For me, the most nostalgic part of Pokemon is just the cultural phenomenon it has been since first being released in 1996. For a lot of us, Pokemon is what we grow up with as kids, just as Mario and Donkey Kong were icons of the generation prior to mine. Seeing how the game has evolved since I first started playing Pokemon as a young child to where it's now at with Sword & Shield about to be released, it's just crazy that I've witnessed all of it. From playing the games, to watching the anime, to bonding with other kids over the trading cards, to just watching Let's Plays on YouTube - Pokemon has been one of the few consistencies throughout my life. Even though I'm unable to play Pokemon Sword/Shield, due to not being able to afford a Switch (broke college student life), I can still enjoy these games, and any future ones, regardless of my ability to play them or not.
