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I have Pikachu, Shield and Pearl and all are fantastic games that I put plenty of time in to.
If you can only have one, Sword/Shield seem to be staying the “hub” games for now. They have the widest variety, the most modernized structure, and the most diverse roster of competitively viable Pokémon.
Pearl and Pikachu are fun if you are a nostalgic player and like variety in shiny hunting options.
I’d probably go with Pearl since it’s new and therefore the most active. And considering it’s status as an emulated legacy game, I’m sure you’ll be able to consistently find other trainers there for at least a couple of years.
