I agree with you on that. HGSS was major improvement on GSC. Plus, it had a pedometer lol
But GSC honestly scratches that itch I get for classic Pokemon in every way. I missed out on the physical/special split so it took me a while to adjust once I started playing Gen 4-6 (haven’t played past 6).
In short, New Coke might be objectively better, but it’s not Coca-Cola Classic lol