>>37540846There are other ways to make the world feel more alive than trying to make you care about some poor story.
Various town NPCs referencing things from other towns, travelling NPCs moving between towns and routes, trainers on routes are having picnics or otherwise relaxing instead of just kind of standing there starring off into space, maybe trainers on routes get rotated out every so often which also works to give you more people to battle. Towns going through minor changes over time. Maybe towns having festivals. Seasons changing, weather, and day/night cycle. Side quests, like the family gauntlet and the trick house in gen 3. The phone calls from gen 2/HGSS. The pokemon swarms from gen 5. Maybe even the roaming legendaries.
Honestly the best thing gen 7 did for making the world feel more alive was when you walk into Gladion's "house" and he tells you to get out. It makes it seem like he has his own life and will.
