Nintendo’s Switch era took Pokémon collecting to the next level
Though the first Nintendo Switch era of Pokemon games was undeniably rocky at times, it brought the series' trading and organization systems into a new level of maturity. It wasn't always easy to complete Pokedexes in remakes like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and new entries like Sword and Shield. But those games helped The Pokemon Company create a more seamless way to move your monsters from one title to another, or swap them with friends. And with the Pokemon franchise about to make its big debut on the Switch 2 with the cross-generation game Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it feels like The Pokemon Company is getting ready to take the trading system to the next level.
In the Pokemon games, filling up your Pokedex has always been an exercise in patience, planning, and understanding that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company want you trading with other players rather than trying to catch 'em all on your own. The games' trading mechanics evolved as the series jumped from the Game Boy to new hardware. By Generation IV (the DS games), players could swap monsters remotely over the internet without needing to use wired link cables. And after years of many legendary and mythical pokemon only ...