5 mainline Pokemon mechanics absent from Pokemon GO

Pokemon GO has its own take on mechanics compared to the installments in the mainline Pokemon game series. This has led to several elements often considered staples in nearly every Pocket Monster title being absent from it, for better or worse. In fact, players who enjoy GO and are diving into the main series for the first time might be surprised by some of the features it offers.

This is all understandable, as Pokemon GO is intended to be simplistic by design and create a player base of a wide range of ages and levels of expertise. Even so, some trainers miss certain mechanics from the main series games, and it doesn't hurt to take a look at some of the most glaring mechanical elements present in the main series but not in GO.

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Five Mainline Pokemon Mechanics Absent From Pokemon GO

1) Attack categories

Close Combat is considered part of the Physical attack category in the main Pokemon series (Image via The Pokemon Company)

In Pokemon GO, while a move is classified by its type and Fast/Charged category, there isn't a category for physical, special, or status moves.

In the mainline series, Pokemon attacks are either physical (make contact with the opponent physically), special (hit the target via beams, energy, flames, or other indirect methods), or status (afflict the target with a status effect). Physical/special/status moves behave differently in certain situations, as there are some conditions where only certain attacks will work.

Moreover, the mainline Pokemon series reduces damage differently from physical and special attacks due to the Defense and Special Defense stats, which have been condensed into a single Defense stat in Pokemon GO.

While adding the complexity of physical/special/status categories for attacks might be fun in GO, Niantic would likely prefer to keep things simple and straightforward. Including these attack categories in the augmented reality title would likely mean broadening the stat categories for all Pokemon in it as well.

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2) Abilities

Abilities could change the momentum of battles in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

In the mainline Pokemon series, abilities are passive effects that activate different changes on the battlefield. Some simply increase or reduce an entity's stats or those of its opponents, certain ones provide immunity to certain attack types, but others are capable of changing the weather or completely flipping the momentum of a battle on its head.

While abilities aren't present in Pokemon GO, Niantic may want to consider adding them. They'd be an excellent way to add additional strategy to battle calculus in both PvE and PvP arenas, giving trainers new tools to utilize as well as new obstacles to account for.

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3) Status conditions

Status conditions can hamper (or sometimes help) a Pokemon over time (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Though they're absent in Pokemon GO, status conditions have been part of the main series since Generation I. These can do various things, from dealing damage over time with poison or burns to preventing a creature from acting with paralysis or freezing, and even putting a Pokemon to sleep for a few turns. Each status can change the general flow of a battle by hampering/helping a Pocket Monster.

Introducing status conditions to GO might be an interesting experiment, but Niantic would have to go through strident efforts to ensure that battles remained balanced. Otherwise, putting Pokemon to sleep, paralyzing them, or freezing them might be considered a bit too overpowered.

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4) Critical hits

Critical hits could be an intriguing addition to GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Another staple in the main series that remains absent from Pokemon GO is critical hits. These are random (at least usually) events that occur when a damaging move is used that causes its damage amount to multiply. It is considered the equivalent of a Pokemon hitting its opponent's "weak spot," resulting in vastly increased damage by (normally) a 2x or 1.5x multiplier.

Critical hits might work in Pokemon GO to a degree. However, Niantic would need to ensure they're balanced, as critical hits from Fast Attacks might make players prioritize weaker, spam-able moves just to land more crits.

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5) Pokemon breeding

Breeding can be carried out at Pokemon Daycares in the main series (Image via The Pokemon Company)

While Pokemon eggs are present in Pokemon GO, the way of obtaining them is vastly different compared to how it works in the mainline games. In the core series, eggs are normally acquired by breeding, which is carried out at a Pokemon Daycare. By leaving a male and female Pokemon (or a genderless species like Ditto) at this place, players can return to the daycare and receive an egg.

Entities hatched from breeding tend to inherit their species, stats, moves, and more from their parents. Although not every Pokemon can be bred, breeding is an excellent way to acquire creatures with perfect IVs or certain desirable moves, among other things. It's a shame this feature isn't in Pokemon GO, though it remains one that is constantly requested by fans.