Pokémon Go is coming up on its 4th anniversary this summer. A lot has changed since the game's launch in 2016, when hordes of Pokémon trainers would run for a Dragonite on the other side of the park or hold up traffic to catch a Snorlax blocking the way. Pokémon GO has grown from its humble Pokémon hunting origins to include features such as Raids, monthly Community Days, and even PvP in the form of the GO Battle League. All of these features introduced exciting new ways to capture elusive Pokémon but simultaneously squelched the adventure of hunting for Pokémon in the wild.
As more and more rare Pokémon were pulled from the pool of wild encounters and locked behind achievement barriers or withheld for special events, the exhilaration of stepping out the front door and not knowing what rare encounters awaited got less and less. The GO Battle League is enticing for competitive players to test their skills. However, PvP mechanics shouldn't be mandatory for more casual Pokémon Collectors to complete their Pokédex.
GO Battle League can undoubtedly liven up gameplay, and it's a good alternative for grinding stardust and buddy candies. But to advance through further tiers of any given league, players have to have a solid handle on the metagame. That is to say, in order to compile a winning team, a trainer must know their type affinities - cue Hop - and have at least a vague idea what opponents they are likely to face in each league.
The resource and time requirements of building a strong enough team are exorbitant as well. Teams competing in the Battle League must be capable of fighting their way through to Tier 7 and win a series of PvP battles. This grueling battle royale is required to earn League-exclusive reward encounters like Scraggy and Rufflet.
Locking certain Pokémon behind top tier PvP barriers and limiting the species pool of wild encounters kills the experience for casual players. The GO Battle League is excellent for competitive trainers looking to claim the title of Pokémon Master, but league battles aren't for everybody. Lighthearted Pokémon fans and collectors set out on their journeys merely to catch 'em all, not necessarily to be the best trainer there ever was.