Rant time. Please remain seated until further notice.
I hate to say it, but people are forgetting what the whole purpose of a new Pokemon game: the NEW content. Not the old content, the new stuff. Unless it is a remake, the whole point of a new Pokemon game is to show off the new stuff, not glorify the old stuff over and over and over again. People are like, "Oh, no, I can't use Totodile in Sword/Shield, the game is ruined for me." "Pokemon is dead because I can't use old Pokemon." "I'm canceling my preorder because I can't use Blaziken." Really? Is that all everyone cares about nowadays? People are allowed to be disappointed, but going as far as things like partitions, boycotting, and who knows what else because you can't use a particular Mon is completely childish. People are entitled to their own opinions, but when it's going as far as this, then that's just entering purely a self-entitled attitude. Remember, the games are NOT about the old stuff and the old stuff alone. It's about the NEW stuff. People really need to stop complaining so much and appreciate the games for WHAT THE HAVE! Not what they DON'T have. Yes, I get it, people can get attached to their Mons, I understand that, but when that fixation eclipses everything else, then that's going too far. I, for one, am going to enjoy Sword/Shield not for the OLD content, but for the NEW stuff. The new Mons, the new region, the new story, the new characters. You get it? I'm interested in the NEW stuff, and that's what people should be focusing on instead of whining about select old things not being in the games! That's the whole point of a new Pokemon game: what's important is the NEW STUFF, not what's old. Yes, I understand, people have certain things they want, I get that, but GF CANNOT cater to every single little thing the fans want. That's just not possible.
People really need to take a massive step back and remember that the games are meant to be enjoyed for WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER. It's not always about the old-and-familiar, as that's not the purpose of a new game. It's about making new discoveries, learning about the new content, exploring the games to their fullest, learning on the fly, and most of all, enjoying them for what they offer. Really, is that so hard to understand? No National Dex is NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!!! Sheesh, everyone, just cool your jets, take a step back, and appreciate what GF has put into these games before you start exploding like irate Electrodes over stuff that isn't in the games. The games are meant to be enjoyed for what they have to offer on their own, as that's their whole purpose. It's not about catering to every single whim and want that the fans have, it's about enjoying the games for what they already have to offer. The games are not even out yet and people are erupting like volcanoes because the games don't have one specific thing they want in it.
When these games come out, I will play them, not for the old stuff, but for the new stuff, so I can see what they have to offer and enjoy it as much as possible without complaining that a certain Mon I like isn't in them. That's one reason why I liked BW so much, as it allowed me to enjoy all the new content to the fullest without anything old bogging them down. To me, this is the same thing, and people really need to take a moment to simmer down and look at the big picture. People are entitled to their own opinions, as I'm indulging in that right now, but when it gets to the point that people are threatening the creators, signing petitions, and showing such childish outrage over minor stuff is going too far. Everyone, please, take a step back, cool your heads, and appreciate what the games are going to offer. Sure, you can't transfer EVERY Mon over, but so what? Is it really THAT important to have certain Mons on hand that you're willing to trash the games before they even come out? Does it really eclipse everything else that you feel the games (and the franchise) are ruined because of things like this? If so, then I suggest you quit the franchise here and now and never return, because you're clearly forgetting about what's important. It's not about the old, it's about the new, and the new should get center focus over everything else. And, most of all, it's ENJOYING the games as they are.
So what if you can't transfer EVERY old Mon into it, as they're NOT supposed to be the focus here. It's about the new Mons, the new characters, the new story, the new gameplay, the new region, just everything that is new. The old stuff really needs to step over to the side for once and allow the games, region, and characters to shine on their own. That's where XY and SM/USUM fell flat on, as the old overshadowed the new. Well, now it's time for people to stop complaining that the old isn't the focus and instead lock onto the new stuff that is going to take place in these games. Take a step forward for once and see what the games have to offer BEFORE complaining. The games haven't even come out yet, and people are going as far as petitions that GF aren't going to listen to anyway so they, the fans, can have every single little thing they want to satisfy their selfish attitudes. Face it, the games are coming out with what they've been planned to have whether you like it or not. My suggestion is this: pick up the games and play them as they are. Learn to enjoy them for what they have and not have a meltdown over the stuff they don't have. That's the whole point of a new game: to enjoy it for what it has, not what it doesn't have, as well as enjoy the new stuff instead of focusing solely on the old stuff. I get people are upset, really, I do, but it's going beyond sensible reason at this point. I'm complaining right now, too, and I apologize for it, but this is getting out of hand and I can't stay quiet while the world is self-destructing over very specific things that aren't in a soon-to-be released new game. Have our communities really gotten this toxic to the point no one is willing to simply enjoy the games for what they have to offer anymore? Is this what we've been reduced to? Everyone needs to step back, cool your heads, and look at the big picture. No matter how you slice it, the games will come out as planned with the content they're going to have as planned, and they will be purchased without fail. The best thing to do in this situation is enjoy the games for what they have, not what they don't have. That goes for Home, too, as it doesn't sound like it'll be just Bank 2.0. So, everyone, please, take a moment to cool your heads, take a good, long look at what the games have to offer, and just simply enjoy them for that. You're entitled to your own opinions, that's fine, but don't overblow it like the universe is about to implode. Act rationally, think logically, and save all final judgments until the games themselves have come out. That's all I will say now, as I think I've said enough.
There's not enough new content, though. We're still using the same archaic battle system, with the same archaic collect the badges plot, with the same lazy "Look we just took a map of England and renamed it Galar" world that offers no surprises because it's just the real world with some Pokemon slapped onto it.
If they ever revamped the battle system, or set the games in a totally original world instead of a place GameFreak artists want to go on vacation to, or did away with the Badge narrative entirely and had a plot with actual stakes then there'd be new stuff.
Instead this is leftovers. And it's leftovers where half of the stuff we like has been thrown away.
* If the focus was on new Pokemon, we'd have been shown more like we got in Black and White's marketing.
* If the focus was on new human characters they'd have interesting personalities instead of wanting to win a trophy.
* If the focus was on new gameplay it wouldn't be the same gameplay from a 20 year old game.
* If the focus was on the world, it wouldn't be England with a Pikachu taped next to the Big Ben.
* If the focus was on story it wouldn't be about collecting badges in a slightly different region for the 8th time.
We put up with the laziness in the franchise because our favorite characters, the Pokemon, came back for every game.
Now there's nothing to come back for.
There's nothing new here. If a second Sheep Pokemon is what it takes to impress you, good for you. But now that Pokemon doesn't have the excuse "We can't change things up too much because we have to accomodate 800 pre-existing characters", there's no excuse for the franchise's laziness.