I liked that the main plot wasn't just "save the world", or "stop an evil team". There were elements of a major threat (if all these Paradox Pokemon escape Area Zero it will be a big problem), but it managed to use emotion, and interesting ideas ahead of that which was far more compelling. I liked how the game built up Nemora, Arven, and Penny as distinct characters with various motivations and interests, and it all clicked together in the finale where you venture down into Area Zero. I liked all the little back and forth as you ventured down into a mysterious place, fighting strong and weird pokemon as a group, before big reveleations. I thought throughout my entire playthrough "isn't it weird that we haven't met the Pokemon Professor yet?", and the few lines of dialogue we got through the AI on the Rotom phone while upgrading Koraidon/Miraidon, were simple enough to buy that "maybe they'll just make meeting them special". Arven having a strained relationship with their parents further added intrigue, and in the end it all made sense. Having an actual death in a pokemon game, added a lot of weight to the whole thing. On top of that, it's interesting how most of the game is a vertical climb, with the Mountain Peak, while Area Zero is a distinct descent.
Btw, the story has a lot of visual and thematic similarties to Annhilation, particularly the film adaptation. That had "Area X", an expanding shimmering place, where animals changed and turned into monsters+dopplegangers. I think it's a neat setting overall, especially for a Pokemon game.
I agree that the final NPC fight with the AI was really difficult, and it felt really special. The AI is the only trainer to use Paradox Pokemon, and the way they used a Masterball with them made it feel extra special. I agree the Paradox pokemon are awesome, and I like that unlike evolutions, it doesn't replace the original (like will people still use Primeape with Annihilape around?). I like Donphan, but now I can choose between Donphan or Great Tusk/Iron Treads. Likewise, the same goes for Tyranitar, and pretty much all the Paradox Pokemon. Similar to the Ultrabeasts, it also provides a lot of intrigue to where they came from. With Sun and Moon, we didn't see where they originiated, and Ultra Sun/Moon, while not perfect, showed a few bizarro dimensions where these pokemon lived, and I loved it (especially the Guzzlord area). I hope that in the DLC, we'll get a glimpse of where they are coming from.
Speaking of NPC stuff, now I'm going to complain. I feel like the game, with all it's new Pokemon, and story content, definitely feels really filling. As in, I feel like I had a good time of evolving and raising Pokemon, having fun Pokemon fights against various traines for a story, and exploration. However, it feels noticeable, if you dig in the game, that some things are being foreshadowed/sorely missing, and I wish they were just in the base game. It's the type of thing that the hype makes it dissapointing to find out you can't do it yet, and makes you wonder about the future.
They are:
-A Third Legendary (the Chamelon): I haven't looked at leaks, and this is based off of what you can find in game. However, in the Scarlet Book, which you can read the full version in the avademy, has a page discussing "the -isk Pokemon", which is a weird illustration, and a weird text about a pokemon that is covered in weird colors/crystals and sort of shifts into the background and looks like a disk. The AI/Professor, warns that "opening the door to the Zero Lab" will release a strong Pokemon", and sure enough when you do a bunch of Paradox Pokemon come running out. However, I assumed/thought, that it would be that third legendary, some sort of antagonistic force, perhaps the Pokemon that wounded Arven's Mabostiff, and wiped out all the research labs, and is making the crystals. I thought that after I beat the AI/Koraidon, that an invisbile giant chameoleon would reveal itself to have been on the sparkling shimmering walls, but alas that never happened. That felt dissapointing for it to hint at it in game, and then not happen. Even after the Academy Ace stuff, I thought that would be the perfect moment to have Arven approach you, and say that something still bothered him about Area Zero, and that you'd have to fight some Titan Paradox Pokemon that have escaped into the overworld, then go back to Area Zero, and fight the third Legendary. That never happened, and while my imagination is running wild here, I want to see more.
-Regional Forms:
Not counting Wugtrio/Toedscruel, there's only two regional forms: Tauros and Wooper. That's weird. I always prefer new pokemon, and maybe they thought that the Paradox forms+the covergent forms, filled this role, but it's still a bit strange. I could see them introducing a few new regional variants in a DLC (alongside a few new Paradox Pokemon).
-The Chinese Pokemon:
Another big mystery are the ruinious pokemon. There seems to be some implication that there will be some "final leader" of them, some sort of dragon(?) based on some of the descriptions in their Pokedex. Ms. Raifort is incredibly suspcious, and I'm wondering if they'll do something big with her.
-That upperight "northeast" portion of the map/battle facilities
Not sure if anyone noticed this, but there's an upperight corner of the map that you can't go into/visit. It's crossed out, similar to the way that Area Zero is. I honestly thought because it's so obvious, that that section of the map would unlock upon completing the main game. I thought that would be where some battle facilities/battle frontier would be found, and I was sad that there wasn't. Speaking of, the lack of battle facilities is dissapointing, especially in the basegame. While not everything needs to be the Gen 3/4 Battle Frontier, having even a Battle Tower, and tying a fun challenge to it, adds a lot of replaybility. It lets you construct a well-rounded 3 pokemon team, and have a challenge outside of leveling or other things. It's also a little more high stakes, and takes time. It's something that gives me the bulk of challenge, and raising my pokemon to the max (evs, good natures etc...) and I'm sad all of it is sorely missing.
-An expansion of the Ocean
For Koraidon/Miraidon being able to surf on water, there's surprsingly little reason to enter the water and go surfing. The Ocean only has a few small islands, with surprsingly no town/village out on the water. While Casseroyal Lake is big, that's pretty much the extent of your big surfing section. I'm imagining that the map will expand outwards, and you'll be able to surf pretty far out. There's the Canary Islands, and Morocco (not an Island, but maybe you could surf there), so it would make sense)
-The Ex-Staff/Bullies:
Not sure how serious Pokemon wants to get into bullying as an issue, and I get why they didn't show it, but I'm surprised we never get to see the bullies and how a little vague all the TeamStar thing is. I know that they're all supposed to be pathetic, but it was weird that they made a big deal about staff leaving/getting fired+bullies never being seen. Maybe up north, there will be a "bad academy", where the bullies gathered? Or another "evil school" formed from the ex-teachers? If I recall, Harrington (the only ex-staff member you meet), seems fine, but also alludes to a former staff member who sort of screwed up and it led to a big falling out. Maybe have a more traditional dungeon filled with trainers?
-Hassel's family:
Minor point, but Hassel, the Elite Four Member's sidequest involves him telling an unseen dragon tamer that he won't return to his family and lead them, even though his uncle or someone is supposedly ill. It might be nothing, but It would be curious to see what is going on there as a minor point.
Pokemon games, surprsingly leave a lot up to interpretation, and a lot of unanaswered questions. I don't expect half of these these questions to be answered, or have as much content as I'd hope. Pokemon Sword and Shield, as their base game, were alright and had a lot I loved, but also a lot I thought were lackluster. However, with the DLC, they felt like really big and complete Pokemon games. I already like Scarlet and Violet's main story mode way more than SW/SH, so I really hope it can do a lot to finish things.