I'm always blown away that Pokemon is still viable in any way shape or form. Every game has been a re-release of the first game, with 0 critical improvements, nothing done to correct all the game's small flaws that add up to become a real problem, and graphically aren't far from the old Zelda games. There are tons of areas to improve upon, but my biggest gripes on the series and the reason I gave up on the girnd are as follows:
1) @#$%ing HMs: There should be no such thing as an HM slave. Pokemon games force me to waste 2 of my valuable 6 Poke slots on 2 pokemon that are garbage monsters that can store all the HMs. The alternative is, have 8 garbage Pokemon with 1 or 2 HMs each, and cycle them in while reading a strategy guide. Not reading a strategy guide? Then prepare to hike an hour into the heart of a mountain to discover you need Strength instead of Rock Smash, or Flash instead of Rock Climb, or Waterfall/Whirlpool and not just Surf. It's a nightmare. You can usually Dig/Fly/Escape Rope out of a cave, but it's a nightmare having to retraverse grassy expanses and mountains full of exploding geodudes and poison confuse ray zubats. The other issue of the HMs is that, they absolutely suck, except for Surf. With only 4 moves per Pokemon, I can't waste space on moves worse than watergun and ember. Even medicore Strength isn't going to cut it against those 95 damage perfect accuracy moves like flamethrower.
* Better idea: Dump the HMs and just let my Pokemon gain the ability to use the HM powers outside of battle with each gym badge or quest reward. In otherwords, if a pokemon is considered a strong one, let it push boulders and break rocks with its own strength rather than a special move. Same with trees. If my pokemon has the build to tear down trees, let it. Why does it matter if my pokemon knows the cut move? Why can't my big strong pokemon just snap the tree in half or cut it with a better move like razor leaf or slash or whatever? HMs gotta go.
2) 4 moves: NO! 4 moves is no good. This is the reason brute power is the ONLY viable path EVER! There's no room to waste and crap buffs/debuffs. Especially when we get into STAB bonuses and all that crap. I need my wasp queen tank pokemon using awesome bug moves and self healing, and can't afford toxic, despite it being a nice compliment on a tank. The Pokemon need to expand to at least 6 slots, but preferably 8.
3) Speaking of numbers of moves, how about lettign my pokemon store every move they learn in their little brains, and let tmy choose which moves are active for each battle. I hate learning a bunch of great moves and then having to forget them forever because I can't test a new move otherwise, or I have a move that's not good until later, like Nightshade, etc. If my pokemon learned it, let them keep it. I hate owning multiple pokemon of the same type. Let me change my pokemon's move pool between battles to suit my needs. This would be so important when dealing with the elite 4 and long dungeons of obnoxious creatures.
4) No more random battles. I love seeing a pokemon following me. They have proved by doing so, they can make a mini representation of any pokemon. Let the little mini pokemon represent themselves and I'll choose what I want to fight or not fight. I'd rather wander around a bunch of rattatas and bugs to get to that one bunny who keeps dashing away from me than spend hours being forced into battles that I will only run from. It would make play more exciting too, because it could be made to feel like dodging trainers. Let the pokemon charge me if they want, or run, or just stand there. Let my repel sprays make them all run, or attract sprays lure them to me. Hell, let me use mean look outsid eof battle and I'll go talk to that little abra and not have to try and use mean look on him before he teleports on turn 1.
5) Power balance: This game has the worst balance issues. Too many moves are only useful at levels 5 ad under, etc. Let the freaking moves level up. Why can't more moves gain power based on my pokeom's level? Why can't I continue to upgrade watergun until it is the same as flamethrower, and why can't I start with flamethrower and build it up to the powerful move it it in every game? It's not just the move imbalance. The whole super effective and stab bonus and criticals are all grossly overpowered. +50% is way too freaking much. Even + 25% seems too high. What's wrogn with +10% per bonus? I would be able to outfit a pokemon to my style more so if I wasn't being forced to exploit the STAB bonus and super effective bonuses for 1 hit killathons. What is a super effective critical worth against a pokemon with a double weakness? +200% on top of base damage? It's nuts! The game needs to calm down on the bonuses.
* another factor of the power imbalance is the whole PP for each move? Why can't I just have a life guage and a stamina guage and then have each move have unlimited use and balanced consumption rates? It would cut down on pokemon that know thunderbolt, flamethrower, surf, and some super uber move like hyperbeam. Make those weaker moves viable. I'll use flamewheel and flamethrower and firespin if the consumption for them justifies themir use. I'll use buffs and debuffs if I know I won't be 1 shot killed, and knowing the buff makes the consumption rate efficient.
6) Can I please have more to do than battle? And nto thsi dress up contest safari zone BS! I'm talking, watergun shootouts, a'la duck hunt. Give me minigames worth palying that require various classes of pokemon. Give my pre-evolves reason to stay little. Hell, making mini holes all over the place where they can squeeze in and find items would be justifiable enough, but give them little dog show type mini-games and I'll keep them small despite their lesser use in battle.
Pokemon was a good idea with a lot of room for improvement, which is what makes the past how many decades of no change so unforgiveable and its continuing popularity so mind blowing.
