To add more to this, here’s how the gameplay loop for Pokémon Winds/Waves is/was planned to work:
- The hotel lobby works like an MMO lobby. Reception desk is the quest board. Professor works at the hotel.
- The goal of the game is to participate in Gym Adventure (ジムアドベンチャー).
- There are over 100 Gym Adventures, among them 18 specially difficult Gym Adventures.
- Clearing all Gym Adventures award a luxury price from the hotel
- Trainers who excel at Gym Adventures may be approached by Gym Trainers or even the Champion.
- The very first Gym Adventure you get is to catch a Pokémon that can learn Surf so that you can leave the first island.
- Once you leave the first island the open world starts, you can go anywhere and even go straight to the final boss.
- Things like catching the main legendary and battling gym leaders are optional in this game, but will give you an advantage against the final boss like in Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
This was the plan in the Winds/Waves concept document from 2021, so things could have undergone major changes since then. However we know MMO features are still in.
Gen 8: seeing other people in the Wild Area
Gen 9: playing with friends and seeing them live across the region
In Gen 10, multiplayer will be even more of a focus, and Winds/Waves will have MMO features.