2) Yeah, I'm playing ORAS right now. You can use the circle pad to have free movement, and it's mandatory if you want to sneak up on Pokemon in patches of grass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKbcicYU0mA&t=39s

Also, you can clearly see the trainers moving diagonally in Let's Go in these scenes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jRtpMKLsts&t=1m6s

3) That's not how game development works. Let's Go isn't stealing resources from Gen 8 any more than Tembo the Badass Elephant stole resources from Pokemon Sun and Moon. And if you're already complaining about this being a cash grab, then it's pretty hypocritical to also complain as if this is some huge investment of time and money that's taking focus away from the core series. If anything, the additional profit from this game means Game Freak will have more resources with which to develop Gen 8, not less.

Ok, thanks for this thread I was very confused.

Not sure if I will pick up a Switch for Lets Go...though it doesn't sound as bad as I thought.

I remain very excited for a core game next year, and am happy enough if Nintendo also want to take steps to make a more casual game available to the masses - maybe it will drive even greater adoption of the core game!

Then just wait for gen 8 in 2019. Problem solved. 

Do we know whether or not the games will use Nintendo Switch Online?

Might want to check again m8.

Edit: So I looked at some Omega Ruby footage and I'm kind of confused. You can move freely in that game unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean by "grid based

http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/06/01/pokemon-lets-go-pikachu-and-lets-go-eevee-confirmed-for-nintendo-switch-releases-november-16

Version-exclusive Pokemon will exist in Let’s Go, like the many Pokemon games before it. Battling and trading are both available online and locally, but online ranked battles will not be available, and as for the Nintendo Switch Online service launching in August, Masuda said they "don’t have any plans to utilize the online service right now."

Some of the reactions are interesting. Sure, the negatives from the hardcore fanbase can be expected. But, what I found interesting is hearing people say that adults who played Pokemon Go are really interested in the game. For some adults, it seems that the simplicity of the game mechanics interests them because it makes it easier for them to experience a full Pokemon RPG without the various game/battle elements that could possibly intimidate them. Even Andre from GameXplain expressed such interest even though he only played Gen I. Things such as understanding IVs, having to grind in both battling and catching, the RNG of searching for the Pokemon they want/don't want, etc. Not everyone who is an adult, who either has never played a Pokemon game before outside of Go or only played Gen I or II, has the time to get used to the Pokemon mechanics that long-time fans have been used to for years.

I think this will be an interesting situation for Let's Go. It's aimed for casual adult Go players as much as children as it is apparently an introduction to Pokemon mainline RPGs for Go players without punishing them for not truly understanding the mechanics of the games of the past. Say what you want that Let's Go is aimed towards "Genwunners" and "casuals," but if Game Freak believes that this can help grow the active fanbase (Gen 6 and 7 mainline games sold around 15-18 million), then by all means. I'm giving this a chance.

It's almost like having casual mode in Fire Emblem, but in a whole game while the more traditional core title will come in 2019. I believe casual mode is a key reason why games like Awakening and Fates were able to become the best selling games in the franchise's history (not just the fanservice, which was really not that much in Awakening outside of Tharja and the DLC beach stuff, in my opinion).