>>55797665>>55797694Pokemon aren't the only thing that people do in the series; they're another hobby along with whatever they're into first, instead of the other way around. You have stuff like the dragon tamers, Morty's ghost talents, and Whitney saying she only just got into Pokemon. The generic trainer classes also have a very distinct grittiness to them that combines with the extreme Japaneseness (Kyoto just kicks ass as a design motif, and the Japs know that) to anchor you in the Y2K Japan era.
It's fascinating social commentary and a setting motif that they lost as the series went on, but it really grounded it for me. When I think of Johto I think of how real it feels, and how much I would like to be there. It's pure comfort that gets enhanced in a lot of ways in HGSS, but is also lost a little bit in the Sinnoh (which is still a cozy region) shuffle.
