>>48896828XY. Once GameFreak realized all they had to do was nostalgiawhore for past generations to drive up sales it was over. Go also had a hand in this, but the decision to include Mega Evolution on top of on-the-nose references to all the gens previously (mainly Kanto and Sinnoh) was basically tying the core premise of Pokemon and tossing it into a lake. Generations 6-8 have all been derivatives of each other, relying on gimmicks to set them apart and the blind loyalty of it's fans to sell. It's damaged the series to the point that Kalos' main gimmick is expected to be across the entire series regardless of reason. Even now in BDSP, a game without Mega Evolution, the affection gimmick completely ruins the fun of a past region.
XY irreversably damaged Pokemon as a franchise.
