>>53440739>>53441048And to do you one better, heres some grind systems already in the games that allow for useful, visible items and strengths to be earned.
>Battle facilities allow access to strong items if that's your thing>Having extra cash lets you buy healing items or TMs to make a battle easier if that's your thing>CATCHING POKEMON gives you tools to solve gyms like puzzles if that's your thing>RAISING POKEMON gives them higher stats and better moves to potentially overcome a challengeAnd thats just IN THE GAMES. You could devise a number of alternative grind mechanics that aren't just "number get maxed out" to keep your player battling pokemon that aren't tied to trainers or specific story events.
If you have to add NPCs to adjust invisible numbers and change rolls on RNG, your game has been designed to be played exactly one way. It shows that many, many designers who can code are usually better at coding than designing. It's important for these people to be led by others who recognize "hey, that aspect should be optional as it shoehorns the players into a playstyle that can't be introduced organically in-game and relies on exterior documentation to not only understand, but even be aware that it's present".
