Even in 3D World there was no reason not to have online.

It would be pretty pointless, Nintendo wouldn't even add voice chat and you know this. 

Local multiplayer is much more fun. 

I'm completely fine with Pokemon being annual. It's not like they are AAA console games that take years of development, they are mostly handheld games with returning mechanics.

Voice chat among friends they would, even if it's MK8/SSBU style, but even without it'd be far from pointless. Not sure how you could even make such a silly claim. The bottomline point is the same as the game in general, to have fun! Online play simply let's you do so with friends who you can't physically meet, and guarantees you players to play with anytime anywhere. At the very least it'd make it much easier to beat every level with every character, something I haven't done due to being too tedious and time consuming by myself.

That's irrelevant as local multiplayer would obviously still be there, infact mixable with online. 

Prescision platforming requires minimal lag. I think only mario platformers would get quite frustrating truth be told, so much happens on screen you often get hit due to your own mistiming let alone adding 4 players with lag and different connection speeds into the mix...

As for pokemon I don't think it needs to be a yearly franchise as it will burn people out on the series. Unfortunately Nintendo has no other way to sell it's handhelds so pokemon has to take the workload. Seriously Nintendo why is yokai watch not coming west, amung many other japan only games.

Lag is annoying in any realtime game, but that hasn't stopped the many online games from being enjoyable overall, yep even the bug infested LM2 was a blast when it worked!

Also no one is forcing you to buy every game, so if one get's burnt out that's their own fault! 

I would rather it first focus on quality console games before going yearly. Like one dual installment for the handheld like usual, then a single, combined one with MMO style for the console.

Im not ok with this: 1st year -> new gen games, 2nd year -> remakes of old gen, 3rd -> third game, 4th -> start a new gen and repeat the cicle.
A pokemon game every year could make pokemon gens last only 3 years.
But Im ok with 3 games per gen and 5 year between gens.
spin offs and/or consoles releases between the other games, and done, healthy for the IP and for fans.

Pokemadden Mauve & Umber 2016 with updated roster additions! Bradymander and Manningchu Ultra Supers! I'd die of laughter if they went full-on EA mode.

Still, it kind of makes me smile when certain people have heart attacks over annual games and remasters then totally reverse course for Pokemon.

Pokemon Gens have only ever lasted 3 or 4 years so that's nothing new.