Fans of the Pokémon franchise have been spoiled in the last couple of years, with Pokémon Unite and the remakes of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl as well as New Pokémon Snap, leading up to the groundbreaking new release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus being almost immediately followed by the announcement of the Gen IX games, arriving by the end of the year.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet are inbound, and fans have been sent into a frenzy of anticipation and excitement, with everybody trying to lay out their expectations of what needs to be included in the next installments of the hugely popular franchise.
10 A Compelling & Memorable Story
The story of Legends Arceus has surprised and impressed most, but returning to the traditional formula for stories in Pokémon games will require an impactful narrative on a whole new level for Gen IX. A good Pokémon story needs interesting characters that can make more memorable moments and keep the player hooked in the process.
Fans were generally divided by the story in Sword & Shield, with some players' opinions being influenced by their dislike for certain characters, with Hop and Bede being obvious examples. Scarlet & Violet need to integrate a compelling story into the new region, with cultural references or inspirations being an added bonus.
9 A Way Of Managing Difficulty
Pokémon games in recent years have been made more accessible with their overall difficulty being reduced, aside from the odd tough Gym Leader or Elite Four battle. Quality of life changes in recent years have included every healthy party member gaining experience regardless of involvement, and while this saves time and effort in grinding levels, it takes some of the difficulty out of the old games.
While Pokémon games nowadays feel like they are aimed at children, a huge portion of the players are still those that grew up with the games, and the introduction of a difficulty level could be a good way to appeal to all sorts of players.
8 The Good Features Of Legends Arceus
Pokémon Legends: Arceus presented a new side of what Pokémon games can be like that the franchise has never really explored, and some of the game's features would be welcomed back with open arms. Throwing Poké Balls without having to enter a battle format every time felt liberating in Legends Arceus, but the Gen IX games are likely to return to traditional encounters. The battle system in Legends Arceus felt fresh and much needed, so aspects of it could well be applied to the new games.
The initial Scarlet & Violet trailer has already revealed locations that look similar in design to Legends Arceus', suggesting that there may well be some aspects that are carried over to Gen IX.
7 More Online Accessibility & New Multiplayer Ideas
Battling and trading with friends have always been a feature in the Pokémon games, with the latter being a necessity when considering completing a game's Pokédex in its entirety due to trade evolutions and version exclusives. Battling has even blown up with the past few generations, with the Pokémon competitive scene being of huge interest globally.
Sword & Shield may have split opinions in terms of the overall games, but they pushed the online and multiplayer accessibility even further, with the introduction of Max Raid Battles and the Dens with the DLC. Gen IX could drum up even more hype surrounding these games with more online options, perhaps even mini-games, to create even more reasons to play the games beyond simply completing the story and completing the Pokédex.
6 Evolutions & Regional Variants For Previous Forms
While many eyes will be focused on the new Pokémon brought to Gen IX, there is now an expectation from fans that previous evolution lines should be built upon where possible. This gives opportunities to make new Pokémon from previous concepts and designs, without necessarily having to scrape the barrel for entirely new inspirations. Sinnoh especially was huge in introducing the likes of Rhyperior, Magmortar, Electivire, and many more, adding new life to old evolution lines, and there are plenty more opportunities.
Generations VII & VIII introduced regional variants of older Pokémon with Alola and Galar respectively, with Hisui also following suit, meaning the concept may also be applied to the new region of Gen IX.
5 A Solid End Game & Multiple Reasons To Keep Playing Beyond Completion
The past few games in the Pokémon series have lacked a substantial endgame to keep the game alive after completion of the main story, other than simply trying to complete the Pokédex.
While Gen II's inclusion of the Kanto region can be an example of trying too much with little reward, Pokémon players are always searching for more reasons to come back to each game, and Gen IX would do well to introduce some new options and possibilities. This could be in the form of DLC releases like with Sword & Shield, but players would likely prefer to have everything available on release.
4 The Freedom Of An Open World
Early signs of Scarlet & Violet hint that they will be going in the direction of being fully open world. Pokémon Legends: Arceus gave fans of the franchise a taste with its expansive regions, but it was still rather limited.
A completely open-world Pokémon game is an exciting prospect, but it raises certain concerns when considering how well the story will link to the locations. Pokémon games often have cities and routes that are not immediately accessible, with the player's path being rather linear, so it would be interesting to see if and how any restrictions would be applied to an open-world setting.
3 Kalos References & Influences
With the initial trailer for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet pointing towards Spanish and Portuguese influences on the Gen IX region, speculation has begun to form suggesting that the new region could in fact be bordering Kalos, due to its own influences being France-related.
While Kalos bordering the new region would not necessarily mean that players can visit the Gen VI locations, it could still leave the door open for more Kalos species of Pokémon being available than in the past few generations, or it could even spell the return of Mega Evolutions. The countries of influence are never really announced outright, but they are heavily implied in designs and general aesthetic, meaning that the links to Kalos could well be mentioned at the very least.
2 NPCs & Cities Bustling With Energy
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet are seemingly focusing on integrating Pokémon within the cities and more urban areas for the first time, and with the trailer suggesting that the cities are likely to be on a larger scale than normal, this space needs to be filled accordingly.
Towns and cities will have their own NPCs, but they need to be plentiful and be moving within their given locations in order to give a more authentic feel. A huge city with only a handful of stationary people will take away from any location, no matter how vibrant it may look, as space management is of huge importance in game projects such as this.
1 A Pokédex With The Perfect Balance Of New Additions & Returning Faces
Pokémon fans will never be able to completely agree on what selection of Pokémon should be in a game, with some wanting every Pokémon to be included, while others want a condensed Pokédex, as long as it has their favorite Pokémon.
It may not be possible to appease everybody out there, but introducing a modest number of new Pokémon native to the new region while reintroducing a few familiar faces that have been left out in Legends Arceus and Sword & Shield could well be the way forward, especially if they are relevant to some of the new locations.