Hoenn is my favorite region. Emerald is my nostalgia game. What you say is fair and valid. Early game movesets don’t feel good at all. If it’s within your means, I would suggest trying Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire. It feels much better to play through. If you never want to see Hoenn again, then no shame in that. :)

I’m on a slow run through all the games. SoulSilver definitely is hitting

Emerald holds a special place in my heart. Omega Ruby got me back into Pokemon and to this day is my favorite. I’m currently playing through every generation, but no other region hits harder that Hoenn

Earl Grey with double Bergamot. It hits so hard

Absolutely. It’s a little hand wavey, but I agree with the sentiment. If you mod the 3DS it’s an all in one solution. If you want the cartridges, I would start collecting the DS ones sooner rather than later. Heart Gold/Soul Silver and Platinum specifically. The 3DS games are still quite reasonable

Mod a 3DS and you’re off to the races. I just went through a spree of buying cartridges from each generation and I kind of regret it. The 3DS will play every game you want and will be cheaper in the long run. No need to buy a flash cart. Not trying to be overly pedantic but flash carts are still emulation, just hardware emulation instead of software.

Good luck on your Pokemon journey! Currently burning through SoulSilver myself