I just wonder if maybe the folks at Game Freak need some iron grip or competition (Palworld) to get the results that were so consistent before maybe Gen 6. I don’t know for sure though, I can only guess what happened to one of my favorite franchises

I respect that. The games have been heavily monetized to the point where you have to pay for anything close to a national dex. Personally I think it has to do with Masuda getting banned from being Director. The multi-billion dollar company has no reason to change either, parents will still buy this