First I'd heard about it, before the cartoon, there were 3 second adverts in the UK, with random Pokemon and their name and Pokedex number on the screen. First thing I remember about it, was this pink thing walking across the screen going 'Clefairy' for 3 seconds?
Of course, I was totally confused, but then more of them came up. I took an interest in these things, having a fondness for things most people find strange. Anyway, I found out that these strange things came from a game, which was coming out soon. Then I hear on the radio about the strange addiction to Pokemon cards and how schools were banning them.
After that, I waited until the games were out, and I got hold of Blue and started playing.