The Pokémon games major staying power because they are so accessible. If someone just wants to fool around with battling monsters for a while, the games support that. If someone wants to dive deep into the underlying mechanics to make the best competitive team possible, the games support that as well. Some mechanics are more complicated than others, which ultimately adds depth to the otherwise simplistic gameplay.
One such mechanic, Special Abilities, was introduced in Generation III and provided additional nuance. Some abilities work best in battle, such as Guts or Intimidate. Others have passive overworld effects, like Intimidate, which cuts the opponent's attack in battle and lowers the chance of a wild battle encounter. All Pokémon have abilities, but only a few have the best ability of all: Pickup.
As its name implies, Pickup allows Pokémon to pick up random items. This ability is attached to early route Pokémon, like Zigzagoon and Lillipup, and it doesn't directly affect the battle itself, so for new players this may seem like a superfluous ability.
However, Pickup can be activated after every battle, regardless of type, and it can give players some really useful items. Since Generation IV, Pickup has had a chance to roll certain evolutionary items that would be difficult to find otherwise, such as King's Rock in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. Pickup in Fire Red and Leaf Green had berries, which were difficult to come by otherwise in those games. Rare hold items that have extra benefits, like Destiny Knots and Leftovers, have a chance to show up as well.
Other useful items that can be rolled in Pickup include Escape Ropes, TMs and Rare Candies, as well as healing items like Potions. Higher-tier items can also appear, including Revives, Full Restores and Ultra Balls, which usually can't be obtained through marts until late-game. Nuggets also have a good chance of showing up, which can be sold for money in any mart.
After any battle, if a Pokémon is not already holding an item, there is a 10 percent chance for it to summon an item using Pickup. This encourages the player to check their Pokémon after every battle. The higher the level of the Pokémon, the higher quality of item they have a chance of obtaining -- although even a Level One Pokémon with Pickup can get high-tier items such as Nuggets and Ultra Balls. Since early Pokémon often have Pickup, the ability is sort of a game-breaker, but in a fun way.
There are some drawbacks, starting with Pickup's rarity: Only 21 Pokémon have it, counting all Galarian forms. Of these Pokémon, most of them lose the ability when they evolve. Of the available Pokémon that have an evolutionary line, only Aipom, Hoenn Zigzagoon, Bunnelby and Pumpkaboo keep Pickup when they evolve.
These are still solid Pokémon to have on a team even discounting the Pickup ability, and it's more reason to use single-stage Pokémon such as Pachirisu and Dedenne. There's always a reason to include a specific Pokémon on a team, but Pickup is definitely the best.
0 Comments