Those extra third versions are a bit more different. They always release after the two main games, and are basically sort of a deluxe version of those predecessors, with a bit more fleshed out story, some new features, new and/or different Pokémon, and extra polish.

A slightly modified 3rd leg has been traditional. Yellow, the third leg after Red and Blue, was the most radical (since it forced you to have Pikachu and to use an unevolved Pikachu for the entire game), Crystal simply made more focus on the legendary dog Suicune, and i'm not certain what Emerald and Platinum did, but they were closer to the original than some of the others.

Oh wow, I had no idea that the '3rd' game was connected to the other two...I always thought it was kind of a standalone release that was separate from everything else. Man I know nothing!

That is the same as the other two, but usually modifies the story progression a tiny amount (maybe adding in another legendary and having a few NPCs talk about it) and adding a bonus area like a Battle Tower.

I have never played a Pokemon game, I think people kind of understand my preferences (I'm an RPG guy) would you all suggest me picking one of these up? (After I finish TWEWY of course )

CommonMan said: I have never played a Pokemon game, I think people kind of understand my preferences (I'm an RPG guy) would you all suggest me picking one of these up? (After I finish TWEWY of course )

I've you've never played any, then yes. They're good games. Just always pretty much the same with every 'new' version.

CommonMan said: I have never played a Pokemon game, I think people kind of understand my preferences (I'm an RPG guy) would you all suggest me picking one of these up? (After I finish TWEWY of course )

If you are a JRPG fan, then you'll probably enjoy it. Bear in mind though, it has a very different personality than many other JRPGs. Less of an emphasis on story and cinematics, more of an emphasis on exploring, customizing your team, and the social aspect.

I see people talking about teams...I thought you used just one Pokemon at a time? You could catch a bunch but only use one? Clearly I am mistaken?

You have a party of 6 pokemon. And that is your team.

As for the question about trading.
When I was a kid, everyone traded pokemon with each other, and it was a huuuuuge part of the game experience since it was so social. People aslo battled against each other a lot. I always battled my brother after we had beaten a gym in our repective games, like a real life rival xD
So yes, trading (and battling) with people increases the fun of the games exponentially. However, in the state that the series is currently in, it would be hard to trade and battle with people nowadays.

You should try playing pokemon. The games have a kiddy stigma on them, but the gameplay goes beyond age. The first playthrough is always the most memorable. Catching your first wild pokemon, watching them evolve for the first time, beating that pesky first gym leader, it's great fun.

Why is it hard to trade/battle Pokemon now? And how does one 'trade' with someone else?