There's nothing quite like starting a new Pokemon game. Even if it's a version you've already played and just started over, the excitement of choosing your starter (one of the hardest decisions of all time), and taking over the world one step at a time is unfailingly overwhelming. But why? How does Pokemon induce such excitement?
There are so many things about Pokemon games that set them apart from every other game out there, not the least of which is the fact that every single game and file is completely different. The odds of one playthrough being identical to another would make C3P0 blush. I mean, you could theoretically raise the same six Pokemon as before, but even within those six there will be differences, especially in later generations. Unlike a Zelda or a Mario game, where Goombas and Bokoblins will always be in the same place, Pokemon has a crap ton of random elements to it, and the fact that there are over 100 of what are essentially "playable characters" means that this is one open ended game, and you've got a lot of choices to make.
The sheer amount of things left to chance in these games are part of what makes them feel so huge. Provided you avoid spoilers like the plague before getting the latest game, Pokemon will provide you with a huge world full of mysteries. Exploration is something that simply cannot be removed from these games, and combing every inch of the world up and down is always best the first time. I tend to take "tours' of the region after I've beaten the game and gained the ability to access the whole map, but it's just not the same as NEEDING to stay in one route just to level up a little bit more. Try dawdling on a route after beating the game and you'll wonder why the hell you spent an hour there in the same spot before...yet you did, and you loved it.
The answer to the posed question is actually given in game. You care about your Pokemon, or at least, your reputation. You don't want them to lose, and take pride in them getting that next level, especially after walking into an entirely new route where the wild Pokemon have higher levels than your own. Even if Professor Oak is pulling the bit about "loving and caring for your Pokemon" out of his ass, losing is bad, and getting stronger and learning new techniques is good, even if it's just standard progress. Pokemon, again, unlike some video game heroes, are incredibly dynamic. Starting out, you can only guess when/if one you catch might evolve or learn a powerful new move. Hell, you can only guess what kind of Pokemon you'll actually see out there...you'll never know when a new favorite will pop up.
In that regard, I must say Generation 5 really stuck out. Taking all the old Pokemon out and giving us a world where absolutely everything was new was absolutely the best thing Nintendo could have done. It was kind of like playing Red and Blue again...except not really. When I think back to when I first played Red, I think about how much I got absolutely lost. I mean, I didn't even figure out how to save my game until after a day or so of playing...meaning I started my game over about four times. I can remember me flipping through warp panels over and over and pressing so many buttons trying to escape from the ghost in Pokemon Tower. Funny...since I never remember actually getting anywhere. I'm fairly certain my Venusaur was level 87 when I actually beat the game. That should show you just how confused I was way back then.
There was a point, too, when I tried to deny the adventure that is Pokemon. In fact, I don't remember what it was that finally made me get Pokemon Pearl, but alas, I almost didn't. It took until the battle interface design, of all things, got me to purchase SoulSilver that I realized that Pokemon had a charm that could never be denied. It's just something about raising a team and the pride that comes with them finally triumphing over tougher and tougher opponents that enthralls me. For the first time since Generation 3, I'm inclined to buy the second version of this generation. The root of it is the addition of a true blue story in Pokemon Black and White, which in my opinion is worth seeing again on its own...well that and hearing Team Plasma's battle theme a few dozen more times.
Ultimately, while a Pokemon world post-credits is still alive and huge, it feels somehow emptier. All the evil grunts are gone, the gyms are silent, and the surprises are few, especially after all the Legendaries are gone. I'm the kind of person who just can't erase a file in a main game and start over again, either. I get attached to my Pokemon, like a good Trainer should, and yet, it's hard to stay interested for some reason. I believe the reason I know the old games so well is simply because I did get to play through them twice due to having both versions. My first run of Pokemon Blue, for example, went notably better than my one of Red...or at least I don't remember just being stuck all the time. Then I went through Kanto again in Yellow. What I'm realizing now again in the fifth generation is that all Pokemon games deserve a second go-round, just to feel the excitement of raising an entirely new team and conquering things in a different way than I did before. That is one of the true beauties of the Pokemon series.
I cannot wait to step into Unova for the first time, again. I'll get to relive my first adventure with the addition of the knowledge I gained from it. It will be familiar, yet new, and just as exciting as I take a new set of friends into the fray. I might know what's waiting for me out there, but I don't know what I'll do with it. No other game series feels as good to start and play through...and no other game series made me wish there was just one more save file...
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