Who started playing Pokémon in 1998 - 2002?

Hey!

We are celebrating Pokémon's 30th anniversary this month, and I was just curious if there were any users here who have been playing from the very earliest days?

If so, what are your memories of this era? What has caused Pokémon to continue to be such a big part of your life?

I have so many stories to share, although many of them have already been shared elsewhere already!