I think some people feel left behind by Pokemon changing and not being the target audience anymore, are hurt by that, and instead of processing and accepting it they're as destructive as possible and any chance to "get one over" on the developers is seen as justified.

I just don't think "it's for kids" is a good reason to not want the best possible product

I think also often a lot of these people are just angry at the world and/or their lot in life for one reason or another and just decide to take it out on something more tangible that they feel like won't affect others

I am mad at pokemon for having an unskippable tutorial and dialogue. But that's about it. please add the "I am just here for the gameplay" button.

Same thing's happening with Sonic due to the new games and movies.

As long as the characters and Pokémon are cool... I will always be there 4 u gamefreak

Maybe this is too bad faith of an interpretation but idk how many of them are hurt I think it's straight up vindictive in a lot of cases

Absolutely. You can apply the same thinking to games as a whole, even further out and cover all of “nerd culture”. The same sense of entitlement and the refusal to accept that some things are not for them. There’s also a weird sense of the thing you like having to be objectively good.

If they are wanting the core loop of catch them all and fight and not wanting the pet aspect there is always Shin Megami Tensei. That's how I got into Megaten. Especially with being so status effect and hitting weak points in a way pokemon only does a little.

Me personally when I lost interest in modern Pokemon I just stopped playing them and moved on.

As someone relating to the feeling of being left behind the by franchise: yes, that’s 100% correct and it’s infuriating to see. It happens to Nintendo at large, “they didn’t do what I would do so they need to be put in their place”. So often I just simply find myself wanting to tell them “grow up.”