When playing Pokémon, how often do you return home during your playthrough?

[Sweet Serenity]

I've been chatting with some of my friends that I play Pokémon with about the little things that we do during our playthroughs that other players probably might not do. What piqued my interest the most was how nearly all of them said that one of the things they do is return home from time to time while they're adventuring. (Of course, this doesn't count the game automatically transporting you home after beating the Elite Four). To be honest, I thought it was kind of strange because I don't think I ever had any reason to return home. The game that I could really say that I returned home to quite often was probably Pokémon Crystal, but only because it served a purpose. I preferred to have my mom save my money for me and have her buy dolls and other decorations for me so that I could decorate my room, which was a great feature back then. What about you? How often do you return home? Do you think future games should add more features to your home to give players more incentive to return home?

(Me personally, I'm thinking something more like the "Secret Base" feature from gen III, but in your house/bedroom instead).

 

[Squirtkipfan01]

Not even once unless you return there after beating the game, or unless you activate a side quest doing so(which i think was only black and white i think)

 

[Devalue]

Returns home for a heal on occasion. Never goes out of the way to do so, however. Treats it like any Pokemon Center.

Enjoyed making Secret Bases and collecting stuff for your room in Generation 2. Personally prefers it with some other mechanic tied in. Could be global effects (more/fewer Pokemon spawns), mild functionality (attracting certain trainer types), or even just a Trainer Card background.

 

[Corveone]

I sometimes don't even remember what was my home like (or my mother) :)

So, very unlikely, unless I have to. The moment I become a trainer, my team is my home. Basically the opposite of my real-life self, I spend pretty much all day at home since I even usually work remotely.

 

[ReKoil]

No more than a couple times at the start of the game if I need to grind my starter up a bit.
Otherwise only if the game forces me to at some point.
It's pretty much just a Pokemon Center to me =P

 

[Orion☆]

As ReKoil said, I use my home as a recovery point when I grind my starter Pokémon during the early game. It's quite the opposite from real-life where the first thing I look forward to when going out is going back home and seeing my own Mum. That said, in US/UM I did return home quite often during the post-game for all the funny moments - including the Alola!Mum teasing my protag about her crushes and even meeting some of the ones that weren't Hau or Lillie. Her nonchalance when meeting a very alarmed Sophocles had me in stitches.

Heck, I made it a plot point during my second (and beyond) playthroughs of Xenoverse that my protagonist would return home as sparsely as possible after getting the Starter. In the little storyline I made up to complement the game's plot, the protagonist is not only angry because their mother lied to them about their missing father's whereabouts for 11 years, but also because 1. she sheltered them from contact with any person who might spill the beans about the nature of said father's disappearance during all that time, 2. she also fibbed about the protagonist's very parentage, especially if playing as the female player character, 3. she is implied to know a lot more than she lets on about the local evil team's actions. That's... certainly a lot to take in for a 16-year-old. It's no wonder they rarely return home and instead spend time with their Pokémon, with their old Nana, with the ghost chaperone that said Nana summoned and with their father's mentee who is also the unofficial regional Professor. (Unfortunately, their not returning home causes its own slew of problems, but that's another story.)

 

[_confused_piplup_]

I don't at all. I don't even remember the mom in the latest games, except Alola because she kinda had a big part in the early stage of the game.

 

[Janp]

Usually exactly once. When I'm transported there after finishing the game. Not counting mandatory returns to move the story forward, that are occurring in the modern games.

 

[Duck]

Only when the story says so or when I'm grinding / weak and need some free healing and it's the closest healing spot.