>>38656766Pokemon was like the glue that bonded a bunch of us kids back in lower and middle school, creating a common ground that allowed us to become friends. I have many fond memories of playing the game, trading cards, and discussing the anime with faces I will never see again.
As for high school, I didn't really know many people that still played Pokemon around that time. It was during the B/W era and a lot of people disliked that era so it makes sense. I actually remember during a speech class, some autist gave a presentation about why gen 5 sucked, and brought up how Charizard is cooler than a trash bag, no joke.
I'm 21 now and have met classmates and co-workers who, interestingly, are still very much into Pokemon. There are 6 of us and we formed a mini league on Showdown in which we compete with each other every weekend.
Good stuff, I never imagined as kid I'd still be playing Pokemon as much as I still do, even if the last couple gens have been weak. I really don't think it will ever leave me.
