Everybody has embarrassing moments they would like to undo and haunting memories that trigger the deepest cringe a human body can muster. We all have a cheeky guilty pleasure we would rather keep to ourselves.

Here, feast your eyes as your classmates spill their guilty pleasures, funny stories and embarrassing tales. This is Wild Secrets.

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Quite frankly, the wonderful world of Pokémon is a franchise that has kept my inner child alive and well since I began my studies at NMU. I have always had a collector’s personality, so the appeal of a franchise whose marketing is based on the tagline “Gotta catch ‘em all” was not lost on me when I first came across it. 

Some may consider it a “childish” guilty pleasure, but I think there is a joy that can be found within Pokémon’s immersive world of little creatures with spectacular powers. Rekindling the joys of childhood as a young adult is something that everyone should get a chance to find, and I am fortunate enough that I have found something that sparks that joy inside. 

I did not get into Pokémon as a child. I stumbled across it when I was 18, trying to find myself in the endless barrage of growth and change that comes with that age. I first bought a booster pack of cards and found such a thrill in ripping open the package, hoping for a rare holographic card, that I decided to keep buying packs and eventually built a collection of prized possessions. 

I think the most expensive card I own is a Pokémon Topps “In the Pink” Series Three Orange Islands. This card can be sold for around $300. But given the condition mine is in, I am not sure what its exact value is. 

I eventually branched out from not just card collecting, but the video games too. I received Pokémon Shield as a Christmas gift, and my eyes were opened to the world of the Galar region where I was able to catch, care for and battle various types of Pokémon to my heart’s content. 

I soon committed myself to learning everything I possibly could about the franchise, from the cards to the games, to the anime, and everything in between. I was able to teach myself to play the card game, and the stack of pre-built decks I keep in a drawer at my bedside is a testament to the time and skill I have dedicated to mastering it. 

My partner can still beat me most times, but honestly, just getting to play the game is half the fun. 

I have found the most valuable part of the Pokémon franchise to be the way it can help change the lives of those around them. I recently sent in a donation to a charity called Pokélanthropy, based in Bellflower, California, whose mission is to use Pokémon to help those in need. I was able to send a box of bulk cards that were taking up space at home, and they will repackage and donate them to children who may not have the means to get good-quality cards. 

Genuinely, that is the part about Pokémon that I love the most. It inspires people like me to be generous, kind and spark joy whenever we get the opportunity, because a franchise so beloved by its fans can only hope to spread that happiness to others who share similar passions. 

Joy is meant to be shared, and Pokémon has a way of spreading it to the far reaches of the world in ways I can only hope to do myself.

To submit your own Wild Secret, message the North Wind on Instagram @northwindnews or email [email protected].