

Gen 2 is my favorite Gen, and I’m long off the Pokémon train, with Black + White as the last titles I engaged with.
I loved Heart Gold and Soul Silver. They feel like the polished, finished versions of gen 2. Most of the gen 3/4 pokemon aren’t really available until later on in the game, so it will probably feel very comfortable and familiar to you. At one point, I found a hack of HG/SS that upped the difficulty by making the AI stronger and smarter in ways that still felt natural to the game–e.g. gym leaders had a full team and used more healing items, sometimes x-items. It also added in ways to catch all the Pokémon to max the dex, which is really what I cared most about.
Honestly, the newer 3d games with hundreds more Pokémon and new battle/catching/evolution mechanics just don’t look or feel like Pokémon to me, so I haven’t tried them.









I like my Aventon ebike. It’s also as easy to work on as a regular bike; i.e., you can do basic repairs without being an electrician.