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Ideas for Let's Go Johto

Add another tally to the list of "it's never gonna happen but we can dream, right?"

One game is released, simply titled, "Pokemon: Let's Go to Johto".

As the game starts, Professor Oak welcomes you to the world of Pokemon. After asking if you're a boy or girl, Oak asks you to select a mentor. Your options are Candela, Blanche and Spark, redone in the Let's Go chibi style. They appear at various intervals throughout the game, mainly helping you and Lance prevent Team Rocket from re-emerging since they give "Teams" a bad name.

This seemingly cosmetic choice serves a greater purpose, however. Each mentor ties you into a specific set of version exclusives, including a special legendary beast that takes over the role of Suicune. You can pretty easily guess which beast is tied to which mentor but they all work the same way. The choice also reintroduces Black and White 2's difficulty levels, only this time without the convoluted Memory Link system. So one mentor serves as "easy mode", one is "challenge mode", and one is the difficulty we're typically used to.

At the end of your journey, you go to Mt. Silver and gain some more insight on a nearly 20 year mystery. Up on the peak right behind Red, there's a familiar looking rip in the dimensional continuum. Ultra Wormholes are back!!! After finally defeating Red, you can jump freely between the three different universes (Valorverse, Mysticverse, Instinctverse?), meet and battle the other two mentors, and catch the version exclusives that weren't available during your badge quest. The postgame problem isn't completely solved but it's a step in the right direction.
 
@ItalianBaptist It's a nice idea, but I wouldn't like it if you had to hop through the multiverse to obtain all three beasts. Plus, it seems that Eusine's thunder would be stolen this way.

Now that I think about it, if there's something they could do with a Let's Go Johto game, is giving Elm an identity. Seriously, it's pretty obvious that he was added at the pretty end of GSC's development considering how Oak acts more like a regional professor than him.
I think that's selling him short since he was tied to breeding, which is a lot more concrete than just saying a few words about the Pokemon distribution in Hoenn or being one of the many people who discuss Team Plasma's plans. Since breeding wasn't new anymore in HGSS, he was also linked to following Pokemon and it even turned out that he was helping the Kimono Girls find a suitable trainer.

He just needs to step outside his lab at least once to practice what he teaches, and following Pokemon could use more depth in general.
 
I usually don't like reading into so-called hints, but...

Plushies.png


Look at the plushies for the evolved Johto starters, legendaries, Espeon and Umbreon. You have Pikachu stuff with the LGP box, and the Eevee/Espeon/Umbreon plushies with the LGE box. The rest of the plushies are Kanto Pokemon, the somewhat obscure Sudowoodo, Politoed and Ampharos, and the Galar starters (they did talk about their DLC).

Compare this to the USUM Direct which had a wide assortment of Alola plushies, and also the Johto starters due to the VC release of GS (and the Kanto starters just because). They also included almost all of the game boxes, except for some like most third versions, FRLG and DPPt (which people thought hinted at DP remakes somehow, but absence usually means nothing).

I'm confused because I thought this year was about the DLC and preparing for next year. The release date might be February 27th (a Saturday) for the 25th anniversary and to keep a certain distance from the second DLC release. I'm hoping that the anniversary proximity makes them put more effort into the games, and I don't even care if they keep the catching mechanics unchanged from LGPE.

It's tempting to suspect that Eevee, Espeon and Umbreon might share a version, but there is no Raichu plushie and I just don't see it as a contender, for a Johto game no less. Espeon and Umbreon separately would probably be the simplest choice if Pikachu could handle the alienation; they correlate with Ho-Oh and Lugia nicely and they were both starters in Colosseum.

Reminder that we knew to expect LGPE based on leaked logos. In terms of an official hint, that actually applied to HGSS where the preview of the Pokemon Sunday announcement included gold and silver confetti balls. This preview was released a week ahead of the reveal, just like now.
 
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I'd see it as not unlikely for the version mascots to be Espeon and Umbreon. The only other pokemon that really scream Johto to me are the prerelease ones of Marill, Snubbull, and Togepi. Marill and Snubbull fit a similar mold to Pikachu and Eevee as being basic stage pokemon but don't think they have the resonance of the LGPE mascots. I also can't see them sticking you with Pichu and Togepi as babies that can't evolve the whole game, even if they do buffer their stats a bit.

Espeon and Umbreon could play up the Day/Night aspect potentially in a similar vein of SM. It was a huge novel aspect to GSC back in the day. They've already been used as starters in Colo, so I could see it being done again.

Not sure Pokemon Let's Go Blacky would play particularly well to English ears given the current climate though...
 
I usually don't like reading into so-called hints, but...

To be fair, I too usually dislike "hint" discourse when it comes to people talking about "hints" that are put into the game, like oh, SM re-added the Breeder class, must mean Sinnoh is in the works! Or oh, the current TCG set is highlighting some Gen 4 mons, must be Sinnoh remakes coming up!

But TPC and Game Freak execs actually do hint and tease at things outside of the games. Not to a level as byzantine as "this picture of a Weedle that Masuda caught in GO uses corresponding Pokédex numerology to tell us the titles of the next games are King and Queen," but like, this stuff:





And then like you said, the dolls in the presentation that revealed the GS virtual console release.

I am thinking Let's Go 2 Johto is a definite possibility now.
 
To be fair, I too usually dislike "hint" discourse when it comes to people talking about "hints" that are put into the game, like oh, SM re-added the Breeder class, must mean Sinnoh is in the works! Or oh, the current TCG set is highlighting some Gen 4 mons, must be Sinnoh remakes coming up!

But TPC and Game Freak execs actually do hint and tease at things outside of the games. Not to a level as byzantine as "this picture of a Weedle that Masuda caught in GO uses corresponding Pokédex numerology to tell us the titles of the next games are King and Queen," but like, this stuff:





And then like you said, the dolls in the presentation that revealed the GS virtual console release.

I am thinking Let's Go 2 Johto is a definite possibility now.

What did the first one hint at again? I know that the second one did hint at Team Rainbow Rocket in USUM.
 
Espeon and Umbreon makes no sense as starters for Let's go game. They have too high of a BST that would be too OP for the early game that would require changing the level scaling for the routes and gym leaders. Something like this wouldn't work for a series made for newbies.
 
Oh, plus, if it releases in 2021, that'll line up with Sabrina saying she wouldn't face a tough Trainer like Chase/Elaine for another three years.

Let's Go Pikachu (Luigi or Mario say "Let's Go" in the Mario games).

Plus, Masuda is holding the Poké Ball plush at the same angle as it appears in the LGPE logos.

Espeon and Umbreon makes no sense as starters for Let's go game. They have too high of a BST that would be too OP for the early game that would require changing the level scaling for the routes and gym leaders. Something like this wouldn't work for a series made for newbies.

[meanwhile, LGPE are over here letting you and a friend, or really just you and yourself if you want, unfairly gang up on single NPC Trainers in a way that completely trivializes any sense of difficulty]

The Let's Go "series" as it were is more about catching than battling, really.
 
Espeon and Umbreon makes no sense as starters for Let's go game. They have too high of a BST that would be too OP for the early game that would require changing the level scaling for the routes and gym leaders. Something like this wouldn't work for a series made for newbies.
You say that as if it's a bad thing. The level scaling in GSC is historically atrocious with a fat chunk of the game being stuck around level 20 and the Kanto gyms barely scraping into the 50s. Regardless of what the starter choices end up being I pray to God they fix that as that's always been the most substantial mark against what are routinely considered some of the best games in the series.

They could easily be box mascots with you starting with an Eevee that will only evolve one way, or, as you said, for a game targeting a younger demographic, having starters that are OP early on may not be the worst thing.
 
So it seems that "Let's Go Espeon and Umbreon" or something in that effect may be upon us. My main issue with LGPE was lack of commitment to what it represented: a complementary game to Go, and one that was supposed to bridge the latter with the mainline games. Secondarily, it took its status as a remake too lightly and was inconsistent with its decisions to alter the game's story and characters, oftentimes making questionable changes that were almost never justified or somehow supported by gameplay.

I'd like to focus on the first issue and list a few ideas that could help turn Let's Go into a better platform of integration for Go players, as well as communicate Go's appeal to the more hardcore fans. Those ideas lend mainly from how Go itself has improved since the LGPE era.

Namely:
- A more interactive buddy/walking Pokémon system. LGPE's walking Pokémon system was too underutilized for how developed it actually was. HMs must be integrated into the same system rather than just the starter (allowing interaction with the overworld), and movement options should increase. The game needs to encourage use of more than 6 Pokémon, to complement both the heavy focus on catching and highlight animation work done for walking Pokémon and the Amie-esque interaction.
- Raid Battles. Focus on catching Pokémon meant less battles in LGPE. This can be addressed by adding Raid Battles on each route and/or dungeon. These can be less flashy and time-consuming than SwSh's Max Raid Battles, but still integrate elements from them, like the online co-op aspect and a simplified Dynamax system that only works for the opponent boss Pokémon, like Go's own Raid Battles.
- Lucky Trades. LGPE effectively gave no reason for players to trade Pokémon. I want more focus and motivation to trade Pokémon. Lucky Pokémon could be introduced to Let's Go to accommodate that. What makes them precious in Go is the special frame they have around them, and the additional feel-good note on the Pokédex. In Let's Go, obtaining them could perhaps reveal an actual additional lore entry to the Pokédex, further motivating interaction between players and adding depth to Pokémon collection.
- Events and missions. "Dailies" have been part of GSC's DNA since the beginning, with things like the day/night cycle, daily berries and apricorns, and the week siblings. LGPE lacked that aspect, which is however very present in Go with its field missions and the like. Codifying missions can do a lot for replayability. Expanding that further, Go's special missions could be implemented as more expansive monthly events, each one with small (but fun) story bits. Crystal's News Machine comes to mind.
- Competitive battles. A simplified system that lacks the mainline games' complexities (abilities, IVs, etc.) but is still fun to get into could be set in place. Much like Go's competitive system, it can make use of CP to define three distinct Leagues players can compete in depending on how much time they want to invest. The CP system was "just there" in LGPE.
- More compatibility with Go and the actual games.
- Bonus: Shadow Pokémon? Many Colosseum/XD Pokémon were from Johto, and Team Rocket is tied to Shadow Pokémon in Go. Additionally, the suspect plushies on the picture (including Espeon and Umbreon) do bring Colosseum/XD to mind.

Game Freak did little to adjust RGBY to the altered gameplay mechanics of LGPE, but I think GSC are a somewhat more natural fit for Go's gameplay mechanics from the get-go, with their berry and apricorn trees, the wider selection of Pokémon, and more diverse environments (see day/night cycle, two regions). Ball is on Game Freak's court.
 
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[meanwhile, LGPE are over here letting you and a friend, or really just you and yourself if you want, unfairly gang up on single NPC Trainers in a way that completely trivializes any sense of difficulty]

The Let's Go "series" as it were is more about catching than battling, really.

But 2 player is optional. Yes the games are easy but don't stupidly spoon-feed the player to a point where any little shred of difficulty is impossible to where maybe one Pokemon is already capable of plowing through most of. if not the whole game. I feel giving a Umbreon/Espeon starter in New Bark Town is almost akin to Professor Oak giving you a Charizard or Blastoise in Pokemon Red/Blue rather than having any kind of difficulty or reward in evolving your Charmander or Squirtle to its final evolution.

I could understand, starting with a Eevee and evolving to a Umbreon/Espeon, depending on the version.

I personally saw those plusies as more of a reference to a Colosseum remake than anything else and that LGPE boxart was there because it is one of the main Switch releases, hence why it was shown.
 
But 2 player is optional. Yes the games are easy but don't stupidly spoon-feed the player to a point where any little shred of difficulty is impossible to where maybe one Pokemon is already capable of plowing through most of. if not the whole game. I feel giving a Umbreon/Espeon starter in New Bark Town is almost akin to Professor Oak giving you a Charizard or Blastoise in Pokemon Red/Blue rather than having any kind of difficulty or reward in evolving your Charmander or Squirtle to its final evolution.

I could understand, starting with a Eevee and evolving to a Umbreon/Espeon, depending on the version.

I personally saw those plusies as more of a reference to a Colosseum remake than anything else and that LGPE boxart was there because it is one of the main Switch releases, hence why it was shown.
A Colosseum remake is not happening because Genius Sonority is not in the right state to make one.
 
The only one you get at that time is a traded Machop.
Wait, I thought you could get Heracross by then? I remember in my most playthrough of SoulSilver, I swept Whitney with a Heracross I caught.

Edit: Nevermind I forgot that I traded a Drowzee with Headbutt to my game in order to get a Heracross earlier than usual. Unless you grind Slowpoke up until it learns Headbutt, you can only obtain a Pokemon that knows that move after you beat her if I remember correctly.
 
Please note: The thread is from 1 year ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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