What I Would LOVE to See in a Pokemon Game

Moves using a TM to teach them to Pokemon received a huge upgrade with Pokemon XY. Now it is much easier to teach a specific move from a TM to your Pokemon, giving us many more options for training our Pokemon the way we want to, even in while deep inside a cave! Still, find yourself deep in that cave with nary a tree to be seen, just try to teach something to replace the move Cut for something that is going to work better for you in that cave.

Many people use the term HM Slave to describe how they get around the restrictions on how we deal with the fact that using an HM is a huge pain in the rear. I prefer to use the term "Being a slave to the HM" because I feel that the HM is actually trapping my ideas of how to play. Its about time we find a better way.

Many people have come up with good ideas for how to go about this, I'm not really being original here, just adding my two best pennies really. I loved the idea that we could use a flute to call Latios or Latias to actually FLY over the map and see the realm fully from above! Really as long as you have that flute you do not need any Pokemon with the move fly, and its also an upgrade in my opinion, but you have to have the flute, know the basic outlay of the land (or be prepared to fly around a bit to figure it out), and it doesn't use a Pokemon in your party (maybe a better option, or not as good, depending on your personal view.) That being said, Fly is actually a decent move, one I don't mind having on my team until quite late in the game when you get access to more options for flying moves. The same can't be said of Cut, or even Strength.

This is why I think that when we gain the option to use an HM outside of battle, we should gain the option to teach it to our Pokemon as a MOVE to use in battle and out (the normal method), or as an ACTION to use only outside of battle, that is unlocked on a particular Pokemon, never lost or unlearned, but not useable in battle so not taking up a move slot! Please really, just do away with the slavery to HMs. I don't care how, allow us to just erase it maybe. I can't lose the HM itself I can always reteach it if I removed it right before I needed it. Do anything really besides what is being done already. Please?

Update: So yay, this was done! I really like what they did with Riding Pokemon. I think they didn't need as many as they did, and being carried by Machamp (I think it was Machamp, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) was a bit odd. But overall this was everything I was wanting!

This is a truly minor gripe, specially compared to the frustration of the HM. Still, I would love to see the Pokemon game truly become a three dimensional game, with the camera following behind you the whole way everywhere you walk, and all that jazz.

I really don't know what else to say about this beside the idea that I think it would look wonderful, and help with feeling immersed in the game. It would also probably help us get even more lost inside the expansive caves included in every game. Still, you lose some, you win some.

Update: Well, this didn't happen. Still, the 3D was slightly better than X&Y were. Or maybe I just think that and it was the same. I really can't say, as I just anticipated it being better so all my opinions are likely based on my expectations in this area.

Speaking of minor gripes, how about going back to letting us name our rivals? I know, I know, many people used this as an excuse to show off how clever they are by naming their rivals just mean things. Still, the fact that I could chose to play as the girl or the boy in XY and then name myself was fine as it went, but then the option I didn't choose went on to have a preset name option in the game, which meant MY character had a preset name that wasn't her name when I chose her... it was just odd to me.

Yeah I know, I need some cheese with my wine on this one, but it just seems to me that it added something to the game that I could name my rival in-game the name of my best friend, or my daughter if I wish (my daughter is my training and trading partner for the games ^.^). It just added an element to the games that isn't there when you have only the option to use the pre-set name for your rival. And it is really an easy fix for this one, so I can't see why the option was ever taken away from our choices. If anyone knows I'd love to hear the reason.

Update: Yeah this one didn't happen. But then again, did you really have a rival in this game? Not really I think. Hau was more of a friend who you battled. Gladion was more of a rival to himself as really his character arc was learning how to be truly himself after leaving his overbearing mother. Lillie was more someone who you showed support to while she did all the growth on her own. Guzma was again someone who was his own enemy. In short, all the human characters in this version of the game were doing their own thing and you were really only a representation of the thing they were battling against in their own lives. Which was interesting, and I quite liked the character growth they showed in this game. But I really hope they don't do this again. Or sure, do, but only one character please. Not all of them.

In this particular case I'd like to start with a disclaimer, not really a strong start for a request but I need to outline my vision here. I love the fact that the Pokemon games are handheld games. I love taking my games with me to battle or explore in any free time I have, and I don't want that to change. I'm not looking for anything that would make it impossible to keep the games to a size that is easily portable. All I'm asking here is if a bit of something could be added to trainers so that when they come on screen they don't slide across the battle field like a cardboard cutoff, have the Pokeball appear from the general middle of the image, then slide back off only to come back again the same way at the end, same position and all. Now it would be nice if enough processing power could be spared to have them walk onto the field, toss a Pokeball, then walk off again but I'd easily sacrifice that to keep my portability. Instead a slight change in the image while it is on screen would be nice, something like how the Pokemon themselves now flex a bit on the field. I'd even settle for just a different pose at the end of the battle if I'm being totally honest. Anything, really.

Update: I LOVE what they did with the people you battle against in this game. They weren't static statues in a single pose through the whole battle. I also love that you could see trainers during the whole battle, no more throwing a Pokeball because I was distracted by something I HAD to take care of in the middle of a battle for a minute, came back to the battle and FORGOT whether this was a wild Pokemon or Trainer Battle and threw a Pokeball only to be called a Thief! You may think it is sad, but it honestly happened more than once in older games, and it doesn't help that I started playing when my daughter was younger and needed my attention from time to time. It takes nothing to close the game to answer the phone or door, or if you are battling while waiting in line to pause the game because you are next. Plus watching your character while you are going through your bag is kind of cute.

Next for these games, a bit more variety in waiting poses. But this particular question has been answered completely positively!

I love the XY character customization options. I'd like to see that continue to be improved. I know that Sun and Moon have even a bit more customization allowed from just what we have seen so far, giving us four skin options instead of three, the final one actually dark skinned is quite an improvement for Pokemon. I'd like to see that, in particular, taken a bit, just a tiny bit, further. I'd really love to see a sliding scale given for skin tones, and yes I know that could be complicated to implement, but it would make gameplay just that much better for actually quite a large segment of the population. Not really all that many of us fall right into the range of the four options given, and it would be nice to be able to choose the skin tone.

Also please can we get just a bit more options for clothing, accessories, and hair cuts? I don't always want a flower pin or sunglasses on my hat, in fact I don't always want to wear a hat (though there are fabulous hats in XY!) And why did the long hair option always have to have that strange ponytail at the end of the hair? Maybe that was just a fashion thing I missed.

Update: Apparently this was a no brainer. Good work with this, hopefully the next game will be even better with the choices!

I'm not talking Cosplay Pikachu here, fun as that was. I'm really just talking things like adding a silk scarf to my Pokemon and actually being able to see that addition on my Pokemon. Or grooming my Pokemon and being able to tell the difference. Like Furfrou now that I think of it. Really anything that would allow me, at least in my own game if not online, to do something to my Pokemon that would make a visible difference when they are battling.

Maybe this one is a step too nitpicky?

Update: So, grooming was better than Pokemon Amie I think. I like brushing the Pokemon, that was cute. But it didn't really affect the Pokemon visibly in any way, outside of the Grooming window I mean. And they removed the games. Maybe most people didn't actually enjoy them. Its a same if so, I quite liked the puzzle one, and didn't really dislike the other two. I liked the idea of playing games with your Pokemon, at the least, and that was removed. So here's to hoping the next version of the game allows us to make changes to Pokemon that you can actually see. Though I can't complain too much, I expect this would have been a change that would have taken a lot of disc space in the game.

I don't know that I need to say too much about this one. There are not many people I've heard from that liked the way experience share worked last generation. A few did, but they were the minority. I personally don't think it needs much of a tweak. Just add the option to have a Pokemon carry it to how it already works. So if you have it on in your pack every Pokemon gets a bit of experience, off no one gets it unless they battle. But if you have a particular Pokemon actually carrying it then that Pokemon gets the experience in the manner that the Experience share worked in the first place, with only that Pokemon getting experience even when not actually battling.

Update: No go on this one. But I still have hope. I think this would be useful for people who want to change Pokemon late game, to help bring that one up in experience quickly. I know there were other options, they had Isle Evelup on Poke Pelago, and the food you could buy in the Festival Plaza. I guess those are easier. But they aren't as good, to me, as actually battling with that Pokemon, learning the moves for yourself, and learning how you want to battle with that Pokemon because you actually battled with that Pokemon. So I guess we will see.

Simply stated, I'd love to hear Pokemon characters actually getting voiced. It doesn't have to be complicated, we already have trainers not really getting much differentiation, we can do the same with voices if you really don't want to spend that much. All bug catcher kids can be the same voice with a sight different emphasis on what they say. Main characters of course need to be a different voice, and I personally would like it if my character gets to actually say something once in a while. Still that being said you don't really need to go nuts, and definitely keep the subtitles! Some of us play these things in public and can't really use the sound everywhere we go, unfortunately. Still it would be nice to add a bit of voice acting to our campaigns.

Update: Yeah didn't happen. But again, it probably would have taken up way too much space on the card.

I actually enjoyed the different rivals in X and Y and seeing the different goals they had when playing the game. I thought it was a brilliant way to represent the different play goals and playstyles different Pokemon players have. My only complaint is that none of your rivals are allowed to feel successful in how they play these different options. I think that is a sad thing to say to players who have similar goals to these characters.

I think the best example, or at least the easiest to show what I mean, is with Tierno. He is a dance maniac, and absolutely adores Pokemon that can use dance inspired moves. I found this a terrific example of finding what you enjoy in Pokemon and seeking out the Pokemon that would satisfy that particular love while playing the game, much the same as with a person who loves dark type Pokemon, or cat inspired Pokemon, or purple colored Pokemon, whatever makes you in particular pleased with your game. Yet time and time again Tierno is taken to task for not battling well, for not knowing much about Pokemon, for not quite doing Pokemon "well" for whatever that really means. I never knew why Tierno couldn't be allowed to have a full team of Pokemon that learn dance inspired moves, or even just moves that look cool when they are used, and create some type of dance team. So I could still beat him competitively, he never cared about that or should care, with his particular focus in the game. He should have done well what he wanted to do.

In short, I'd like to see rivals who could succeed in something. Since my goal is always becoming Champion, whether I actually want that in my playthrough or not, maybe my main rival could start out wanting that and change their mind when I defeat them or something, but that shouldn't stop them from finding a new goal and succeeding at that. Maybe one of my rivals could want to learn how to care about Pokemon, then actually be the one to set up a day care or grooming center, or something. He shouldn't just learn something, he or she should learn and succeed at something, at least one of them if there is more than one!

Update: Well, so, I already discussed rivals. So odd the way this game treated rivals. But I'm not going to discuss that again here, just a few scrolls of the wheel down from where I already discussed it.

Following on the heels of rival options for achieving different goals as a manner of success in the game, I'd love to have an option to replay the game after the game. Stick with me a minute on this one.

The Pokemon games have lately been really good about including end-game tasks to do to keep your interest going after the game is finished. I'd love to see one huge new options added though, the ability to start a new game with a different goal for the game than to just become the Champion. In fact I'd love to see a couple of different options for this feature.

One option would be to start over again a challenge game run. By now most people know what a Nuzlocke challenge is. I don't know if Pokemon would be allowed to call this challenge run by that name, but either way the game is owned by the Pokemon Company, and ultimately would have the right to allow players to start a challenge run if they wish. In my vision of this event the idea would be to follow the main ideas, at the very least, of a Nuzlocke challenge, starting your game over again with these rules but without erasing your game.

What would happen would be that you would go to some NPC, maybe the professor, maybe your mom or your rivals mom, maybe a new NPC, however they would want to do it. They would ask you to set a few options.

1) Permadeath Yes/No ~ Yes would mean any Pokemon that faints would be directly moved from your party and either boxed or released, I think it should be players choice but the Pokemon Company might feel that goes against the essence they try to bring to the game and if they feel that way they need to treat it the way they wish. Any Pokemon boxed through this system should not be visible while this playthrough is active.

2) Trading On Yes/No ~ No would probably mean no gift Pokemon either, though Mystery Gift Pokemon receipt should be allowed, but not receivable until the challenge is over.

3) Wonder Trade Yes/No ~ Having been following Marriland recently I've learned about, and come to quite like, the idea of Wonder Trade Nuzlocking. This would automatically Wonder Trade newly caught Pokemon, or alternatively give you a random Pokemon instead of the one you caught.

4) Multiple Pokemon Catches Per Area 0/1-5/Unlimited ~ You can set how many Pokemon you are allowed to try to catch in each new area, and be unallowed to throw a Pokeball past that number. An option could be set to not count previously caught Pokemon potentially, but I personally think that would be nice, but not really necessary. Wedlocks might be difficult to set up through this without something to allow gender restrictions as well, but really almost anything can be worked around in some way, such as allowing unlimited catches and restricting yourself by yourself.

5) Starter Pokemon ~ Allowing you to chose to start with only a particular Pokemon, setting up a run where you start with six pre-set or chosen Pokemon and getting no others (permadeath probably off for that, but your choice!), Wonder Trading or random choice for the starter immediately, or whatever you wish.

Finally;

6) Win Conditions ~ Beat the Champion? Win top tier at Contests? Just want to challenge a particular team to receive all 8 badges? Fill out the local Pokedex? Not everyone has the same goal. Personally I'd be most interested in trying to raise a team, or at least a solo Pokemon, for Contests specifically, and that is difficult to do when you also need to have a strong team raised specifically to beat the Elite Four.

Update: I'm still going to hold out hope for something along these lines in the future. We shall see.