The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles was packed to the brim with Hollywood royalty. It was the spring of 1995, the night of the 67th Academy Awards.
Evelyn Blackwood was gripping the armrests of her velvet seat so hard her knuckles were white. Richard, sitting on the other side, was continuously fixing his bow tie, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
Sitting right between them was twelve-year-old Donovan, happily eating a small bag of smuggled M&M's he had hidden in his tuxedo pocket.
Up on the brightly lit stage, the presenter opened the golden envelope for Best Supporting Actor.
"And the nominees are..." The presenter read the list, and the massive screens above the stage showed the clips. "Samuel L. Jackson for *Pulp Fiction*. Gary Sinise for *Forrest Gump*. Martin Landau for *Ed Wood*. And Donovan Blackwood for *The Sixth Sense*."
The crowd erupted into applause. Every camera in the building flashed toward the Blackwood family. Evelyn stopped breathing.
Donovan just smiled and popped a red M&M into his mouth. He already knew exactly who was going to win. He had seen *Ed Wood*. Martin Landau's performance was an absolute masterclass in acting. There was no way a twelve-year-old kid in his second movie was going to beat that, and honestly, Donovan didn't want to.
"And the Oscar goes to... Martin Landau!"
The auditorium exploded with cheers as the veteran actor made his way to the stage. Evelyn let out a long sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly in disappointment. Richard patted her hand, looking a little bummed out.
Donovan, however, stood up enthusiastically, clapping as loud as he could with a massive grin on his face. He looked so genuinely happy for the older actor that a nearby camera zoomed in on him, capturing the perfect image of a humble, gracious kid who was just thrilled to be there.
"Sorry, Donnie," Richard whispered over the loud applause, patting his son's shoulder. "You'll get them next time."
"Dad, I'm twelve," Donovan laughed, sitting back down. "If I win an Oscar now, what am I supposed to do for the rest of my life? Come on, let's go to the after-party. I hear they have a chocolate fountain."
By the time Monday morning rolled around, Oakridge Academy was buzzing.
Donovan walked into the cafeteria carrying his usual lunch tray. The moment he sat down at his table, Chris Evans slammed his hands on the table, looking absolutely devastated.
"You got robbed!" Chris yelled, ignoring the stares from the other kids. "Robbed! That guy was just an old dude in a black-and-white movie! You literally talked to ghosts! You cried on command, Donnie!"
Jake Gyllenhaal took a bite of his sandwich, shaking his head. "Boston is right, man. My mom was yelling at the TV. We thought you had it in the bag."
"Guys, relax," Donovan smiled, taking a bite of his pizza. "It's just a golden statue. Besides, I brought something way better than an Oscar today."
Chris crossed his arms, pouting. "Nothing is better than an Oscar."
"Are you sure about that?" Donovan asked, raising an eyebrow.
He unzipped his backpack and reached inside. He pulled out three thick, grey bricks. They were brand-new Nintendo Game Boys. But that wasn't the real prize. Sitting inside the back of the consoles were three grey cartridges with a very familiar, bright yellow electric mouse printed on the front.
*Pokémon: Red Version* and *Pokémon: Blue Version*.
He slid one console toward Chris and one toward Jake.
"My dad's software company finished manufacturing these over the weekend," Donovan said casually. "They hit the stores in Japan next month, and the US later this year. But I got us the early copies."
Jake picked up the heavy grey console, turning it on. The classic green-tinted screen lit up with a satisfying *ping*. "Whoa. Is this the monster game you went to Seattle to fix?"
"Yep," Donovan nodded, turning his own console on. "Choose your starting monster. I took the fire one. You guys can pick water or grass."
For the next ten minutes, Chris and Jake were completely silent, their eyes glued to the small screens. They were completely mesmerized by the simple, addictive gameplay.
"Okay, my turtle thing just leveled up," Jake announced proudly.
"My dinosaur is better," Chris shot back, mashing the A button. "Can we fight each other?"
Donovan smirked. This was the moment that was going to change the entertainment industry forever. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple, grey wire with two connectors on the ends. The Link Cable.
"Plug this into the side of your Game Boys," Donovan instructed.
Chris and Jake connected the wire. A few seconds later, their screens flashed. They were no longer playing alone; their games had officially connected. The battle music started playing.
"No way," Chris gasped, his eyes going wide as Jake's turtle appeared on his screen. "I can actually attack you?!"
"Use your dinosaur's scratch attack," Donovan laughed.
"Take that, Gyllenhaal!" Chris yelled happily.
By the end of the lunch period, the scene at the table had completely devolved into chaos. Chris and Jake were intensely battling, trading, and screaming at their screens. Half the cafeteria had abandoned their food and gathered around their table, standing on their tiptoes just to get a glimpse of the little monsters fighting on the green screens.
"What is that?" Leo Vance asked from the back of the crowd, trying to act like he didn't care, but clearly stretching his neck to see. "Can I play?"
"No, Leo, you don't even have a turtle!" Chris yelled without looking up.
Donovan sat back in his chair, quietly finishing his pizza while the crowd of kids cheered for Jake's monster. He had lost the Oscar, sure. But looking at the absolute absolute obsession radiating from his friends and classmates, Donovan knew he had just won something much, much bigger.
The Golden Age of Gaming had officially begun.