By day, Cameron, 29, from Alabama works as a firefighter and EMT, but by night they transform into Pokémon. Well, kinda.

Since their job can be really stressful, especially with how the world is going right now, Cameron needs to unwind. Over the years, they discovered cosplay provides them with exactly that.

“Some friends at my old job invited me to a relatively small anime convention about an hour from where we live,” Cameron told Bored Panda. “I left that job for my current one a few months afterward, and suddenly had a lot more money to work with, so I decided to commission my Bellossom cosplay since it’s my favorite Pokémon.”

Cameron was wearing it to conventions the next year and people enjoyed it so much, they made the firefighter appreciate cosplaying as a hobby.

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Shiny Bellossom

Image credits: Pokemon Company

Image credits: mashonem, WakuWakuShop, SMB/Photographics

Image credits: mashonem, WakuWakuShop, SMB/Photographics

Image credits: mashonem, WakuWakuShop, SMB/Photographics

One of Cameron’s favorite statements to make is “Pokémon ain’t ever let me down.”

“I can’t really make that statement anymore after Sword and Shield, but I do still love the franchise as a whole,” they explained. “So I figured even if I’m not gonna be playing the games as much, I’d still have other methods of expressing my enjoyment for the franchise.”

Whether it’s collecting plush toys and figurines, cosplaying, or some other miscellaneous avenue, Pokémon still matters a lot to them.

Terrakion

Image credits: Pokemon Company

Image credits: mashonem, Shashinka Photography

There’s a lot of randomness in the way Cameron chooses the characters they’re going to cosplay next. “I might see a pair of shoes that look nice, then think of a Pokémon that would match. Sometimes it comes from the suggestions that others give me, that’s the entire reason I even cosplayed as Wooloo. Then there are the suggestions I get from other cosplayers, which is similar to the previous point, but with the added benefit of potentially cosplaying as a group. A lot of the time groups don’t even last past the ‘that’d be nice to do’ phase, but that doesn’t stop me from doing the cosplay for myself,” the cosplayer explained their sources of inspiration.

Wooloo

Image credits: Pokemon Company

Image credits: mashonem, Ah_Dorkable, Shashinka Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Ah_Dorkable, Shashinka Photography

At this point, Cameron can only make props and accessories, so they get a lot of [costumes] commissioned.

“For most [of my cosplay ideas], the turnaround time from conception to [the end result] at my doorstep is about 2-3 months. Some take less time (Wooloo only took about 3 weeks), some take more (the Cinderace cosplay that I haven’t even revealed yet took 6 months due to current events adding shipping difficulties).”

The price tag depends on how much material was used for the cosplay. “Mismagius has been my most expensive at around $350 total for the cosplay, shipping, and various accessories that I added to make it look a bit nicer. Meanwhile, Wooloo ended up being $100, and most of that was spent on the hat commission and shipping. I am also required to pay a shoe tax with my cosplays in that I always include a pair of Jordan 1s that match the cosplay in some way, but that comes down to personal style and preference.”

Then there are things like photoshoot costs which are usually around $100 per session, but again, Cameron highlights those aren’t necessary. That said, a good photographer slash editor can really work some magic with their pictures.

Mismagius

Image credits: Pokemon Company

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Tapu Lele

Image credits: Pokemon Company

Image credits: mashonem

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

“I’d like to add the various social media’s for the people that I’ve commissioned and the photographers who captured me at my best. Credit those who got you to where you are!”

SMB/Photographics (Bellossom photo), WakuWakuShop (Bellossom, Tapu Lele, and Mismagius cosplays), Momo Clicks Photography (Tapu Lele and Mismagius photos), MorrissWorld (Terrakion cosplay), Shashinka Photography (Wooloo photo), Ah_Dorkable (Wooloo cosplay)

Image credits: mashonem, Momo Clicks Photography

People are absolutely loving Cameron’s transformations

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