What Was Up With Pokémon X and Y? 

Although having 4 rivals was awkward gameplay-wise I love the purpose behind them. The game is centered around the theme of life, with the two box art legends either giving or taking life. The point of the rivals is to show that people want and get different things out of life. You all set off on the adventure of life now that you’re grown, one wants power, one wants artistic expression, one wants knowledge, and my favorite (Shauna) simply wants to have fun experiences and make bonds with people. It really is beautiful when you think about it, with beauty also being the theme of the French landscape.

I think the main struggle with XY's story is it doesn't have a "hook" to keep people's attention. There are some big ideas in XY which resonate with each other pretty well; Team Flare are a bunch of billionaire, elitist scientists (they charge $5,000,000 to join their club). Lysandre inherited everything from his bloodline, and the family benefitted from past wars. The Battle Chateau measures your worth against French nobility. Emma's story touches on child homelessness and poverty in modern cities. And on and on. Basically it's about money and class related issues in Europe. People born into wealth vs starting from zero (even Calem/Serena was the child of some ace trainers, and thinks they should be better than you). But the game never forces you to engage with these issues directly, or develops a character arc to follow. It's mostly background storytelling without a clear arc from start to finish. You spend a-lot of time doing things like Gyms without building tension or stakes along the way. So some people will call the story "forgettable", or they think it just doesn't have anything to say. In something like Black/White, the Gyms were part of the plot because N was trying to be Champion. You were never wasting time, and the final fight at the castle felt like it was built up to. I think its a shame that it's apparently maligned, because Kalos is probably the most interesting Region to me in terms of game/world design and historic background. I also dig the France inspired presentation and designs.

As time has gone by, I personally feel that X and Y kept a lot of the charm that in my opinion has been missing in 3d Pokemon games. Despite the lack of content compared to past games, I feel nostalgic for the release date of X and Y, and for that era as well. X and Y might not be the best, but it was an enjoyable and fun game.

fun story, i never got a 3DS in time and i got stuck in the fifth generation for years because i had no money, it was until THIS year i finally could afford a 3DS and play XY and i genuinely enjoyed it, i am though, the biggest fan of the XY and XYZ anime season and i think that`s why i enjoyed the game so much, watching all the places in my favorite anime season and being able to visit them was incredible to me, also the Emma arc in the postgame was so sad i almost cried the first time, XY is underappreciated and it still deserves a sequel where everything can be done better, but the good experience i had playing it will always be there.

If you’ve never played a Pokémon game before than X/Y is great, that’s why most people who had it as their first like me love it. It gets worse when you compare it to the others

Fun fact I’ve never seen anyone talk about: in HGSS in the battle castle there’s a black belt NPC who says how he wants to become a princess. Maybe this could be the beauty we see in XY before her transition?

I loved x and y. First game I completed the national Dex in, legitimately. Used x as my main game with fennekin. And y I constantly beat and reset to trade to myself. Great games and criminally underrated

BEST part of X and Y was the Eiffel tower and how you could stick a quarter under your circle pad and go left or right infinitely to hatch eggs... I was so spoiled with easy hatching

the funny thing is i remember having an inkay and playing while hanging upside down on the couch and having him finally evolve in victory road. i thought it just didn’t evolve 😂😂

X and Y did so much interesting. The customization is pretty, and the Pokémon are cute especially fennekin. I miss it.

i NEED a sun and moon version of this

Personally I loved these games, but I wish we got Pokemon Z.

Wow, I am quite impressed at the quality of this video. Not to say that someone with only 100 subs can't make good videos, but this is ridiculously polished for being so early in the channel's life. Well done, and I hope to see more!

Ok another thing, I think you confused Mega evolution with Dynamax. Mega evolution lasts for the full battle, while Dynamax lasts only 3 turns.

Because you said "stupidly long video," I must necessarily inform you that in the world of video essays, even about pokemon, there is simply no such thing as stupidly long. You keep up the great work, you're awesome.

@31:07 Small nitpick, but this wasn't the first time we saw Looker after Platinum! He had a similar role in the postgame of Black and White, running around the region with you trying to sniff out and apprehend the Seven Sages. Looker actually appears in every generation after his debut up until Gen VIII. Ironic that he wouldn't show up in Galar, given that he's well known to be designed after David Tennant's incarnation of The Doctor. Hopefully we'll get to see him again this gen..!

I got Pokémon Y as a birthday gift. Holy fucking shit i loved it. I got fennekin because fire is fucking awesome, and named him something like XXXSWAGBOYXXX, and we fucking tore through the game. I got a party with similarly nicknamed pokemon, and i obviously got a Charmandar because fire is the best type. I also remember getting help from a friend to get the Y legendary. God i just… fucking remember taking turns with elementary school friends, taking turns “commanding” each other like we are running mechas. And i fucking lost it. In a play fight with my brother, the game flew out of my pocket. And i jsut fucking HAPPENED TO MOVE VERY SOON. god i fucking loved pokémon and digimon.

Something not talked about is the absurd amount of references kalos had to unova. I have a theory that unova was supposed to be in Pokémon x and y but was later scrapped due to limitations. Seriously, a train station that leads to one town?😂 there are also so many Unova Pokémon in the kalos dex

As someone who grew up with Pokemon ( I'm actually older than the Pokemon series itself ) I found this an actually good look on X and Y. It kinda makes me want to dig up my copy of X and start over. Also, those title cards for each section are wonderful. Also, slight nitpick, but at 34:35, it was stated that Mega Evolution lasts only three turns. Umm, I think that part got confused with Dynamaxing in Gen 8. Mega Evolution doesn't have a turn limit.

X and Y were my first Pokémon games and they are still my absolute favorite to this day. Maybe it’s nostalgia bias but the game’s locations and soundtrack really stand out to me and just kind of hit different compared to the other games.

Now that pokemon scarlet and violet have came out I feel like your statement about holding the pokemon company to higher standards is true because while pokemon scarlet and violet are good they feel very tacky and half-hearted

I love the not limited 3D in this game. It’s so charming.

X and Y are for me, where my journey truly began. I had played pokemon before yeah, but I had never beaten a league before them. They where where I truly felt I had become a good trainer. It was from there that I became an advid player and with the help of Oras, was able to complete most of the national Dex. I remember customizing my character going wild with it. Just enjoying myself. Some of my memories of the game where when I found two back to back shiny trevenants and traded one of them out. I still have my first team to this day in pokemon home. Delphox, Pangoro, Charizard, Heliolisk, Flygon, Tyrantrum. I didn't care about type weaknesses or good matchups because I just used the pokemon I liked. It was the base of my experience and where I can say I truly became who I am today trainer wise.

The Looker missions were easily my favorite part of X/Y. Finding out about them months after beating the Champion was such a cool surprise.

I truly believe that X and Y were an amalgamation of Gamefreak resting on their laurels and trying to replicate the success of mobile games by dumbing the mechanics down in conjunction with giving their artists far too little time to complete the new games, resulting in one of the biggest missed opportunities in the franchise’s history. If Z were allowed to come to fruition I bet Kalos would have been given a much better shake and remembered far more fondly by the fans.

Two Kalos things: While I found Kalos’s regional design on the frustrating side to navigate, something I appreciate is how your route through the game is designed on a seasonal loop- starting in spring, and following through summer, fall and winter. That was pretty cute! 2. While the ending theme, Kiseki, didn’t stand out to me immediately from playing, a couple years later I went to one of the pokemon symphonic evolution performances that was touring. The night of that performance turned out to be when the news of Satoru Iwata’s death broke, which I found out during intermission. They dedicated the final song of the evening, Kiseki, to him, and it’s stuck with me since.

I had Diamond as a kid but was never hooked on the franchise until after a friend suggested I play XY. I have fond memories of generation 6 despite them lacking in some areas. Had Pokemon Z fixed those issues I'm sure Kalos would still be as fondly remembered as Sinnoh or Hoenn, but alas we never got that.

Strangely enough, my favorite memory of this game was being disappointed! And I mean that in the best way possible. This was the last game I played where I wasn't really "plugged in" to all the news and leaks that are so rampant today (like the entire dex being leaked so close to release). It's the game where (aside from the ones they showed off officially) each time I saw a new pokemon I was actually seeing it for the first time! I remember catching a Bunnelby on the first route and being so excited to see what it evolved into! I remember being so upset after evolving it into Diggersby that I immediately boxed it. But I miss that! I miss that wonder and mystery! I understand they need to market the newer games, but sometimes I wish they didn't show off as much as they do (however i think they did a much better job this time around with S/V, especially compared to how they handled SuMo)! Also the hecking leakers dont help either >:(. Anyways, this was a very nice video! I saw it pop up in my recommended and I recognized your name from tumblr :D

this was the first pokemon game i owned legally (i pirated gens 1-5 lol), so in turn i had to collect every mon available and could now transfer them to every game moving forward. 300+ hours of memories and gameplay well-spent 🥰

This is going to sound corny as hell but when i got x and y i was 14 and living in a severely traumatic situation and when i caught yveltal i made such a connection My kid brain instantly latched on to this giant Death Bird who Loved me and i would daydream about them somehow becoming real and protecting me and cause theyre the Death God no one would bother me and honestly that got me thru some rather unspeakable times

I used to do all my grinding in the Elite Four. If you're in the main chamber & when you need to heal, enter a wifi battle or trade. Once you exit, your whole party will be fully healed. PP & HP. I loved this game so much when I was younger. Spent 400+ hours on it & had so much fun.

As a person that started with these games, I do appreciate you saying that they’re good over the last couple of years pacifically when sword and shield came out I heard that these games were the easiest and worst games of all time, but I have played almost every single Pokémon game since then. And in my opinion, it’s not true. There is no worst Pokémon game. What a least favorite for each individual person. Because of my unpopular opinion, I don’t like diamond and pearl but they are the most popular Pokémon games? Yes, they have lots of problems but they’re really good for people that started with these games when they games were just coming off of GEN five which was basically a brand new starter Pokémon and had none of the old Pokémon and x,y which at all the old Pokémon it was a good way to introduce new fans to old Pokémon honestly the only two problems I have with these games after all these years is the mythic, Pokémon and the absolute obsession with Kanto mega evolution was a great way for weak Pokémon to have a chance competitively but they did give Pokémon mega evolutions two who didn’t deserve it examples being mewtwo tyrantitar gyarados and the worst, one of them all CHARIZARD with two what eczema are the best way to start Pokémon? In my opinion not the best overall good for beginners.

I have a lot of nostalgia for x and y. While they were not my first games, they are the ones I have the most memories with. The most firsts with. I was around 10 when these games came out, watching Pokemon videos during the hype season on the family computer. Having the games on Christmas and being enamored by wonder trading. The list goes on really. But my point all being. Despite the flaws I am aware of now. And despite how the critic back then making child me oddly sad. I love these games. For the memories and experience they gave to me.

I have several grievances with X/Y. As you mentioned, the EXP Share was busted, and it's frustrating that they decided to take THIS version's lack of balance and make it impossible to turn off in Sword and Shield. They did a similar thing with the Affection system, making it tied directly to Friendship, which makes battles far too easy. It also started the trend of promoting Kanto instead of simply being its own thing. The Elite Four only had a four Pokémon each, and the Gym Leaders only had up to three at most. As its own thing, sure, it's alright, but I can't help but be frustrated with it because of how all of these changes that are still present in the main series (to its detriment) can be traced back to here.

I actually just finished replaying X yesterday, and it seems we share a lot of the same opinions about it lol! I definitely think the exploration aspect of XY is what drew me in most, like sure, there are far better RPGs with complex worlds to explore but I wanted to explore in the POKEMON world goddamnit!! Let me wander wonderous crystal caverns while running into Silly Little Guys™️ so I can make them my friends, y'know?

The 3ds was my first console, and Pokémon X was my first game. It'll always have a very special place in my heart.

When I was younger i've wanted Pokemon X for years but my family didn't have a lot. A few years later, I ended up getting a 3DS from my cousin & my dad got me pokemon X and I managed to finally beat it a few years later. Personally, X & Y are my favorite pokemon games of all time so far (i played most gens minus 5) but they definitely aren't the best games in the series

I'm just gonna say it... XY is my favorite pokemon game of all time... I was in my 3rd year of college and was never more excited to play a pokemon game. The introduction of my beloved fairies, no more pixels, and customizable outfits!! Loved it

This video hit like a truck. X & Y were my first pokémon games, and I absolutely enjoyed each and every moment I ran around Kalos and each and every moment the lumiose Ghost Girl kept young me up at night... That quote at the end regarding enjoying things gave me chills.

YOU ARE UNDERATED MATE

As far as gen 6 goes, I've always considered ORAS to be the better game of that era. I think XY being heavily frontloaded by the devs having to work to bring every pokemon into 3D being the reason XY was kinda meh. I really like the stuff ORAS has on the bottom screen way more than XY as well, especially being able to see the pokemon available on a specific route and the streetpass functionalities. Something that's funny about XY also used the 3D function of the 3DS, but later games slowly tapered that off. I think by at least USUM it stopped completely, possibly as early as the original Sun and Moon. A little ironic, really. My experience with pokemon games as a whole has been interesting. I had been a fan of pokemon since sinnoh, but never had the money to buy it (or, more accurately are that point, my parents didn't, thanks subprime mortgage market). Shortly after the release of ORAS when I was in middle school, I had finally saved up enough money to buy a 3DS, Omega Ruby, and Y, and I later bought Black and then White 2, so I experienced all those in a very short period of time. I would later go on to get Sun and then Ultra Sun, but stopped actively keeping up with pokemon thereafter. Gen 5 has always been my favorite since I played it, but I definitely remember the vitriol surrounding it for years.

Honestly a really amazing video. I think for me there were a couple things that happened in XY that I'll always remember, like how it's the game that got me into competitive battles, or it was the first time I had managed to beat my best friend in a battle after years of losing to their legendaries. But I think the first thing that comes to mind is that this was the game were I found my first ever shiny pokemon, Vivillion, while going through my friendship park. I had started in platinum and played all the games since, even maxing out the time in White 2, but XY is where I finally found my first shiny, and I'll always remember that

As one of the kids that you mentioned that was introduced to Pokémon through x and y. I personally loved x and y it felt magical and perfect as a kid. Interacting with people around the world, all the unused features and areas felt mysterious and valuable. I played almost everyday and had a whole collection of shiny Pokémon. X and y is precious to me.

I got a 3ds system late and X was one of the first 3ds games I bought. My favorite memory of the game was for a second play through, I decided to play and beat the game with a team of only Eeveelutions as soon as I could. It was really fun and provided a surprising challenge that made me feel more accomplished when I beat the game.

X and Y are my favorite Pokémon games and I dumped the most hours into it. The customization of the char was the best. Also I played at least one version of each main line game but I have to add that I am not thaaaaat interested in the stories so maybe this is why I liked X and Y.

I know these games are a little rough around the edges, but I still love them plenty. Plus I will forever appreciate this gen for blessing me with my dark-type bois, Pangoro and Malamar.

I’m a complicated case, I grew up watching my brother play Pokémon, watching the anime, collecting plushies and cards etc etc, it’s always been a major thing for my entire childhood. Pokémon X was the first game I got for my tenth birthday (the irony made me giggle honestly.) And I loved it so much. I remember waiting hours to get home and play X, it was cold during my first play through so I would sit there smelling moms candles and the Christmas tree next to the heater, blanket tossed over me and volume all the way up, I’d play that game for hours. On electronics day I would bring my 3DS in and play the game while talking to my friends, a sixth grader traded me a lvl 70 shiny for a dumb little litleo that he swore to me was one of the coolest things he’d gotten and my silly ten year old self believed every bit of what he said. Dunno who it was but I still think back on that and smile sometimes. Obviously X and Y aren’t my favorite games anymore but I don’t think any of the other games would’ve left this much of an impact on little me than that one had. I’m an antisocial person by nature but Pokémon has given me some of the best social interactions ever, not near all of them were caused by X and Y specifically but I credit it for being the reason I got into the series in the first place.

Kalos really needed a 'Z' version to clean up and tighten up its story. It is a very well designed region, and the new Kalos Pokémon are genuinely amazing. It was perfectly set up for a definitive 3rs version, and it didn't happen.

I still think sycamore was gay for lysandre

Pokémon Y was the first Pokémon game I owned (I was around the age of 8) so even if it’s flawed, it holds a special place in my heart

Gosh I love XY. I have so many memories; from getting the special edition 3DS with the Legendaries on it, my first time being able to complete the Pokedex, the music is my absolute favorite soundtrack in the franchise, I 100% agree on how fun the environments are and all the methods they introduced to explore! (Why is Trainer no longer able to climb and jump and swing, Game Freak? ) Seriously the region is HUGE! Once the map is open, you can kill some serious time just wandering. My favorite story to tell is when my roommate and I got into a double battle with some of her friends and I almost won because I had my Beedrill use U-Turn early on in the match and almost won when we got down to the other team's last Pokemon and they thought they won because everyone forgot I still had one left and my bug nearly one-shot their Yveltal. Just the glorious moment of going "Guys... I'm not out yet 8D" "OH SHIIIIIII-" as they remembered the murder bee still cracks me up. That said, I weep for the wasted potential. Mainly the story on a lot of points you brought up. The only Flare admin to get really any development was Xerosic (and even then he's still a sleaze and his arc is part of the post game), there's a lot of the plot that seemed to happen somewhere off screen (where and how did Flare even find the legendary? How did AZ get captured?) Why couldn't we see our friends in action during the crisis? (Because the only one who was useless was Shawna but that's because we see her come with, do nothing, then run away when we get into trouble. Dexio and Sina rescued AZ and iirc destroyed Flare's machine that was spying on everyone's phone calls. Trevor and Tierno went to Route 10 to free all the Pokemon who were being used to feed the Ultimate Weapon. Why are we learning all this second hand???) How come Diantha is the first Champion since Johto to do nothing when the world is in danger? This list can go for a while. PS. Trevor does actually get an arc, but it's really short and even getting that much of the nerdy kid not really up for adventure finding his courage to help stand up to Team Flare is enough for me to warm up to him over the years. I kinda wish we had one friend less so we could give the others more room to grow. TPP did a randomizer with Trainer randomization included and just having the gang show up separately more often gave us SO MUCH ADDED STORY but unfortunately not canon. 😢

I always find it interesting when people complain about X&Y because for me it was the last pokemon game that really felt like a classic pokemon game to me. Maybe it's because I skipped straight from Ruby to X and didn't get to see the evolution of the franchise on DS, but other than it being really easy I remember it as a super charming installation that I haven't really experienced since.

Tierno feels like he was meant for a game with pokemon contest, and then we just never got them

I defo have nostalgia with pokemon xy since it was the very last thing my mom bought me before she passed away, (in 2020, but I was just getting into pokemon) I seriously wish it was replayable, bc I haven't touched it since I finished it almost 3 years ago ykw, in general my 3ds carried me through her death AND quarantine lol

I was around 9 or 10 when XY came out and it was the very first pokemon game I ever played. Pokemon X has a special place in my heart and it created so many fun memories for me. I hope they make “Pokemon Z” or have a remake that fixes all of the issues people complain about.

Mega evolution remains one of my favorite gimmicks we've ever gotten. It's so dramatic and cool - I've even written it into my trainersona's story!

The diance city crystal thing has a purpose… if you are there at a certain time of day, there is a light beam iirc, and a mega stone around there

X/Y is my favorite Pokémon game of all time.

My favorite Kalos memory was how it brought all the fans together. I remember actually building a team to challenge people I knew in school as well as internet friends

As someone who’s only played the newer Pokémon games now playing the older ones, it’s different. My first games were Moon and Ultra Moon, back in 2016. I was ten at the time, and I ADORED them. I had access to all four Alola games. (I got moon and Ultra Moon and my sister got sun and Ultra Sun) and they were the ONLY games I had access to that I could continuously play. I had the library copies of X, Y, ORAS, and the like, but Sun and Moon was my introduction. I stepped away from the Pokémon games for a good few years after I beat Ultra Moon. Now, with the death of the EShop, I finally hacked my DS, and am playing the older games. There’s so much *heart* in the older games. Currently, I’m playing Platinum, which is so much different than what I’m used to. You can go in so many buildings! Sure, it’s hard remembering Fairy Types no longer exists so the type matchups are different, but they’re not overtly so. The environments are amazing, the music is memorable, there’s a lot to love about Platinum. Pokémon Legends Arceus really brought about new love in me for the Sinnoh region (already my favorite seasons of the Anime + movies), and coincidentally, with the inclusion of Ingo, the Unova region as well. I plan on taking on BOTH White and White2 after I beat Platinum. Joltik and Galvantula are the FIRST spider adjacent Pokémon that does not set off my arachnophobia (I thank the Submas fans and their love of Joltiks for that lol 😂). There’s so much heart in the old games that are kinda lost in the newer ones. Graphics were much much more limited so you had to tell the story through dialogue and different environmental design. While I ADORE character customization in the newer games, there’s something really nice about being restricted to one single look for your character. I love the affection thing started in X and Y, it’s my bread and butter, but it’s also nice to go to games when that wasn’t a thing. I don’t feel guilty about trading one team member’s spot for a newer Pokémon, one that fits my team better. The starter always stays in the party, that’s a hill I will die on. The older games, while I know the barebones of the story and the eventual twists at the end (I know team Galatic’s plan, that Team Plasma isn’t as honest as you think) I don’t know the lead up. I don’t know the individual story beats that lead to the final outcome. They’re harder too, coming from games where XP share was always on, to ones where they’re not like that is harder. I enjoy the challenge! I understand using moves like growl or leer that lower accuracy and the like, moves I previously wrote off because “the only stat that goes down is HP” mentality. After being used to the newer games, going back to the older ones feels like coming home, even though I’ve never played them previously. They’re completely new to me, yet it feels like going back to my childhood town. I’m only 17, but there’s so much comfort in the old games. Sure, they’re old, most of them pushing on a decade, but old doesn’t mean not relevant or not fun. Old just means different. I’m glad I can go on this journey now, when I’m old enough to truly appreciate it and not be blinded to the faults by nostalgia

Actually, X/Y wasn‘t the first game where you could encounter wild Evolis, it was B2/W2. They spawned in that hidden area in Castelia City at like a 5% rate.

Gen 6 was the first Pokémon game to actually get me into the competitive scene as well as having a lot of friends online who played Pokémon cause everyone around me was tuned out of Pokémon. People shit on this game more than they should, I think this is a genuine Pokémon game that strived for a third version of sequels. The untapped potential for Kalos’ world is insane and a huge missed opportunity

I absolutely enjoyed the landscape so much. Azure Bay. Route 15. Laverre City. Route 18. Victory Road. It felt so open, yet not too broad like gen 7's world. I guess it was my first pokemon game, too, so I might be a bit biased, but I really loved the visuals in this game.

Due to my parents believing in the whole Pokémon is Satanic thing, Gen 6 was actually the first time I really got into the hype of a Pokémon game, as I was in high school by this point and had very minimal income. I actually didn't play X and Y first, but I did go through Diamond and then Black before I was given a copy of X to play. I also had plenty of friends and acquaintances at the time that were super into Pokémon and we had a great time battling and trading during Gen 6's time. With that in mind, I remember X quite fondly as it was the start of my love for the Pokémon series, both directly and indirectly. Also, online features peaked in Gen 6. PSS was fine as it was.

What good opinions! Also don't put down Celosia and Mable, those are my girls 😣 Edit: My most fond memory of Kalos was seeing the commercials for the X and Y games. I was so astounded that Pokemon was still a big and popular series (as I'd originally thought B2W2 were the last Pokemon games). This feels important to point out: I wasn't excited about the games itself, but the fact that my favorite franchise was still ongoing. People forget just how much they value a series when the see the forest for the trees.

AZ does get sorta mentioned in ORAS saying he and Floette visited Hoenn and you can even see a flower they planted that looked like Floette's special flower.

My favorite memory of Pokemon XY was spending several months trying to complete the National Pokedex. During this time, I was taking advantage of features that I didn't really pay attention to before, like Wonder Trade, the GTS, the PSS, and the Friend Safari. Using those features to help me complete my National Pokedex made me appreciate how well-done those features were. Not only that, but going around Kalos to catch different Pokemon, whether by Hordes, trash cans, fishing, or just random encounters, also made me feel like I was actually living in Kalos. It was stuff like this that made me appreciate how amazing XY's National Pokedex was. Also, the Kalos Pokedex in general is the best one hands-down. Feel free to sue me on this. :)

My favorite Kalos memory has to be me taking all my previous generation pokemons into a 3D space and challenging the pokemon league, my blaziken that I carried around since I was like 9 years old on my gameboy and kept me company when traveling with my parents all summer vacation, sent across pokemon coloseum and XD was experiencing this new world with me for the first time and got to mega evolve on top of it. It made me feel like this pixelated chicken I had was growing a bond with me as weird as that sounds and to this day is still have it. Funny enough it says our met date is like August of 2001 since my gamecube's time was set to that.

X and Y was my first Pokémon game and got me into the franchise. My worst mistake was picking fennekin instead of froakie because I didn’t know how the final evolutions looked, so I just picked the fire starter. I loved the wonder trading and getting hacked shiny legendaries, I once traded a route 1 Pokémon for a lvl 100 shiny rayquaza 😂

This was my first pokemon game and it helped me through tough times, it holds a really special place in my heart. When I was 10 years old all I did was drawing and playing 3ds, and in just in the first year since I got Pokemon X as a gift on New Year, the time spent in the game counter stopped at 999:99 😂 I spent hours and hours fishing for random trainer trades, gts and mystery trade + doing the leage with my Xerneas to level up and evolve other pkm and letting the paper behind the 3ds stick all night, and like that I completed the pokedex, including are the pkm which weren't in the game. Sometimes I wish I went back to those good simple times

I loved X/Y and OR/AS. I loved how I was easily able to train and breed pokemon. And the battle tower allowed me and my partner to team up and double team the computer

I loved this retrospective!!! It feels so good to hear your perspective of the games, and I love the little personality details you added to this, like describing Trevor as nonbinary or calling Professor McOuiBeauty hot lol. I'd love to see another retrospective like this with other games, like B/W or S/M since those are my faves lol :]

my favorite memory from x and y was collecting all the pokemon from the nation dex with my sister and leveling them all up to 100, i think we had like nearly all of the boxes filled up with strong pokemon we would grind at the elite 4 with for hours. no specific reason just seeing the number go up was so fun. loved this video btw :))))) x and y was the first pokemon i played conciouslly and i share alot of really good memories with that game with my sister too

Honestly the best part about XY was that the community wasn’t as shit as it is now. That being said, Kalos desperately needed an enhanced version / pokemon Z. Don’t get me wrong I didn’t hate the games, in fact ive replayed them a couple of times now.

Don't worry, in a few years this game will be old enough to be nostalgic itself and suddenly the fandom will love it. Happened with every game before, will happen with every game since. My favorite Kalos memory is finding my first Shiny, it was a Burmy and I was pissed. I wanted my first Shiny to be Tyrunt, I was breeding it at the time just to get one, but I eventually learned to love the little guy. Never did get that shiny Tyrunt anyways.

Moment of silence for the curious children that looked up “Pokemon X videos”

My favorite memory of these games would probably be charging up my new 3ds while starting my adventure and hyping for everything because it was my first pokémon game in a console. My favorite is Sun & Moon and I don't think that will change, but XY feels magical and will always have a piece of my heart

I loved X&Y. The entire culture around playing it and using Twitter. Fantastic. It's the least visited region. Maybe we'll get a Legends Zygarde 🤔🧐

Great quality video! I can’t believe you only have 366 subs. Definitely going to be exciting to watch your channel explode. I am a Pokémon millennial so I’ve been here since the red and blue days on my original game boy. And while the old games will always hold a special place in my heart I really have enjoyed seeing the world fully realize in 3-D. Picking up Scarlet today and I’m really hoping it’s as much fun as it seems like it will be.

Gen 6 music is absolutely banger! It's a good transition between the older and newer games.

Personally, pokemon amie and the in-battle effects were such a game changer for me. As someone who hardcore self inserted into every game and grew attached to my mons I loved seeing them look back at me or hang on with 1 HP! Really got my heart ♥️

1) There was no Pokémon Z despite being teased about it in the anime - so all of Zygardes and Ash - Greninja shenanigans was relegated to Sun & Moon. 2) They didn't give out nearly enough Mega Evolutions 3) They introduced the fairy type - something that only the weak trainers who used early game catches with no real strategy, who were a very vocal minority wanted. Plus they made it the "pink type" and slapped it on to a bunch of mon that didn't quite needed. And they should have called it the mystic or joker type. 4) The rivals were really semi-lame friends; and they were weak and a waste of time. 5) There were no trainer/gym leader/ elite 4 enhanced re-battles 6) The Friend Safari while good, could have used some tweaking - one does not need to have 12 water zones. 7) Team Flare was too weak 8) There was too much unused space that could've been used for routes and new areas. 9) Not enough new Pokémon 10) The ice and psychic gym leaders should've been switched 11) There was not enough padding between the last 5 gym leaders 12) Only 2 gym leaders and the weakest champion ever use Mega Evolution 13) They made Sylveon by itself, like where's the Dragon, Poison, or Steel Eeveelution 14) Lack of post game 15) Mewtwo's hiding place was pathetic, there should have been a long arduous cave system with lots of Wild, High Leveled, Fully Evolved Pokémon 16) Lack of hard mode, overworld phenomena, lack of fun side missions to get items 17) No new non uber legendary duo/trio/quartet/quintet 18) The Swords of Justice we not added and no new fifth member was made 19) No (outbreaks of) Pokemon that already weren't available in the base game. like how did your rival have a Clefairy. Like fairy friend safaris are hard to come by. 20) The fairy type is too OP, like Bug, Ice and Rock should resist it and Dark, Ghost, Bug should have also been super effective against it.

I'm so glad RU-vid recommended this to me - X/Y are genuinely two of my favorite games in the series period and are what helped me get back into the series actually! I had played B/W after prompting from a friend, but besides that I had kind of waned on my Pokémon hype train. (I'll always regret not getting B2/W2 when I has the chance bc now you can't find it anywhere without spending a fortune..) Anyway, when I had heard they were doing a France based region, I lost my mind. I had been studying French and had even traveled there and couldn't wait to see what they did with the region and the characters. Plus the FASHION! Character customization was a game-changer. I love these games, but I also absolutely recognize the problems they have. I'd been with the series since Gen 3, so I had games to compare X/Y to, and yeah, X/Y was super easy, plus had a bunch of other problems that earlier entires didn't. But the thing that gets me the most about these games is the missed potential. They had so many ideas and so many expectations as the first 3D Pokémon game that it ended up costing them in a variety of ways. Of course, these things normally get polished in the third/sequel installments, but then they moved right on to Sun and Moon, which was yet again another complete departure from the series, similar but not to B/W. I wish we had gotten more lore about AZ, about the war thousands of years ago, about Team Flare and Lysandre and what his Deal Was besides just some seemingly flimsy pursuit of beauty. I wanted those legendary events and to learn more about Zygarde and what the heck that was all about instead of going across the ocean again to Alola and doing a fetch quest. I wanted to actually bond or get to know my rivals besides a fireworks show with Shauna. I wanted to care about these characters, but instead I had to turn to fan works to do it. (And there are some really good fan art and fan fic about X/Y!) Thankfully they expanded on a lot of the above in the anime and a lot of people I've talked to say that the X/Y seasons of the anime are so well done. I can only hope that when the time comes for XY to get a remake - and that time is quickly approaching - they take a HGSS and ORAS approach and incorporate added elements to the remakes from the third entry/what should have been the third entry (like taking parts of Crystal/Emerald and adding and expanding on them in the remakes). I hope they take notes from the anime and give us the story and the lore that Kalos deserves. At the end of the day, I hope they actually see what the fans finally see and give X/Y the love it deserves!

I've been playing since Gen 1 and I fall into the category of "Was finally in a position to have a disposable income when X and Y released." For me, I LOVED the Kalos region and exploring its world and playing its challenges. But personally, what made this game amazing for me was the introduction of Pokémon Amie, which was something I had always imagined since I was 4 years old.

XY was my first pokemon game, and my favorite because of that. (I was 14 at the time, but I never had a DS when I was younger and had a bit of a late start to gaming.) I honestly just find it funny how much people like to complain about it. I remember taking my 3ds with me EVERYWHERE because I couldn’t put the game down. It being so easy was perfect for me, it was a great introduction to the series! I also LOVED the XY anime, which definitely makes me even more nostalgic for it all. My favorite memory was probably when my older brother would ask how my game was going. He loves pokemon but grew out of it a bit (he just replays gen 1 now and then) but he was so excited that I was having so much fun with the same series he loved as a kid. (He had friends that were still super into the games and i remember once, his friend asked me how far I had gotten and I was 2 gyms ahead of him. Felt so proud of myself for something so little 😂)

i wanted to add something personal to the discussion with the second point brought up with "x and y being made for new generations that didn't get to play the first game". while that is very true, it also is even more prominent in other countries that didn't have access to nintendo consoles or english! i'm brazilian and only got to play a pokemon game with x! even if i still watched the anime, i didn't know english/had a console that had pokemon ^^ i think the nintendo 3ds, seeing it was more easily available worldwide, needed to have a game like this one for other countries to also enjoy pokemon games

XY was my first Pokémon game and it made me fall in love with Pokémon. I remember staying up waaay past my bedtime exploring the kalos region with my Pokémon. I remember the amazement I felt during the elite four’s introduction. I remember the satisfaction and joy of becoming a Pokémon Champion for the first time. Also Looker is awesome Besides it kept a lot of the charm from the older Pokémon games with the special evolutions and other Easter eggs. I really hope we return to Kalos again sometime in the future. I think it’s full of potential

This was my first pokemon game and the two things I rememeber from that far back are crying my eyes out at AZ's backstory and collecting all the clothes

I actually one day figured out the background item spawn by using air cutter in battle and getting berries and I was shocked. It was completely on accident.

AZ is mentioned in ORAS. He gave the tree in front of the Cave of Origin.

Mate I think you should upload more vids like this..

Watching this in 2024 after the announcement of Pokemon Legends ZA because I wanted to listen to a retrospective take on the Kalos region, and OMG did I pick the right video! This was perfect, looking forward to replaying gen 6 now in anticipation for Legends ZA! 😊

this video is underrated

this takes me back haha. I played the first two gens and retired from Pokemon after that, until one of my friends sold me their 3DS and a copy of Pokemon Y. it certainly was a fantastic time. I feel like it was the perfect game to come back into the franchise with tbh

I love the Kalos region, the fact it’s based off France and the games had so much potential. We needed a Pokémon Z, but it’s too sad that GF pushed ahead with Gen VII before Kalos even has a chance to shine. Imagine if they gave Chesnaught and Delphox megas, and added a big plot with Zygarde. Had there been a Pokémon Z, Gen VI would be far more popular

Great retrospective! My favourite memory of X&Y was finally getting that Pangoro hat! Pancham and Pangoro were (and still are) some of my favourite Pokemons and when I learned it had it''s own cosmetic item made me so happy

Thank you espurr. I was obsessed with this kitty so bad when xy came out. He is still my favorite today and my main Pokemon go buddy.

great video! at the time X Y was very hated, still today, but it was the first time i played a Pokemon game without an emulator, and for it to be my first original game experience, it was amazing! i had like 700 hours and i enjoyed every single second

I really love X/Y and I've been playing since...1998.....And I occasionally still boot my 3DS up JUST for X.

In a lot of ways for me x/y felt like the last Pokemon game that still had that sort of magic and mystery about it that really felt on brand for Pokemon... It was the last time they had the lil proportions, final starters I liked, a lush world that you wanted to explore, fun gyms, the customization and camera adds were nice. but it also kind of was the beginning of the end. There were too many things in the plot to actually be able to explore any one theme, it was first time battle gimmicks were really heavily implemented...and team flare was truly forgettable. The roller skates were fun, thanks for the walk down memory lane!