I wasn't into Pokemon when I was a kid... in fact, I really started getting into it until I was 15 years old. (This is probably because my mom was one of those convinced that Pokemon was 'evil'). After playing Sapphire, however, I was hooked.
Although I don't consider myself a 'gamer', I've played my fair share of video games... everything from RPGs to shooters to adventure platformers to Starcraft. Out of all these games, however, Pokemon was the only game I could really ENJOY. Unlike the other games, Pokemon wasn't about killing your enemy or intense competition... it was about making friends, having fun battles and becoming stronger through courage and determination. In other words, Pokemon represented everything good, clean and fun while the other games were all angsty heroes and bloodshed. Because of this, I played Pokemon more than any other game.
Whenever somebody asks me and my friends what our favorite games are, my friends are quick to list games like Battlefield 2142, Final Fantasy 7 and Halo. I, however, always confidently say "Pokemon". Sure, I may get some weird looks, but I don't care. I'm a pokemaniac and I'm damn proud of it.