I don’t know if this is helpful but as someone who was quite good at competitive Pokemon during their teenage years and also still keeps up with nuzlocking type things for fun, I would note that Pokemon’s game design is made to be a low context intensity RPG especially in early generations where the linearity is pushed to allow kids to do it.
If your point holds true on agency, I think the more important pinch points will be Lavender Town and Sabrina because those require backtracking through the storyline to get things.
I think mid-late game GSC would also be important to try because there are huge level gaps and transitions in the storyline that would make it hard to progress.
I don’t know if this is helpful but as someone who was quite good at competitive Pokemon during their teenage years and also still keeps up with nuzlocking type things for fun, I would note that Pokemon’s game design is made to be a low context intensity RPG especially in early generations where the linearity is pushed to allow kids to do it.
If your point holds true on agency, I think the more important pinch points will be Lavender Town and Sabrina because those require backtracking through the storyline to get things.
I think mid-late game GSC would also be important to try because there are huge level gaps and transitions in the storyline that would make it hard to progress.