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Slateport -> Lilycove's first visit is the best part of Hoenn. Lots of variety in biomes, mons you encounter, and a few different ways to go around the region. Then it tanks when you have to do the evil team's boring hideouts (people really seem to forget mentioning this, but it takes up a large chunk of lategame and isn't all that fun when you're being forced to fight the same 2 weak evo lines. Emerald makes it worse, surprisingly, by making you do the Magma Hideout and Space Station. I'd assume this has to do with why the lategame's disliked too), surf, and do more of the same. Unlike the optional content before, the ones lategame are more out of your way instead of being intertwined with the region, so you're forced to break the pace of what you were doing to go to Pacifidlog and the likes. It picks up again when you hit the Frontier in Emerald and have fun there
