We chat about videogames and videogame accessories.

Better than what I perceive to be the same single-player experience, yet again, with minor and incremental changes.

This is definitely a more valid criticism, but just speaking for myself, I'd say that X/Y put a lot of effort into actually changing things; it's probably the biggest paradigm shift since Gen II. Balance additions, actually making EV training accessible (which was big for me personally), character customization, and actually animated Pokemon* are all pretty big shifts imo.

I think it also tried to focus on shaking up the implicit conventions, though perhaps not as much; the whole "not using a fire/fighting starter this time" and giving you access to multiple starters, including a lot of side areas rather than only one or two before you beat the Elite Four, etc.

* this, along with 3D graphics, already existed in spinoffs but I feel it was a pretty big shift for the main-line games.

You're free to disagree with me, but it would better serve you to actually try to ascertain what my opinions are before attacking them.

If your argument isn't fundamentally based on the character designs, maybe don't support your argument almost solely on the character designs? Sorry if I don't know your cave weedle backstory.

There's nowhere for the series to go except further gimmickry like Mega-Evolutions.

You also never actually gave a reason for why you thought this, and since game mechanics are independent of individual Pokemon designs, I don't see how it's at all related to or supported by the rest of what you posted?