Yesterday, we got the reveal of the Gigantimax Eevee. Something you can get in your Pokemon Sword and Shield game if you have save data from Pokemon Let's Go: Eevee Edition. It looks like this:
One of the key defining features is the rather large Fur it get's. The website describes at such.
Please note the "Any Opponent" part of the comment here.
One of the reasons you want to use Eevee is it's Signature Gigantamax Move, the G-Max Cuddle. A high damaging move that will also make your opponent fall in love with you (They get affected the Infatuation status that Attract has had since Gen 2.)
Here's the rub though. Again to take from the Website.
Why are we still in the situation where Pokemon can only fall in love with the opposite gender? The description earlier on says that any pokemon that get's caught in it's Fur is Enamored, but the move for some reason only allows it so pokemon of the opposite gender get's enamored instead. And why exactly is that the case? Why can't a same gendered pokemon also fall in love with Eevee and it's giant fur, why can't a genderless pokemon fall in love?
It's been a problem since Attract got introduced way back in Gen 2, but the argument could have been made they just overlooked the move and didn't update it in the past. But now here's a brand new signature move on a popular Pokemon and it's still using the outdated Only Opposite Genders can love each other mindset.
Now before you say it doing such a change would break the meta if they changed the Infatuation Status, firstly you should start thinking about priorities, then after that...
1. Attract and Infatuation hasn't ever really been that strong in the mainline games. It's generally seen as a weaker version of the Paralysis status effect in that locks you out of doing something for a turn, whilst Infatuation is twice as likely to lock you out of a move over Paralysis, it loses out on the lowered speed effect of paralysis, and can be removed by switching out the infatuated Pokemon or the Pokemon that used attract either Switches out or being KO'd, mainly to balance out that Attract is given to more Pokemon (Paralysis is primarily for Electric Types, those that can learn Thunderwave, and the odd Grass Type using Stun Spore). Allowing it to hit more Pokemon isn't going to make any of the counters for dealing with the Status Effect any harder to do.
2. The Infatuation status effect is even less effective in Competitive Preferred format of Doubles due to the higher pace of Double Battles and the ability for your 2nd Pokemon to focus down the Pokemon using Attract.
3. Even if it does somehow turn out to break the game, you can then build counters for it. There is already the Oblivious Ability that prevents Infatuation, that can be spread to some more Pokemon. Aroma Viel does the same. You can also weaken the moves as well, like how Thunder Wave got an accuracy reduction between Gen 6 and 7 due to it being fairly dominant in the Gen 6 VGC thanks to Prankster Thunderus and similar users.
4. Lastly... this is a Gigantimax Move, these are supposed to be the strongest of all strong moves in the game. It's alright if it's overpowered because Gigantimax is balanced by only lasting for 3 turns in the entire match.
Compare it to Gigantimax Pikachu, also revealed yesterday and the bonus if you have Pokemon Let's Go: Pikachu Edition save data. It's Signature Gigantimax is an Electric Type move that deals a large amount of damage and paralysis all opponent Pokemon, even Ground Type Pokemon that are normally immune to Electric Type move.
I will end this by saying that Pokemon hasn't been completely oblivious to the LGBT scene, ever since Sun and Moon the games have removed the initial "Are you a boy or are you a Girl?" question that kicked off the older games in the series and have instead replaced it with asking with what you look like instead.
It would just be nice if it could go the final extra distance and remove all backwards and outdated ideas as possible. So to see a big new Pokemon reveal with a new move that reverts back to the outdated mindset is disappointing. And it is best if attention is drawn to it so hopefully they can update this one small status effect to allow all Pokemon to love each other and not have it locked to arbitrary Different Gender that really shouldn't be a thing anymore.
After all, it's Pokemon. If a Skitty and a Wailord can fall in love and can have a kid together, why can't two Pokemon of the Same Gender love each-other if they wish to do so?
One of the key defining features is the rather large Fur it get's. The website describes at such.
Please note the "Any Opponent" part of the comment here.
One of the reasons you want to use Eevee is it's Signature Gigantamax Move, the G-Max Cuddle. A high damaging move that will also make your opponent fall in love with you (They get affected the Infatuation status that Attract has had since Gen 2.)
Here's the rub though. Again to take from the Website.
Why are we still in the situation where Pokemon can only fall in love with the opposite gender? The description earlier on says that any pokemon that get's caught in it's Fur is Enamored, but the move for some reason only allows it so pokemon of the opposite gender get's enamored instead. And why exactly is that the case? Why can't a same gendered pokemon also fall in love with Eevee and it's giant fur, why can't a genderless pokemon fall in love?
It's been a problem since Attract got introduced way back in Gen 2, but the argument could have been made they just overlooked the move and didn't update it in the past. But now here's a brand new signature move on a popular Pokemon and it's still using the outdated Only Opposite Genders can love each other mindset.
Now before you say it doing such a change would break the meta if they changed the Infatuation Status, firstly you should start thinking about priorities, then after that...
1. Attract and Infatuation hasn't ever really been that strong in the mainline games. It's generally seen as a weaker version of the Paralysis status effect in that locks you out of doing something for a turn, whilst Infatuation is twice as likely to lock you out of a move over Paralysis, it loses out on the lowered speed effect of paralysis, and can be removed by switching out the infatuated Pokemon or the Pokemon that used attract either Switches out or being KO'd, mainly to balance out that Attract is given to more Pokemon (Paralysis is primarily for Electric Types, those that can learn Thunderwave, and the odd Grass Type using Stun Spore). Allowing it to hit more Pokemon isn't going to make any of the counters for dealing with the Status Effect any harder to do.
2. The Infatuation status effect is even less effective in Competitive Preferred format of Doubles due to the higher pace of Double Battles and the ability for your 2nd Pokemon to focus down the Pokemon using Attract.
3. Even if it does somehow turn out to break the game, you can then build counters for it. There is already the Oblivious Ability that prevents Infatuation, that can be spread to some more Pokemon. Aroma Viel does the same. You can also weaken the moves as well, like how Thunder Wave got an accuracy reduction between Gen 6 and 7 due to it being fairly dominant in the Gen 6 VGC thanks to Prankster Thunderus and similar users.
4. Lastly... this is a Gigantimax Move, these are supposed to be the strongest of all strong moves in the game. It's alright if it's overpowered because Gigantimax is balanced by only lasting for 3 turns in the entire match.
Compare it to Gigantimax Pikachu, also revealed yesterday and the bonus if you have Pokemon Let's Go: Pikachu Edition save data. It's Signature Gigantimax is an Electric Type move that deals a large amount of damage and paralysis all opponent Pokemon, even Ground Type Pokemon that are normally immune to Electric Type move.
I will end this by saying that Pokemon hasn't been completely oblivious to the LGBT scene, ever since Sun and Moon the games have removed the initial "Are you a boy or are you a Girl?" question that kicked off the older games in the series and have instead replaced it with asking with what you look like instead.
It would just be nice if it could go the final extra distance and remove all backwards and outdated ideas as possible. So to see a big new Pokemon reveal with a new move that reverts back to the outdated mindset is disappointing. And it is best if attention is drawn to it so hopefully they can update this one small status effect to allow all Pokemon to love each other and not have it locked to arbitrary Different Gender that really shouldn't be a thing anymore.
After all, it's Pokemon. If a Skitty and a Wailord can fall in love and can have a kid together, why can't two Pokemon of the Same Gender love each-other if they wish to do so?
