Hey OP. I replied to your thread on /v/ this morning. Great stuff. I loved reading everyone's responses. Anyway, here's mine again with slightly different answers.
>What was your first pokemon game?Pokémon Red Version along with my new Grape Purple Nintendo GameBoy Color on Christmas of 1999. Great memories and got me addicted to Pokémon since.
>What generation did you have peak enjoyment with the franchise?So this morning I said it was a tie between Gen 1, 2, 3 and 4 because they're all great and it's hard for me to choose, but if I had to pick one it would be Gen 4. For me, Gen 4 had so much great games. HGSS, Platinum, Explorers of Sky, Battle Revolution, etc. Yes, I even liked Diamond/Pearl. Gen 4 feels classic and modern at the same time.
>What in your opinion is the best mainline game, and what is your favorite spinoff?For me, the best mainline game is Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver Version, and the best spinoff is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky.
>At what point do you think the soul was lost and the magic died?So this morning I said Gen 5, but I'd like to change that to Gen 6. Even though Gen 5 had less soul than the first four generations (no more Stadium games, no more Game Corners, no more Secret Bases, simplified regions, etc.), it still had soul and magic nonetheless. BW and BW2 were good games that I liked, and I liked Conquest. Gen 6 had Super Mystery Dungeon which I liked, but XY and ORAS were the first mainline base and remakes to mostly lack soul and magic. Gen 7 had USUM with its amazing soundtrack and tropical beach setting, Gen 8 has Legends Arceus which I really love, Gen 9 has Scarlet/Violet which I like. Every generation for me has at least one soulful and magical game, but the quantity and intensity of said magic and soul really dwindled starting with Gen 6.
>What do you think the future of pokemon is?I'm slightly optimistic.
>Bonus Q:>Who is your favorite pokemon? Ho-oh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XjouKSkSeM 