Conventions are a place for people to be themselves. When you’re immersed in a fandom, nothing else matters but the joy it brings. Pokémon has thousands of followers worldwide, but one fan recently scored an ultra-rare piece of merch at a North Carolina Convention…for free. While some vendors wouldn’t bat an eye at an excited fan, Phill Faust, owner of Beard Dad Cardz, couldn’t love his fans more. Staying true to that, he made Collect-a-Con a day to remember for one such fan, who people are now saying to “protect at all costs.”
In a video posted by Beard Dad Cardz, a fan stands out in the crowded convention hall. Faust can be heard saying, “Hey, how are you?” To which the fan, Sofia, responds, “I’m super good! I’ve watched your videos a lot, so I’m super excited.” She’s visibly stimming the entire time, a typical behavior for neurodivergents. Faust doesn’t miss a beat, instead reassuring Sofia while asking about her favorite Pokémon.
She tells him Umbreon and Espeon, and then, in a moment of self-awareness, Sofia pauses. “Sorry,” she says, “I get really excited like this. I was looking around the con so I could find you.” Hand movements, finger flicking, or other repetitive stimming motions are often helpful in regulating emotions. Whereas many people would be unsure how to respond in this situation, Faust chooses to make this one of the best days of the Pokémon fan’s life.
“I wanna help you,” he says. “I wanna get you something so that you can remember today. So is there maybe a card you’re looking for?” Before Sofia can respond, Faust tells her that one of his chat moderators donated $50 to her purchase. “Seriously?” Sofia says, clearly floored. “100%, yeah. They’re really excited that you’re here,” responds Faust. As Sofia becomes visibly more excited, Faust tells her not to worry about the prices. “I’m sure we can make it work,” he’s heard saying in the video.
Before she even has a chance to scope the Pokémon cards, another chat member donates $20. Immediately after, an employee standing next to Faust, Brian, hands him $30 in cash. And, with another $10 donation from the chat, Sofia’s purchase donations soar to $110. “You guys are awesome,” says Faust to the ongoing live chat, “Sofia’s so happy, guys. She can’t contain her happiness right now.”
It’s not unusual for autistic people to apologize for stimming, among other behaviors. Neurodivergents often feel different from allistic people, feeling the need to apologize constantly. “I’m sorry,” Sofia says in the video, “I’m autistic, so I just kinda…” At this moment, fans jumped in to defend and encourage her. “I love everything about this. Sofia, never apologize for who you are. The world is a beautiful place with you in it. Keep being you, too, Phil! That’s why Sofia can be who she is! Brian, you’re awesome too!! It’s moments like this that make me happy to be here,” says user pokechechi.
Even Faust had the chat in tears, responding to Sofia with, “It’s okay, don’t apologize, it’s totally fine. We love you for who you are, Sofia.” Immediately after, he hands Brian back his cash, saying, “The thought means more than the money.” By the end of the interaction, the chat had raised enough money to cover even the most expensive Pokémon cards on the table. Sofia walked away with a Prismatic Umbreon card, worth anywhere from $800 to $1700, according to one user. In the end, Faust captioned the video by saying, “I’m a firm believer that ‘everything happens for a reason.’ Hayden pulled that god pack for a reason… Sofia was the reason!”
