Obscure NPC characters you like more than usual

[Zexy]

Just got an idea for a thread for those kinda obscure NPC characters that have some nice traits that make them just a little more special.

The archetypal examples are Youngster Joey with the comfy pants and top percentage Rattata, but what about others?

One of my all time favorites is Cyclist Hector from Unova Route 16. His team is Tranquill and Whirlipede, a flying and a spinning Pokemon. I imagined that battle being a sort of Turbo Duel like in Yugioh 5Ds, instead of static trainers taking turns, they are both cycling and the Pokemon follow along, only getting off track to attack each other.

Another favorite is Ace Trainer Blake in Platinum, in Route 216 just before Snowbound Lodge, the last obstacle before you rest there. When defeated he says "I would rather be asleep at the lodge's bed". Like, OK? Then why did you stay there as an unnecessary obstacle, both of us fighting an uncomfortable battle in the cold when none of us really wanted this and both would rather rest? We could be friends instead. Go nap there buddy, I will come too, and then each one of us on their way. Everyone is more happy that way, ok?

 

[Okido]

There's a nameless NPC from Saffron City in Let's Go who gives you a Porygon as a gift. Afterwards, he says: "Porygon is so blocky and cute!" ...I don't know why that line stuck with me the way it did but now I think of it almost every time I see or talk about Porygon. Because he's right, it is so blocky and cute.

Colosseum and XD have a lot of memorable minor NPCs, but my favorite obscure one has to be Mirakle B. — a random Cipher Peon who admires Miror B. so much that he poorly imitates his appearance and his iconic battle theme!

 

[Zexy]

Juggler Irwin past Goldenrod City is another famous one, the level 2 Voltorb around the third Gym, "behold my ball dexterity", the constant phone call spamming...

Also Camper Ethan, Route 111 south-to-desert-to-Route 112 junction. The one that talks about pep and his peppy Pokemon (a single Sandshrew). I have never anywhere else seen the word "pep" used in anything but the phrase "pep talk".

Oh and the Vermilion Gym gentleman who looks older than Lt. Surge, but the younger leader was his CO in the army lol.

 

[Tood]

My favorites are the breeders Isaac and Lydia from the little route between Verdanturf and Mauville. It was always a route I frequented, since it was near the daycare, and the two of them were always good for grinding. I don't think either of them really have much going for them in terms of cool lines though lol. But they always come to mind when I think of Pokemon NPCs.

Also, the Underground Man, because he gives me access to the world's greatest digging minigame

 

[c la fet]

The guitar girl from the BW2 ferris wheel, I love her story and her song.
There are many more I like from the other games but she's my favorite.

Also, the Underground Man, because he gives me access to the world's greatest digging minigame

He even appeared in the anime and manga, I wish he had a name !

 

[Welkamo]

Selphy - She's a Lady in FRLG that gives you expensive items when you show her pokeymans. I just think she's neat.

 

[Zexy]

Aroma Lady Rose with the Roselia the ledge-jumper (in Emerald, if you position yourself correctly she sees you and just climbs it up).

 

[DigitalGen6]

Literally all male ace trainers from SM/USUM and also Pokémas because they look like Neku from The World Ends With You lol

 

[Camille]

Black 2/White 2 have three such NPCs. The first one is the male Pokemon Ranger in Humilau, who says the vibe between you and your Surfing Pokemon is "insanely awesome". Also in Victory Road, there is a pair of Veterans with Braviary, Mandibuzz, Archeops and Carracosta, and after you beat them, the male one says you were able to reach him thanks to your Pokemon knowing hidden moves, and the female says she feels very close to her Pokemon when they use Surf and Waterfall outside of battle.

 

[Yung Dramps]

In BW2 there's this old man in a Driftveil apartment who says something like "3 years ago I listened to Team Plasma and released my Pokemon, I may be lonely now but at least they won't be sad when I die" and it's actually insane how this rando NPC gives the Unova plotline more depth and tragedy than anything in the main story beats

 

[Pasio]

I've wanted to post here for over two months now but never got to it because I couldn't figure out how to explain everything without being needlessly complicated. I managed to throw my explanation into the controversial opinions thread a week ago anyway.

I still want to talk about some of those various NPCs here. The 3DS games have some notable obscure NPCs I like. For example,

There's a guy in the Battle Institute who confirms the world has many trainers who are stronger than Champions

Spoiler: Champions aren't as great as you'd like to believe

There is a person in the ORAS Resort Area who straight up counteracts Karen's infamous quote.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/2ohask

There's a kid in Sun and Moon who claims they've gotten a Mewtwo through Wonder Trade out of nowhere, establishing that Wonder Trades are a real thing that happen for NPCs as well. (In USUM, "Mewtwo" was changed to "shiny Pokémon".)

Spoiler: Mewtwo claim

It was a great reference to scenarios like the one below that actually happened in ORAS

Spoiler: lol

While this may or may not wholly be an NPC depending on how you view it, the Hoenn games showed us we could all be canon NPCs to someone's world. This counts because every single person's game and save file is its own universe within the canon of Pokémon's multiverse and your own personal experiences that happen within them are factored in. For extra support to back Secret Base NPCs being canon even further, I have these images to display:

Spoiler: several images

Most if not all of this also applies to the Secret Bases in Generation 3 games.

While I didn't show it because my Audino was level 100, your Pokémon also gain EXP from these battles. Super Secret Base trainers have their Pokémon registered as Seen in you Pokédex, can give you Pokédollars for defeating them, and give your Pokémon EXP for defeating theirs. These trainers alter your in-game experience in Pokémon in which the game itself recognizes. It doesn't matter if they aren't fixed trainers already placed into the game. Pokémon has already established numerous times that trainers and their battles can suddenly arrive in your game through external influences and still be canon. It has happened through downloadable events, tournaments, and regular DLC. One of the main ways to receive Super Secret Bases even uses the exact method you use to legally obtain Magearna in Gen 7. The game recognizes your own personal experiences as events that actually happened despite them being different from someone else's or rather unorthodox. These differences were confirmed to be acknowledged as canon by Satoshi Tajiri in 1997 as the reason Pokémon started out with multiple versions of the same game and has always been in multiple versions since.