This is a great point. I remember as a kid how much we just didn’t know about Pokemon, and how that was a part of the fun. (Especially that magical time between Gen 1 and Gen 2)
It made any new reveal SO FUN, because it was like adding in one more piece to the puzzle you were piecing together. We had to wait for monthly magazine releases to learn what had been confirmed, and you could theorize with your friends until then.
Looking at my WOTC cards and now having access to all of the JP cards we had only ever seen photos of as a kid feels kind of magical and time-warpy.