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Pokemon NPCs are some of the most memorable aspects of these games. These range from the professor who gives us a choice of starter to the rival who acts as a yardstick for us to measure ourselves against. More often than not, these non-playable characters remain in our minds long after we complete the game, thanks to how iconic they are. In this article, we will look at five of the most iconic Pokemon NPCs.
For simplicity's sake, we will only be looking at one member of each category. For instance, there are several Pokemon Champions who have played pivotal roles in the stories they are a part of. But this article will only look at the most iconic Champion.
The most iconic Pokemon NPCs of all time
1) Blue
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Out of all the Pokemon rivals players have faced over the years, no one has left quite an impact like the rival we first met — Blue. Part of this is because many of us grew up watching his anime counterpart Gary endlessly bully Ash while always being miles ahead of him.
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In the game, Blue had a similar journey. He picked the starter with a type advantage over ours. He was always ahead of us and even beat the Elite Four ahead of us to become Champion, all the while taunting us with his catchphrase, "Smell ya later!" We, as players, remained motivated to beat Blue, and once we did, there was a moment of satisfaction that beating few other rivals gave us.
Also read: 3 ways Liko is a better Pokemon anime protagonist than Ash (and 2 ways that she's worse)
2) The Fisher with six Magikarp
In the journey to collect eight badges, stop the evil team, and become Champion, players will battle a lot of Pokemon NPCs. Not just the rival and other important trainers, but so many random trainers. Most of the time, these battles help you fill out the number of creatures you've seen in your Pokedex. But some end up memorable for different reasons.
Enter the Fisherman with six Magikarp. This trainer has shown up in every region to date and will battle the trainer with a full team of Magikarp. Interestingly, he even appears in the Unova region, where Magikarp aren't native and can only be found post-game. Since all Pokemon NPCs post the main campaign have level 60 or above creatures, this Fisherman fights you with six overlevelled Magikarp!
3) Cynthia
If Blue is the best rival, Cynthia is unquestionably the best Champion. Players will remember the sheer struggle of getting past her Spiritomb — devoid of any weakness at that time — her bulky Milotic, and, of course, her Garchomp, who threatened to KO everything on our team. It was one of the first difficult battles players ever faced, helped by the fact that, like Blue, she wasn't limited to a single type.
However, Cynthia also acts as a mentor for the players throughout their journey in the Sinnoh region. In Pokemon Platinum, she trusts us enough to raise a Togepi from an egg. In the same game, she jumps into the Distortion World alongside us as we face Giratina and Cyrus. It has been years since she made her debut, but there are fewer Pokemon NPCs more memorable than Cynthia.
4) The Youngster who likes shorts
Sometimes, we remember Pokemon NPCs not for what they did but for what they said. For instance, a gym trainer in the Pewter City Gym famously utters the line, "You're light-years away from facing Brock!"
Out of all these characters, fans have cherished this Youngster's dialogue on Kanto Route 3. On being challenged, he states: "Hi! I like shorts! They are comfy and easy to wear!" It's a line that sticks out because of how random it is and the fact that it has no connection to Pokemon. This Youngster likes shorts because they are comfortable, and it's hard to disagree.
5) Professor Oak
The professor is arguably the most important of all the Pokemon NPCs. Professor Oak remains the template on which the rest are based. From forgetting his grandson's name (it's Blue, by the way) to giving us the means to step into a world of dreams and adventure, he has remained a memorable part of the franchise.
This was further helped by his portrayal in the anime, which made him quirky but also wise. For instance, he was the one who explained to Ash why he lost to Ritchie in the Indigo Plateau. But would also spend time writing poetry with Ash's Krabby. This collection of personality traits is why Professor Oak remains one of the most iconic Pokemon NPCs of all time.
