Pokemon Black/White Wishlist 2

Last time, I listed the features that I wanted to return in Pokemon Black and White. But there's returning things, and there's new things. Black and White are supposed to change a lot of things that have been established in the series and with the three starters now revealed (Fire Pig Pokabu FTW! ^_^), I feel that it's time that I make a list (and check it twice) of the new things that I'd like to see in Black and White, from new Pokemon to relatively minor additions.


1. Improved Story - Let's face it: No one plays Pokemon for the story. After all, since its inception, the story outline has pretty much been the same: Get Starter, collect all 8 Badges, stop enemy team, encounter or catch the mascot Legendary, and defeat the Elite Four and the Champion. It works, but I would like to see come changes.

They could add more to the story, like a better plot. They could make the enemy team sympathetic in their goals and ambitions. They could add in sidequests that are more involved and even could provide some background on the main plot. They could involve the more powerful trainers of the Isshu region (such as the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion) in the story, which they have been improving on in recent games. Said trainers could also be given character development and background information. Hell, they could even go the Adventures manga route and have some of those Gym Leaders be members of the enemy team.

Am I asking too much? Maybe. But this could really shake things up in the Pokemon world.


2. Reserve Moves - I pitched this idea to the Pokemon Black board on GameFAQs, but it met with a rather lukewarm response (if you can call it that). This was partly inspired by the fact that Game Freak did consider upping the amount of moves that Pokemon could know at a time while developing Ruby and Sapphire.

Pokemon would now know 6 moves at a time. However, they can only use four of them in battle; the other 2 would be in "reserve", and can be switched out with the "battle" moves anytime when you're not in battle. Moves in reserve can also be used on the field. This would be perfect for people who don't want to waste precious party slots on HM slaves, as the HM moves that they need to use would now be in Reserve. Of course, it can also be used for Pokemon with large movesets, so you can mix up their moves as the situation calls for it.


3. New Type Combinations - This goes without saying. We're bound to get some new and unique type combinations in Black and White, but there are certain ones that I want most of all.

For example, I really, really, REALLY want a Fire/Dragon-type with Levitate as an ability. The most obvious type combination ever, and my two favorite types in the game, and it doesn't exist yet. And no, Charizard does not count. Another obvious combo would be Electric/Fire, as fragile as such a Pokemon would be in competitive play. Fighting/Flying is another good one (Flying has been paired with every other type); this really should have been Staraptor, but now a potential Farfetch'd evolution could take this typing. Speaking of types that Pokemon should have been, Luxray should have been Electric/Dark; it definitely looks like it. They could create such a combo in Black/White. Hell, Electric needs more type combos than perhaps any other type, so any new combo involving Electric would be welcome.

How about some complete mindtrip combos: Fire/Water, Fire/Grass, and Fire/Bug. I'm sure that it can work if done right. After all, there's already a Water/Grass line (though that combo at least DOES make sense).


4. New Evolutions - How many Pokemon from past generations will get new evolutions this time around? Who knows? Perhaps many; perhaps none at all. But that won't stop me from wishing, will it?

There are many Pokemon who could benefit from a new evolution. For example, Farfetch'd is one that had needed one since the first Gen; the same generation that it was introduced. Its stats are piss poor, and its unique Hold Item the Stick just isn't going to cut it anymore. Evolving it into a Fighting/Flying-type samurai-based bird would be great, and such a concept is rather popular in the fandom.

Lumineon (and its preevolution Finneon) was a rather pointless and forgetable addition to the Pokemon family, especially as part of the already large sea of Water-types (despite having one of the best cries in the game). Slowflake came up with a great idea for an evolution, though; playing on its Neon classification, he made up a Water/Flying-type with Volt Absorb and the ability to learn Electric attacks. If this were to happen, Lumineon would have some new life (or life period) breathed into it.

Speaking of pointless Water-types, fuckin' Luvdisc, how does it work? Not very good at all, sadly. Like Farfetch'd, it too has pitiful stats, except for its Speed. It's main gimmick was farming for Heart Scales in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. But gimmicks can only get you so far (as seen with Wormadam, Castform, and Kecleon). Slowflake is mystified at how the Pokemon representing love is not a Fire type ("Flames of passion." I believe is how it goes), so perhaps this could open the door for a Water/Fire-type evolution. Though in that case, its Swift Swim ability would become rather awkward; Fire-type moves would be a no-no on a Rain Dance set.

An alternate Weepinbell evolution could work, since it's Red/Blue equivalent Gloom got one in the second generation. For a mindtrip, they could make it Grass/Electric.

An alternate Surskit evolution that keeps that unique Bug/Water typing would also be welcome. What a waste it was for Masquerain to be yet another generic Bug/Flying.

Rapidash into a Fire/Flying Pokemon with flame wings and a crimson red horn. Yeah, I went the Pegasus angle with our favorite fire horse.

Here's something new: they could evolve Volbeat and Illumise into the same Pokemon, perhaps with the Bug/Electric typing. Though would that be too close to Digimon?

Other Pokemon that could use evolutions include Magcargo, Girafarig, Sableye, Mawile, Banette, Tropius, Pachirisu, Chimecho, Chatot, Mr. Mime, Jynx, and Sudowoodo. Will any of the Pokemon mentioned get one? We'll find out in the fall.


5. Babies (or the lack thereof) - Please... Let's cut down on the number of Baby preevolutions to past Pokemon. The only two that I feel need preevolutions are Kangaskhan and Tauros/Miltank.

A baby Kangaskhan should have existed a long time ago. Unfortunately, breeding for such a Pokemon now may become awkward if we need a special item for Kangaskhan to make Baby eggs, and Game Freak doesn't seem to want to contradict themselves. Then again, they already did so with Lickitung with Rollout and Piloswine with AncientPower in earlier gens, so they might as well just have Baby Kangaskhan be produced by merely breeding Kangaskhan without any special items. Also, they could create a male evolution of this Pokemon, since Kangaskhan are a female-only species.

A baby bull/cow could evolve into either Tauros or Miltank depending on its gender (Male = Tauros, Female = Miltank). In the real world, cows are female and bulls are male, so it would be great for Game Freak to finally link these two Pokemon together.

Other than those two, I feel that the only Baby Pokemon we should see are those belonging to new Pokemon.


6. Banks and ATMs - Taking a page from the player character's mother in Gold, Silver, and Crystal, they could introduce banks where you could deposit your money for safekeeping. Like with the GSC mother, a part of your earnings could be automatically deposited in your bank account, so that if you're ever short on money, you could have something to fall back on.

They could also implement ATM machines across the Isshu region, where you can deposit and withdraw money at will. Of course, you will need an account card of sorts to use them.

Maybe your account could have a higher cap than what you can hold (like maybe 99,999,999 PokeDollars; whoever can fill that much is a beast).


7. Moves - I'll be covering new moves and existing moves in this section.

New moves I think should come to fruition include a special equivalent to Dragon Dance; I'm thinking a Psychic-type "Mystic Dance" that increases Special Attack and Speed. Another could be a new Physical Electric attack stronger than Thunderpunch but weaker than Volt Tackle; Pokemon like Luxray could benefit from this, seeing how its best Physical Electric-type atttacks are Spark and Thunder Fang, both of which are rather underpowered. Finally, there should be a weaker Dark-type Special attack for the low-level Dark-types whose stats lean more towards the special side.

Now for the existing moves. The following Pokemon need the following moves: Flareon and Flare Blitz, Entei and Flare Blitz (I'm well-aware of that special Entei, but it should learn it naturally, Ampharos with Tail Glow, Flygon with Dragon Dance (and perhaps "Mystic Dance" above as well), Octillery with Hydro Pump (with all the "cannon" moves it can learn, can you believe that this isn't in its learnset?), Drifblim with Air Slash (or a new stronger Flying-type Special attack), Victreebel with Gunk Shot (why it doesn't get it as a Tutor move is beyond me), Solrock with Morning Sun and Flare Blitz, Lunatone with Power Gem and Moon Light, and Dragonite and Salamence with Air Slash.


8. Types - The type chart could use a few tweaks as well.

Poison especially could use some strengthening. Back in RBY, it was strong against both Grass and Bug; in GS, for some reason Game Freak removed the Bug strength. I'd like to see it make a comeback, along with advantages over Fighting and Water (because pollution).

Electric could also use an additional weakness, against Water, because in the real world, water shorts out electrical appliances. This would give the series its first reverse weakness since RBY, where Bug and Poison were effective against each other. Yeah, I'm well aware that both Dragon and Ghost are strong/weak against themselves, but I'm not counting them.


Like I said at the end of the last entry, I know that not all of these features and additions will be added into the game, and I'll be happy with even half of what's on this list.

What do YOU want to see in Black/White?