On the graphics, I'm a bit on the opposite end of the argument.
I find that the jump to higher fidelity looks a bit strange for the series. It's kind of like the Simpsons 3D episode; though not quite that bad.
I'd judge the graphics as looking a little weird. I don't believe "IT'S NOT ENOUGH! Make them EVEN more HiFi!" is the right direction either - more money and staff for something that will probably look a lot worse.
On the bright side, the transition is not even CLOSE to what happened with Fire Emblem - which IMO looks putrid compared to the handheld games.
Where can the big gains in Pokemon be made, IMO? I don't even think it's necessarily the gameplay: personally speaking, the Let's Go Pokemon games just about nailed it -- and it was the second Pokemon game I ever played that kept my attention from start to finish: mainly because the adventure was both fun and pleasant, with far more satisfying Pokemon stat progression than past games. I have a feeling they're going to roll back random battles; but hopefully, they'll add features to mitigate the tedium of that feature.
Personally, I'd like to see advancement in the shape and scope of the adventure. More culture, more big cities with different things to do, more interesting character relationships. I think this game actually shows a lot of promise in this area, but they didn't show off much in that respect in this direct, only hinted at it. With Breath of the Wild, THIS new framing of the adventure is where the game really shone - they made the LARGEST Zelda game in history (by far) and simultaneously made it the most well-paced Zelda game outside of Link to the Past. If Pokemon could pull off a Breath of the Wild type deal (not in the wild, but in it's own urban/suburban landscape), then that would be a game I would certainly be interested in.
I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
