30 Years Later, Pokémon’s Most Iconic Quote Comes From An Unexpected Character

It's hard to believe 30 years have passed since Pokémon first debuted on the Game Boy in Japan, launching what would become one of the biggest entertainment franchises in history. What began as a pair of modest and quirky RPGs has since grown into one of gaming's most successful IPs, captivating generations with dozens of new mainline games, popular anime shows, blockbuster movies, a sprawling line of collectible trading cards, and more.

Across Pokémon's various releases over the years, there has been no shortage of quotable moments from all sorts of characters, from Ash Ketchum's iconic "I choose you!" to Team Rocket's unforgettable "Prepare for trouble! And make it double!" mantra. Whether it's Karen's sage philosophy from Gold & Silver or the dozens of quotable moments in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the franchise has produced countless lines that have truly stood the test of time.

However, there's arguably one iconic quote that stands out above all others, and it comes from one of the most random and unexpected sources, becoming a legendary meme since its delivery in Pokémon's Gen 1 games way back in the day.

Pokémon's Most Iconic Quote Has Become A Meme

While you wouldn't guess from the looks of him, the absolute menace Youngster from Pokémon Red & Blue (and Japan's Red & Green) will go down in history with the most meme-worthy line of all time. Also known as the "Shorts Kid," you can find him waiting on Route 3 as you advance toward Mt. Moon, where he proudly declares: "Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!"

It's a completely innocuous line, but its sheer randomness and awkward delivery have turned it into one of the most recognizable quotes in gaming history. Nearly 30 years later, it's still referenced and parodied by Pokémon fans whenever the series comes up, and has even been repackaged in various sequels over the years.

Game Freak has placed multiple callbacks to Short Kid's line throughout the series, with a FireRed & LeafGreen update to, "Hi! I like shorts! They're delightfully comfy and easy to wear!", while Pokémon X & Y has another Youngster deliver an almost identical intro. Black 2 & White 2 also put a playful spin on it with an NPC praising a comfy dress instead, and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! & Eevee! have the Youngster compliment the player's shorts in a hilarious shout to the OG Gen 1 Shorts Kid.

30 Years Later, Pokémon's "Shorts" Kid Is A Legend

There's no question the Shorts Kid's line stands out as one of the most memorable in the franchise, and even gamers who didn't keep up with the various sequel games over the years beyond Gen 1 will likely remember this moment in the original games. The quote itself is entirely random when playing the English versions of Red & Blue, but believe it or not, the quote makes a little more sense in a Japanese context.

This is largely something that was lost in translation, but while the English version of the games had these NPCs listed as "Youngsters," the Japanese version actually translates more closely to "Shorts Kid" or "Shorts Rascal," and the quote itself is slightly different as well. While translations vary slightly, it roughly comes out to, "Shorts are nice and easy to move around in! Why don’t you wear some too?" (via LoL).

Not quite as catchy, admittedly, but the original Japanese version of Shorts Kid's iconic line does make the encounter feel slightly less off the wall. That said, the English quote is far and away the one that will go down in history as one of the funniest and meme-worthy lines in Pokémon history.