Woman questions 3-year relationship after boyfriend gives her Pokémon gifts he wanted for himself

Gift-giving is a way to make people feel special, especially when someone puts effort into arranging thoughtful and surprising presents for their partner. On the other hand, neglecting a partner's preferences when offering tokens of love can create tension in a relationship. A similar issue arose when a woman’s boyfriend prioritized his own interests over hers. The 26-year-old girlfriend—who goes by u/notkelsey719 on Reddit—opened up her disappointing experience during the last holiday season. In a widely circulated post, she asked the online community for advice on whether to continue her three-year relationship after receiving a series of gifts that held no interest or meaning for her.

“My boyfriend got me Pokémon gifts for Christmas, and I can’t seem to move past it. Should I call it quits or try to work things out?” the woman wrote, sharing the details of what went down between the couple. They had both discussed their Christmas budgets and exchanged hints about their gift preferences leading up to the holiday. “I mentioned wanting a few beauty products and a specific hoodie, and I knew Pokémon packs were at the top of his list,” the post explained. Additionally, the girlfriend claimed that she made sure her partner received what he wanted most. “I knew Pokémon packs were at the top of his list, so I made sure to get him some,” she wrote. However, when Christmas arrived, she was shocked to find that her boyfriend had not only ignored her wishes but had also purchased gifts intended to enhance his own Pokémon collection.

The woman was left speechless after unwrapping her presents, only to realize that all the gifts catered to her boyfriend's interests. “To my surprise, I opened my gifts, and the first one was a pack of Pokémon cards. The next one was also a booster box of Pokémon cards,” she shared in her post. To her dismay, the third and final gift turned out to be yet another booster box. Though furious, she managed to keep her anger in check over her boyfriend's thoughtless choice of gifts. She initially thought it might be a joke, asking him if he was serious, but he smirked at her, confirming that the presents were indeed meant for her. “That’s it, those were my three gifts. I am not and never have been interested in Pokémon,” she shared, expressing her disappointment at receiving gifts that were of no use to her.

"I went to our bedroom to gather my thoughts, but when I came back, I was shocked to find the gifts opened and sprawled across the floor. I couldn’t believe he had actually bought them for himself and tried to pass them off as presents for me,” the woman said. Moreover, she found it difficult to overlook her boyfriend’s actions as every time she attempted to address the issue, he justified his behavior. “Every time I have tried to bring it up, he has told me how expensive those booster boxes were and how I made him feel bad for not appreciating my gifts,” the post concluded, inviting a variety of reactions. “He didn’t even have to pay attention; she literally wrote him a list. Couldn’t have been any easier to pretend he gives a s**t about her,” u/waitingfordeathhbu shared. “This is absolutely a sign to drop him like a bad habit. Because if his face is crumbling, things will get worse, and if it's not, he has the emotional range of a potato,” u/Cat_tophat365247 remarked.