[Aachen]

> even those early-grade-school children come in with the ability to read the text, while game-playing AI usually does not.

You sure? :D No idea what a grade school is, but I couldn't read a word of English at the age that I played Pokémon on the gameboy!

I did need occasional hints (every couple weeks) from my older cousin to get unstuck, but afaik still loved the game, I guess just because it's about Pokémon. I think cut (meaning both pussy and fuck in Dutch, fun fact) was one of the things I got stuck at, perhaps needing to teach it to a Pokémon, but probably on how to use it. It's a number of different things to connect and so you can't button mash your way through, iirc (it has been a few decades)