>Amazing and varied region that feels like a real place instead of nonsense gameboy tiles
>Feels like a true adventure instead of Lillie Babysit Simulator
>Runs at silky smooth 60fps with almost no loading screens
>Tons of new Pokemon instead of Kanto+scraps
>Non shit level curve/distribution
>Tons of side stuff to explore
>Didn't cut Battle Tower (since they could've made the excuse that it was third version only in gen 2)
>Instead it built up opon it in Emerald
>Rebuilt the battling system so it could evolve to what we know today
>Abilities
>Berries
>Comfy secret bases
>Amazing memorable OST
>Contests
>Legendaries that really feel like they can fuck shit up instead of sitting there up some tower or something scratching their asses all day

>B-BUT MUH DAY/NIGHT CYCLE, MUH TRANSFER POKEMON
Purely technical limitations, and also GF WAS a literal small indie company back then, they were like 20-30 people or so and everyone was scared that because of the end of the Pokemania Pokemon was gonna die
>B-BUT KANTOOOOO WHERE IS KANTOOOOOOO
Lol