Pokémon Switch Wishlist: 7 Features Fans Demand

Not forever, obviously. That would be too much of a departure from the Pokémon we know and love. But now it’s a given that your starter is in your party for the whole game, and the lack of hardships make it difficult to truly bond.

Ash and Pikachu are inseparable now, but it wasn’t always the case. A huge factor in bringing them together was working together to evade Team Rocket. So, if Team Rocket (or whichever bad guys feature) were to steal our starters away, getting them back would be a truly emotional moment.

Too often, especially in early game, your team is basically your starter plus whatever randoms you find in the grass. Like Crystal Palace’s starting eleven if Mudkip was Wilf Zaha. Losing your sidekick early would force you to pay equal attention to these lesser Pokémon, growing your bond with them in the process too.

Finally, and this is something that all Pokémon games are in dire need of, it raises the stakes. Failure to retrieve your starter at the first attempt may cause Team Rocket to flee, forcing you to track them all over again. Fail too much, and they could even be sold off forever.