Complete agreement. This one was the ultimate endurance test for me as I had a corrupted copy, meaning I could not save, so I had to beat it in one go and never return to main menu. Hoo boy the end was a release, it’s the only time where a game has reflected its difficulty in payoff. Only was able to win because Endure and Dig go brr
Shinx and Mudkip for me. Mudkip always seems like a really good choice for the sidekick, not only cause of his goofy nature but his typing also covers really well with a lot of pokemon.