Bulbagarden

Agreed on 3. I liked the slow descent into darkness of Despair, but I also wanted to see more of the Despair kids actually doing the stuff that made them so notable. The fact that their misdeeds were because of brainwashing also kind of hurt the impact of their dark journey, since they weren't fully in control.

Do you remember those fake spoilers?

I guess you could still enjoy the games if the trial gameplay appeals to you, and definitely if you like the characters' banter between trials.