Ride Pokemon have become an increasingly vital mechanic within the newer, open-world Pokemon titles, and a new mechanic patented by Nintendo and The Pokemon Company suggests not only that ride Pokemon will make a return in next year's Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but also that the feature will see a bit of a glow-up. Though the presumably open-world setting of Pokemon Legends: Z-A left many fans assuming that the game will feature ride Pokemon in some form, many in the community remain curious to see how the usual variety of ride Pokemon will fit into a game that will allegedly take place entirely within the urban landscape of Lumiose City.
While the general concept of riding upon certain Pokemon has persisted in some form since some of the earliest Pokemon titles, the idea really began to be fleshed out as a game mechanic in the Gen 7 games with Pokemon Sun and Moon. Players were allowed to travel around the Alola region on the backs of several different Pokemon, including Tauros, Stoutland, Lapras, Sharpedo, and Machamp, with Charizard additionally allowing for fast traveling to any previously-visited location in the region. Each of these ride Pokemon offered...
