Like most everyone else, I got started with Pokemon with a game, Blue version to be specific. I remember waking up on Christmas when I was 6 years old and unwrapping my very own Game Boy Color to replace my lost Game Boy, and a game with a weird turtle-thing on the cover. I got started as quickly as I could and chose a similar looking turtle that would be my constant companion. I wandered about aimlessly, killing anything that moved, not knowing or caring about the story at all. I can still vividly remember the feeling of shock and amazement I felt when my Squirtle grew to level 16 and evolved into a Wartortle. At that point everything clicked; I realized that this game had far more to offer me than I had originally thought and I immediately resolved to take the game more seriously and to become a Pokemon Master (although I didn't end up catching them all until 6 years later, and that was without Mew, but whatever, I was 6).
So I grew up and continued to get the new games as they came out, Yellow, Silver (both of which I lost), Crystal (to replace the lost Silver), Sapphire, and Fire Red (again, lost). When I heard about Diamond and Pearl, I was very tempted to not get it, but I did for a number of reasons (nostalgia, see what new Pokemon there were, see how they used the touch screen etc.), but was not terrible enthusiastic about it. So I got the game with a sort of "whatever" attitude and played through. Up until that point I had liked Pokemon, but never really loved it. The moment that I was consumed with Pokemon frenzy happened to also be when I discovered Smogon.
It started when I got a Palkia(I think...? Whatever doesn't matter) on the GTS and wanted to train it up. I wanted know where the best place to train Pokemon was, so I googled something like "Pokemon training spots". Unsurprisingly, a guide to EV training came up. None of it made sense, so I had to look at a guide about IVs. Then a guide on breeding. Then a guide on natures, then stats, then abilities pretty much every aspect of competitive battling. I felt the same way I had when I was 6 years old; here was this entire realm of things that I did not know about or understand. I had been playing Pokemon for 11 years, and here were these mechanics that had been here all along, but that I had been blissfully ignorant of. Everything about the games, I had taken for granted, as though they had not mattered, when in reality, they made all the difference in the world. Well it wasn't long before I thought I had mastered it all (how pitifully wrong I was), and wanted to train more. But, legendaries being so hard to come by, I knew that I had to use common Pokemon and breed them. So as I planned out what Pokemon I wanted to breed, I needed to know what moves they were going to have so I googled "Metagross moveset", and Smogon came up.
Well from that point on I was hooked. I was breeding and training Pokemon like crazy. I would make lists of EVs, moves, natures, and items; Pokemon dominated my every thought, so much so that y grades suffered. My goal was to start a Youtube account and battle the greats like Mtgxerxes and Kawalski, but sadly this dream has not yet come true (though I am still hopeful that it will). For a long time, I used Smogon just a resource for planning movesets and such, never even entering the forums. Eventually, I did go to the forums, but only to lurk and I never even created an account for a long time. The join date by my username is at least 6 months after I had actually become a frequent visitor of Smogon. Now I am on the forums daily, and chip in anywhere I feel interested (like here for instance), or particularly passionate.
Why have I stayed at Smogon? That's easy to answer. First of all, I still use it as a resource for making new Pokemon on my Diamond, Platinum, and Soul Silver versions. Second, it's how I stay current on the metagame. Third, I feel like I am a part of the community. I may not have any close friends here, but none of my real friends play Pokemon and my family is not very supportive of my hobby either, so this is the only place I can discuss the game. I also like to think that my opinion is valued, and that someone somewhere reads my long-ass posts and feels enlightened, or inspired, or even angered enough to write back telling me how stupid I am. I don't care because knowing that out all of Smogon's users that I have made a difference, no matter how small, is a nice feeling.
But the biggest reason that I have stayed with Smogon is that I am still learning about Pokemon. No matter how much I read or practice, I am still amazed, but not surprised, when I discover something new about the game, or a move, or an ability, and Smogon is without a doubt the best place to learn anything about Pokemon. Anyone who thinks they know everything there is to know, as I once did, or is unbeatable (short of hacking), is wrong. I realized that very long ago, but I made a commitment to become a Pokemon Master, and I won't stop until I am, no matter how long it takes.
