I lived Red and Blue as a kid. I think I played Gold on an emulator back in the day.
I really loved the challenge I had playing Red as a kid. I liked getting through an area with just a few hp left.
I never got hardcore into the newer games and have been so disappointed with how easy and hand holding the newer games have been.
I would like to play a romhack. Can someone make a recommendation for me?
Depends on what you want. Crystal would be good for nostalgia since it’s the sequel to the generation you played as a kid, Emerald is great because Hoenn is a giant and fun region. Platinum, Heart Gold & Soul Silver, and Black & White + Black & White 2 is the string of games most agree to be the peak of Pokemon as a whole.
The only con imo is that starting with any of the later ones may make it harder to revisit older ones due to dated mechanics, design, and a smaller pool of Pokemon + moves. I recommend hopping around and seeing what you like most.
Thanks for the summary. Maybe I will just start with crystal and move forward as I complete the games 🙏