Ever since Pokemon X and Y came out, the series has been enjoying introducing and hyping up a new gimmick that will supposedly shake the core of the franchise. The Mega Evolutions looked promising, only for Gen 7 to leave them be and introduce Z-Moves, which were then rejected by Gen 8 in favor of Dynamax and Gigantamax. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will likely introduce a new feature that will be advertised as the new games’ primary innovation, but if Gen 9 wants to truly polish the Pokemon formula, then it should bring back old elements that were abandoned, despite their popularity. One of these features is the Pokemon World Tournament.
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Why The Pokemon World Tournament Was Great
The Pokemon World Tournament was introduced in Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, a set of games that Pokemon fans lauded for being able to appeal to both fans of the older generations, and the ones that appreciate the experimental, newcomer-centric Unova. Taking inspiration from the Battle Frontier from Gen 3 and Gen 4, and sharing similarities with the Orre Colosseum from Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, the Pokemon World Tournament is an event that is unlocked in the postgame. As its name implies, it is a tournament that pits Trainers from all around the Pokemon world against each other.
The appeal of the Pokemon World Tournament comes from two things. The first of those aspects is the competitive side: Trainers pick a certain number of Pokemon on their team for the battle, and all opponents use Pokemon that are specifically trained for competitive battling. They have particular move sets and abilities accompanied by an item that is compatible with said move sets and abilities, in addition to having the proper Effort and Individual Values, also known as EVs and IVs.
While the idea of fighting EV trained Pokemon might be off-putting to most casual players looking for an adventure in the Pokemon universe, the World Tournament was there to contribute to potential hours of replay value for almost just as many people. This matters a lot, especially since competitive battling has gotten more popular and accessible over the years, especially with Gen 8 onward.
The second selling point of the Pokemon World Tournament is how it essentially turns Black 2 and White 2 into a special crossover just for this particular occasion. The World Tournament brings back every past Champion and Gym Leader, including the ones from Black and White that were replaced in Black 2 and White 2. The tournament gives these characters one of, if not the strongest and most competent team players will ever see them with.
Not every round is an opportunity to fight every potential opponent. Just like the aforementioned Orre Colosseum from XD: Gale of Darkness, the Pokemon World Tournament stars an ensemble of memorable opponents that will be as tough as the player desires.
The Pokemon World Tournament is arguably one of Black 2 and White 2’s most recognizable contributions to the Pokemon series, and yet, just like the Battle Frontier, it never came back. There are so many more Gym Leaders, Champions, and even evil team members and rivals that form new tournaments in current Pokemon games. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should take advantage of this opportunity. A new Pokemon World Tournament will satisfy fans of all generations and tons of replay value without feeling cheap and relying on new gimmicks.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
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