A PokéFan has pitched a new Pokémon mechanic for PokéBalls that has Reddit users questioning whether the mechanic we have now is outdated.
Reddit user u/sdrey shared their idea on r/Pokémon about an item called a ‘Transfer Pod’. The device is used to change the PokéBalls your Pokémon are in. This may be useful in newer generation games as you want all your Pokémon to be in the same kind PokéBalls for aesthetic reasons.
However, using this device will have some consequences. Not only it will consume current PokéBalls that you own, but you will no longer use the old PokéBall that Pokémon was kept. Also, all friendship stats will reset once the Pokémon is transferred (so don’t use this if you’re an Eevee hunter). According to u/sdrey, this item can only be obtained in battle facilities such as the Battle Tower and can only be used once.
PokéFans who saw the post have a lot of questions about the consequences of the device, more specifically the reduction of the friendship stats. OP tried to justify this as “jet lag” and how certain foods also bring down friendship values. But this just made PokéFans more confused. Some have even poked fun at the reasoning, as they saw it as your Pokémon will hate you for “giving them a better bed”.
Others have complained to OP that the consequences for using the item are too much and it’s overpriced. They gave suggestions to make the item worth using and balanced for the player. They believed that they shouldn’t be punished for wanting their Pokémon to be placed in a better PokéBall.
Some have agreed on the idea of changing your Pokémon’s PokéBall but think there are better alternatives just so it’s not complicated. Some suggested a PokéBall boutique or a DIY mechanic that just has a slightly increased cost of a PokéBall.
So far, there isn’t a lot of option when it comes to customing PokéBalls. In Generation IV, Pokémon introduced a mechanic called the ‘Ball Capsule’ where trainers can put stickers on their PokéBalls, creating special effects when opened. This mechanic was only available exclusively for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and their remakes.
So while the idea of the ‘Transfer Pod’ looked like an interesting alternative to customizing PokéBalls, fans agreed that the idea is too complicated and that it punishes the player too much. What do you think?