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Make the series focus on exploration. Make every designer understand this, and ingrain it into the game's soul.
Being able to choose how you explore the world, which routes you take first in a similar vein to BotW, but with structure via routes. Of course you need to collect badges and trigger key events throughout the world to progress any form of story, but being able to tackle harder gyms or trainers on Victory Road earlier sounds great if it doesn't fall into the same pitfall as G/S/C's Kanto.
Progress scaling dependent on the order that you obtain badges/clear plot points (dealing with the evil organization) is mandatory, otherwise it falls flat. I mean each major fight that you win vastly changes every other major fight, including plot arcs like Team Rocket in any building, or Rival battles.
A circular map that lets you explore from a central hub town or one with multiple branching paths that you can actually take before functioning as shortcuts is what I'm imagining, as well as using traditional random encounter mechanics.
It reads like a Pokemon-themed open world game, but it sounds infinitely more replayable and interesting in my head. Consider how easy some early gyms are depending on your starter, while later gyms become piss easy if you over-leveled to compensate. Exploration is rewarded. Choosing to start at Giovanni or Victory Road and getting your ass handed to you, actually being threatened by the random Tentacool in the ocean, choosing to take Diglett Cave to Vermilion instead of Mt. Moon to Cerulean, and actually being able to progress. Think about skirting past and struggling through things that if traveled the "correct" way would be easy tasks due to level, available species, a TM from an NPC or shop, or a dumb immunity from a specific party member.
I make a Pokemon game that lets you plan and have control over where you go and how you progress and reward players who know how to play, but doesn't create awkward progression pacing as a result.
