I think that the best Pokemon games aren't just about creature collection. Because of that, my favourite Pokemon games are the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue/Red Rescue Team games. The way the game works (and how you're put into the shoes of a pokemon, so the other pokemon are your peers) makes it feel like you're really building a team and fighting with them. Yeah, it also has its flaws, but I think that it's as close to an ideal Pokemon game as it's possible to get.

I think the cave exploring mechanic is really good, and with some up-to-date procedural generation it could be awesome. I've heard the Switch remake is pretty good, but I haven't got around to buying or playing it yet.

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