Gen 2 was my starting Gen, but I hate Johto, and HGSS were the first main series games I really had zero ambition to play-through. It took eleven months from start to reach Kanto, that's how much I loathed Johto, Johtomons, and Johto generation.
I love Hoenn and wished Gen 3 had been my starting gen. I realized I hated every game that preceded and succeeded Gen 3, up until ORAS. And since their release, I've continued to loathe ever main series title.
