Pokemon needs a battle-themed mobile game alongside Go & Home

The Pokemon franchise needs a battle-themed mobile game to scratch the itch of fans who love the battle system, much like the Pokemon Stadium games did back in the day.

Many Pokemon mobile titles have been released over the years, with Pokemon Go easily being the most successful, bringing in billions of dollars since launch.

The rest of the Pokemon mobile titles are a mixed bag. Pokemon Home is more of an app than a game, acting as a means of transferring Pokemon between titles. Meanwhile, games like Pokemon Sleep, Cafe Remix, and Masters EX have Pokemon characters but not the same gameplay as the mainline titles.

The Pokemon Company is always looking for the next mobile hit, and one way to do this would be with a title that emulates one of the most beloved aspects of the games and can tie into its already successful titles.

The Pokemon Company

There should be a Pokemon battling mobile title

A title that focuses solely on battles, as depicted in the mainline games, would be a hit with fans. This would be similar to Pokemon Showdown, where it’s all about devising strategies and seeing them play out against AI or human opponents.

The aim would be for the game to include all Pokemon over time, allowing players to replicate the battle system from the mainline games on their mobile devices.

Pokemon Go has its own battle system, but it’s a stripped-down version of the one from the mainline games. Too much of Pokemon Go’s victory lies in which Pokemon goes first, which is why people don’t engage with it like other titles.

A Pokemon battle game with stripped-down visuals would have a few advantages. For one thing, it could include every Pokemon in the franchise, which hasn’t been a thing since Pokemon Sword & Shield. If it uses chibi pixel art with basic animations like the old games, all Pokemon can easily be added.

A dedicated battle game could also feature all of the mechanics that have been cut, such as Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, and Dynamaxing/Gigantamaxing, with rules in place for players who don’t want to engage with them.

The Pokemon Company

The Pokemon battle game would have great synergy with Go & Home

The Pokemon battle game would be an amazing tie-in with Pokemon Go & Home. Pokemon Go is the easiest method for catching Pokemon, with tons of special events that provide Shiny Pokemon, which fans will want if there’s a better venue for using them in battle.

Pokemon Home could act as the intermediary between the mobile and mainline games. This means that the Pokemon you don’t want to use in your individual Pokemon games could be shifted to the battle game, where they could be prominent team members.

Pokemon Go is a heavily monetized title, while Pokemon Home requires a subscription to use most of its features. A Pokemon battle game that ties into both would increase engagement with both. For Niantic’s part, the monetization could also come from tournament tickets, with prizes that can be redeemed in-game or in Pokemon Go & Home.

Right now, the biggest Pokemon mobile games are focused on the catching and collecting aspects of the franchise. Yet, there’s nothing to appeal to people who love the battles on mobile devices, as the spin-off games have different gameplay styles.

A third Pokemon mobile game that focuses on battles, combines unused Pokemon and mechanics, and connects to Go & Home would be a great way to scratch fans’ itch between games, especially as it looks like The Pokemon Company will be taking its time with the new releases.