RGBY are hardly a hot mess, but I'd suggest playing Red++ (a GBC hack with some modern stuff) or the remakes if you're "bored". If you've never played a Kanto game before, that's kind of a shame.
Nostalgia aside, what I feel sets RGBY apart from the other games (even the remakes and Johto games to a certain extent) is the sense of "every man for himself". No one hands you anything on a silver platter: You're doing research for a rather grumpy professor (who sends his aides to evaluate you), and the friendliest people you come across are Bill and Fuji, whom you first save. The first thing Oak tells you is that wild Pokemon are dangerous, and by golly, the music certainly creates that feeling. Even the trainer battle theme feels high-stakes, to say nothing of the music in caves and other dungeons. Finally, I find the idea of Team Rocket taking people hostage (and murdering Pokemon) more potent than making empty threats about changing the world.
I like stories in games, but no Pokemon story is good enough to care about it during a replay (if anything, the flaws stand out more). I don't play old games while bemoaning the lack of someone like N or Lillie. On the contrary, the mystery around the Pokemon Tower, Pokemon Mansion and even Silph Co is fun to revisit since nothing is really spelled out.
