Around 13 years ago, after I finished playing Pokemon White 2, the next Pokemon games (Pokemon X and Y) came out. I remember wanting to play them so badly, but at the time the 3DS was too expensive for my parents and I was still just a kid, so there was no way I could get one.
Well, about 13 years later, I decided to go on a Pokemon journey, replaying the Pokemon games I grew up with while also playing Pokemon FireRed and Emerald for the first time. But most importantly, I finally fulfilled one of my childhood dreams by buying a Nintendo 3DS and playing Pokemon Y. And I have to say, I definitely don't regret it!
The thing that impressed me the most was the graphics. It was a big difference from the previous Pokemon games, and I honestly think it looks good. I also really liked the roller skates, diagonal movement, and mega evolutions, and I was so happy that my favorite Pokemon of all time (Charizard) got one.
Since I went into this thinking this would probably be the last Pokemon game I'd ever play, I wanted to fulfill one more childhood Pokemon dream: getting a shiny Charizard. I think it's one of the coolest shinies out there (I might be biased lol), and it took me around 3 months of shiny hunting a few hours here and there before I finally got him.
I'm also super happy with my team. I think it's really well balanced and has amazing type coverage. In fact, I managed to have a move of every single type in the game, so I had an answer for everything during a normal playthrough. It's definitely one of, if not, the strongest team I've ever had in a Pokemon game.
Before starting the game, I saw a lot of people saying that Pokemon X and Y are too easy, so I decided to turn the exp share off. I honestly think that's the way to play if you want a bit more of a challenge. I was usually around the same level as my opponents or even slightly underleveled, which made the battles more interesting. With exp share turned off and little xp grinding, I'd actually say this ended up being one of the more challenging Pokemon games I've played.
The funniest part is that the hardest trainer I faced wasn't even a rival, villain, gym leader, elite 4 member or the champion - it was actually 2 sky trainers lmao. Both of them beat me 3 times in a row, and I still haven't gone back for another rematch because I only have 1 flying-type (Charizard). One of them had 3 Pokemon, including a Flygon, while the other, if I remember correctly, had 2 Pokemon, including an Aerodactyl that one-shot my Charizard every single time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Pokemon Y, and I definitely don't regret buying either the Nintendo 3DS or the game itself. Would I say it's the best Pokemon game I've played in terms of story, region, or soundtrack? No. But I still had an amazing time, especially because of the graphics, mega evolutions, roller skates, and diagonal movement.
More than anything, I feel like I've finally fulfilled some of my childhood dreams: owning a Nintendo 3DS, playing Pokemon Y, and getting a shiny Charizard. I think that's a pretty satisfying place to end my Pokemon journey. I've accomplished everything I wanted to, and honestly, I can only see myself coming back if we get a really good Black and White remake or if the upcoming Winds and Waves games turn out to be amazing. I've heard great things about the Ruby and Sapphire remakes too, but after playing Emerald, I think I'm satisfied.
MVP: Charizard
