[Matrixbeast]

I think it's healthy to exclude some Pokemon.
Gives the new Pokemon an opportunity to shine, rather than just be undermined by older Pokemon with possibly better stats. Gives the meta game a chance to evolve in a different direction, rather than players just defaulting back to the same old bullshit that's been working for the past 2 gens. It removes the annoying and, honestly gamebreaking Z-Moves that basically just guaranteed a free one shot on any annoying Pokemon on your opponent's team.

By removing the comfort zone, players will have to look at things in a different light. It's similar to Black and White having no one beyond their new 151 until post game. However, it's taking a larger step forward by being far more selective. There is such a thing as having too many options, and when presented with that, players will always default to their standard favorites, rather than be willing to truly branching out.

This whole debacle is both eyerollingly annoying, and disappointingly hilarious, as I feel it's a massive overreaction. If Sunkern didn't return, no one would be bitching, but because generic, overdesigned dragon number 8 isn't coming back, everyone is howling like a bunch of monkeys. It's embarrassing, and it's needlessly producing a split in the Pokemon fanbase.

People complain about Pokemon always being more of the same, meanwhile, all people want is exactly that. The amount of people asking for a game that has every region solidifies that point. Removing Pokemon was an inevitability for a franchise that routinely introduces 100 minimum every 3 years. Z-Moves were over powered garbage that were basically just 100% accurate OHKOs. I'm sad to see Mega Evolutions go, I will admit, though.

While I would want Game Freak to stick to their guns, the amount of nonstop crying as well as personal attacks on the devs will eventually force them to fold (Or Nintendo will step in and force them to add what the people are crying for), simply to make the fans who literally judge the merits of the game based on whether the 46 super forms, half of which are generally considered worthless, are in the game or not satiated again.