>>20163303Are you fucking kidding me?
This is one thing that the series got right to begin with and improved on later.
Back in Kanto, your rival challenges you to a battle. Now, you've heard of pokémon battling by this point. While you didn't expect to be in on it, you at least aren't taken completely off-guard. But what does Professor Oak say? Try it yourself and see what happens. Then, as you use moves, he gives you an explaination of what they do. Pretty simple, right?
Let's fast-forwars to XY. Your "rival" Shauna challenges you. Now, I don't think Sycamore mentioned pokémon battling in the intro speech - so a new player might be surprised it even exists. Regardless, you now receive even less instruction than before! And you know what?
That's perfect. You don't need to hear "Lowering your opponent's stats will put you at an advantage," because that's obvious as all fuck! It doesn't take a genius to hear "The opposing Froakie's Attack fell!" combined with the graphical effect and realize that there's an intangible but real advantage they just got. Also, unlike the old days, you start out with a supereffective move. If the player has any sense of curiosity, they'll choose that move to see what it does, and, upon seeing it inflict a lot of damage, they'll have learned what supereffectivity is in TEN FUCKING SECONDS - oh, and did I mention that they taught themselves about it?
Regardless of generation, when you beat your opponent's starter, your own gains enough EXP to level up. And, whaddayaknow, this is actually real important. Just by seeing that blue bar fill up and that number tick up, you can instantly see THAT victory makes you stronger and HOW victory makes you stronger.
Types. Levels. Stats. Moves. What more is there to pokémon? Well, a lot.
You know why you get your starter in Aquacorde, not Vaniville? Because, when you travelled to Aquacorde, you discovered that "routes" connect different towns.
Reaching character limit. To be continued.
