To be fair, people have been saying this since 1996.
"Pokemon is just a fad", afterall.
Theres been very little innovation in the franchise itself because Nintendo wants it that way. They depend on it to sell handhelds and as long as that occurs there isnt going to be a paradigm shift.
That being said, the majority of the innovation (and for lack of a better word) evolution of the franchise occurs in spin-offs. The chance of another Pokemon Stadium or even Pokemon Conquest still gives people hope, and the nostalgia factor keeps people engaged in the series.