Wait, I haven't posted here yet? Well then, let's get right to it.
The date I made my account was October 21st, 2018, right in the middle of a time in my life where thing we definitely far from bad per sé, but I still felt some sort of jealousy and sadness upon seeing my friends and family start to grow up and progress in life whereas I felt like I was falling behind. In any case, I can't really remember the exact reason why I joined. Late 2018 would have been around the second half of Pokémon's seventh generation with Let's Go right around the corner. Unfortunately, the time that has followed since then have probably been my worst years as far as being a Pokémon fan is concerned.
I won't lie about this much. I actually really liked a lot of what the Nintendo Switch era of Pokémon has had going for it, and that still remains true to this day. My growing anxiety in the last two years in particular, alongside my tendency to dwell on the negative things in life when I'm upset, was ultimately what led me to be a lot more harsh towards Pokémon's material than I should be. I hesitate to even call Sword & Shield my least favorite Pokémon games due to wishing I could give Pokémon a fair shot again.
What does any of this have to do with me joining Smogon? Excellent question. I started playing Pokémon Showdown a year prior and had just turned sixteen that summer, so maybe those had something to do with it. But really, the reason I've not only joined, but have stayed for three years now is because I absolutely adore this community, and for a while have felt like finding my places within the Pokémon fanbase would be what saves my interest in this franchise as a whole- because I very rarely had those kinds of chances to play with others growing up.
2021 has marked my lowest points of interest in Pokémon to date despite the promises that Pokémon's 25th anniversary year would bring happiness. I love what Pokémon has done for others this year, but it would admittedly be nice to see the games A. not rushed out a year early a la Sword & Shield, and B. have a reason to go back to playing games I've played before.
Add-On: But to be perfectly honest, it's not those things that bother me. Sword & Shield being a 2019 title when I've always said it should have been a 2020 release was inevitable, especially if my "Gen 9 in 2023" theories stick. Mathematically, a rushed 2019 release followed by Gen 8.5 via Legends: Arceus in 2021 (numerous leakers have said COVID delays happened but they still wanted a release before February) makes perfect sense. No... what really bothers me more than anything is how an independent group like Smogon has done more for me than the games have when it comes to addressing more... personal issues. That's a compliment to us, but a huge blow to Pokémon.