We all love building our Pokemon teams, strategizing with our favorite Pokemon and putting ourselves in this amazing world in an MMO setting.
I love the concept of PokeMMO, and I have a suggestion that might add to the fun of immersing ourselves in this game.
"Trainer Abilities" in short, is an idea that we can customize not only what we look like as characters, but also develop Trainer skills and profiles that add a new element to our gameplay.
I had two ideas how this could go:
Either an "open levelling" system, or a "class system".
An open levelling system would have a list of "Trainer Attributes" that gain experience and 'potency' for accomplishing specific tasks.
a rough example could look like .. 'win battles with DRAGON pokemon = heightened EV for Dragon pokemon you train'
A Class System (which I actually would like better) would have a list of "Trainer Types" to pick from that have specific proficiencies and abilities that are unlocked by gaining basic "Trainer Exp".
An example could look like .. "CoolTrainer": faster rematch timers , pokemon EV bonus based on its rarity , (Cool Type Moves have more flair for the Pokemon Contests) , etc.
or "Juggler": switching pokemon can cause confusion in enemies , Pokemon switched into battle due to a "switching move" (volt switch etc.) deal damage when they enter the field . . .
This is just an idea that I feel would add a whole new element to the game and diversify the PokeMMO world in a way we can actually feel like we are not just training Pokemon, but we are actually placing ourselves into the game as diverse Trainers ourselves.
* fun fact , the cartoon series the Indigo League, it is mentioned that Sabrina is only able to control strong Psychic types because she herself is Psychic. I've always found it unflattering that a "child" can simply control the diversity of Pokemon with the same ability as anyone else. A 10 year old is not catching a wild Ursaring and using it in battle just because he has badges the bear knows nothing about.
... think about it xD