Pokemon Random Encounters Sometimes Need to Avoid

Image Credit: cbr

Another Pokemon tradition has suffered as a result of the transition from Pokemon Sword and Shield to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Since its beginning in 1996, the Pokemon franchise has changed significantly. Evolution, trainer battles, and catching wild Pokemon were staples of the series, and fans grew accustomed to them. These essential characteristics, however, were developed and iterated on as the series progressed. They, too, changed over time, keeping the underlying idea behind the features while making quality-of-life improvements to make them more pleasurable. With the introduction of one of the many wonderful quality-of-life upgrades in Generation 8, the premise behind catching wild Pokemon altered drastically with the arrival of Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, as well as Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.

For the most part, Pokemon in these games were not concealed in grassy areas in the classic sense. Pokemon battles were completely random for 22 years, and players had little to no idea what they were up against until the combat began. Wild Pokemon inhabited the overworld in Pokemon Let's Go and Pokemon Sword and Shield (though there was still some semblance of random, unknown grass encounters). Instead of hoping that the chance encounter in the grass was the Pokemon they were seeking, players could hunt specific Pokemon they observed in the wild (Not using special helpful tools).

However, with the current Generation 4 remakes, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl, this functionality was removed and a more traditional approach to wild Pokemon encounters was restored. Returning to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl reveals that the old encounter system was a product of its time, and it is now time to move on.

What is a Pokémon random encounter that happens?

Random encounters are the several kinds of Pokémon encounters that have appeared in each main game since the series began. This means that you will randomly start a battle while walking across an area without seeing or knowing the Pokémon you will be fighting. These can occur at any time in locations where Pokémon can be discovered, and there is no way of knowing which step you will take will trigger an encounter.

How to Stay Away from Random Battles?

According to Game8, there must be situations when dealing with wild Pokemon or other trainers is simply not an option. You'll probably want to bypass as many battles as possible if you're speedrunning, trying to finish a section of the game quickly, or if your team is low on health.

However, how can you avoid coming into contact with Pokemon or Trainers? Tips and suggestions can be found in the guidelines below.

How to Stay Away from Random Pokemon and Trainers

1. When exploring thick grasslands where Pokemon may be found, crouch down.
2. When you see Pokemon racing towards you, run swiftly and stay away from the grass. To achieve this, hold the analog stick. When they spot you, certain Pokemon will leave the tall grass and run after you.
3. Using a bike to avoid chance encounters (particularly from Evolved pokemon). The Rotom Bike can be found on Route 5.
4. By going out from the trainer's line of sight, you can get away. Trainers are far more difficult to avoid, yet they can often be avoided.

Breathing Space

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There are few primal experiences more associated with early Pokemon games than being surrounded by Zubats in a cave, or coming onto the 20th Rattata or Pidgey in the same number of steps when attempting to go calmly to the next village over from the starting town. When players aren't aiming to grind for experience, wild Pokemon encounters can be inconvenient at best and overbearing at worst. Those seeking to progress in the game or simply move from point A to point B with minimal opposition may find the steady stream of wild Pokemon frustrating. While Crobat is a fantastic Pokemon to obtain, players don't need a dozen Zubats to obtain this formidable bat before the second gym. Yes, Repels exist, but wouldn't it be lovely if they didn't have to exist in the first place?

Wild grass encounters were mostly replaced in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield by wild Pokemon roaming the overworld in or around tall grass on the routes and the new Wild Area. This allowed players to see not only when Pokemon was going to try to initiate a fight, but also what Pokemon were accessible on the route at a glance. If players did not want to encounter Pokemon, they could easily make their way along the route. While some minor, random grass encounters remained, they were also quite easy to avoid. The Isle of Armor DLC made an exemption to this rule because no one can outrun the Sharpedo that patrol the waterways surrounding the island.

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Being likely to cope with wild encounters when the player decides to is a wonderful philosophy, and it makes the encounters that are forced upon the player (such as the Sharpedo) all the more memorable. The ability for players to explore the pathways and tunnels without being forced to stop every three steps to deal with a Zubat is a breath of new air for the Pokemon series. Several locales, particularly caves such as Mt. Coronet and Wayward Cave, battled with this in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Stopping every couple of steps in Wayward Cave to deal with a Geodude or a Bronzor became tiresome quickly, especially for younger players who didn't know which way to walk in the cave to get the goodies and Mira. Sword and Shield provided a far superior option, and it should remain that way.

Developing the Right Atmosphere

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Aside from mechanical reasons, there is a compelling incentive to abandon grass interactions in favor of entirely overworld encounters: mood. Going back and forth between Sword and Shield and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl highlighted how empty and lifeless the roads are. Although the Wild Area in Sword and Shield wasn't flawless, there was something absolutely magical about watching Pokemon of all shapes and sizes roaming the overworld. The closest players come to this in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the rare overworld sprite (like the Psyducks) or the trainer's Pokemon following them. Braviary flying overhead or Mudsdale galloping about nearby made the Wild Area feel more alive than in practically any other Pokemon game to date, with Let's Go being the only one that came close.

With their adventures, Pokemon Legends: Arceus appears to be using a similar approach. Players appear to be able to stroll throughout the Hisui region, seeing all of the numerous wild Pokemon that roam the area. According to the promotional material so far, the Hisui region is situated before Pokemon was extensively tamed, therefore wild Pokemon would be in abundance. It's certainly thematically appropriate to see a slew of wild Pokemon roaming the area. That certainly helps to create the untamed feel that Pokemon Legends: Arceus appears to be aiming for.

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Players got a taste for overworld Pokemon in Pokemon Let's Go and Pokemon Sword & Shield, but having them permanently instead of sporadic grass encounters would be a huge quality-of-life improvement. It not only relieves players of the stress of dealing with unwelcome wild Pokemon encounters, but it also makes Game Freak's settings feel more alive and inhabited. Seeing wild Pokemon roaming freely around the routes helps to bring the routes to life, and it's a sight to behold for long-time fans of the franchise. Game Freak should abandon the industry standard "tall grass" in the future and instead enable wild Pokemon to roam the regional routes, allowing trainers to encounter them in the overworld rather than merely in chance encounters.

For Nintendo Switch, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl are now available.