I'm still hoping on EarthRuby and SeaSapphire to be honest.
Anyway, does anyone else think that the opponent teams need to be shaken up a little bit? The gyms are mostly fine, but the Elite Four is quite poor in terms of diversity and the main villains definitely need a team that sets them apart more. Here's how I think the teams should be.
Roxanne:
Aron
Nosepass
I switched out two Geodude for an Aron. This is because, simply put, Geodude are boring. Every other rock-type gym leader already has one, let Roxanne switch it up a bit. Aron is a good Pokemon that creates a challenge without being stupidly strong at this stage in the game. Also, it's a Hoenn Pokemon, and it's nice for a gym leader to have as many Pokemon introduced in that generation as possible.
Brawly and Wattson are fine, they should just keep their Emerald teams.
Flannery:
Magcargo
Camerupt
Torkoal
Less Pokemon than her Emerald team I know, but I guess I just prefer her having one strong Pokemon rather than two weak ones.
Norman:
Vigoroth
Spinda/Linoone
Loudred
Slaking
Basically his Emerald team but with Loudred replacing Spinda/Linoone. Loudred creates another side to his team as a more special-focused attacker (and also I just like Loudred). Delcatty is an option too - hell, there are loads of Normal-types avilable, pick one out of a hat. I'm not sure which of Spinda and Linoone should be kept, Linoone is objectively a stronger Pokemon but - and maye other people have had a different experience - every time I've played, Spinda was always a right pain with Teeter Dance and other annoyance moves.
Winona:
Tropius
Pelliper
Skarmory
Altaria
Her Emerald team minus Swablu. Swablue was just dead weight, drop it and buff up the levels of the other Pokemon a little instead.
Tate and Liza are fine with their Emerald team.
Wallace:
This is of course assuming that Steven is Champion and Wallace is gym leader.
Ludicolo
Sharpedo
Whiscash
Lanturn
Milotic
Quite a few changes, but Luvdisc and Seaking are just too weak at this stage, Sealeo is overexposed in NPC teams already (Glacia has about 9 of them). I've included Ludicolo because he has one on his Emerald team (and it fits his character), Lanturn because Sootopolis can only be reached by diving so it makes sense for him to have a deep-sea Pokemon (plus, type diversity), and Sharpedo because Sharpedo are cool.
Elite Four:
Sidney can keep his Emerald team. Maybe switch out Cacturne/Shiftry to a Dark-type with a different secondary type, if the Hoenn dex is expanded and more Dark-types are introduced.
Phoebe:
Dusclops
Sableye
Banette
Shedinja/Froslass/???
Dusknoir
I sincerely hope that GF sees reason and lets Phoebe have a Dusknoir as her main Pokemon. Having the same Pokemon twice in one team is always dull, and what kind of self-respecting Elite Four member doesn't fully evolve her highest-level Pokemon? Shedinja is an option to catch an un-prepared team off-guard, but it's unlikely that any team would lack a super-effective move against it. Froslass is better, if GF don't mind two E4 members having the same Pokemon (see Glacia below). Or an expanded dex could include another ghost-type (Cofagrigus maybe? There is a desert with ruins in it).
Glacia:
(Side-bar: WHY OH GOD WHY did GF think it was a good idea to include an Ice-type E4 member in a region with only two ice-type families?)
Sealeo
Glalie
Froslass
???
Walrein
Seriously, they really have to expand the Hoenn dex and add more Ice-types. I understand that it's a hot region and so it makes sense for not many Ice-types to be around, that's why I suggest Glaceon (Eevee seems to always be imported from other regions and isn't usually found in the wild anyway) or Vanniluxe (hot region = ice creams = Vanillite imported over).
Drake and Steven are fine with their Emerald teams.
Team Aqua/Magma:
I was really quite disappointed when playing the original games to find that the criminal bosses of this game had basically the same team as all the grunts with slightly higher levels. It would be nice if we got a proper boss fight with each of them - perhaps just before they awaken their respective legendary, they challenge you. I've not going to bother with the teams for every time you face them, mainly because I cannot for the life of me remember when each of them turn up, so I'm just going to lay out some ideas for the final fight.
Archie:
Sharpedo
Crobat
Huntail
Gorebyss
Kingdra
Maxie:
Camerupt
Crobat
Rhydon
Donphan
Flygon
Reasoning: Sharpedo/Camerupt and Crobat are from the original teams. I've tried to keep the "opposite but the same" theme they have going on by giving them a part-Dragon third-stage signature Pokemon each, which I think works well. Huntail and Gorebyss are in Archie's team because they're not used by anyone else of note, and the same goes for Rhydon and Donphan.
Rivals:
Brendan/May:
Lilycove City battle:
Swellow
Breloom/Camerupt/Wailord
Camerupt/Walord/Breloom
Swampert/Sceptile/Blaziken
I'm sticking with his/her RS team because I think it's much better than his/her Emerald Pokemon, but I think they should all be fully-evolved for the final battle at Lilycove, s/he was far to easy in the originals.
Wally:
Altaria
Exploud
Roserade
Magneton/Magnezone
Gardevoir
Delcatty is too weak for this stage of the game, Exploud is better. Roselia too is weak, might as well use the evolved form. I'm torn on whether evolving his Magneton would create too much of a challenge or not.
Anyway, those are my ideas? Anyone else got any suggestions?