I don't like Pokémon, But I don't know why..

I have tried so MANY times to play Pokémon. When I was younger, I tried to play Gold, but never could. My brother fell in love with the game. I remember seeing all the Pokémon he had caught, level-uped and named. It was impressive, but when ever I tried I found that I was forcing myself just to get through the opening moments.

Why? I really don't understand what part of my brain has decided to make me dislike Pokémon. The games look like so much fun. I love the idea of a world filled with weird and exotic creatures. Towns to explore, people to meet and Pokémon to fight. It all sounds so exciting and interesting.

But then I try to play...well any of the games and all I find is a game that I just can not get into. Sometimes its the opening moments, where you are usually told to go here and talk to this dude to then listen to him tell you to talk to this person who will give you this thing so you can get....

By that point I have shut off Pokémon and moved on.

Then sometimes it's the fact that I feel like I need to grind. Here, look- bushes. Every-time you enter you will fight a random monster. EVERY-TIME. For some reason my brain seems to take that as a clear hint that I need to grind. So as I move through the game I keep seeing bushes..I keep grinding and I find my self losing interest. That is not Pokémon's fault, that's my brain doing that to me.

Still, after a while I just lose any real desire to play and move on.

Sometimes I start to have fun. I catch a neat looking creature and I'm just enjoying my day. Then I walk a bunch and oh, well can't go that way till I get a certain item or Pokémon. It's cool, I'll just walk this way for awhile...oh..I need something to go this way....Well, what ever I'll just go this way and ....oh.

I know that none of the puzzles in Pokémon are really that challenging. More or less they amount to a way to keep you on the right path when it comes to Pokémon and items, etc. But my brain, well it just does not want any of that and after going the wrong way 4 times then having to walk through that damn area FILLED with bushes and one-way-down cliffs I put Pokémon down and move on.

I have yet to tried Black and White 1/2 or X/Y - so things might have changed...maybe my brain will let me play finally. I really hope so. The improved 3D graphics of X/Y might help, but really I never had an issue with the art style or presentation of Pokemon. After thinking about it for a long time, I still don't understand what my brain hates about Pokémon.

I guess, sadly, I will never have a chance to catch 'em all..