Here it is.
MUSIC
>Best overall soundtrack
Gen 3
>Mt. Pyre, Archie/Maxie, Grunts, E4, Abandoned Ship, Regi caves
>Best Champ themes
RBY and GSC
>Best gym leader theme
GSC (both Johto and Kanto remix)
>Worst: Gen VI
GAMEPLAY
>Best exploration
RSE: not as linear, many off-the-beaten paths, the regi-side quests, the abandoned ship, the rayquaza tower, mirage island, underwater caverns (keep in mind, none of these are mandatory and are left to the player to find out about)
>2nd place: platinum
>Best overall environment
imo, Johto: love that antique feel, and I dislike how newer gens are becoming an "assorted" bag of everything: random desert, forest, snowy place, grassland, swamp (i.e. gen VI)
>more objectively, Sinnoh, specifically in platinum
sticks to the colder climate feel, post e4 tropical island and exploration, mt. coronet, and the snowy route before the ice gym is beautiful
>Most challenging battles, gyms, etc.
Platinum, but I like how in DP the gyms use more varied pokemon types
>Best Pokemon:
Gen VI objectively includes the most diversity
STORY
>Best story
Imo, BW2. You're not a forced "chosen" trainer like in BW, and it's always fun to see how characters developed from BW. Colress is really interesting.
LORE:
>Legends
Gen 1. Exploring the laboratory and finding journal entries of mew giving birth was fucking creepy and exciting. It leaves a lot to the imagination how the lab came to be abandoned/destroyed etc.
>Worst: Gen IV
Imo, this gen just overdid things with the "god" pokemon, and with the trio that blessed humanity with emotions, intelligence, and willpower. I liked the idea of Pokemon living alongside humankind, not them being responsible for us.
I'm tired of writing, so I'll stop there
