Which third/upper version Pokémon game is the best when it comes to improvements?

Platinum was fun, but it really comes down to me rather playing the previous version because the games are similar. Crystal having a Battle Area feels weird to compare it to HGSS, but I never like grinding in HGSS for levels either. The meta doesn't seem as diverse in Gen 2 but it's approachable enough for back then when the competitive moves weren't crazy hard scout out.