Changes from that long ago involves...
New Fairy type
You can move at any direction rather than dpad
Complete motion animations in pokemon battles
TMs have unlimited use
Exp. Share is a bit op, try not abusing it
Mega evolution is a thing
Amongst others that you'll find out. ;)
As for the competitive aspect, it's incredibly deep that you would need to pour countless hours into. I believe there was like a 2M prize pool for some championship tournament or something
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2-million-up-for-grabs-at-2015-pokemon-world-champ/1100-6425126/







