March 11th, 2021
There’s an old story that came out in interviews with series creator Satoshi Tajiri. He commented that when he saw kids using a link cable with their Game Boys, he started to imaging creatures moving backwards and forwards between the devices. Combines with his love of catching bugs, this formed the core principles of Pokémon. Combined with a shared love of Dragon Quest and other JRPG, the original GAME FREAK team gave birth to an RPG game where you collect monsters, raise them, battle and trade between their friends.
This idea of trading has been a fundamental part of the franchise since it’s first iteration. From the physical link cables needed for Gen 1, 2 and 3. The experimental wireless adaptor packaged with Leaf Green and Fire Red, and the wireless communication affording by the DS and it’s later counterparts. The series introduced new mechanics using the trade system to allow players new ways to play. Starting with the idea of trade exclusive evolution, such as getting a Gengar only by trading someone else a Hunter. Later, Pokémon had to be traded with holding a specific item to get the desired evolution. Finally, there’s specific Pokémon trades. Such as needing to trade a Karrablast for a Shelmet just to get either of them to trade.
While Sword and Shield have kept most of these mechanics in place, they are no longer the ONLY method to get the vast majority of them. Pokémon like Steelix, Gengar and Rhyperior can now just be found roaming around the wild, or in Raid Battles. Yes, this does make completing the Pokedex easier for players, it means that a fundamental building block of the franchise’s creation is no longer essential. The thrill of finding the correct item and getting a trusted friend to trade the Pokémon to just isn’t there anymore.