Pokemon player reveals why series needs more “unfair” battles

A Pokemon player went viral online after sharing their case for why the series needs to have more “unfair” battles that make opponents gain advantages mid-fight.

Since the release of the video game series in 1996, the battle format has stayed pretty much the same: pick a Pokemon, choose a move, and hash it out until someone faints. The core gameplay hasn’t changed significantly at all.

While most players are used to the system, some understandably would like to see it have a bit of a refresh given it’s stayed the same for so long – including Reddit user ‘Vantagor.’

Should Pokemon battles be more “unfair”?

Vantagor started their argument by explaining why the series’ various antagonist teams don’t feel as threatening as they should, despite them being a huge part of almost every single game. 

“For some reason, all of the evil teams decide to battle with some bizarre degree of honour… [They] are supposed to be evil organisations bent on taking over the world, but their tactics are laughable at best,” they said, before asking why they don’t give themselves advantages in fights. “They could cheat, but they don’t. Why shouldn’t they cheat? They’re criminals!”

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They described times where characters played dishonestly, like many would expect someone from a criminal organization to do. “The main one that comes to mind is Ultra Lusamine from Sun & Moon, where each of her Pokémon starts with a random stat boosting aura,” they said, while also referencing Jessie and James in Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee when  they fight the player two versus one. “These battles were great and memorable because they were different: they put you at a disadvantage right from the start.”

Vantagor then explained how NPCs using unjust actions in fights would shake things up. “Imagine fighting an evil team where they could cheat mid-battle and raise some of their Pokémon’s stats (or lower yours),” they said. “Or if they used rare but stolen Pokémon that wouldn’t always obey them.”

Other users in the community agreed with the post, with one stating, “Also Klara and Avery cheat in the Isle of Armor by starting with Toxic Spikes and Psychic Terrain respectively. I really liked that.”

“Don’t forget the fairy gym leader lowering your stats for calling her old midbattle! I thought that was a nice touch when I watched others play the game,” another replied. “It was a very fun mechanic. We need more stuff like that,” someone else wrote.

Although fights have stayed pretty consistent for the last 25 years, it hasn’t stopped players from enjoying the Pokemon games. So much so that it has exploded to become the highest-selling media franchise of all time.

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It’s hard to guess what’s next for the beloved series, but with the 25th anniversary right around the corner, fans are on the edges of their seats to find out.