I don't really play Pokemon that much anymore.
I do enjoy reading practically anything, but what I like doing the most is arguing. And before you start talking about unhealthy obsessions, let me explain what I mean. I like matching minds about anything and discuss a matter as deeply as possible. And there's nothing more efficient than arguing about it with someone.
This is my favorite pastime recently as well. I used to have no clue where I stood on many things outside of my academics and hobbies, but, upon opening up through a series of difficult scenarios, I came to realize my penchant for discourse. I pride myself on an unorthodox, open worldview and carry a certain fearlessness with me about discussing it. Almost everything I am goes against the grain, and I love the ability to allow this to interact with different people. It opens up so many possibilities.
With that said, introspection and philosophy are the root interests I have that lead me to such heavy discussion. I'm a constant soul searcher and continually look inside myself and around me to grasp the finer aspects of existence. In turn, discourse helps me refine these interests and allow them to interact with what I believe is the true test of their worth - reality. Fantasy isn't as much of a thing to me as one may think.
Writing is a long-held interest of mine that found substance once I went through my philosophical conversions, and it continues to be a great outlet (wink). Before, I wrote just to write because of sheer fun, but the way it can convey my sentiments through either personal experiences or narratives is something I value highly. This is an avenue I can definitely see myself traveling in the future.
Psychology, specifically abnormal psychology, was an early newfound interest of mine during the years of opening up, for reasons I don't quite know now. My sense of humor and fascination with dark and dodgy topics led me to some shows like Criminal Minds and Dexter, and I found a lot of interest in the mechanisms behind the myriad personalities that walk this earth. I am self-taught, but over two years of exposure to both scientific findings and personal accounts from disordered individuals have taught me quite a bit and cemented it as an interest. This is also a cause of my philosophical bent because so many different worldviews were exposed to me.
Rap is a long-time interest as well, oddly enough - both listening and writing (and recording). I love intricate rhyme schemes and messages in lyrics, and there's something about the style known as chopper (fast-paced) rap that helps me appreciate the music. I write with all of these in mind, and overall it functions just like writing fiction and whatnot - it's expression, just in few words and to a beat (if done right). I don't know what I want to do with this in the future.
Due to natural talent and a high drive for achievement, I place a lot in my running career. This is a nice channel for my innate competitiveness, and it helps me connect with other athletes and become part of a team (school right now and likely a running team in the future). I'm good at it, and it satisfies my appetite while connecting me with others, so why not?
Yu-Gi-Oh is the one card game I play as of now due to strategic interactions and complexity. It is a true mental challenge with the archetypes I play, and I enjoy that factor. To be honest, Pokemon just became too ridiculous and linear for me once EXs made a reappearance. The video games still have a good amount of strategy that makes me play them at times, but even it has issues with powercreep just like the card game did after Black & White.
You can often find me reading any possible type of literature or watching any possible type of video from philosophical blog posts to forums to social media to Youtube documentaries to novels to my own small writings in order to simply expose myself to more of the world. I have no inhibitions concerning the material, so I do mean anything.
Overall, a lot of my hobbies and interests are integral parts of who I am and directly apply to myself, I suppose. I don't do a lot of things simply because they are fun - I value the deeper ramifications and gauge lots of things on how they impact me.