Pokemon who gives a crap about Kanto, I came into the franchise with Johto.
What Game Freak are doing and what I desire as a lapsed fan (last seen in HGSS) are two different things.
Pokemon is an annoying example of the
fleeting demographic rule that basically prevents the franchise from growing up with the audience.
They always trot out "interesting changes" each game, never to pick them up again (and there's a bullhonky reason given in an interview with the series creator), even if they are as simple as having a 3D model follow you around. (I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the pokemon Devs haven't heard of Blender and use some awful custom proprietary system instead.)
What I want is something more than a rehash of old games. I want a game that challenges every tired old paradigm of the series while not looking like it was rendered 10 years ago, that allows me to go from Littleroot to Lavaridge without suffering or being forced to stay on a gated track. The Manga and animated series (Generations included) shows the various gym leaders swapping out Pokemon according to the trainers, so what's stopping the games from taking out the literal gatekeeping?
Another thing: After four generations, I grew tired of the same old story of wake up in small town and go to the League. (Save world during brunch) Why? What if I want to be a breeder, researcher, or (Hylia forbid) a criminal? The Pokemon Shadow games may have been massively flawed, but they're scores better than then "Let's hold hands and sing kumbaya to save the day" plots and knitting-club worthy inconsequential rivals, who became moreso bland with each passing installment.
I don't want something dark, broody, and edgy, mind. But the fact is, the basic pokemon plot is like a dusty hymn, and I'm tired of it.
What I want is something densely packed, open, with a fully controlled camera. Imagine walking into a forest that juts off from a route path. Inside is a small alcove, and there just happens to be a Pikachu. If it's a Jolly Pikachu, it is delighted to see you and invites you in, a Bold Pikachu might charge you, and so on. Instead of doing battle, maybe you could instead tame the pokemon as you would an actual animal by bringing it food and showing how friendly you are. And I'd like the trainer to be less inathletic.
Not quite Breath of the Pokemon, but grid based/restrictive movement should have died several generations ago.