Pokémon players agree this feature would make games more difficult

A recent Reddit thread, created by user UnholyTrashPanda, has uncovered a player wish to introduce level caps in Pokémon. This conclusion was reached in response to the author’s initial suggestion of “prestige” Pokémon in a similar fashion to Call of Duty multiplayer ranks.

The core issues stem from achieving a level 100 pocket monster in the first place. “After they reach Level 100, they’re useless if I want to use them in a new game,” stated UnholyTrashPanda, “I think it would be cool to let a Pokémon essentially start over after Level 100.”

They found plenty of fellow trainers agreeing, some even bringing an alternative argument in favor of this feature to the table. Game Freak has come under fire many times for making its stalwart franchise “easier” in recent iterations. Though this perception is largely down to older fans growing up and—by proxy—getting smarter and more able to tackle puzzles and difficult battles with more ease, there is a case to be made for over-leveling ruining the challenge of potential DLC experiences. 

To this end, BenignLarency offered up a solution that has us completely on board. “For DLC specifically, level-matching or level-capping is the only thing that makes sense,” they said. “Doing so would allow for an actual challenge.”

Surprisingly, a mechanic along this line of thinking was used previously in Pokémon’s history. Mt. Battle in Pokémon Colosseum kept players in the end game honest with scaling battles raging between teams entirely at maximum level. Capping is different, but it’s not an uncommon sight in community Nuzlocke challenges; the idea is that each gym leader represents a checkpoint at which your team cannot exceed a certain level.

From our viewpoint, this needn’t be a difficult thing for Game Freak to offer in its games. Pokémon lacking any sort of difficulty setting has been a glaring detriment to the series since its beginnings. There is, understandably, a desire to keep things as accessible to its target audience of kids as possible. With that considered, Pokémon is also marketed as something everybody can enjoy. My Switch and plushies will attest to that personally. 

Older fans just want the freedom to use the Pokémon that they have poured time into without feeling like the second coming of Arceus. Fibreglass posted one of the more popular comments, yearning for the return of secret bosses akin to Red in the Gen 2 titles. Any goodwill gesture to give these battle-hungry trainers a challenge will go down mighty well.