Since the introduction of Individual Values Pokémon has been burdened with a sligthly fascist undertone in the game play department. Individual Values (IVs) are an abstraction of an individual Pokémon's genetic traits as expressed in their stats (HP, Atk, Spd etc). These stats are fixed and immutable from the Pokémon's birth onwards, and individual Pokémon have different configurations of IVs. The idea behind this is to make Pokémon more unique by giving them personalized traits beyond just a Nature and an Ability; it's an attempt to make a Pokémon your Pokémon by implying that it's unlike any other (on some level anyway). IVs were never a good way to convey this (especially because they're not shown to or explained to the player) in comparison to, say, giving Pokémon multiple colors and variations to their sprites but the effort is appreciated. Sadly, not all Pokémon have the same amount of IVs. There is a maximum amount of IVs any Pokémon can have, and having a high IV value for certain stats is important for getting that Pokémon to its most powerful possible state.
This means that some Pokémon are simply better than other Pokémon. This means that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you train, your Pokémon will most likely never be as strong as another Pokémon could be. And, while this is somewhat a reflection of some loose interpretation of 'reality', in a game about fighting monsters while treating them as your friends this system has unfortunate implications. Mainly in the eugenics department. Committed trainers will (and are) looking and--especially--breeding their Pokémon to obtain one that has the highest possible IV stat of the type the trainer is looking for. They're essentially trying to breed an ÜberMon, a Pokémon that is inherently superior to all other creatures of its kind. Not really something we want to attach to a kid's game I think, but that's perhaps up for debate.
My real problem with IVs is that their cumbersome and tedious and don't add anything to the game. It's just a stupid randomiser that makes you feel bad about your favorite Pokémon when you realize they're not in the 'top percentage' of their kind, meaning they'll never be able to reach their full potential. At first I thought it would be fine to change IVs so every Pokémon has the same amount of IVs but their distribution is simply shuffled around but I realised that's only mitigating the problem rather than getting rid of it.
The IV system should be ripped out of the franchise, it was a mistake. If you want more individual Pokémon they should be differentiated in other ways. I'm a proponent of multiple sprites for Pokémon (and seeing the love for Vivillon I think I'm on to something), but I think Pokémon should just start having twó Natures rather than one.
In the current system when a Pokémon is 'born' it is born with a Nature, which is essentially an abstraction of its personality; it's brave or playful or shy etc. While not exactly 'realistic', it doesn't have the fascism problem ánd its effects are less profound. The player can knów what Nature the Pokémon has and can raise it to reflect its personality. If it has a Nature that tends towards Speed, maybe it's a good idea if the player were to promote that tendency. Giving Pokémon two Natures amplifies this effect and automatically differentiates between Pokémon more effectively. Trainers looking for a Pokémon with a specific temperament can still do so, but players don't need to worry that their beloved Pokémon is burdened with inferior genetics. I'd love a system where Pokémon personalities are more dynamic as well, changing to reflect its development (maybe as a result of EVs gained), but I'm will to settle for getting rid of IVs, and gaining an extra Nature.
I'll have a Quiet Gentle Exploud please.
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