>>54192920the fandom was at its peak because:
>the games were still decent-good >DP info was being drip-fed to us over the course of years, generating lots of hype>pre-mass normie adoption of the internet>also before Pokémon Go, social media, and Kanto-baiting influenced hordes of normies to return to the seriesI think a big thing that must be conveyed is that it can't be understated how uncool and cringy it was to like Pokémon in gens 3-5. The franchise was straight up treated with zero respect in gaming communities. It was lonely, but looking back, it really made the fanbase feel authentic and special.
