Quoted By:
Good question, OP.
Warning: autism incoming
I like to design monsters (pic related) and I'm making my own monster-collecting game. My designs aren't great but I'm very passionate about them and I think that's along the lines of what you were looking for. Honestly, I feel the same way about gen 8 as I did about most previous gens: I didn't like the designs at first, but gradually some of them grew on me.
In terms of trends, I find that Pokemon in its current state is suffering from a problem: a lot of the designs seem to lack a certain creative touch. I chock this up to GameFreak becoming less of a passionate group of creatives and more of a committee who cares primarily about what sells. The Ultra Beasts were a step in the right direction, but stuff like Zeroara and the new starters seem distinctly soulless, for lack of a better word.
In my opinion, gen 3 was peak pokemon in terms of designs. Just the right blend of wackiness and believability.
Then again what the hell do I know, I draw shit like this