I didn't know the shift was because of Yo Kai Watch. It's the first time I've heard of the game. It was nice to know this trivia.
I also feel like the OG Gameboy games, anime series, and early generations of Pokemon in general were a lot better. And I'm sure there's a lot of nostalgia mixed in there. I haven't played the newer Pokemon games, but I'm at a point where I still love the Pokemon franchise but am gravitating towards a gameplay closer to Monster Hunter (if I'm in a need for a monster catching fix).
Btw, is your Avatar Bojji? It looks like him, but I'm not sure.