YouTuber shares devastating Pokemon Diamond & Pearl mistake that cost 100 hours

Brent Koepp
YouTuber illymation animated story about Pokemon Diamond & Pearl

A YouTuber went viral online after sharing her tragic Pokemon Diamond & Pearl childhood story. The talented artist created an animated video to depict her mistake that led her to waste 100 hours in the Sinnoh region.

With the Pokemon franchise gearing up to release the Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl remakes in late 2021, many fans are going back to revisit the beloved DS titles. For many, the franchise’s fourth generation brings back many fond memories.

For one YouTuber, their experience with the Sinnoh region was derailed when they made a mistake that cost them 100 hours. The hilarious story is something many Trainers will be able to relate to as we all have our own childhood stories playing the Game Freak RPGs.

Illymation Pokemon Diamond & Pearl animated story
YouTuber Illymation got stuck trying to get the second Gym Badge in Diamond & Pearl.

YouTuber’s Diamond & Pearl mistake goes viral

YouTuber ‘illymation‘ is one of the most popular animators on the video-sharing platform. The talented creator makes vibrant animations to tell stories about their life. The April 22 video dove into her first time playing a Pokemon game. Their wholesome experience went viral when she revealed her mistake that cost hours of playtime.

“It was time to get my second Gym Badge. And I was feeling pretty good,” the content creator said. However, her 9-year old self at the time became confused by an NPC’s dialogue and thought they had to find the Gym Leader near trees. “My 9-year old hubris finally caught up to me. I was so dumb, and I got so stuck, I clocked 100 hours looking for the Gym Leader in Eterna Forest.”

The YouTuber spent so much time looking for Gym Leader Gardenia that she over-leveled her Pokemon: “It got so bad that a bunch of my Pokemon evolved, and they had such high levels they wouldn’t listen to me anymore. And the only way to fix that is to get the second Gym Badge. I got so fed up I dropped the game completely.”

A childhood friend would eventually tell them the Leader was…in the Gym. “Turns out the Gym Leader was in the Gym. Who would have thought, me?” the animator joked. Thankfully, she was able to return to the 100 hour save file and obtain the remaining badges. Many players were sympathetic to their story as they had made similar mistakes when they were kids.

“Back in my day, you couldn’t just look up a guide for Pokemon games. You had to buy a book so you could know how to get past that cave maze without using Flash,” one commentator wrote. Another fan pointed out, “My gosh getting stuck in games as a kid back then was brutal. Kids today have walkthroughs. THEY DON’T KNOW HOW GOOD THEY HAVE IT!”

One Pokemon player even shared their own story. “I remember the point at which I got stuck and clocked 100 hours…Snorlax. The guy who gives you the Pokeflute in that game is just a random guy in the radio tower. I ended up going from town to town, talking to every NPC in the game.”

Pokemon fans react to YouTube animation about Diamond & Pearl

Despite their epic mistake, illymation still thinks fondly back on her Sinnoh experience. She ended the video explaining, “I had fun. I guess what I’m trying to say is, Pokemon can be really competitive and serious. But if that’s not how you play, that is fine. Games are made to be enjoyed. And there is no right or wrong way to have fun.”

And in all fairness, the classic Pokemon games could sometimes actually be pretty complex – especially for children. Another fan revisiting Diamond & Pearl recently also went viral after rage-quitting due to being trolled by the most evil NPC.

About The Author

Brent is a former writer at Dexerto based in the United States, who covered topics such as Pokemon, Gaming, and online Entertainment.