How it works

Sorry but I'm with greg on this one. It's the same formula with a small splatter of difference.

You play as the same kid who's just getting out of your parents house
A rival, the only time I can recall a difference in how the rival was introduced was gold and silver
You have the same dumb ass long water route you have to go through (concept)
Cave level
Ice level
A "bad" organization
The elite four
And the same stupid ass HM's that waste pokemon slots.

The only differences is slight changes on introductions, names, towns and pokemon, but it's the same formula. Granted the "3rd" of each game (yellow, crystal) had different story lines pertaining to specific pokemon, but it be nice if they just put all the goddam regions together, told you to become the goddam master, with pokemon only getting harder, which gives more rewards.

I feel like if they took the same concept as ratchet and clank it be 10x better and refreshing, none the less I can't argue its a classic.

I'd have to disagree. I don't deny the the formula exist but it's been heavily changed. For one, the game has a storyline more like anime in that the gym leaders exist outside of the gym. Nearly every gym leader has a "Lance" (pokemon gold and silver) type of interaction with the player.

The antagonist group is actually well developed. Their goal in wanting to "free" all pokemon from the binds of humanity. They often say things like how pokeballs are no better then cages and that were more or less forcing these things on them against their will (and TBH what I don't like is the "hero's answer" to this concept which is: "we're not forcing them they choose to do this").

And TBH I don't see the appeal of just replaying all the games in one go, and I have no idea why people keep asking for that... it just seems lazy.