u/Fluid-Photograph-404

Yesterday I was reflecting on Pokémon UNITE and ended up working on a concept using just my imagination. I wanted to design a system that balances what we players actually want with what developers need to make big profits. This setup would completely remove bot matches in high ranks, fix matchmaking frustration, and add awesome social and customization features.

By the way, I’m currently sitting at a 70% Win Rate this season, so these ideas come from a lot of hours spent on the grind! (yes yess..20 games🤫)

Here is what I would love to see updated in UNITE:

1. IN-GAME CURRENCIES

Let's clean up the menus and reduce the confusion to just 3 main visible currencies, plus one special currency for collectors:

• Aeos Gems (Premium): Bought with real money. Used to get everything instantly, for rare outfits, and for treasure chest skins. If you buy certain gem bundles, you unlock exclusive backgrounds. Plus, buying a Premium skin grants a matching background card for the loading screen. Gems can buy any game currency, including brand-new, unreleased Poké Ball-themed Holowear sprays (Dusk Ball, Dream Ball, etc.).
• Aeos Tickets (Player Currency): Earned by playing or by watching 100% voluntary video ads in the gem shop menu. You can use them to purchase Battle Passes that are at least 1 year old, exchange them for License Tickets, and buy Green/Blue tag skins.
• License Tickets (Pokémon Currency): Earned through gameplay and missions. They work exactly like they do today (to unlock Pokémon), completely separating gameplay unlocks from cosmetics.
• VIP Tokens (Fourth Currency): Earned only by players who rent out skins or outfits originally bought with Gems. They let you access an exclusive shop for cool cosmetics, or you can just buy them directly with Gems.

2. SHINY POKÉMON

We need Shiny variants! The base Shiny version would just change the model and add respawn sparkles, but if you own a skin, the Shiny version adapts to it:

• Green Tag (Common): Unlocks the base Shiny model + sparkles.
• Blue Tag (Rare): Adds a trail of glittering stars while moving around the map.
• Hexagon/Purple Tag (Premium): Unlocks custom-colored moves matching the Shiny theme (like dark-colored Surf or Water Shuriken for Wanderer Greninja) and unique Recall animations.

3. MATCHMAKING AND ROLES (GOODBYE DRAFT!)

An AI-driven dynamic queue system to eliminate wait times and lobby arguments:

• Selection Without a Timer: Pick your favorite Pokémon calmly with your friends (2Q or 3Q). The AI finds the ideal teammates and opponents to balance the team (checking Roles, Physical/Special damage, and Long/Short range).
• 25-Second Prep: As soon as the AI assembles the teams, a quick 25-second countdown starts. Here, you can swap Pokémon with a teammate even if you don't own that character (free 1 time per week, 5 times for UNITE Club subscribers). Swapping locks during the loading screen to prevent trolling.
• Locked Servers: No cross-region matches unless the connection for all 10 players is absolutely flawless with zero lag.
• Mass Balancing: Of course, a massive Pokémon balance overhaul is required; this would make moving away from Draft mode completely tolerable and sensible.

4. ANTI-TROLL, AI VOICE, AND ANTI-BOT

(I know it's complicated, but one day I really wish we had an option like this)

• Simultaneous Voice Translator: Speak into your mic in your language, and the AI instantly translates it into your foreign teammate's language in real time. The AI also "cleans up" toxicity, converting insults into useful tactical callouts.
• 5-Second AI Takeover: If you stop moving for more than 7.5 seconds, the AI takes over your Pokémon so the team isn't left outnumbered. As soon as you touch the screen, control is handed back.
• Fake Movement Detection: If a troll moves just one meter every 15 seconds in spawn just to avoid getting kicked, the AI detects it, applies the maximum penalty at the end of the match, and activates Rank Protection for the rest of the team (you won't lose rank points or stars). Much stricter punishments need to be implemented.

👥 5. SOCIAL AREA: FILTERS AND 200-MEMBER SQUADS

Let's find players instantly and eliminate the frustration of "Solo Q":

• "Find Player" Board: An in-game menu to look for teammates worldwide by setting precise filters like Region, Language, Main Role (Support, Speedster, etc.), and Mastery Ribbons. Chat is protected by AI (deletes insults) and you can block messages for privacy.
• New Unite Squads (Up to 200 People): Huge clans! To prevent inactive accounts, anyone who doesn't log in for more than 5 days is automatically kicked from the squad.
• Squad Filters: Squad creators can set highly selective entry filters (like EU server only, fixed Master or Ultra rank, must have finished the previous season in Master, or prove they are long-time veterans).
• Squad Rewards: Teaming up with squad members accumulates points to unlock Skins, rewards, stickers, and more.

6. HOW TO KEEP PLAYERS ACTIVE?

We can introduce rewards that reward consistency:

• Daily Login: Bring back a system to reward consistency through daily logins (similar to how the old weekly login worked to get up to 1200 Aeos coins, if I remember correctly).
• Constant Events and New Modes: Non-stop events that give away skins or test the player's skills. For example, I feel like Electrode Volley is heavily underrated, and it would be great to create themed events around it.

7. MONTHLY SCHEDULE, UNITE CLUB, AND RENTALS

• Monthly Drops: A fixed release of 2 Green, 3 Blue, and 2 Premium skins per month. Battle Passes alternate: one out of every three Battle Passes will feature exclusive custom move graphics.
• UNITE Club Membership Tiers:
  1. Budget Version (~€5.75): Includes the exact amount of gems needed to buy the Battle Pass and the basic rewards.
  2. Full Version (€15): Grants the usual gems, classic rewards, infinite lobby swaps, and a bit of the exclusive VIP Tokens.
• Ultra Rank Gate & Friend List Clean-up: Bot matches stay in lower ranks with mandatory tutorials before moving up. At Ultra rank, if the AI detects you are trolling, you receive swift penalties and get dropped back to Expert. Only real team players should reach Master! Gradually, we can add targeted tutorials for highly mechanical and difficult Pokémon to help everyone learn. Also, we absolutely need a multi-delete button for the Friend List because it is an absolute nightmare to clear out all those players who have been inactive for months! 😭
• The Rental Market: You can put as many Pokémon, skins, and outfits up for rent at the same time. On the flip side, a player can only rent one single item at a time for one week maximum. Important note: you must put something up for rent yourself before you are allowed to rent from others. Whoever rents an item out cannot use it during that week. This allows owners to earn VIP Tokens, and F2P players to test out skins before deciding to watch voluntary ads to buy them.

What do you guys think? Did I use my imagination a bit too much??? 😂😅
let me know! 😅

TL;DR: A focused concept rework for UNITE. It replaces Draft with an AI role-balanced matchmaking queue, introduces standard Shiny progression with skin-scaling effects, and adds an advanced "Find Player" board with filters to eliminate Solo Q frustration. Player friendly!