Possibly quicker than I did….
When I picked up Pokemon Red, I went to Rock Tunnel without Flash. I tried to make it through in the pitch black. Then I tried to get back out. Then I decided the only way out of the darkness was to plunge forward, wholly and fully. Maybe it didn’t take me nine hours. Maybe it did. I had a lot of free time 15+ years ago.
This well-edited recap of the Twitch Plays Pokemon phenomenon will get you pretty far up to speed. It’s fighting Ghastlys in Lavender Town right now.
I don’t find it terribly interesting to watch — though leaving it running for the Pokemon music is soothing — but the artwork, videos, comics, music and everything else borne from its canon is strangely fascinating.