Pokémon is one of the most successful franchises in existence, and for plenty of good reasons. But the Pokémon games are also some of the most repetitive from year to year. Game Freak has only begun to move out of their comfort zone in the past few years, and they still have room to grow further. Pokémon has so much potential for expanding beyond the formula Game Freak has mastered. Here are some ideas for future generations of Pokémon to keep the games fresh and unique.
1) Scaling the Gyms
The main content in Pokémon games is challenging the gyms. While some games are strictly linear, there are some Pokémon games where the player can choose which gym they want to challenge at any time. The change in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to make gyms completely open was very welcomed by fans, and is a refreshing choice. But there’s a logical next step to keep improving the gyms, and that’s to scale the difficulty of each gym leader based on how many badges the trainer has.
Each gym leader can start with a team of three weak Pokémon for the trainer’s first badge, with their team leveling up and adding members based on badge count. When the player has seven badges, gym leaders could have a full team of high level Pokémon. This would allow players to choose any order they want while maintaining challenge if the game creators did not anticipate their path. This concept isn’t foreign to Pokémon, considering some of their other media forms, like cartoons, include this idea. Pokémon doesn’t need to be incredibly difficult, but this is a simple method to keep the players engaged with some challenge.
2) Difficulty Modes
A common topic of discussion among Pokémon fans is the balance of difficulty. Pokémon is a game intended for a large audience, which includes first time players and veterans, children and adults. Game Freak will never want to alienate part of their audience. But a lot of long-time fans are noticing that the games are removing aspects that made them challenging.
One solution would be to give the games a casual mode and an expert mode. Differences between modes could be as simple as giving opponents bigger teams with higher levels, or as difficult as giving opponents strategies and smarter AIs. This could even allow for more hand-holding in the easy versions while letting experienced trainers skip the same old cutscenes they already know, like how to catch Pokémon.
3) Voice Acting and Audio Design
The Pokémon games have increased the amount of story they try to tell. The first games barely had any plot beyond a trainer wanting to become strong. Now they are trying to tell emotional stories with well-rounded characters. With this level of story-telling, the old text-based dialogue doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Giving every single trainer voice lines could be difficult, but not impossible. But even if that is too much, Game Freak could hire voice actors for the important trainers.
The lack of voice really hits hard when characters are trying to deliver emotional, impactful dialogue, but all the player can hear is the same music they’ve been hearing throughout the game. Game Freak could further improve the games by working on the sound design even further. The games are filled with awkward spots where it feels like there should be loud noises, especially when facing trainers who are singers, rappers, or musicians. The Pokémon games could become incredibly engaging if they worked on the audio design.
4) Fantastical Biomes
The Pokémon games are filled with fantastical elements. Even ignoring the powerful Pokémon, the world is filled with time travel, super weapons, and alternate dimensions. With all that in mind, the actual world of Pokémon is generally grounded in realistic environments. Most Pokémon games will have grassy fields, deserts, snowy areas, and bodies of water. These biomes are fine, but they’ve been done again and again.
Considering how fantastical the Pokémon themselves are, Game Freak should start making more fantastical environments. The entire world does not need to be fantastical, as that might alienate some players. But making the environments larger-than-life could bring a new level of awe and immersion to the Pokémon games. Why not explore a forest of enormous mushrooms or a beach of black sand?
5) Mysteries and Player Discovery
The Pokémon games are known for hand-holding the players. This is certainly important to teach new trainers how to play, but not everything needs to be directly stated. One of the most compelling aspects of Scarlet and Violet were the mysterious black stakes driven into the ground, which players are bound to find if they explore. The game does eventually give an explanation for these, but they are tied to a late-game event in a side quest.
Pokémon games should include more hidden elements in their worlds that trainers are not directed to. Let players discover secrets on their own, and the games will become much more rewarding. Game Freak should continue in this direction and expand on it.
6) Get Rid of Type-Based Gyms
Throughout all the games, every gym has a theme based on a Pokémon type. With the introduction of the ninth generation in Scarlet and Violet, every gym type has been done time and time again. Players have battled and beaten rock gyms and water gyms more times than they can count.
Gyms should become more diverse. There are plenty of other themes that have been introduced in Pokémon games that gym leaders can specialize in. There could be a gym leader that specializes in dog or cat Pokémon. Another idea would be gym leaders who base their teams on weather effects or status conditions. With over 1000 Pokémon, it should be easy to make thematic teams for game aspects besides types.
7) Evolution Method Hints
Each generation of Pokémon has a few special creatures with incredibly unique methods of evolution. One Pokémon only evolves when holding the game system upside-down. Others evolve if they use a specific move frequently, and one Pokémon even evolves when the player spins in a circle. These are certainly creative and interesting ways to evolve Pokémon, but most often, there is no way to know these evolution methods in-game.
For a game series that is dedicated to helping trainers find their way, there could be an easier way to learn evolution methods than running to the internet. It could be as simple as creating an NPC to give the player hints on evolving their Pokémon, or even having a mechanic that directly tells you.
8) No More Kanto
The Pokémon games started in Kanto, so it’s no wonder that Game Freak has a lot of love for their first creations. The region itself has been accessible in many games, even in games where Kanto is not the main setting. And Kanto’s original Pokémon have almost always had plenty of room in modern Pokémon games. At this point, Kanto is overused. Any Pokémon trainer could tell you how much Game Freak loves Charizard, one of Kanto’s starters. And most of the Pokémon from Kanto have gotten some form of revamp in modern games, including Mega Evolutions, regional forms, Gigantamax forms, and new evolutions.
But every fan has their own favorite generation of Pokémon and their own favorite region, and these regions and their Pokémon deserve their own time in the spotlight. The Pokémon games may not be what they are now without that first generation, but there’s no need to have this much attention focused on them. Every generation is filled with creative and unique Pokémon that deserve the same amount of attention as the Kanto Pokémon.
9) Content that isn’t Mandatory
Up until Scarlet and Violet, most, if not all, content in Pokémon is mandatory to beat the game. The games could benefit from more variety in that aspect. One method to increase non-mandatory content would be to createmore than eight gyms. There have always been 8 gyms in Pokémon games, but that shouldn’t be necessary.
Game Freak could try creating 10 gyms, and letting the player beat the game with only 8 badges. That way, players could choose their own path and which gyms they wanted to face, or they could fight every single gym for that extra challenge. Pokémon games could fill the world with content, like side quests, minigames, and more. In fact, that used to be the case for a few games. Pokémon games could greatly benefit from adding content without it being required.
10) Bring Back Puzzles
Early generations of Pokémon had a decently strong reliance on puzzles in the overworld. Players would have to navigate dark caves, roll boulders in a specific pattern to create a path, or pick a route to avoid obstacles. These puzzles used to be a fundamental part of exploration and gym challenges, but they have been slowly phased out over the years. They may not have been the aspect of Pokémon that draws in players, but they certainly were an important part. They gave the games a level of charm. Game Freak should bring back the puzzles!
11) Non-Battle Content
Old Pokémon games also used to have content that wasn’t strictly battle-related. In generations 3 and 4, there were Pokémon contests, where Pokémon would try to appeal to an audience using their beauty or skills. In Gen VI, there was a variety of minigames available that allowed trainers to play with their team. Battling is a central tenet of Pokémon, but it doesn’t need to be the only one. Bring back Pokémon contests or add another way to interact with Pokémon outside of battling. This allows trainers to bond more with their Pokémon and appreciate the variety the games can offer.
12) Give Bosses Some Options
When facing major bosses, like gym leaders, the elite four, or villainous team leaders, trainers should be expecting a bit more challenge than the average trainer. This might not be present, especially when these enemy bosses are sticking to a specific type. These trainer bosses should have more than six Pokémon available to use. Maybe Game Freak could give them a roster of twelve Pokémon, and the trainer randomly picks six of them for each fight. This introduces an element of surprise, and forces players to think on their feet more.
13) New Inspiration for Pokémon Designs
Many Pokémon are incredibly creative and original, but there are also more than enough Pokémon in some categories. There are so many cat, dog, monkey, and fish Pokémon. Game Freak should try to take inspiration for Pokémon designs from new places. There are a great deal of Pokémon with origins in Japanese myths, but not many from other cultures. World mythologies are a deep well of ideas that are largely untouched at this point. There are also a lot of exotic animals that haven’t had much representation in games.
14) Make Some Pokémon More Exclusive
In every Pokémon game, there are Pokémon that can be found in just about every location on the map. When players keep seeing the same Pokémon over and over, that can decrease the impact of new areas. If Game Freak kept more Pokémon exclusive to specific areas, it could create a much more engaging world. Some Pokémon could even be hidden away in secret areas. This would force trainers to navigate and explore the world.
15) Keep Trying New Things
The first eight generations of Pokémon are heavily similar. Pokémon Legends Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet took excellent steps to shake up the formula established, but players hope these games aren’t the end goal for Game Freak. There are so many opportunities for Pokémon to seize. Game Freak should continue to expand the series’ horizons. Pokémon has tons of good will in its name, so players will be excited to try anything new Pokémon has to offer.
