THIS. This is what I dislike about the new generations. The old legendary Pokemon were not meant to be gods. Mew held the DNA to all Pokemon, but it didn't create Pokemon. Likewise, the three birds were just rare Pokemon that were told of in legends. Celebi did not create or rule time, it just travelled through it. Lugia did not create the ocean, it just hid in deep inside one due to its apparent destructive forces. I think people are confusing the terms "legendary" and "gods". Legendaries =/= gods.
Pokemon was still playful and lighthearted until it got bogged down in Gen 3 and 4 by all these grand schemes and "gods". Team Rocket was just greedy for money, not control for the entire universe. It's much more realistic; much like a mafia in real life. Now you have one 10-year old kid capturing and, by extension, controlling time, space, ground, oceans, sky, and the universe. It just takes away from the immersiveness and believability of the plot.
On to Pokemon designs. I don't expect "natural" Pokemon. In fact, I feel the new Pokemon in a way are TOO "natural". Gen 1 and 2 Pokemon somehow managed to have this cartoonish design while retaining the organic feeling of the creatures. Now I feel the Pokemon are overdesigned. Just look at the sea otter for example, a printed/painted shell on it's coat?
Now, it would be too rash to say ALL new Pokemons are ugly/overdesigned. Of course, there are good designs in every generation. But these gems are becoming increasingly sparse in this overall trend in overcomplication of designs.
