The Pokémon Presents on August 4 gave Pokémon fans a deeper look into the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet game, including some of the non-playable characters that players are going to meet. The presentation also gave players an in-depth look at some of the new mechanics and gameplay for the Game Freak game. Many vital NPCs were introduced in the show.
Non-playable characters play a vital role in Pokémon games. Most games have a Pokémon professor who gives the player initial direction early on in the game. Typically, players will also have a close friend/ally/rival who introduces the player to the battling system in the games and tests their skills throughout the story. There are also gym leaders that the player must battle as they progress through the game.
The latest Pokémon Scarlet and Violet news at Pokémon Presents has given fans a look at five new NPCs, along with some information on those previously announced. Unfortunately, only one of the eight gym leaders was covered, but hopefully, more information will come out prior to the release of Scarlet and Violet. Like many previous Pokémon games, the main NPCs all have their own backstories and personalities.
Pokémon Scarlet And Violet's Ice-Type Gym Leader Revealed
While only one gym leader for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was revealed, quite a substantial amount of information was given about him. Grusha is the gym leader of the Glaseado Gym and specializes in Ice-Type Pokémon. According to the latest press release, Grusha was previously a professional snowboarder before becoming a gym leader. His partner Pokémon is the newly-added Cetitan, the Tera Whale Pokémon. Due to Scarlet and Violet's open world, players will be able to face Grusha at any point during their playthrough.
Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Has A School Hosting Multiple New Characters
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players will be attending a school, either Naranja Academy in Pokémon Scarlet or Uva Academy in Pokémon Violet, that will host quite a few of the newly announced NPCs. The director of the academy (in both games) is Clavell. He will be helping the player learn things about the academy and is seemingly friends with the Professors.
Players will also have a homeroom teacher at their respective academy whose name is Jacq. Jacq teaches biology and is very knowledgeable on the subject in regards to Pokémon. He is the developer of the Pokédex app for the Rotom phone in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. While he is intelligent, he does sometimes get lost in his research and become a bit air-headed.
Fans have also received new information about Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's professors. Scarlet and Violet's Professors Sada and Turo were announced in previous trailers for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but a little more information has been given in recent days. Pokémon Scarlet players will have Professor Sada and Pokémon Violet players will have Professor Turo. This is the first time in Pokémon history that players will encounter different professors depending on which game they play. The professors are said to be studying the Terastallizing phenomenon in the area.
New Characters Will Lead The Three Separate Stories In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Along with the adults at the academy, players will also meet fellow classmates, who are said to be leading the three storylines in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Arven is an upperclassman and is reminiscent of Brock in the Pokémon anime in that he is good at cooking and researching recipes to help heal Pokémon. However, Arven is not good at battling and will ask the player for help. It is rumored that Arven is one of the characters driving one of the three main stories in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Players will also meet their battle-ionate friend Nemona in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Nemona is an experience Pokémon battler who uses three of the new Pokémon on her team: Pawmi is an Electric-Type Mouse Pokémon, Lechonk is a Normal-Type Hog Pokémon, and Smoliv is a Grass-/Normal-Type Olive Pokémon. It is stated that Nemona is not very good at throwing Pokéballs though. Nemona is the character that will be guiding the player through the storyline related to gym battles.
A third of the player's classmates at the academy is Penny. Penny is a shy student who doesn't seem to come to the academy often. Not much else is known about Penny other than that she carries around a cute Eevee backpack and is in the same year as the player. Like the other detailed characters in Scarlet and Violet, Penny has her own special look about her. Penny is rumored to be the third character leading players through one of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's storylines.
Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Characters Will Include Players' Real-Life Friends
One of the most exciting announcements regarding characters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is the new multiplayer mode in the game. While not technically non-playable characters, players will be able to team up with their real-life friends in the game itself unlike ever before. As in the past, players will be able to partake in one-on-one Pokémon battles using the Link Battle option. Players will also be able to trade Pokémon using both Link Trades and Surprise Trades as in previous games. However, players should be cautious when partaking in Pokémon Surprise Trades.
Along with the classic multiplayer functions, players will be able to each other in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, exploring the different areas of Paldea and even partaking in Tera Raids together to collect rare Pokémon. With the new Union Circle feature, players can partake in all of these activities with up to three of their friends, and use the Union Circle any way they want, whether it's battling or just exploring.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's vast amount of characters so far is enriching the game and giving players a look at what to expect come November. Characters in Pokémon games have always helped to move the story along and help the players learn more about the environment around them, and Scarlet and Violet will be no different. With such a large cast of characters yet to be revealed still, including seven other Scarlet and Violet gym leaders, players can expect a fully immersive experience in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet like never before.
