The Pokémon MMORPG Proposal: The Game Nintendo and Game Freak Refuse to Make

Pokémon MMORPG: The Game Nintendo and Game Freak Refuse to Make

Pokémon MMORPG

Pokémon is a role-playing video game franchise developed by Game Freak which has become the second most popular video game franchise in the world. Primarily a handheld RPG video game series, Pokémon though has ventured into other video game genres such as Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Pinball and Pokémon Puzzle League and has shown that there is a market for the franchise to thrive outside its normal handheld RPG roots.

With the proliferation of the Internet, traditional RPG games that were restricted to local area networks or single player play began to evolve into a new genre of gaming called Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). MMORPG's take the RPG style and expand the size and scope of the game as all players exist in a single persistent world together on the Internet instead of being confined to each players own game.

Pokémon's core gameplay is RPG based and many have speculated that the next evolutionary step for the franchise would be to expand into the MMORPG realm. Nintendo and Game Freak have made it clear though that this is not in Pokémon's future for the time being. In September of 2013, Junichi Masuda, Director of Game Freak reiterated in an interview with VentureBeat that he was "unsure whether this core gameplay at the center of Pokémon – catching the Pokémon and raising them – would really translate well or really match the MMORPG format." Many fans though disagree with this statement by Junichi Masuda as the idea of players being able to play together in a single online environment seems like the most logical progression for the Pokémon series.

With the success of MMORPG games like World of Warcraft, EVE Online, EverQuest, and Final Fantasy Online, Nintendo and Game Freak can't ignore the fact that there is a huge market for playing games online. Pokémon fans worldwide have been asking for the MMORPG for quite awhile now and if properly implemented, the Pokémon MMORPG would become Nintendo's most successful game in their history.

Why Wouldn't Nintendo want a Pokémon MMORPG?

Nintendo has a great franchise IP with Pokémon. Pretty much anything with the Pokémon label on it will sell, not just in Japan, but worldwide. While the Pokémon craze of its initial launch worldwide is over, the fanbase is still gigantic as Nintendo Co., Ltd. released their Earnings Release: Third Quarter Ended December 31, 2013 report on January 31st, 2014 and announced that "During the nine months ended December 31, 2013, for “Nintendo 3DS (3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS),” “Pokémon X/Pokémon Y,” simultaneously released globally in October, marked 11.61 million units in sales."

Pokémon handheld games are still selling extremely well and is a bright spot for Nintendo's continued growth. Junichi Masuda pointed this out as the main reason for the continued development of the Pokémon franchise on Nintendo's handheld devices. "So one thing that we think is great about handhelds is that they facilitate both of these styles of play--going somewhere in real life and interacting in person as well as being able to play with other players over the Internet. So that's why we continue to develop on the handheld platforms."

Most players agree that the Pokémon franchise works really well on Nintendo's handheld devices. It's a proven method that has allowed real world social interaction to battle and to trade. Game Freak and Nintendo are afraid that if a MMORPG is created, real life social interaction will significantly decrease.

There are a lot of different ways Pokémon could continue and expand their real life social interactions while integrating them into a MMORPG. Pokémon Event downloads have been a popular part of the franchise and as they require players to visit a local gaming shop or organized tournament. This would continue in the Pokémon MMORPG as players could take their Nintendo handheld system as always to the event to get the event Pokémon or item and also participate in battles and trades with people in real life. Players could even get special experience bonuses for playing with people in real life as opposed to doing it online. Events would provide Internet access for people to connect to the MMORPG.

Nintendo Portable Use and Secondary Gameplay

One of the big advantages Nintendo has is the popularity of their handheld market. The Nintendo DS and 3DS have sold millions of systems because of the popularity of Pokémon. Handheld integration with a Pokémon MMORPG would be vital to secondary game play. The Nintendo Wii U has already shown with its tablet like handheld device, the Wii U GamePad, that the console and handheld market is beginning to blur together. The main series Pokémon RPG games have all been on Nintendo's handheld systems but with a MMORPG, primary game play would shift to the console/PC. Nintendo and Game Freak don't want this to happen with the core Pokémon games but this transition is the next big step for Pokémon.

Pocket Monsters Stadium was the first Pokémon game that allowed players to transfer their Pokémon to a completely different gaming platform. Players could import their Pokémon into Stadium via the Nintendo 64's Transfer Pak. Both Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2 also relied on the Transfer Pak to transfer Pokémon from the Game Boy cartridge to the Nintendo 64 cartridge and back again. Players could battle their Pokémon on the TV screen as well.

The concept has expanded over the years and now incorporates the Internet. Pokémon Bank allows players to securely store their Pokémon using this cloud service for a yearly fee. Despite all these different methods of using other devices to store and use Pokémon, the handheld games were still the core game play.

Instead of transferring Pokémon from the handheld device to a console game or online to the Pokémon Global Link, which has been the case throughout Pokémon's gaming history, Pokémon would originate in the MMORPG on the Internet. This actually is extremely beneficial idea for the series as Pokémon hacking security could be better controlled. Each Pokémon would get a unique internal ID number when a player receives or catches them in the game which is linked to the original trainer and original user account ID. All Pokémon data would be stored on Nintendo's servers as is the case with most MMORPG's. Think of it as a major expansion of Pokémon Bank except players could never import or export the Pokémon from Nintendo's server onto their own cartridge but they could still use them. There would be no more transferring but players could still access their Pokémon the same way they do now though through different boxes, they would just would be stored completely online.

The core part of the MMORPG Pokémon game would take place on a PC/console but would not be limited to it. Handheld use and game play would still be a very important part of the game. The handheld would require constant access to the Internet though as would the core MMORPG system but those technical limitations have been solved years ago. Wi-Fi and cellular Internet access are available worldwide. Super Smash Bros with the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS have shown that console and handheld interoperability is possible. The console/PC MMORPG Pokémon client would have higher resolutions, better graphics, a keyboard/mouse, less constricted user interface while the handheld client would have the same access as the console client but limited due to the nature of handhelds. Graphics wouldn't be as good, UI would be more compacted and the controls would be slightly different but its nothing people aren't already aware of or even that concerned about.

Utilizing the Nintendo Handheld for Simultaneous Gameplay with Console/PC

Nintendo has kept teasing players with Nintendo handheld interoperability with their consoles for their games but they really haven't implemented it to the highest degree. In keeping with Nintendo's desire to make sure Pokémon is a handheld game, the Pokémon MMORPG would be able to have different options when playing it on the Console/PC as opposed to when the player is using it to play the handheld client of the game. The handheld would link up to the system and allow players to use it as a secondary interface. Players would not have to use this method while using the console client and all the features listed below would still be available in the game without using the handheld. It would just be a way to clean up the UI clutter that many MMORPG's seem to have.

PokéDex: Players could use the touch screen to navigate and view the PokéDex while the main game takes place on the consoles screen. This would allow players to have an excellent reference at their fingertips. Most players these days already use dex's and guides online when playing Pokémon, so this would be a very convenient way of viewing the information.

Current Location Map: A real-time region map would be displayed showing the players current location. Think of it as Google Maps for the Pokémon MMORPG. Players could search for locations and see where friends are currently located.

Player Inventory Management: Players could see what items the currently had and organize them as they see fit.

Video Chat: Players could have video chat going separately on the handheld and could focus on the battles against their opponents.

MMORPG's are a PC Gaming Genre

PC gaming is very popular and its main limitations of being restricted to a desk and the high cost are a thing of the past which is why its resurgence is eating away at the console market. Very few console MMORPG's have seen the success of the PC MMORPG's and as Nintendo is a console manufacture, the prospect of creating an extremely successful console based MMORPG aren't that great but Pokémon's popularity breaks many borders. The lines are currently blurred though between consoles and PC's in this generation of consoles, as consoles are basically a fixed configuration of PC parts. All three major console makers are now using AMD parts for their systems with SONY and Microsoft using the same x86 architecture that most PC's use these days.

The Pokémon MMORPG would be available on three different platforms: the PC, Nintendo's Console, and Nintendo's handheld system. They would all be the same game and players could access their account from any of the platforms. Unifying the CPU and GPU architecture in the next Nintendo generation would allow the three different proposed versions of the game to be interoperable and make porting a lot easier. Players could play on their PC or console at home but while on the go, they could take the handheld with them.

All console games are developed on PC's, so most of the console companies have finally realized that utilizing the same architecture as a computer in their consoles can be extremely beneficial to game development. Nintendo's next console and handheld will need to follow SONY and Microsoft lead and use the x86 architecture instead of PowerPC. With mobile x86 processors coming close to other CPU architectures level of power consumption with upcoming processors like AMD's Kabini and AM1 platforms and Intel's Bay Trail, this makes it more realistic for Nintendo to use an x86 processor in their handheld as well.

Customization and upgrading helps a PC improve the performance and graphics compared to a console but everyone doesn't like the technical issues that PC's have which is why consoles have such a big gaming market share. Having the game available on different platforms would satisfy all potential players.

The keyboard and mouse combination seems to be the big advantage for why MMORPG's thrive on the PC. All PC's come with a keyboard unlike console systems that only come with a controller. Consoles do support keyboards via USB now though so any generic keyboard will generally work with supported software. Phantasy Star Online for the Nintendo GameCube tried to merge a keyboard and a controller into one. Perhaps it was just a bit ahead of its time to become fully successful.

Nintendo Network / Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection / Pokémon Global Link

Unfortunately Nintendo's track record with online play has not been very good but it is improving each generation. With the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii systems, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was the primary way games for those systems communicated with other players around the world. Very few titles though actually supported online play and those that did often had issues with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Mario Kart DS often had issues connecting with friends. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service for Nintendo DS and Wii ended on May 20th, 2014 while the Pokémon Global Link for 5th Generation Pokémon games ended on January 14th, 2014. Both services showed Nintendo is capable of providing millions of users access to their network to play their titles in an online setting.

Pokémon Bank (ポケモンバンク) and Poké Transporter (ポケムーバー) were supposed to launch on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in December of 2013 but the entire Nintendo Online Service had massive issues as it was overloaded with people attempting to access it for eShop downloads as well as updating their new systems they got for Christmas. As people received new Wii U and 3DS's as presents, most of those required firmware update downloads. In combination with people attempting to create new Nintendo Network ID's, the Nintendo Network Service was overloaded. Some people might think this is a bad thing, but essentially its a good thing. It shows that using Nintendo products online has finally become successful and that people are interested in using Nintendo products online. Nintendo just needs to improve their infrastructure to support a full transition to online usage.

Nintendo is continuing to expand their Nintendo Network though. Players can get user ID's and accounts that are linked to various services Nintendo offers such as Miiverse, the eShop and online play. The Pokémon MMORPG would obviously use the Nintendo Network system as its core communications and account backbone. Purchases, downloads, updates, account creation, subscriptions would all be linked in a similar manner that they are today on the Nintendo Network. Nintendo finally has a platform that would support a Pokémon MMORPG.

Free to Play VS Pay to Play

MMORPG's have two main categories for their business models: Pay to Play and Free to Play. The Pay to Play model requires a yearly or monthly subscription to the game while the Free to Play model allows players to play the game but micro-transactions and unlockable upgrades dominate gameplay.

The proposed Pokémon MMORPG would be more of a hybrid business model as will be explained throughout this entire article in detail. The game would be free to play and bundled with Nintendo's console and handheld systems. There would be no monthly subscription fee to play the game as this would make the player base as big as possible.

Players could purchase a Trainer Starter Kit at stores for about $60, about same price as Pokémon games today. A fairly realistic subscription launch user base of 10 million players would initially generate $600 Million dollars on launch. Obviously the pricing structure would require study by Nintendo to determine the best pricing scheme as this is just an example of what they could do. There could be multiple different Starter Kits similar to how games are released in pairs today. This would pay for the development, network and server infrastructure and bandwidth peering required to launch the game while making a moderate profit. The Trainer Starter Kit would include features such as: Physical game/strategy manual, special items, rare Pokémon, physical TCG cards with unlock booster codes, NFC figures and other extras that the free version does not include.

Pokémon makes a lot of money through merchandise and this hybrid pay model would play an integral role in supporting the game. Unique serial code unlocks via real world Pokémon branded merchandise would promote the game and the franchise as a whole.

Moderating and a Family Friendly Environment

Pokémon has always been a family friendly game and that environment would be strictly enforced in the Pokémon MMORPG. Automated moderation bots and scripts as well as human moderators would strictly enforce the rules by monitoring all communication in game. Miiverse is basically already doing this and has shown that this is possible for Nintendo now. Players would need to agree to the terms Nintendo sets regarding social interaction before playing the game via an agreement box during initial game setup.

Nintendo is already quite clear about their Code of Conduct. Violent Content, Inappropriate/Harmful, Hateful/Bullying, Advertising, Sexually Explicit, Inappropriate Reporting, illegal copyright or intellectual-property right usage, usage of likeness, or privacy rights of any third party, Religious or political content, Soliciting, Content soliciting donations or participation in fundraisers or demonstrations, swearing and trolling are all not allowed.

Players may think this is harsh but it has worked out fine for Miiverse. Play! Pokémon already has almost identical rules for official events and tournaments. As Pokémon is a family friendly franchise, these rules players are expected to uphold aren't hard to follow. Players who violate the Pokémon MMORPG Code of Conduct may find their posts deleted and after multiple offenses, their access to the game blocked. In extreme cases, appropriate legal action would be initiated.

"Our mission is always to create something different that can surprise people.”

Junichi Masuda has also stated that: "We don’t want to just create an MMORPG which has been done before. Our mission is always to create something different that can surprise people." The basic formula for a Pokémon game hasn't changed at all. Nothing is currently surprising for Pokémon fans except what the new 8 gym leaders are going to look like, who the new elite four are, what the new Pokémon are going to look like and what the new 'evil' team will be. Pokémon X and Y proved that basic gameplay hasn't changed at all and there is nothing truly surprising for any Pokémon fans these days.

A Pokémon MMORPG would finally break that mold and would create surprising new elements of gameplay while combining aspects of other Pokémon games into one truly unique Pokémon experience. The elite four and champion master would literally be the top 5 people from that years Pokémon Video Game World Championships tournament. The anime has always indicated that there are more than 8 gyms in each region so make it that people could choose which 8 gyms they get badges from and not have to follow a linear gym progression.

The Overworld

The game would feature all regions and Pokémon currently known and would be interconnected as some of the previous Pokémon games have already done. As an MMORPG, players could travel to each region by boat, walking/biking/rollerskating, or by plane and collect badges and Pokémon.

All cities and towns would be included to create an immerse experience for players. Players could pick which town or city they'd like to start the game from and that would be their Hometown. Major expansion packs would be released every couple years and a new region and Pokémon would be added to the game. The Pokémon MMORPG would basically become the main game of the series, replacing the current RPG cycle of games that are released on Nintendo handhelds every couple of years.

Many Pokémon know how to fly and traveling via these Pokémon would be a crucial aspect of the game. Pokémon Ranger allowed players to fly in the sky, so once again it would be just incorporating ideas used already in other Pokémon games into the Pokémon MMORPG. Having places to visit and Pokémon to encounter in the sky would also be an important aspect of the sky in the game.

Image Source - Smoosh

The Story

A major complaint lately with the Pokémon games has been the lack of a good story. The main storyline of the Pokémon MMORPG would need to be well focused but have the ability to continue as new content and expansions are added to the game. Team Rocket has always been the main bad guys of the series and perhaps focusing on their resurgence as a dominating force worldwide in the criminal underground would be a good starting point.

Players could choose at the beginning of the game if they wanted to join Team Rocket. Like the trainer progression, players that chose to be Team Rocket Agents would follow the story from Team Rockets perspective and would be sent on missions by Team Rocket HQ and the boss Giovanni.

Real World Pokémon Centers Integration

The real world Pokémon Center would tie in very largely into the collection of virtual items but also in promoting the sale of real world items as well. The Pokémon Centers in Japan currently sell various items from food and candies, to plushies, to linen, to cooking utensils, to stationary and toys.

There almost isn’t a genre of items that it currently doesn’t sell. People that purchase real items from any of the Pokémon Center would get a unique digital unlock code to unlock that specific item in the virtual world as well.

Obviously all items sold at the Pokémon Centers would need to be 3D modeled but that could be done before new items are released in the stores. During the process of developing items these days, 3D models are made beforehand, so those could even be used in the game. The textures would be very easy to create for some of the items as they would be identical to the packaging used in the real world items and that same artwork could be used.

Players could place the item in their real world room and also have that item in the game as well. This would be another great way to monetize the game while giving players real world items. It also would continue the push for Pokémon to be a real world interaction game.

Pokémon Store Integration

The Pokémon Company launched a Pokémon Store on Amazon Japan in October of 2012. Many of the items that are found at the Japanese Pokémon Centers can now be purchased online. 10,000+ items are available for purchase and most of them have free shipping inside of Japan. Many of these items can also be sent worldwide, so fans from around the world that would like to get Pokémon merchandise from a trusted retailer could now get them from Amazon.

The Amazon Pokémon Store would be directly integrated into the Pokémon MMORPG. All items sold at the Pokémon Centers would be available as digital versions in the game. Players that for instance wanted to unlock a Pokémon Center digital item in the game would have that same real world item shipped to them from Amazon.

Real world Pokémon Center items would be a different selection of items available in the game. Players would still collect and get other digital items in the game. The main difference would be that Pokémon Center 'branded' items would require a real world physical item purchase at the retail store or on the Amazon store to unlock it in the game.

Hulu / Netflix / Pokémon TV Integration

With the Pokémon anime now available on Hulu, Netflix and Pokémon TV, players could visit a town or cities cinema to view episodes of the series or the movies. The TV in a players virtual room could also be used. Players that had Hulu and Netflix accounts could put their login/password information into their Pokémon MMORPG game account to be able to view those titles available on those services right inside the game. For those that did not have an account, Hulu and Pokémon TV do offer a couple of the episodes for free and the Pokémon MMORPG could perhaps offer a featured episode of the week which was available to all players.

Virtual Room

Room decorations have played a part in many of the Pokémon series games as a way to collect a few items to dress up a players bedroom or secret base. This option has been under utilized in most the games due to a lack of obtainable items and limited options to place the items in the room. In the Pokémon MMORPG, players would have the ability to once again collect items to place in their virtual rooms. The merchandise players bought in real life would also be available in game.

Player Customization and Clothing

Player customization is a big part of MMORPG's. It allows each person to look unique in the game. Pokémon has basic player customization options already but this would be need to be greatly expanded. As part of the Virtual Room, a players closet would have all the different clothes they could get their trainer to wear. Players could obviously shop in-game to get new items to wear. Special event download unlocks would also give players new items.

Pokémon Clothing in the real world would have the unique serial number so that people that bought a t-shirt for instance could get their digital avatar trainer to be able to wear the same shirt.

Players could also design and trade their own creations similar to how Animal Crossing New Leaf has implemented it. Players could design their outfits in the game and then allow other people to wear it by QR code scans or trading their cloth items in game. The Nintendo handheld device with the Pokémon MMORPG would come in handy here to scan in the QR codes that were posted on Miiverse, personal blogs, websites or printed materials.

Picture Source - mootypwns - YouTube

Gym Battles and Gym Leaders

Official gyms would be available certain times of day during the week and a calendar schedule would let people know which were open. The calendar would also be posted outside each gym on a sign. This would make the gym's more realistic as the gym leaders can't always be available 100% of the time plus. All players could watch the gym battles in spectator mode by going to the gym and sit in the stands.

Players could also create their own unofficial gyms similar to how A.J (Akira) did in the anime series. After a certain level or requirement is achieved, players could purchase an empty building somewhere in the overworld to setup a gym. They could name it, decorate it with digital items they've collected, and battle opponents that come and visit them. Players would not get gym badges from the unofficial gyms, but experience, achievements and medals instead. Gym Leaders could also set item rewards for beating them like Thunderstone's or what not. Gym Leader players would need to have a stock of the item though.

No More Forced NPC Battles

Non-playable characters (NPC's) have been the source of a million jokes in regards to the Pokémon series of games. One of the most hated and complained about things in the Pokémon games is the forced NPC battles that occur throughout the overworld. Players progression is blocked by these NPC's who have very linear vision and initiate a forced progression battle when the player is spotted.

The Pokémon MMORPG would completely remove these forced progression NPC's as Player vs Player (PvP) would take over the majority of overworld battles. PvP would need to have balancing but its nothing that the official tournaments haven't already figured out with auto-leveling and different age classes. NPC's would still be available to battle throughout the game, but they would not impede a players progression as they currently do.

TCG Intergration

The Pokémon Card Game already has an online digital version of the game that allows player from around the world battle each other. Not much needs to be said here other than the fact that it would be fully integrated into the Pokémon MMORPG instead of being a separate client. The Pokémon TCG Online is already free to play and follows the hybrid business model that would be implemented with the Pokémon MMORPG. Players would get digital booster packs the same way they current do, by purchasing booster packs and theme decks in the real world at a store and using the code to unlock them in the MMORPG.

All trainers would bet basic cards but if they purchased the Starter Kit, they'd get a few extra booster packs. Special cards could be unlocked by all players throughout the game by completing special achievements.

Video Chat and Chat

Obviously video Chat and text chat is something that Nintendo would be very concerned about in a Pokémon MMORPG and insuring its family friend. The ESRB already states: "Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB - Warns those who intend to play the game online about possible exposure to chat (text, audio, video) or other types of user-generated content (e.g., maps, skins) that have not been considered in the ESRB rating assignment."

Nintendo currently has Wii U Chat which allows players video chat with users on your friend list. This could be integrated into the game and used in a very similar manner as the Holo Caster and the Pokémon Center Video Phone Booths.

The Nintendo Handheld would once again be a great utility for using this feature. Chat video and sound would be captured by the camera and microphone built into the device similar to how its done currently on the Wii U GamePad.

Most MMORPG's feature zone/overworld chat but it can often be very disturbing. It is a way for random people to meet up for battles and adventures though. Nintendo would obviously need to strictly moderate this to follow their code of conduct and perhaps limit chat to those 16 years of age or older who have verified their age through Nintendo Network's ID system. While bots, scripts, human moderators and GM's could reduce instances of inappropriate chat, players could also help report abusive players as all chat would be logged for review if an instance occurred that required review. Bad words and phrases could be blacklisted fairly easily as well and many MMORPG chats already do this.

Wild Pokémon Visible in Overworld and Pokémon Snap Integration

Many players find that the random battles in the grass to be a very annoying and a time consuming part of the Pokémon games. You never know which Pokémon you're going to battle. In the Pokémon MMORPG, all wild Pokémon would be visible in the overworld, allowing players to choose if they really want to battle that Pokémon.

Since Pokémon would be visible in the overworld, players could also have the option to take pictures of them as well. Integrating Pokémon Snap into the Pokémon MMORPG would allow players to gain achievements, have photo galleries and share pictures with friends. All the elements of Pokémon Snap would be included especially rating Pokémon pictures by the Professor. A ton of achievements could be created for the game. Hey everyone! Check out this awesome picture of Mew!

Pokémon NFC Figures

Near Field Communications (NFC) allows real world objects and items embedded with a NFC chip to store information that can be imported into digital devices. The Pokémon Scramble U (ポケモンスクランブルＵ ) was the first Pokémon Nintendo Wii U game to take advantage of the NFC capabilities of the system. Players could place compatible NFC figures on the gamepad reader and that corresponding Pokémon would appear in the game.

Nintendo has since launched the amiibo line which includes Pokémon and the Pokémon MMORPG would continue to use NFC figures. Obviously there are too many Pokémon to make a plastic amiibo figurine for each Pokémon but amiibo cards could also be used in conjunction with the Pokémon TCG cards and the amiibo figures. Pokémon TCG cards could also be "amiibo enhanced' as well. A unique serial code would be included with each amiibo to stop NFC hacking. There are plenty of things that amiibo's could unlock or could be useful for such as items, unique Pokémon, TM's, save storage, ect.

Pokémon Minigames / Pokémon Party

One of the most popular features in the Pokémon Stadium series was the minigame tournaments that players could have. This would be a great way once again to allow players to challenge each other without battling. New minigames could be added during regular scheduled updates to create a large library of PVP games. A 'Pokémon Party' subgame based off the popular Mario Party series could also be incorporated into the Pokémon MMORPG. Minigames and simple app games are super popular on cell phones and tablets these days and Nintendo could harness that popularity on their handheld console by adding this feature to the game.

Once again achievements, items and other unlockables could be obtained by playing these PVP games with friends and random human players. It would be a core PVP experience in the Pokémon MMORPG.

Become a Breeder / Run a Day Care Center

There are many occupations that players could become in the game but one that has always been popular is the Pokémon Breeder. Pokémon Breeders would have a significant advantage over Pokémon Trainers when breeding Pokémon. Certain Pokémon perhaps would be required to have the assistance of a Pokémon Breeder in order to breed or to get a specific Move or Ability. Breeders could also run their own Day Care Center. Similar to the unofficial gym idea, player could purchase a Day Care Center location and basically run their own Day Care. Other players could deposit their Pokémon there for leveling up and the Pokémon could be used for breeding purposes as well. Players could list at their shop which Pokémon they have available for purchase. Certain Pokémon styles and looks could only be unlocked by Pokémon Breeders. Players could also play them for their styling services.

Become a Farmer

Harvest Moon is one of the most popular farming games ever made but many of its aspects are already in Pokémon. Berry growing returned in Pokémon X and Y and is a popular feature in the game. Pokémon Farmers could buy land in the Pokémon Overworld to run their farm. They would have a lot more plots to grow berries compared to normal players. Making MooMoo Milk a very important item in the game would allow players to use their Miltank to create their own production of MooMoo Milk to sell.