Your 4th point really hits on the main problem with all lists like this and that is that what is "best" is different for everyone. I agree with you that this puts too much weight on storytelling, but I know for some people story is by far the most important part of any game. For me, I rarely care about the story at all, I just want interesting mechanics.
Historical Legacy is a good way to put it. For Pokemon in particular, RBY was the franchise for a lot of people, myself included. I've played a few of the others, but RBY is what came out when I was a kid and will always be the one I remember.
The 100 Best Video Games (www.empireonline.com)
Steam Next Fest June 2023 is now live (June 19 - 26) (store.steampowered.com)
I always enjoy checking out the demos from these events. Has anyone else tried any yet? Would love to hear about any fun demos you've found.