I am a 21 year old zoomer that grew up with BW and BW2. I never played a Kanto game. LGPE looked like absolute toddler bait so I had 0 interest.

Then FRLG came to the Switch and I took the bait.

I was absolutely floored. After finishing my playthrough I had to go play Pokémon Red as well. After playing it, I felt like I experienced the gates of the soul. It genuinely felt like I was spiritually staring straight at Tajiri-san. I started bawling.

I went and looked at the old watercolor artwork, the original 151 TCG cards, and merch from that time. I felt this weird warmth, like nostalgia for something that was never actually mine. Like a moment in time that I somehow missed.

Pokémon’s true explosion, its real magic, all of it just streamed into me at once. I kept staring at that watercolor art and it honestly felt like my soul left my body for a second and transported me to the 90s, a world full of laughter and excitement where people just wanted to share Pokémon with each other.

Not constant infighting. Not endless arguments online.No competitive shitters min/max stat numbers. No degenerate trannies. No scalpers trying to make this franchise into a jewish investment.

Just people being excited about Pokémon.

And I cried again.

It felt like something beautiful existed before my time.

And I was robbed.