Summary
The NPCs in thePokemongames are there to make the new regions feel like real places and help the player progress. There are only a few NPCs who exist in the franchise to cause the player trouble, but even these can be battled for additional experience. On the whole, the NPCs in thePokemonfranchise are pretty great.
Then there are those NPCs who are a cut above the rest. This is either because they are extremely helpful during the games, or are an iconic fixture in their own right. Whatever the reason, it still makes them one of the best NPCs in allPokemon.
Steven Stone is possibly one of the most recognizable faces fromthe Generation ThreePokemongames. This is because the Steel-type specialist acts as the champion for the region in bothRubyandSapphire. Even inPokemon Emerald, Stephen acts as a boss fight in the post-game when Wallace achieves the rank of champion.
Even outside his status as the region’s champion, Steven Stone still has a big presence in these games. He is always on hand to give the player useful advice during the fight between them and the evil Team Magma or Team Aqua. What’s more, Steven is the ever-helpful NPC who gives players access to Mega Evolution inOmega Ruby and Alpha Sapphireby giving them the Key Stone.
The self-designated Poke-Maniac, Bill is an NPC that players can first find in the Generation One games on Route 25, above Cerulean City. When enteringthis famous NPC’s house, players will notice that Bill has swapped places with a Pokemon in one of his experiments. Once the player has helped Bill return to his own body, they are rewarded with access to his Pokemon storage system. This system isn’t anything special, but they also get tickets to the SS Anne, the crucial next step in their journey.
Bill makes another appearance in the second generation, where he is a lot more helpful. This NPC can be found in his family’s house in Goldenrod City. He will give players access to his storage system again, and time capsules that allow the player to trade their Pokemon over from previous games. Also, he gives them an Eevee, which can be a helpful team member if used well.
On the surface, Korrina seems like another gym leader NPC who isn’t that helpful. However, this Fighting-type specialist is more essential in the sixth generation than first impressions would have players believe.
For starters, battling in her gym is fun, but the rematch at the top of the Tower of Mastery is highly rewarding. After the player defeats Korrina once again, she will give players the Mega Ring. This item allows the player touse Mega Evolutionfor the rest of the game. On top of this, Korrina also lets the player keep the Lucario that they first met alongside Korrina on Route 5, a Pokemon that is great at utilizing the Mega Evolution battle mechanic. In many ways, Korrina is the only reason players are allowed to progress in the latter parts ofX and Y.
4Farris
Offers A Highly Advantageous Trade
A majority of the trades with NPCs inPokemongames are fair. They normally involve players trading a Pokemon for one of the same type, or at the same skill level. The only bonus that players receive after a trade is that the new Pokemon will gain a boosted amount of experience from battle. However, there is one trade in the games that is massively advantageous to the player.
When players enter Cyllage City inPokemon X and Y, they can find a house that belongs to a great NPC named Farris. After talking to Farris, he will offer the player the chance to trade their Luvdisc for a Steelix. Luvdisc is a Water-type Pokemon with a base stat total of 330, whereas Steelix is a Steel and Ground-type with a base stat total of 510. Therefore, this is a trade that greatly benefits the player, especially since this trade can be made before the second gym.
In many ways, Cynthia fills the same role as Steven Stone in Generation Four. This is because she isthe champion of the Sinnoh region, and helps the player out on several occasions during their journey. However, it can be argued that Cynthia helps the player out in more ways than Steven.
Players first run into this NPC in Eterna City, where Cynthia gives them the HM01 for Cut. This object is vital for progressing to the next part of the game, but Cynthia isn’t done helping the player yet. After obtaining the fourth gym badge in Pastoria City, the player will run into the champion again while they are chasing a Team Galactic grunt. This time, though, Cynthia will give the player the item necessary for removing the Psyduck blocking the path to Celestic Town.
2Professor Oak
A Legendary Figure From The Anime
The professor in every Pokemon region is a great help to the player. These NPCs are the ones who give players their first Pokemon, and they also give them a Pokedex to help them record every new Pokemon that they encounter. Some of them even show up later to congratulate the player on beating the Pokemon League. Professor Oak is one of these professors, but he has a bigger role to play in the series.
Aside from being thefirst professor in thePokemonfranchise, this NPC is also beloved by fans because of the big role he played in thePokemonanime. He also makes an appearance inPokemon Snap,Pokemon Channel, and shows up in Generation Two games to give players the Pokedex.
1Nurse Joy
The Hero Of Every Main Series Game
Nurse Joy is the unsung hero of every mainlinePokemongame. She doesn’t show up to give the player advice or any new items, but without her, players would find it next to impossible to finish anyPokemongame. This NPC is found inevery major cityin every game, and will willingly heal the player’s Pokemon for free.
The fact that she can be everywhere at once is something the anime makes a joke out of by stating that all Nurse Joy’s in thePokemonworld are cousins, though, this is not something that comes up in the games. Nurse Joy merely exists as part of the furniture to get players from one obstacle to the next without asking for anything in return. As a result, Nurse Joy is expected to continue making appearances in futurePokemongames, which is great considering she is arguably the best NPC.
