokemon. With them I can always sit and blabber on about Pokemon and talk about our favorites. It's a reminder that I'm not alone when I sit there and say "I love Pokemon and this one is my favorite for these reasons." Sure, I have bad memories associated with the name Cyndrqwill, or some bad memories involving Cyndaquil, but most of them are good or happy memories. I even wrote a short story, called Cinders - Cinders is my nickname for the little guy - and it went over surprisingly well with my friends, to the point I actually made some of them cry! Surprising, indeed, and I would even be willing to share that story one day if the demand for it is reasonable.

But that's why I love Cyndaquil, and will continue to love it. May not be the best explanation, but I owe a lot to this little guy, even though it's not real. If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading, I really appreciate it. What's your favorite Pokemon and why? Let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks a bunch for reading and until next time, see you later! :D