While I wouldn't disagree with this happening, I feel like it should happen with Pokemon first. Frankly, Pokemon are far more integral to the experience than other people, and when the entire point of the franchise revolves around forming bonds with Pokemon, that is what should take priority.

Again, I would love to have more fleshed out characters and a deeper story, but when the games are about Pokemon, I want the Pokemon to get fleshed out first. To me, they are supposed to me your main supporting cast in a Pokemon. They are why it makes sense for a trainer to travel without human companions. Giving them identifiable personalities and triggering story based scenes with your Pokemon would go a long way in making them feel alive and integral to the experience.

In a perfect Pokemon game, the lack of meaningful interaction with NPCs wouldn't matter much because the Pokemon interation fills in the gaps.

One thing I don't agree with though is the notion that Pokemon would have to cater to an older audience to implement meaningful interation with NPCs. Pokemon will never, and should never, be a game garnered towards teens and adults. There's no reason why they can't implement meaningful interactions with a supporting cast without crossing that line. The day Pokemon stops being E is the day Pokemon betrays itself.

It could work well, but would definitely need to be watered down.

That would be better than what they have now. With 700+ different species and forms, I don't think anyone could blame them for watering it down.

That's true. What number do you think they'll stop at? Or do you think they'll create a spiritual successor replacement? That might make a good thread, I'd make one about it but I'm too busy at the moment XD but it'd be cool to see your thoughts on the matter.

No need to make a thread, because my thoughts are pretty definite, lol. I don't think they should ever stop. I think that, eventually, Pokemon should become a platform where you can buy multiple regions and every new game would just become an expansion pack of the base game. And I think that they can start that as early as next generation.

I don't think they'll ever make a replacement, but I do have fears that they'll eventually stop making new Pokemon because of how complicated it must be to constantly update the growing number of models. Because of how the franchise is shaded now though, I think they'll be able to simply recycle old pokemon models starting next generation. Then, they can lay the focus on only modeling 150 new Pokemon instead of remodeling 700+ old ones first with every generation.

So you don't believe there will ever be a cap? 

Never played Persona so I never experienced this Social Link feature, though it does sound very interesting..

But at this point, anything new for Pokemon is good though :/

I can't say that I don't believe there will be, because they did just introduce the smallest update to the Pokemon roster this year. But a definitely hope there will never be a cap. No point in making new Pokemon games without new Pokemon.

I at least believe that Mega Evos will either be gotten rid of or we'll be given the ability to keep them in their 4th form eventually as new Pokemon get introduced. I feel as if keeping that mechanic along with other future ones may eventually be too hard for them to keep at some point. 

Honestly I play Pokemon game not because I want to have a relationship with my Pokemon but because leveling up my Pokemon and collecting them is very fun. It would be WAY too hard to make meaningful relationships with so many different creatures that can't really communicate with you by speaking to you. Especially if the system they use is like the social link system in Persona. So in that regard I think Pokemon is fine the way it is as far as interaction with the Pokemon themselves. In my mind training, breeding and capture Pokemon is enough interaction but I'm fine having my pokemon be a part of the story or character interactions.

Where I find the games really lacking is in story and characters so thats why I'd rather them start focusing on those to elements. Rather than trying to give 700+ Pokemon set arbitrary personalities. And as far as what I said about the games being made more with older kids/adults in mind I don't mean them making the games have adult themes like sex, violence, drugs or bad language. What I meant is that Pokemon usual has really basic stories with very basic dialogue so that young kids can understand. The games can still be rated E but they would have a more complex storie and more meaningful/varied dialogue.