I've felt this way for a while, but it's always been something I've tried to deny; I grew up with "Pokémon" — there's no way I could fall out of love with something that was once such a huge part of my life. Bringing my GameBoy into the car for overnight trips, playing in darkness except for the glimpse of the screen I'd get from a street lamp as we passed it by on an empty road.

I thought this was something I could never get tired of the adventure, the new regions, the story line, the characters, and the thrill of a new legendary. But as time went on and more games were released, I found that I could only play the game for a few hours total — not even consecutively — before I'd get uninterested and set the game down to eternally gather dust on my shelf.

So many people grew up alongside me and still love playing the "Pokémon" games each time a new one comes out. But for me, it's like I grudgingly hold out until my friends hype it up enough for me to buy it, and then I get it and I'm all excited to check it out and then... nothing.

I just don't have the spirit in me for it anymore. I guess as I've gotten older, other passions and interests have gotten my attention, and there was just no more room for the kind of joy I used to have for "Pokémon."

"Pokemon" is the kind of thing that people of all ages can get together about, whether it's collecting merch, battling and trading in-game, or banding together with the release of "Pokemon Go." But what happened with that is it started with a bang, a great hustle and bustle of energy: everyone was out in parks and in the street, excitedly searching for Pokemon in the real world. It was like the game had actually entered our world, just like we dreamed about as kids.

But all good things must come to an end. "Pokémon Go" did not deliver long-term results; I dropped the game after a couple of months. There was only so much that captured my attention, and as the hype died, so did my interest in the game. For a moment, I had hope that maybe this time, "Pokémon" would become a bigger part of my life again. It wasn't very long before I realized that this wasn't going to happen.

I'll still hold out, though. I'll check out the new games as they come. I'll keep my "Pokémon" cards in the attic, ready to be found again when I'm ready. I'll hold onto my little Mew plushie my best friend gave me back in middle school. And when "Pokémon" becomes something I can enjoy again, I'll be there to welcome it back.