Levitate is the most interesting of abilities, however there is a lot of controversy over it. The complaints can be split into 3 distinct groups:

• Levitate is a trait.
• Levitate is given to Pokémon who do not get it in-game.
• Levitate Command

The easiest to look at is Levitate being a trait. Since all other traits are negative, and the only thing that the label "trait", there is a solid belief that it does not need to be a trait.

The second thing to look at is levitation to those who don't get it in-game. This is an issue of consistency with in-game, as well as deflecting newbies and often even veterans forget to list these additional abilities, or still need to so so.

The third is the levitate command. This short-term magnet rise has been objected to numerous times, and has caused numerous issues, often related to it being unneeded, and the fact that it isn't listed as it's own move. It also applies to Pokemon who do not gain levitate at all.

Those are the complaints, as far as I know. Feel free to discuss!

Of the three complaints, I am in definite agreement with the first, could go either way on the second and am in definite disagreement with the third. My disagreement with the third is that, what with the anime/manga-only moves being implemented into ASB, we clearly care about anime precedence to an extent, so pokemon that demonstrate levitating capabilities in the anime should have some way of demonstrating them in ASB. For those that do not get Magnet Rise, what method is there other than either granting them the Levitate ability (as a trait or an innate ability) or allowing them to Levitate on command?

This is to say, I think Levitate should be changed to an innate ability, I think all pokemon that get Levitate at the moment (whether by in-game precedence or by being a Levitrait pokemon) should have access to the Levitate command in addition to all the pokemon that currently get it, and if Levitate is made an innate ability, I would be fine with the current Levitrait pokemon getting access to Levitate as an innate ability but I would also be fine with them not getting access to the Levitate ability just as long as they can use the Levitate command.

I like Levitate as a Trait since it does give the Pokemon with natural access to it some small - far from game-changing - compensation for having only it as an ability with the only exceptions in Bronzor and Bronzong. I can see Levitate being an Innate ability quite easily, though.

Also, I'm heavily in favor of the current Levitrait Pokemon to continue to have Levitate since again it's pretty clear to tell whether or not they are actually levitating or not in-game or in the anime or in the manga or in the whatever.

The one thing I don't want is for the Pokemon with cartridge Levitate (that is to say, Pokemon with Levitate that also have it in-game) to have automatic access to the Levitate Command, regardless of what happens. A Pokemon that naturally floats may not have the inbred capability to get itself back up once it's struck down to the floor; some Pokemon like Bronzong or Claydol come immediately to mind.

Just saying, the Stratagem line also gets Levitate as an ability alongside other abilities, so yeah.

I will post my thoughts when I can be fucked...