Totems are good, I liked them, and they along with the more generously utilized aura effect were able to provide more climactic bosses. I don't know that I want totems specifically to come back again because I'd like them to keep doing new things, but auras or something like them should stick around, even if they aren't used as liberally. I can't understand anyone who prefers gym leaders, which take on the exact same format as literally every other trainer battle in the entire game, there isn't really anything special about the encounter besides that you need to do it to progress. The gym leaders as characters can be memorable, but totems aren't really missing out on that with trial captains around.
I wish more of the totem pokemon had synergy with their allies though. They usually had decent coverage, but only Araquanid (huge step up over Wishiwashi) and Lurantis (who seems to be a bit dumber in Ultra than before, I don't even know if it has a power herb) really pull that off. I like that so many totems were changed, but the change from Salazzle to Marowak is totally idiotic to me. Although it was simple, Salazzle and the ally Salandit had some strategy to employ against you. But they decided to throw that out the window in favour of having you battle a totem Marowak after battling multiple other Marowak while doing a minigame involving Marowak?
If they bring back totem pokemon or trials in some fashion, they do need to totally change how they approach the minigame design for the trial itself before the totem, because they're very lackluster. Really just taped together excused to have you do three wild pokemon battles before the totem, but while the aura and the ally mechanic make totems interesting battles, regular wild pokemon are an abject step down from gym trainers, and the minigames framing the trial are horribly weak. If the trial's Charjabug puzzles were on the level of the optional Charjabug puzzles it would be at least passable.
