I got the first Pokemon game (Pokemon Red) when I was 14 years old. I never watched the anime. Back then the game was revolutionary, I'd never played anything like it. The goal of collecting all Pokemon, gaining experience to level up, evolving to make new Pokemon, selecting and organising my squad, it really played into my young brain chemistry. I finished it multiple times. I got a game boy link cable to trade Pokemon with my friends and battle them at school. Thats exactly who the game is made for.

I also played and finished Pokemon Silver, and Crystal. But after that I stopped playing them. Too similar, too repetitive, too many different Pokemon to know and remember, mechanics got too complicated.

Well, I have nothing against the players. It's just that it's really hard for me to play this series.

By the way, surprisingly, cartoons are also fictional, but for some reason, child abuse in cartoons is 18+ marked or prohibited. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Its not virtue signaling, people just expect better products? Why can't pokemon pull a zelda-esque quality game instead of the same recycled stuff?

Ah, as one person on YouTube dubbed it, the debate and switch

To be honest, I would probably play a game with such a plot with more pleasure than a game where all Pokemon look like puppies.

I hope the movies are not the same as the cartoons of the 90s. I once watched a couple of episodes where Ash sends Pikachu to fight in the arena and then cries when Pikachu gets hit hard. I just wanted to ask, "buddy, you literally sent Pokemon into the damn arena where he was supposed to FIGHT, what were you hoping for?" But in general, I understand you now. In fact, the plot is not important at all. People just collect Pokemon like Magic the gathering cards.