There are probably multiple themes and motifs behind XY, many of them already listed. I don't see why we should act as if only of these meanings is correct.
According to the recent chat with Yoshida, the games are based on the Axis motif and nothing else. The inspiration is X and Y Axis.
"The names of X and Y represent the philosophy we had behind the two games," explained Yoshida. "We've taken the idea of X and Y from the geometric X- and Y-axes.
They represent two different ways of thought. At the same time, we want to convey a message encouraging people to find a common ground, where X and Y converge."
Basically, as I said before, the thoughts are black and white and they are looking for the grey area where the thoughts meet.
Its not so much a scientific or Mathmatic version of using the Axis, but a more social aspect of using them. Its a pretty blatant copy of Gen 5 as far as theme creation is concerned. As for X and Y axis in relation to the legends, X and Y don't specifically measure height and length. They can be used for such things, but they measure space between areas. When you lose the sense of up and down, the Axis are cordial points you can use to balance out (like is you were flying), though it doesn't have to measure how high or how low you go unless your instruments are designed to measure that. They can be used to measure rotation as well.
This is where "Space" comes in. The X and Y axis can also be used to measure a time curve and identify anomalies. "Time" and "Dimension" fit there.
If we were to draw it on paper, yes it looks like simple up and down, but they don't measure things for that, they measure in a third dimensional aspect which has 360 degrees to move about.
The legends themselves have a multitude of suspected origins, none of which relate to the axis, unless you count their body designs.
Either way really, we've been thinking about the wrong thing as the "theory of design" was pretty much shoved down our throats. Its a social aspect and way of thinking. Take Team Flare, and this is a shot in the dark based on what I do know, Team Flare has a specific way of thinking. They persue beauty as their main target, what they see as beauty will differ from what the Main Character and what other NPCs may see. Through the game there will be conflicting interests on what beauty is and as you go through, a common ground on what it means to be beautiful may be found.
In another way to relate, Pokemon Black and White. Team Plasma's goal to liberate Pokemon because they feel that Pokemon are being mistreated by humans while in their care. N slowly starts to realize that not all humans are as horrible as he originally thought. N would be an (X) aspect while the main protagonist is a (Y) aspect. As the games progress and into B2W2, you help N to realize that his way of thinking was an incorrect way to attack the issue of Pokemon getting harmed. His way of thinking slowly slid across his axis until it met the point where X and Y converge which pretty much ends Pokemon Black and White and leads us into Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, N still not completely convinced about how Pokemon and Humans should be treated but recognizes his mistakes. Other people seem to have been effected the other way, they start to treat their Pokemon with more respect and try to keep natural habitat alone for the most part to try and live in harmony with the Pokemon.
This is why I say its a pretty bad copy of Black and White as far as theme goes. They pretty much just told us that our initial ideas on what the theme was was wrong as well. Even if they go with the Axis theme, it was not as we thought it was.
