Big welcome to PokéCommunity, Michael!
Like you, I've also been a follower of these games since generation one. Which version did you wind up getting? Me--it was Blue, which my dad had given me as a Christmas present. I loved it as soon as I'd started playing; at least in my eyes, it was very addictive! My most favorite game, however, would likely have to be Emerald version (a lot of it is due to nostalgic purposes), with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire being second.
If you aren't into competitive side of Pokémon at the moment, I would definitely recommend you to try it out! It gives us chance to look at Pokémon in a completely different way, so to speak; I'm sure you will enjoy. Anyhow, I hope you have a great time here, dear, and have fun. See you around!