Pokemon seems like a pretty straightforward game. But one TikToker found a strange save file that had Pokemon players questioning everything. Like: Why? How?
On September 28, Purple Thunder uploaded a TikTok where he bought every used copy he could find at a local GameStop to see any saved profiles left behind. He ended up with a $76 copy of Pokemon Pearl for the 3DS with a peculiar save file.
A player named Scott had played the game for over 12 hours yet only had one gym badge and 22 total Pokemon. His team consisted of all three starting Pokemon, which made it even weirder.
“What was this guy doing?” Purple Thunder exclaimed.
The response to the mysterious and haunting game file have been mixed. Some Pokemon players felt that Scott’s goals were beyond comprehension. Others related to his in-game struggles, like losing to a low-level gym leader’s cruddy Pokemon and quitting. But some felt that it could have been a backup account that he used to trade Pokemon.
After just a day on TikTok, the clip has almost 3 million views. A lot of gamers were stunned by the cost of the game, calling GameStop a rip-off and debating the actual value of Pokemon Pearl.
“The $75 was worth it to see what Scott was cookin,’” Purple Thunder replied.
How long does it take to beat Pokemon Pearl?
The average time it takes to beat Pokemon Pearl is 40 hours. There are eight total gym badges to get in Pearl, each more difficult to get than the previous. If it took Scott a little over 12 hours to beat the first gym leader, it’s mindblowing to consider how long it would have taken him to go about beating the entire game, especially if he wanted to keep his team full of starters the entire time.
But who would get rid of this dude? The level 15 Turtwig had a tragic OT but had apparently gone on 12 hours of Pokemon adventures with Scott before being abandoned.