>>49198659This is probably my least favorite Gen, but I have a-lot of good to say about the story.
Kukui having a life outside of his lab, like his marriage and weird hobbies. Maybe the most memorable and well developed professor. I was surprised by how much I liked him. Having him usher the player into the world, and then act as your final obstacle, was pretty cool way to bookend the game.
Everybody else feels like an extended family. The captains are all friends who have done the whole island trial campaign before. Random NPCs will recognize you as a trial-goer, which helps to reinforce that your journey is part of a cultural event. The trials themselves were a nice break away from tradition, with some of Pokemon's best boss battles.
Aether Foundation was a nice "twist" villain and a break from the norm. The raid was the best part of the game to me. The tension, the OST, the family drama and so on. Lillie and Gladion being forced to grow after their mother went insane made them into surprisingly compelling characters. The ending was great, where they had the maturity to take her to a doctor, and then take over Aether Foundation in her place. USUM fucking ruined this ending btw, and should never be considered canon.
