Player character: Difference between revisions

{{incomplete|needs=Pokkén Tournament player characters}}

A '''player character''' (Japanese: '''{{j|{{tt|主人公|しゅじんこう}}}}''' ''protagonist'') in the {{pkmn|world}} of [[Pokémon]] is the main character in the plot of the [[Pokémon games]]. The player character is an avatar that represents the real player in the world of the game, and they are characterized by almost never speaking outside of occasional short dialogue options.

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}}.

Three unnamed player characters appear in [[Pokémon Stadium series]]. Japanese-only {{jap|Pokémon Stadium}} featured one male character, whose design was likely based on {{ga|Red}}. However, for {{eng|Pokémon Stadium|the sequel}}, a brand new male character was created. This player was also in [[Pokémon Stadium 2]], where he was given a female counterpart. She appears when a player uses a {{game|Crystal}} Game Pak. Like the [[core series]] player characters, these three characters remain silent throughout the games.

The default male player character originally wore the gray weave hat, no glasses, the a shirt that came with fingerless gloves, a green and red backpack, the red and black pants and leggings, and green shoes. After an update the overhaled the trainer's wardrobe, the default male player character wears the gray trainer visor, no glasses, the light blue classic hoodie, a yellow trainer backpack, yellow fingerless gloves, trainer shorts, gray leggings, and yellow running shoes. Both designs feature the character with brunette hair, teal eyes, and light skin.

The default female player character originally wore the white and red cap, no glasses, the maroon shirt that came with a choker and gloves of the same color, a red backpack, an orange ball buckle belt, gray and black pants, and orange shoes. After an update that overhaled the trainer's wardrobe, the default female player character wears the black ball cap, no glasses, the black ribbon choker, the crimson classic longsleeve, a teal urban pack, black fingerless gloves, crimson ball buckle, crimson sprint suit, black long leg warmers, and red running shoes. Both designs feature the character with brunette hair, teal eyes, and light skin.

All player characters (with the exception of [[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!]] and [[Pokémon Scarlet and Violet]]) appear as playable characters. So far, {{mas|Red}}, {{mas|Ethan}}, {{mas|Brendan}}, {{mas|Dawn}}, {{mas|Hilbert}}, {{mas|Rosa}}, {{mas|Serena}}, {{mas|Gloria}}, and {{mas|Rei}} are based on the player character of their respective games. The other player characters are based on the [[non-player character]]s as applicable. Red is the only character based on a [[core series]] player character to be a [[Champion]], as it is unconfirmed if any of the other characters based on the player characters have won their respective region's [[Pokémon League|League]].

In {{ga|Pokémon Trading Card Game}} and [[Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!]], {{TCG GB|Mark}} and {{TCG GB|Mint}} do not use actual Pokémon themselves, but cards instead.

In the {{ga|Pokémon Ranger}} series, [[Lunick]], [[Solana]], [[Kellyn]], {{ra|Kate}}, {{ra|Ben}} and {{ra|Summer}} are not Pokémon Trainers, but instead {{OBP|Pokémon Ranger|Ranger series}}s. They use the Pokémon they have captured with the [[Capture Styler]] to help them along the way. They also have {{ra|partner Pokémon}} that follow them wherever they go.

{{incomplete|section|Missing images of "You" from Pokémon Zany Cards}}

| 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|Detective Pikachu (game)|Detective Pikachu}}

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

| colspan=2 style="background:#D1D1E6; {{roundybr|15px}}" | {{color2|000|Tim Goodman}}

====Battrio====

Direct counterparts of {{ga|Victor}}, {{ga|Gloria}}, {{ga|Selene}}, {{ga|Calem}}, {{ga|Serena}}, {{ga|Hilda}}, {{ga|Lucas}}, {{ga|May}}, {{ga|Ethan}}, {{ga|Red}}, and {{ga|Elaine}} appeared in [[Pokémon Evolutions]]. With the exception of Gloria and Serena, they are all based on the player character of their respective games.  

All playable characters from [[Pokémon Red and Blue Versions|Pokémon Red and Blue]] to [[Pokémon Sword and Shield]], with the exception of {{ga|Kris}}, {{ga|Leaf}}, {{ga|Chase}}, and {{ga|Elaine}} appear in the musice video, [[GOTCHA!]].

[[Pokémon Adventures]] features [[cross-canon counterpart]]s for almost all of the player characters in the [[core series]] games, who are usually named after one of the games they originate from. {{adv|Red}} is based on his game counterpart, while {{adv|Green}} is based on the [[List of unused Pokémon and character designs#Female character|unnamed female character]] who appears in {{game|Red and Green|s}}'s official strategy guide. After {{ga|Leaf}} was introduced in {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}}, Green changed into Leaf's clothes to serve as her counterpart. {{adv|Gold}} is based on the then-unnamed player character {{ga|Ethan}}. Once {{game|Crystal}} was released and introduced a female player character, {{ga|Kris}}, {{adv|Crystal}} was introduced to be her counterpart. Additionally, though {{ga|Lyra}} is usually accepted as a different character from Kris, Crystal has appeared wearing Lyra's clothes to serve as her counterpart, rather than introducing a second [[Johto]] female protagonist for the {{chap|HeartGold & SoulSilver}}.

Since having both a male and female player character became a staple for the series from then on, most player characters have been adapted into [[Pokédex holder]]s who are named after the first two paired games in a [[generation]], with the male player character being named after the first game of the pair and the female player character being named after the second game of the pair. For example, {{adv|Ruby}} is a counterpart to {{ga|Brendan}} and {{adv|Sapphire}} is a counterpart to {{ga|May}}, the protagonists of {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}}. The one exception to this is {{ga|Lucas}} and {{ga|Dawn}}, the player characters of the [[Sinnoh]]-based games. {{adv|Diamond}} is a counterpart to Lucas, but the name {{adv|Pearl}} was given to {{ga|Barry}}'s counterpart. Dawn's counterpart goes deliberately unnamed for the first few volumes of the {{chap|Diamond & Pearl}}, only being revealed in ''[[PS376|Startling Staraptor]]'' to be {{adv|Platinum}}, after the name of the third version was known to the public. Additionally, despite not being introduced in the first paired games of a generation, {{ga|Nate}} and {{ga|Rosa}} received counterparts in the form of {{adv|Blake}} and {{adv|Whitley}}, respectively.

A few player characters from spin-off games have appeared in Pokémon Adventures as well. [[Todd Snap]] appears as a supporting protagonist in the {{chap|Emerald}}, though he is never referred to by name. [[Lunick]] and [[Solana]] star in the side story manga [[Pokémon Ranger the Comic: Double Mission]], while [[Kellyn]] and [[Kate (Ranger)|Kate]] star in its sequel, [[Darkrai Mission Story: Pokémon Ranger Vatonage - the Comic]].

* 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 from the [[core series]] games 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''.