>>50566161>they didn't have a directionYes they did since it was the first far away region not connected to Kanto and changed up the cast. Also Masuda had roadmapped RS all the way to DP.
The lack of day night cycle was because most early GBA games used a bright color palette to help with being able to see the game on the non backlit screen.
Ash was kept in the anime for recognizable and mainstay Misty got replaced in favor of May to give the boys new eyecandy. Brock didn't need to come back but he was still sort of relevant as the remakes were a thing.
TPC was necessary for longtime success and it clearly worked. Even in the days of Crystal Shudo was told by Ishihara that pokemon would probably last another 10 years . OP is right in that the fad was simply dying out and conpetitors like yugioh and the return of star wars were rising in the west. If they did another Gold and Silver like game at the time critics would have called it lazy and feel fatiqued after Crystal which was already an underwhelming upper version
