>>52106597To further expand on this, Pokemon had the unusual ability of making fans feel unique yet still part of a community. Everybody had a fave Pokemon, and with 151 of them there's a good chance your fave was different from your friend's. Yet it was still a Pokemon, so liking it still made you a fan and part of the wider community, even if nobody else liked your shitmon.
It bought people together in a way that- at the time- was completely unheard of. It encouraged you to make friends and link up with others to complete your collection, whether it was cards or Pokedex entries. Shit, I remember prowling the departure lounge when I went on holiday looking for another kid with a Gameboy, just to ask them if they wanted to battle or trade.
Pokemon was a social experience, not just a gaming one, and that really resonated with people.