If you’ve ever felt your whole brain say yes at a perfectly sorted binder, or found comfort in memorizing attack stats, you’re definitely not the only one. 

Pokémon is a world that makes sense (sometimes more than the one we live in). 

I had a moment of hyperfixation while digging through forums, comment threads, and personal stories. And one thing kept evolving as I read: a deep, familiar connection to Pokémon, especially among people on the spectrum.

I’m neurodivergent, and it made me start questioning my own gravitational pull to the game.  As I researched, I found myself nodding along with strangers on the internet and sending links to my friends (definitely interrupting their work in the process - sorry guys). I uncovered some interesting connections that had me feeling that same little thrill you get when you pull a foil from a booster pack. 

So yeah, the characters are cute. And sure, the idea that all you have to do is catch one and you’ve got a friend for life is pretty great. But beyond that, here are a few reasons Pokémon might just feel like home.

1. Pokémon is Predictable (But Not in a Boring Way)

One pattern that comes up a lot is how structured Pokémon is. 

There’s a loop: catch, train, battle, evolve. Whether you’re playing Pokémon Go, collecting the cards, or just love the characters, you know the rhythm, and that rhythm doesn’t ask anything unpredictable from you.

As SuperSonicFurryFan under the subredditr/aspergers puts it:  “Pokémon is like comfort food. I know what to expect, but there’s still enough variety to keep it interesting.”

It’s not repetitive in a dull way-  it’s repetitive in a soothing way. 

You get novelty, but within a framework that’s safe and familiar. New creatures, new regions, new mechanics, but the core experience doesn’t throw curveballs.

It’s something your brain can latch onto without getting overwhelmed. 

2. Rules That Actually Stay the Same

Let’s be real: the real world has rules, but they’re often unspoken, shifting, and if you ask me… dumb.

Pokémon doesn’t do that. Fire beats Grass. Grass beats Water. Water beats Fire

There’s logic to it, and it holds true.

Some Pokémon fans with autism expressed that this consistency is part of the appeal. 

There’s a kind of comfort in knowing exactly how something will behave. Stats are laid out. Evolutions follow a path. Nothing’s hiding behind social nuance or vague expectations.

As cordyline09 puts it: “Pokemon have natural categories (fire/water types, etc). The Pokémon come in a numbered list, so you know where they all fit in. The game has a lot of predictability, and you get to progress at your own pace without anything forcing you on.”

Oof. But also: yeah. 

When you’ve spent most of your life trying to decode what people really mean, a system that just does what it says it will do feels less like a game… and more like a safe place.

3. Hyperfocus-Friendly Mechanics

Pokémon is basically designed for hyperfixation. 

There’s so much to learn, master, and track: movesets, breeding chains, shiny odds, IV spreads, Pokédex lore. 

As Redditor, Tinypoke42 explains: “It’s a game that can withstand the kind of focus I can throw at it.”

And for a lot of people, that kind of focus doesn’t feel draining, it feels centering. Pokémon gives you permission to learn everything about a topic that actually interests you.

4. Organizing Feels as Good as Playing

There’s something deeply satisfying about sorting cards. Color-coding by type, ordering by evolution line, completing collections and laying them out perfectly in a binder.

And that’s not a fringe experience. It’s one of the most common threads that comes up: how collecting becomes a source of calm.

“I love collecting the cards and watching the shows! It makes me happy :)”     - Reddit user, rayarayalusk. “It cultivates our innate will and love to collect.”     - Reddit user, gvasco.

⭐️10/10 would recommend opening a booster pack or reorganizing your collection or regulate the noise of, well… everything else.

5. Characters That Actually Reflect You

Some fans say they see themselves in the Pokémon characters, especially ones like Mimikyu or Hatenna. 

There’s something relatable about a character who wears a disguise to be accepted, or who shuts down when emotions get too loud.

“In a life where a real Mimikyu would be subsequently looked over, whilst Hatenna would be forced to socialise, it’s hard to imagine that this isn’t a message autistic people wish we could hear more.” - James Ward-Sinclair, The founder of Autistic & Unapologetic.

That message landed hard for me because I’m always in my head about how I come across, how I sound, how much space I’m taking up. Mimikyu is protecting itself from being misunderstood.

That whole idea of hiding in plain sight? I know that feeling. And I don’t think I’m the only one.

So... Is the Pokémon Creator Autistic?

There’s no confirmed diagnosis, but fans have speculated for years that Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokémon, might be on the spectrum. 

He famously loved collecting bugs as a kid, struggled in traditional school settings, and was intensely focused on building something that mirrored his passions.

Whether he is or isn’t, it doesn’t change the fact that Pokémon feels like something built by someone who thinks differently.

Also, as one user pointed out, in the games, eye contact literally triggers battle (if you know, you know).

It’s definitely crazy enough to make sense. 

Same Game, New Generation

One of the most wholesome things about Pokémon is how it keeps looping back. I’ve seen so many parents, including myself, reconnect with their love of Pokémon because their kids fell in love with it for the first time.

So, here I am, 4 kids later, and a binder system of Pokémon cards that’s more organized than my pantry. 

Oh! And another thing, something I didn’t realize until now is that each of my kids got into Pokémon around age eight. While researching for this piece, I noticed a pattern - many people said they got hooked around the same age. Makes me wonder what it is about Pokémon and being eight years old. Maybe that’s something I’ll write about next. 🧐

If you’re a parent who didn’t grow up with Pokémon, and suddenly your kid is all in, don’t panic. It’s a pretty harmless obsession to have. It’s structured, social, surprisingly educational, and endlessly sortable. Honestly? There are worse things to be fixated on (probably biasedly).

What Happened When Pokémon Hit the Classroom

Actually, it turns out that Pokémon has shown some pretty cool potential in the classroom. 

In this report from The Independent, Australian teachers noticed that playing Pokémon Go in school actually helped autistic students focus. The visual and immersive parts of the game kept their brains just busy enough to help them process what was happening around them.

It wasn’t a distraction. It just helped them focus.

One teacher explained it like this: "For many of the children I teach it’s hard to engage in social activities — even going down to the shops can be socially overwhelming. But what we’re seeing with the Pokémon craze is the same students are making conversation and engaging in social activities through the game."

I find it refreshing that these educators used what kids were already excited about to help them focus and connect, instead of banning it from the classroom.

Pokémon Is One of the Most Wholesome Hobbies Out There

There’s something unshakably wholesome about Pokémon. It encourages kindness to creatures, friendship, and collecting just because it’s fun. It doesn’t ask you to be fast, loud, or competitive.

For a lot of people in the neurodivergent community, that lines up with how we move through the world.

Maybe that’s why it sticks. Pokémon doesn’t expect you to perform. It doesn’t punish you for needing structure or space. It offers a world where the rules are clear, and they stay that way.

If the game still gives you comfort, if sorting your binder still quiets your brain, or if watching your kid get their first holo pull brings back something you thought you lost… Yeah, Same.