Player character: Difference between revisions

{{incomplete|needs=Pokkén Tournament player characters, Art Academy}}

[[File:RedStart.png|frame|The beginning of {{ga|Red}}'s [[Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions|Pokémon journey]].]]

A '''player character''' (Japanese: '''{{j|{{tt|主人公|しゅじんこう}}}}''' ''protagonist'') in the world of [[Pokémon]] is the main character in the plot of the [[Pokémon games]]. Remarkably silent, players are represented by an avatar; it is left up to the real player to "fill in" what they imagine the character is feeling, thinking, and acting, thus immersing them within the world of the game.

==In the core series==

===Gameplay===

In the [[core series]] games, the player characters are [[Pokémon Trainer]]s beginning their [[Pokémon journey]]. They start their journey in their [[hometown]] by getting a [[starter Pokémon]], a Pokémon that appears very early in their native [[region]]'s [[Regional Pokédex|Pokédex]], and is usually of the {{t|Grass}}-, {{t|Fire}}-, or {{type|Water}}. The region's resident [[Pokémon Professor]] will always give them this, as well as a Pokédex. Starting in {{game|Crystal}}, players can also choose their character's gender. Usually, they have [[rival]]s who begin their journey at about the same time. Players take part in several events, and meet a great number of Pokémon and people during their adventure. A common target is to conquer a [[Pokémon League]]'s eight [[Gym Leader]]s and [[Elite Four]], and become the {{pkmn|Champion}}. Several additional side-quests occur during and after each game's main plot.

To date, only one player character has reappeared from an older generation in a role other than that of the player. In [[Generation II]] and the [[Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions|Generation IV remakes]], when {{ga|Ethan}} or {{ga|Kris}}/{{ga|Lyra}} travels to [[Mt. Silver]] and reaches the deepest point of the cave, {{ga|Red}} is found, utterly silent as he was under the player's control. At the time of these games' respective releases, {{OBP|Red's Pikachu|game}} was the highest-leveled Pokémon owned by an in-game Trainer ({{ga|Barry}}'s fully evolved starter Pokémon temporarily surpassed the standard set in Gold and Silver until the release of their remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver). Red reappeared in {{game|Black and White|s|Black 2 and White 2|2}}, in the [[Champions Tournament]] of the [[Pokémon World Tournament]], and again in the [[Alola]]-based [[Generation VII]] games, as the leader of the [[Battle Tree]] with {{ga|Blue}}.

The player character can be named in all core series games at the beginning of the game using the same interface as that for entering [[nickname]]s for Pokémon.

| style="background:#D1D1E6; | [[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Versions|{{color|{{diamond color dark}}|D}}{{color|{{pearl color dark}}|P}}]]

| style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|{{platinum color dark}}|Pokémon Platinum Version|Pt}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundytr|15px}}" | [[Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl|{{color|{{brilliant diamond color dark}}|BD}}{{color|{{shining pearl color dark}}|SP}}]]

| colspan=2 style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|000|Red (game)|Red}}

| colspan=3 style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|000|Ethan (game)|Ethan}}

| colspan=3 style="background:#D1D1E6;" | {{color2|000|Lucas (game)|Lucas}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6"| [[Pokémon Sword and Shield|{{color|{{sword color dark}}|Sw}}{{color|{{shield color dark}}|Sh}}]]

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundytr|15px}}" | [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus|{{color|{{legends arceus color dark}}|LA}}]]

[[File:Ultra Sun Ultra Moon Protagonist male.png|120x120px]]

[[File:Lets Go Pikachu Eevee Male Trainer.png|120x120px]]

[[File:Sword Shield Male Trainer.png|120x120px]]

[[File:Legends Arceus Main Character male.png|120x120px]]

| colspan=2 style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|000|Elio (game)|Elio}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|000|Chase (game)|Chase}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|000|Victor (game)|Victor}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; | <!--{{color2|000|(game)|}}-->???

[[File:Legends Arceus Main Character female.png|120x120px]]

| style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|000|Elaine (game)|Elaine}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; | {{color2|000|Gloria (game)|Gloria}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundybr|15px}}" | <!--{{color2|000|(game)|}}-->???

===Side games===

| style="width:135px; background:#{{colo color}}" | [[File:Colosseum Wes 3D.png|60px]]

| style="width:135px; background:#{{crystal color light}}" | [[File:PBR Nate.png|60px]]

| style="width:135px; background:#{{y color light}}" | [[File:PBR Cyndy.png|60px]]

===Spin-off games===

| style="height:135px; width:135px; background:#{{night color light}}" | [[File:GO Player M.png|120x120px]]

| style="width:135px; background:#{{blue color light}}" | [[File:GO Player F.png|120x120px]]

| style="width:135px; background:#{{sevii color light}}" | [[File:Masters Scottie.png|120x120px]]

| colspan="2" style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundytl|15px}}" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Ranger (game)|Ranger}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Trading Card Game (game)|TCG GB1}}<br>{{color2|000|Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!|TCG GB2}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundytr|15px}}" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!|TCG GB2}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Trozei!|Trozei}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6" | {{color2|000|Pokémon: Magikarp Jump|Magikarp Jump}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundytr|15px}}" | {{color2|000|Detective Pikachu (game)|Detective Pikachu}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6" | {{color2|000|Lucy Fleetfoot}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6" | You

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundybr|15px}}" | {{color2|000|Tim Goodman}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundytr|15px}}" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Puzzle Challenge|Puzzle Challenge}}

| style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundybr|15px}}" | {{color2|000|Ethan (game)|Ethan}}

====Battrio====

In the [[Pokémon anime]], six of the player characters have been given major roles, four of them in the main series. {{Ash}} represents {{ga|Red}} (his game counterpart), being based on him in appearance as well as basic history ([[Ritchie]], by extension of resembling Ash, also resembles Red, although his basic history is unknown).

At the beginning of ''[[Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire]]'', {{an|May}} was introduced in order to better represent [[Generation III]], as both [[Misty]] and [[Brock]] are characters who originated in [[Generation I]]. Likewise, at the beginning of ''[[Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl]]'', {{an|Dawn}} joined Ash. In ''[[Pokémon the Series: XY]]'', {{an|Serena}} joined Ash in order to represent [[Generation VI]].

Ash and {{ashfr}} have also encountered several player characters from the side games. [[Todd Snap]] was the first, and a special case, as he originated in the anime before appearing in Pokémon Snap. He joins the group for a few episodes at two points in the anime: once during the [[S01|Indigo League]] and once during [[S04|Johto League Champions]]. The others, [[Solana]], [[Kellyn]], and {{ra|Ben}} are all {{OBP|Pokémon Ranger|Ranger series}}s that Ash and friends assisted in rescuing and protecting Pokémon.

So far, {{ga|Brendan}} has only made a few select cameo appearances at the beginning of some of the {{pkmn|movie}}s, while {{ga|Lucas}} made a cameo at the beginning of ''[[M11|Giratina and the Sky Warrior]]'', where he was battling Brendan. {{ga|Ethan}} also appears with a second counterpart at the beginning of ''[[M13|Zoroark: Master of Illusions]]''.

None of the Generation V, Generation VII, and Generation VIII player characters have yet been seen in the main anime.

[[File:Blaine Arcanine PO.png|thumb|220px|Red in Pokémon Origins]]

[[File:Calem PG.png|thumb|left|220px|Calem in Pokémon Generations]]

[[File:Nate B2W2 Trailer.png|thumb|220px|Nate in the Black 2 and White 2 Animated Trailer]]

[[File:Brendan May ORAS Trailer.png|thumb|220px|left|May and Brendan in the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Animated Trailer]]

===In the Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 Animated Trailer===

Nate and Rosa both appeared in [[Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 Animated Trailer|the animated trailer for Pokémon Black and White Versions 2]].

===In the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Animated Trailer===

Brendan and May both appeared in [[Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Animated Trailer|the animated trailer for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]].

[[Pokémon Adventures]] features many [[cross-canon counterpart]]s for most of the player and rival characters in the games, with {{adv|Red}} being based on his game counterpart. This is also the case for his two fellow Kanto [[Pokédex holder]]s. The same applies for nearly all other main characters in the series; {{adv|Gold}}, for example, is based on the then-unnamed player character Ethan. However, because the [[Pokémon Yellow Version|Yellow version]], the fourth installment to the first generation, gave no additional protagonists, {{adv|Yellow}} was created, revealed to have been the girl Red rescued in [[Viridian Forest]] before his battle with {{adv|Giovanni}}. {{adv|Emerald}} is another cognate case, as in the entirety of [[Generation III]], only two player characters were given. {{adv|Wally}}, the closest thing to a third main character, was dropped in favor of this new character designed entirely from scratch. As of the {{chap2|Diamond & Pearl}} and {{chap|Platinum}}s, only the first ten main characters have met each other, as none of the Sinnoh Dex Holders have ventured out of their region.

Additionally, though {{ga|Lyra}} is usually accepted as a different character from {{ga|Kris}}, {{adv|Crystal}} has appeared wearing her clothes to serve as a counterpart, rather than introducing a second [[Johto]] female protagonist for the {{chap|HeartGold & SoulSilver}}.

* Most of the male characters that {{Ash}}, the main character from the [[Pokémon anime]], has encountered have been from side games, like {{ga|Pokémon Ranger}}. The only counterpart of a male player character who has met Ash is [[Ethan (game)#In the anime|Ethan]], in [[M13|the thirteenth movie]].

* Until [[Generation V]], the given Japanese names of the male player characters in the [[core series]] games (as NPCs) all end in ''ki'' ('''キ'''). This excludes Red's appearance in Generations II and IV, as he is not a player character during the games when he is an NPC. Inclusively, Lunick's Japanese name also ends in ''ki''.