>>47552048This but unironically.
It was the height of Pokemania, and G/S hype was monumental. ALL kids in school were talking about it. When we finally got our hands on it, it was like aura among students themselves changed. Exploring Johto, trading secrets and discoveries in the schoolyard (Complete with ludicrous "That kid" stories), and shitting our collective pants at all the new stuff (WHAT THE FUCK KANTO IS IN IT) was a very vivid memory for me and I imagine many others. Right there and then, I realized it would never become better than this, and I've to play a Pokemon since that managed to feel like a genuine event, like you were part of something.
For a quaint little bubble in the early 2000s, we weren't just playing a silly game, we actually were Pokemon trainers. Or at least thats what it felt like. "Muh leveling curve" or "Monster Availability" feel really inconsequential when stacked up to that. Which isn't exactly objective and fair, but who cares? This was our time, and we were just glad to be there.
