Dead End Stories In Pokemon GO

Back at the start of the year, Pokemon GO had some sort of plot point featuring a massive door, that Arlo from Team GO Rocket wanted to open. Apparently it contained some sort of mystical power and we had to, I don’t know, stop him? At the end of the season though, nothing actually happened. It was a dead end plot point. We hardly even got to see what was behind this magical door, we just know that we stopped Arlo doing whatever it was he was doing.

Now, some of you are probably thinking that Pokemon GO doesn’t have a plot or a story or anything like that. After all, how many people actually read what Professor Willow actually says when you do special research? I’m very guilty of skipping over a lot of the text. But there is a hint of a story in Pokemon GO. It’s not exactly a good story or anything, but we do have some threadbare plot lines that are mentioned occasionally. Mostly by Professor Willow.

Another similar thread was when the Ultra Beasts appeared. Professor Willow disappeared entirely, having been dragged into a wormhole. During that time, we had Rhii, who is an expert on the Ultra Beasts. Via Rhii, we found and looked after a Cosmog, helping it evolve into a Cosmeom and then into Lunala or Solgaleo. However, this was mostly temporary, and Professor Willow returned, having been rescued by a mysterious Pokemon. Probably a Cosmog.

After that though? Rhii mostly disappeared, and everything went back to normal. We stopped the Ultra Beast invasion and Rhii went back home. She’s been mentioned a few times since, but we haven’t really seen her. Professor Willow does occasionally mention her though, but only in a “you and Rhii” way.

And then we have the Team GO Rocket researches. These ones are all mostly the same, and while Professor Willow does get new lines for each of the Team Rocket researches, it’s retreading old ground. Especially since the research is also the same. Beat a few grunts, purify some Pokemon, fight the team leaders then fight Giovanni. They all have the same lines as well. So the only new thing is whatever Professor Willow says during the special research, and that’s repeating itself anyway.

We also had a small time where the team leaders all got different clothes, because they were participating in “fashion week”, but they looked bloody atrocious. And they were dressed like that way, way after Fashion Week went away. At the end of the day though, they turned back normal (as normal as the team leaders can be in their spangly costumes) and no one wanted to see that again.

My point is, anything interesting gets ignored or forgotten (mostly forgotten) but what new potential we get is squandered and repetitive.

Thing is, there could easily be an overarching story line, or even just a bit of continuity. And Season of Heroes looks like it might actually spur something, since Professor Willow has new research, and Blanche is due to need help in an upcoming event. But no matter what, it’ll all just be magically forgotten.