>>35157664In regards to a couple of your points I'd say the handholding has a really easy fix. A fix that EVERY OTHER GAME acknowledged 20 years ago. Aka "do you need me to teach you about x." If the answer is yes then go ahead and teach me how to catch a Pokemon. If the answer is no then fuck off. The drunk old man taught me how to catch a Weedle in 1996 and the rules haven't changed.
I don't think Pokemon stories necessarily HAVE to tread in dark territory but I do think if you are going to have characters then they do need a motivation and an arc. I don't hate the story told in SuMo and I actually like the characters. I just don't like how much they intrude onto your adventure to the point where this is really their story and not yours.
Fixing competitive has so many questions to it I don't even know where to start.
The only thing I would add is they need to cut it out with monotype teams and actually explain and implement what the fuck actual tactics are. The AI almost never switches when faced with a super effective Pokemon. So if you never played with another human, you probably had no idea what the value of Pursuit even is. Also there's no need to have boosting moves in the normal game you're facing an idiot who's carrying 3 Zigzagoons and nothing other. Something you can straight up molest with whatever fighting type you have. How about having multiple types on something besides Ace Trainers and Champions? What about a guy that uses Stall teams and drop hints on ways to break it? Or a guy who uses weather teams? Or a guy with sweepers or wall breakers. Or heaven forbid a Champion with a combination of these? So when the player tries out the pvp he isn't curbstomped by shit he doesn't even recognize?