It feels that within recent years the Pokémon series has been adding more and more gimmicks to its gameplay features. Mega Evolution, Dynamax, and regional Pokémon forms are just a few examples of features that were arguably only added to bring something new and flashy to the standard combat mechanics. Yet developers seem to have forgotten that Pokémon shouldn't need any of these elements to be fun. The series should instead focus on creating strong combat gameplay that can stand on its own without the need for increasingly convoluted gimmicks.
Gimmick features are usually defined as mechanics that build upon the tried-and-true standard Pokémon battle gameplay, for better or worse. Z-Moves are a good example of this. Introduced in Pokémon Sun & Moon, Z-Moves can only be used once per battle and serve as high-powered attacks that occur when a trainer and Pokémon combine their power. They were met with mixed responses when Sun & Moon released - while some fans viewed Z-Moves as an interesting concept, allowing for more variety in a standard Pokémon battle, others thought they were too flashy and ultimately unnecessary. While Z-Moves could prove useful in competitive battles, every previous Pokémon game had already proven that battles could be completed just fine without the feature.
Of course, Z-Moves were neither the first nor the last gimmick to appear in the series. Dynamax and Gigantimax, both introduced in Pokémon Sword & Shield, are two of the latest. Fans have even speculated that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, the Sinnoh region's highly-anticipated return, will implement the gimmick of regional variants such as those that were seen in the Alola and Galar regions. It's started feeling more and more like standard Pokémon battles have become unimportant compared to these convoluted new mechanics, many of which are largely unnecessary in normal gameplay. The Pokémon series should instead start focusing on how to polish and improve the base features that fans have come to know and love.
Pokémon Battles Don't Need Gimmicks To Be Fun
The fact that even the earliest Pokémon games like Red & Blue are still widely beloved by fans of the franchise thanks in large part to their simplicity should be proof enough that features like Z-Moves and Mega Evolution aren't necessary for Pokémon players to have fun. As long as gameplay is engaging and rewarding, it should be enough to battle without leaning on excessive add-ons. To some extent, it feels as though the Pokémon series has forgotten the value of simplicity and has instead started moving away from its core identity and strengths to instead find the "next big thing". Pokémon Sword & Shield's open world is arguably another example of this - many players criticized it for feeling too empty in terms of substance, something that could have been avoided if developers instead focused on simply creating a highly polished but more standard Pokémon map.
Hopefully, the release of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, set to come out this November, will help return the series to its roots rather than leaning too heavily on new gameplay gimmicks. It hasn't yet been made clear, though, how closely the remake will be sticking to Pokémon Diamond & Pearl's original mechanics - the content that's been revealed thus far seems to instead be focusing on the visual overhaul. Ultimately, though, the mainline games will be stronger without excessive additions. Given the upcoming release of various spin-off Pokémon games, such as Pokémon UNITE and Pokémon Legends Arceus, perhaps the series can now take the opportunity to focus on making its base gameplay more true to the heart of Pokémon.