Though catching monsters and making them fight have always been core elements of the Pokémon brand, spinoffs like the Pokémon Snap and Detective Pikachu series have stood out by approaching the franchise from different angles. In different (and often small) ways, recent mainline Pokémon titles like Sword / Shield, Scarlet / Violet, and Legends: Z-A have acknowledged that there are some players who would much rather spend their time hanging out and taking pictures with their monster friends.
That leisurely approach to enjoying the Pokémon world doesn’t exactly gel with the main games’ focus on becoming a competitive champion, but it is exact …