The time: Fall/Winter 98
The place: My house
I have just received my newest Disney Adventures magazine in the mail. As I page through the stories, comics, and features, an ad on the very last page piques me: a bunch of weird creatures about to be caught in huge net. One creature stands out to me: a little yellow mouse with a lightning bolt shaped tail. I keep him in mind as I put the magazine on the shelf.
The next day, at school, i asked my best friend at the time just what this "Pokemon" thing that was taking the school by storm was. He then proceeds to show me a figure of the mouse creature, which he tells me is named "Pikachu". After he told me about Ash, Misty, Brock, and the rest of the gang, I decided I would get my hands on one of the games or catch the show on TV.
I went and got Blue that weekend--and the rest is history.
I have since stopped watching the show (due to the voice change), but I still play the games--because there is so much we don't know about the Pokeworld, and there's so many possibilities to explore that the games, the show, and the manga haven't touched.