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I have been playing Pokemon games since I was six years old and of all the franchises that I grew up with, Pokemon had the most significant impact on me. I will stop playing for extended periods of time, but I always come back to it in one way or another. I recently started playing Pokemon again, and it’s gotten me thinking about why this game series has followed me for basically my entire life, and I have never really lost interest in it.

Nostalgia

I can’t deny that nostalgia is a big part of why I still enjoy the franchise. Whenever I play the game I am transported back to my childhood bedroom, Gameboy Color in hand, playing my copy of Pokemon Crystal late at night when I should’ve been sleeping. That feeling has never gone away no matter how many new games are added to the series. You still go on a grand adventure, a partner Pokemon by your side, encountering new creatures to catch and meeting interesting characters. No matter how the visuals or gameplay mechanics change, it still maintains the core elements of what made the series so enjoyable in the first place. All of The things I loved about it then I still love about it now and even though the new games can be pretty different and jarring at times, they always manage to be a new and unique experience while also satisfying my nostalgia

I Have Learned More About The Game

One of the great things about Pokemon that I didn’t realize when I was a kid was just how complicated it can be, especially if you want to play competitively. Most people never look any deeper than the main story and while that is still an excellent experience you can get so much more out of the game if you start to look at the competitive mechanics of it. It’s definitely not easy, the world of breeding for the right IVs and natures along with training to make your Pokemon competitively viable can have a steep learning curve and be very time-consuming and tedious, but it is incredibly rewarding. There’s nothing quite like winning your first battle with a team you have spent endless hours breeding and training. I’ve had so much fun battling at a competitive level over the past few years, and I don’t see myself ever getting tired of it anytime soon.

It’s Just Fun

I could go on and on about the reasons why the Pokemon series has stuck with me for as long as it has but the bottom line is that it’s just a lot of fun! I still get excited when I capture a Pokémon or battle someone. I think it might be more fun now than it was back then, due to the excellent online community, improved mechanics and new ways to play!

From the time I was six years old to today, Pokemon has never failed to bring a smile to my face, no matter what is going on around me and I will always be grateful for that.