What am I watching and why do I like it

I enjoyed it.

i used to like pokemon ... i still have one of the origanal posters but i dont like it that much anymore

I was actually into Pokemon a lot back when the phenomenon first appeared. I was into the trading card game and everything. There are way too many Pokemon now, I stopped caring after the first 151 or so.

I actually would suggest trying Heartgold or Soulsilver (the newest remakes).
New pokemon (obviously) aren't very familiar, but they are pretty fuckin' neato. At first, I felt the same way, but when I gave it a try, I started to like them. There's alot more variety now, to say the least.
Edit:
In reality, the new pokemon are just old ones, redesigned, with different stats and skills - but with the same basic idea. If you see something that reminds you of a pidgey - it's probably just like a pidgey (I'm looking at you, Starly). But I digress. You'd have to try it on your own, to know if you like it or not. I just consider new pokemon a "reason to explore".

How do you play the card game? I never understood it. o_o'

Most people didn't play the card game, more or less just collected the pokemon cards.

I collected mostly (I still have all of my good cards tucked away), but I did some card battling as well. I had a couple of decent decks.

I don't really have my cards anymore (gave the majority to my little cousin, a while back), but I have all my hallowz.
I still have the holographic Flareon a girl gave me, when we were little kids. It had apple juice all over it, but it means more to me than any other card...