Tbh, I feel like the disconnect in the fandom is that people act like you have to either be a fan of the first 4 gens or the last 4 gens and no in between. When in reality the first 4 are ass (not 3 though) and the last 4 had peak Pokemon twice.
Ok but seriously, people act like if you like the last 4 your a little baby who can't tolerate criticism and if you like the first 4 you're a boomer ass nostalgia blind brat. What people fail to consider is that people can like both, people can acknowledge the flaws of both while not being blind to the flaws of the other. The games aren't objectively worse just because someone didn't like them, that's not how objectivity works. For example, I can say that Gen 5-8 are more streamlined to make the games more enjoyable with removals of HMs and loads of QOL improvements that overall make the games more enjoyable to most players. That is objective. To say that Gen 5 was the last good one and everything after is trash is subjective. Someone can say that Gen 1 was better, or that Gen 6 was better, or that all the Gens were better.
Unfortunately, Pokemon fans don't know subjectivity and treat as if their opinion is definitive fact. Yes, I am hella guilty of this too, being a Gen 5 stan and all.
Maybe, maybe...
We just like Pokemon?