Your canon teams for the video game protagonists?

[JFrombaugh]

In your own mind, fitting within the storyline as much as possible of course, what do you think the teams the protagonists canonically used to become Champion in their regions were?

Here's my own headcanon team for "Moon", the female protagonist of Sun & Moon (I may update for USUM if it is later confirmed that female protagonist is in fact the same Trainer):

Decidueye - Personally, I can’t imagine Professor Kukui having any starter besides Incineroar. It totally fits his Masked Royal wrestling persona and all! And I could definitely see Popplio bonding with Hau because of his happy disposition.

(Mega) Slowbro - Slowpoke is among the first Kanto Pokemon you encounter in the game (that don’t have an Alolan Form), and so in my mind Moon had always thought they were cute and wanted one. I thought about giving her Midnight Form Lycanroc instead, but decided I didn't want half of her team to be identical to anime Gladion's (see below).

Umbreon - The Eevee egg you get from the Daycare, it goes in with the Sun & Moon dichtomy and since Hau gets an Eeveelution too it's only fair.

Comfey - Fits with her flower shirt and IRL Hawaii flower leis are popular with tourists.

Alolan Sandslash - As a parallel to Kukui’s Alolan Ninetales, it can only be caught in Moon as well.

Lunala (aka “Nebby”) – Obviously, it decides it wants to travel with you instead of Lillie, and it’s a required story capture after all! But IMO it's more of a "temporarily befriended legendary" until the Ultra Beast crisis is over, at which point it departs for home at last, leaving a spot open for...

Type: Null - The same one Gladion gives to you after beating the game.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Sun's Team

Litten>Torracat>Incineroar
I think he chose Litten, and iirc the first time he was shown in a trailer he was choosing Litten. Also Litten fits in with him.

Type:Null > Silvally
The one Gladion gives us.

Solgaleo (Nebby)
Quite Obvious.

Lycanroc (Midday)
I think it fits in with Sun.

Raichu (Alola)
I just feel that it'd be his signature Alola form. Gotta keep that mascot in some form.

No idea for the last one. Maybe Toucannon or Sandslash-Alola.

 

[Zexy]

Spoiler

Red
Pikachu - Given as a starter (as in Pokemon Yellow).
Venusaur - Given as a Bulbasaur in Cerulean City (as in Pokemon Yellow).
Charizard - Given as a Charmander in Route 24 (as in Pokemon Yellow).
Blastoise - Given as a Squirtle in Vermilion City (as in Pokemon Yellow).
Snorlax - Caught in Route 16 (the Route 12 one was defeated and relocated outside Diglett's Cave 3 years later, for the GSCHGSS events).
Lapras - Given to him in Silph Co.
He got at least two copies of each of the 4 Mega Stones available for the final evolutions of the Kanto starters as shown when he is willing to gift one of each away to the player, yet is able to use each of them on his own Pokemon in subsequent battles in the Battle Tree. He probably got these during his journeys in Hoenn or Kalos, since we know he went there from the first episode of Pokemon Origins.
He also got some regular Z-Crystals which he is shown using in the Battle Tree. No indication that he has Pikachium Z or Snorlium Z, though.

He has a few more Pokemon he got during his journey, although they're not in his main team:
Espeon - Eevee from Celadon Mansion, evolution chosen based on his GSC team; in contrast, Blue's starter Eevee in Pokemon Yellow would become Umbreon
Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan (Fighting Dojo)
Omanyte (perhaps evolved) - Revived from the Mt. Moon Fossil. Preference on Lord Helix over Dome-ocracy, of course
Aerodactyl - Also revived from Fossil. Left both Fossil Pokemon in the Cinnabar Lab for research.
Togepi (perhaps evolved) Water Labyrinth Egg

Ethan (male protagonist confirmed in Pokemon Origins)
This is the team I believe he won the League with:
Typhlosion - I believe this is the starter that fits him the most.
Togekiss - From the Togepi Egg given to him in Violet City.
Sudowoodo - Battled because it blocked the road.
Espeon - From the Eevee given to him by Bill in Ecruteak City. Think Espeon is most fitting for him as well.
Gyarados (Shiny) - Caught in Lake of Rage.
Dragonite - From the Dtatini he got in Dragon's Den.

However, he has some more Pokemon (not including those in the main team because the way to get them in-game is optional):
Pichu *3 (one perhaps evolved) - One from the Crystal-only Daycare Egg (preferred Pichu because it's the mascot's pre-evolution), Spiky-eared and Pikachu-colored. Related to Celebi events so I think he should have them all.
Mareep, Wooper, Slugma (perhaps evolved) - Violet City Pokemon Center, Primo the password guy.
Fearow - Kenya the Spearow which he planned to return as an errand was Level 19. He accidentally leveled it up to 20 and it evolved before he could return it, so he was let to keep it.
Shuckle - Given to him in Cianwood City.
Hitmontop - Given to him as a Tyrogue in Mt. Mortar. Think Hitmontop is most fitting for him, representing Gen II.
Snorlax - Caught outside Diglett's Cave much later, during his Kanto journey. Probably replaced Sudowoodo in his main team in the battle with Red as it should be stronger.
One Kanto starter, one Hoenn starter and a few hatched from Eggs given to him either in the Violet City Pokemon Center from code exchanges or from the Crystal Daycare which had some extra possible Eggs handed out.

Brendan (confirmed male in Origins and the trailer):
Sceptile - Confirmed starter in Origins and the trailer
Mightyena - Poochyena first catch as DexNav tutorial.
Wobbuffet - Wynaut Egg, Lavaridge Town.
Lati@s - Southern Island
Castform - Weather Institute.
Kecleon - Devon Scope tutorial, Route 120
Has Mega Stones for Sceptile and Lati@s of course.

Other Pokemon I believe he should have:
Cosplay Pikachu - Probably not using it for battles though, only Contests.
Rayquaza - Caught in Delta Episode and capable of Mega Evolution. He'd leave it roam the skies soon after the Deoxys battle to not disrupt the balance of nature, however.
Deoxys - Caught in Delta Episode (confirmed that it wasn't a defeat as of Origins). Would keep it but probably not use it much as most of the world doesn't know what happened and he'd like to keep it contained. Might have left it at Mossdeep Space Center for research.
Metagross - Gift Beldum by Steven, post-game.
Camerupt/Sharpedo - Gift in Battle Resort, depending on version. However, my true headcanon whose story is a mix of Emerald/ORAS would have him getting both, giving him a solid Grass/Fire/Water core.
Several regional starters - Gifts from Professor Birch.
Linoone - Just a personal preference and because he'd need to get a Surf-capable Pokemon. My headcanon is that he eventually leaves Linoone alongside Castform and Kecleon to his father, as they are Normal-types that have unique characteristics Norman would like to research on. This empties up enough spots in Brendan's main team for better Pokemon.

For the record, May is confirmed to have Blaziken, Swampert, Audino, Altaria, the other Lati@s (and all Mega Stones for them) as well as the rest of her final Route 103 team.

Lucas (headcanon male, you'll see why soon):
Torterra (most fitting starter for him as he seems like a slow down-to-earth kind of person; this would give Barry Infernape which is very fitting, and Dawn the evolution of Piplup which I believe fits her and follows the anime)
Togekiss - Eterna City Egg from Cynthia.
Glaceon - Eevee given from Bebe. Evolution is fitting for Gen IV, picked over Leafeon as Eterna Forest was before the point he'd get it and he has Torterra for a Grass-type anyway.
Blissey - Happiny Egg in Hearthome City.
Porygon (perhaps evolved) - Gift in Veilstone City. He would get both items needed for evolution but whether he'd find someone to trade with is debatable.
Lucario - Riolu Egg in Iron Island.

Other Pokemon he might have:
Cranidos/Shiledon (perhaps evolved) - Underground fossil digging. Left at Oreburgh Museum for research.
Giratina - Whether he would catch it or not is debatable.

Hilbert (confirmed male in Origins):
Samurott - Most fitting as Cheren would get Serperior which suits him and Bianca would get Emboar which I also think suits her a bit and fits the anime.
Simisear - Obtained as a Pansear from the Dreamyard.
Zoroark - Zorua is event only but still a gift.
Archeops - From the Fossil. Picked over Carracosta as he already has a Water-type.
Larvesta (perhaps evolved) - From an Egg. He didn't get the Relic Castle Volcarona as it's still there as of BW2.
Reshiram/Zekrom - Based on version; Black and White are basically separate worlds so I'm OK with him having different multiverse selves with different Legendaries, no need to pick one. Although for a sole "Grey" headcanon I'd probably give him Reshiram, he sounds more like the person seeking truth over ideals compared to Nate.

Other Pokemon he might have:
Victini - Status debatable. Not sure if giving him another Legendary is a good idea but perhaps that could explain how he just won everything.
Several fossils (perhaps evolved) - Twist Moutain

Nate (confirmed male in Trailer and Origins):
This is gonna be a big list, not sure which ones he'd use for the League as there are some duplicate types and stuff around.
Emboar - starter, confirmed in Trailer
Lucario - caught as Riolu in Flocessy Ranch, confirmed in Trailer. My headcanon on this is that he used his own Riolu for the first PokeStar Studios movie (RioluMan VS BrycenMan), evolving mid-movie in an awesome scene which made his movie a hit.
Arcanine - caught as Growlithe in Virbank Complex, confirmed in Trailer
Cincinno - Evolved from Mincinno caught in Route 5 Hidden Grotto. Uses classic Skill Link Tail Slap/Bullet Seed/Rock Blast strategy perhaps with a fourth move like Sing.
Zoroark - N's Zorua from Driftveil City. N sees it later and understands how well it does with Nate and lets it stay there.
Volcarona - Caught in Relic Castle after the first PWT and Plasma Frigate events.
Sawsbuck - Evolved from Weather Institute Deerling.
Crustle - Caught with Colress MCHN in Seaside Cave.

Post-game:
Reshiram/Zekrom and Kyurem => Black/White Kyurem - My main headcanon would give him the Black one although he'd eventually meet Hilbert and somehow reform the original Kyurem... Origins makes it even more complicated with Hilbert appearing in the Giant Chasm scene, so perhaps in my "true" headcanon the full merge would happen then and there, before post-game.
Eevee (not sure what it would evolve into) - Castelia City post-game
Several fossils, including a Unova one - Nacrene City and Join Avenue
Happiny (perhaps evolved) - From an Egg
Magikarp (perhaps evolved) - Here's the tricky part... the salesman tried to sell it to Red years ago but he didn't buy it. Much later he thought he might get a better chance in Unova where Magikarp are rare. But Hilbert didn't buy it. 2 years later, maybe Nate will buy it?
Shiny Garchomp/Dragonite - Last level of Black Scryscraper/White Treehollow, Benga. My true headcanon says Garchomp here, that's awesome
Several Curtis/Yancy trades? - Those don't ask for a specific Pokemon so unlike other in-game trades (where the protagonist had no reason to get the requested Pokemon), these might have happened

With that mess of a list, good luck figuring out a "main" team

Calem (IIRC it was confirmed male in Origins)
Chestnaught (Most fitting imo, more later)
Charizard (Mega X/Y) From Sycamore
Snorlax Caught as it was blocking the road
Tyrantrum Just personal preference over Aurorus
Lucario (Mega) From Korrina lots of protagonists have Snorlax and Lucario don't they
Lapras Gift. Completes the Grass/Fire/Water core.

Later on, he might've got Greninja from the Egg from Shauna. This finally gives him the most popular of the starters and explains why I wanted Chestnaught for him, Fennekin line I think doesn't fit him but it would fit Serena a lot (like in the anime).
Maybe also Blaziken (Mega) from the early-days event? But I don't mind it much as he has Charizard.

Sun/Moon (only one we don't have a confirmation on; in this one I'd rather think that there are two universes that you can switch to as we know from the Ultra Wormhole mechanic, the Sun universe has the boy Sun, the Moon universe has the girl Moon)
League team:
Incineroar Because they'll be getting different Grass/Water types soon. Even though it may be too many Dark-types in Moon with Greninja and Umbreon.
Ash-Greninja I know that might be a too strong start but then again I feel like Sun/Moon is the most overpowered protagonist yet anyway (can beat Red after 10 years of training, with Mega Stones and Z-Crystals while having access to Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Bond Phenomenon and Ultra Beasts themselves). And they had it since the demo so I think that's OK.
Espeon/Umbreon (Eevee from Paniola Ranch, evolution fits the sun/moon theme)
Rampardos/Bastiodon/Archeops/Carracosta two of each available in Konikoni City, based on version. I'd stick with Rampardos/Archeops for the League as a personal headcanon, this is an OP protagonist we're talking about, let's go full offense.
Alolan Exeggutor Forced encounter in Exeggutor Island, completes the Grass/Fire/Water core
Nebby the Solgaleo/Lunala Enough said

Other Pokemon:
Snorlium Z Snorlax From the Munchlax Egg maybe, but there's not too much space for this...
Aerodactyl Seafolk Village. Yay more Rock types, and I didn't even give them Lycanroc They probably wouldn't use this too in the League battle though
Porygon (perhaps evolved) Post-game.
Silvally Post-game, but they really should be using this.
ALL ULTRA BEASTS This is where it gets cool. As if a title legendary, Ash-Greninja, Silvally and Mega Evolution aren't enough, giving them all the UBs available in their version tops it all. Although they may not be using them too much out of fear and may give them to research instead.
And finally some sort of Pokemon that can actually make use of Mega Evolution, because they've got none so far. Perhaps Alakazam as this is the Mega Stone they get first.

US/UM
The only ones I think they should have no matter what are Dusk Form Lycanroc (as the special Rockruff will be available straight away and it's signature of US/UM) and the cover legendaries

 

[Esserise]

Confession - I was initially going to phone this in with gift and overworld Pokémon, but then I started really getting into it, thinking up personalities for each of the protagonists and their Pokémon, and running into some interesting problems along the way. Also, I am writing this pretty much on the fly, so it comes out very stream-of-consciousness-ey and patchwork, since I jumped back and forth between sections a lot. But it was fun to assemble! Good thread, OP.

Spoiler

Kanto: Basically Red and his canonical team, innit (but I'll specify that he started with Bulbasaur, caught his Pikachu in Viridian Forest, and then traded for the other two Starters sometime after becoming the Champion)

---

Johto: Lyra

Reasoning: Because Crystal Version would obviously be canonical if not for HGSS, and Kris would obviously be the protagonist of Crystal, and would also be the female protagonist option in HGSS if not for their sudden, strange desire to replace her with a Rule 63'd Mario cosplayer. (Besides all that, I prefer Ethan's leitmotif over Lyra's, and I think Marill suits him.)

- Typhlosion (I'm pretty neutral on this choice, so picking the middle-ground option seems apt.)
- Togekiss (From the Egg, obviously.)
- Dragonite (From the Dragon Master, and with Extremespeed.)
- Crobat (As a call-back to the Friendship mechanic being introduced in Gen 2.)
- Quagsire (For Surfing, but also this team is shockingly vulnerable to Electric so far and while I'm not necessarily always factoring in type viability, I really like Quagsire as the Johtonian Water-type representative, because it's the goddamn boss, and cute as the dickens, and Marill is already covered elsewhere.)
- Scizor (Got lucky in the Bug-Catching Contest.)

I think Lyra seems like a pretty easy-going type who wears her personality on her sleeve. Her team choices reflect that, in my mind - they all seem a little more cartoonish and outwardly expressive, with Scizor being the contrasting element, but even it I don't picture as being "stoic," exactly.

---

Hoenn: Brendan

Reasoning: I liked May's father-daughter relationship with Prof. Birch, so I'll let Brendan have this one. Plus, that white hat is so "protagonist."

- Sceptile (Strikes me as a good fit with Brendan's personality, or at least what I imagine it to be - generally laid-back but a determined battler.)
- Swellow (Hoenn's bird, of course, and it's got a nice, calm demeanor.)
- Manectric (Again, fits with my perception of Brendan, but is more protective and fierce than Sceptile.)
- Flygon (Pretty much a contractual obligation, but it feels like a good fit anyway.)
- Sableye (With the rest of Brendan's team being more straightfoward personalities, I like throwing in this little off-beat twitchy gremlin; plus, it was one of the stand-out Mega Evolutions that they added in ORAS, or I suppose I should say "AS", because I am sort of implying a lean toward Alpha Sapphire with this choice - and it is true, I do prefer the general aesthetics and the clues about Archie's backstory in that game.)
- Wailord (Wailmer is the Hoenn Surfer, and I don't want to overlap with Archie's Sharpedo, nor do I want to flood Brendan's team with more Mega Evolutions.)

---

Sinnoh: Lucas

Reasoning: The primary factor here is the dynamic with Barry. I picture Dawn, in the protagonist role, is being just a bit more lively than Lucas, who I see as being very mannered and level, but almost stoic to a degree. So to me, Lucas's stability contrasts nicely with Barry's zany, sugar-rush personality.

- Empoleon (Aligns nicely with my personality sketch for Lucas, and Barry ending up with the slow-moving tortoise is just too perfect. I also like the image of assistant-Dawn with Infernape, and the connotation of her being a very skilled battler even though her main personal pursuit is research.)
- Staraptor (see: Flygon)
- Roserade (I like to think that Lucas has a kind of cool elegance in his style, which Roserade matches. I'm envisioning it as a male Roserade, by the way.)
- Rampardos (That description of Lucas in Roserade's note kind of put the image of a knight in my head, and Rampardos has been associated with spears in certain mediums. But mostly, I just wanted to pick an underrated, less-predictable Pokémon. And it's a nice way to add a dinosaur/dragon-like member without defaulting to Garchomp.)
- Raichu (Luxray is too easy, and I prefer how Raichu looks among this group)
- Gallade (Well, I did mention knights. It also gives the team a bit more coverage, and it was one of the newly-added evolutions in Gen 4, and used a new method of evolution. Although, now that I think about it, between all of the knightly iconography that I'm surrounding Lucas in and the fact that Kirlia becomes a knight upon exposure to the Dawn Stone, I do slightly worry about this giving off an ultra-tacky implication toward Dawn being what motivates Lucas as some "dashing, chivalrous knight," which isn't at all what I was trying to suggest, but if I do need to counteract that, then I'll reiterate that I specifically gave Dawn an Infernape because I liked that it connoted her as being perfectly capable in battle in addition to her intellect and career pursuits - a knight protecting her is something that she has no need of at all. I just really like the image of Lucas having an elegant, brave posture, and I like that Lucas's aesthetics are a bit more embedded in the past, while Dawn is more into science and research. Though she probably spars with Infernape on a weekly basis. Dammit Esserise, this was supposed to be about the protagonists, not the rivals!)

---

Unova I: Hilda

Reasoning: I don't need any reason other than Hilda being awesome.

- Emboar (I think of Hilda as having a warm personality, but she's very bold and hardy. Really gets into battling (I mean, it's right there in her name). I think Emboar is basically a perfect match for that. I can easily picture a really strong bond between these two, which is absolutely necessary for the BW story.)
- Golurk (Because Golurk is awesome. I like to think this one is a bit hotheaded.)
- Swanna (Looks graceful, but is actually rather spastic when it's goaded or caught off-guard (think Ash's Totodile). It also provides Surf and Fly without overlapping on Cheren's Unfezant.)
- Cinccino (Hits hard and fast. I don't see Cinccino as being "graceful" like Swanna - it's a fighter, and likes getting in there and proving itself, and looking fabulous while doing it.)
- Sawsbuck (A wiser and more serene personality. Provides a Grass type, and it felt appropriate to include a more sage character in order to compliment both Swanna's slight flamboyance, and the other, more vigorous egos on the team. And it ties in with the season mechanic, which is nice.)
- Zekrom (Fan-art with Hilda and Zekrom is always way cooler-looking than any other combination of Gen 5 protagonist + Tao dragon. I also like how Zekrom's modern design syncs with Hilda's more modern fashion, and contrasts with Emboar's more traditional Chinese look.)

---

Unova II: Rosa

Reasoning: Rosa is definitely not the brawler that Hilda was. I imagine her as being really into sports, but she makes achievements through a more strategic approach rather than power and hot-bloodedness.

- Serperior (If it wasn't clear from my sports comment, I've got the B2W2 animated trailer on my mind. Still, something about Serperior just seems to work with Rosa. I suppose for me, it's that it's a more defensive Pokémon that relies on status moves somewhat and has equal Attack and Special Attack stats to make its offense more versatile. As more of a strategist, I think Rosa would appreciate this variety of options. But to be fair, I could just as easily see her going with Samurott.)
- Lucario (I was extremely reluctant to put Lucario on anybody's team, but I have to admit that it does make sense here. Riolu is available very early on, and it's a very physically fit Pokémon. I also rather like the idea of Rosa having an aura affinity.)
- Umbreon (I think defensive Pokémon work out pretty well for my interpretation of Rosa, and Eevee is another fairly early-on Pokémon that's part of the new Pokédex, which I am trying to put more emphasis on for this section of the Unova story.)
- Braviary (Caught the one on Route 4. Defiant is too good to pass up, and it gives Rosa a flyer that looks very tough and hardened, giving us an inversion from Hilda and Swanna.)
- Floatzel (Feels appropriate. Gives the team a needed attacking outlet, as well as a yellow/orange tone, and it's part of the new Pokédex. Plus, it'd be great for swimming.)
- Accelgor (I don't really know why. I just did. (I probably wanted a less-predictable one like Rampardos was earlier, and I was scrolling through the list and this one immediately jumped out at me. So it's canon.))

---

Kalos: Calem

Reasoning: I admit, my decision has a lot less to do with wanting Calem to be the protagonist, and a lot more to do with the fact that I played through XY as Calem and really enjoyed Serena in the rival role. But I have chosen the female protagonists for four out of six entries thus far (and - spoiler alert - am probably going to pick Selene for Alola), and I'd like to have a good mix. But all this means that I don't really have a clear personality in mind for Calem, so we'll just have to see what takes shape as I go along. To start with, I suppose he's a friendly chap, but can occasionally be a little cocky. And I am going to take advantage of player customization on this one and specify that this Calem has the dark skin tone. As I said, I like a good mix of characters.

- Greninja (Apparently I have a subconscious aversion to Water-type Starters? Nah, it's just that throughout this process, I've always liked other Water types more. But in this case, I was confident right away that I'd pick Greninja. It's got an easy appeal, it's a great Pokémon, and the blue tones suit Calem. Also, look out for that Calem-Greninja!)
- Diggersby (I feel as though I have to give special credit to Diggersby, because as I was scrolling through the Pokédex, I saw it, and it somehow unfurled a tapestry of ideas for Calem's character. Keeping in mind that Diggersby is a digger, I got the sense that maybe Calem could be a gardener. From that, I extrapolated that he's probably a meticulous person, and by combining that with the aforementioned slight cockiness as well as the fact that on my most recent XY playthrough, I played as the girl and conceived of her as a very reserved and introverted bookworm, I thought that Calem might be more inclined to put himself out there. So in addition to gardening, another hobby of his is probably putting together and editing videos at the PR Studio. With those things in mind, he probably spends a lot of time going back and forth from the Berry Fields on Route 7 to South Boulevard - from there, it seems natural that he would also enjoy the nearby Battle Chateau (as someone who is clearly goal-oriented and likes recognition), and would take up Pokémon breeding (a direct extension of his gardening hobby). So thank you, Diggersby, for the inspiration.)
- Houndoom (There has to be a Mega Evolution, obviously. I was originally going to say that it should be Charizard, because how could he resist, but in thinking about it, I really love the idea of him having a more demonic-looking quadrupedal beast in contrast to Serena's Mega Evolution being the angelic Absol. Mega Houndoom is kind of overshadowed, too, so I'm happy to give it some exposure. And quite satisfyingly, Houndour is an X exclusive, which is mainly the game that I am presuming to be canonical here. (The Houndoominite isn't, but at that point, who cares?))
- Florges (I figured out that Calem is a gardener, so it would feel kind of stupid to not make the obvious choice here. I'm going to say that it is probably a White Flower Florges.)
- Aegislash (He obviously hangs around Route 6 and 7 a lot. On top of that, Aegislash adds a needed bit of bulk to the team, essentially acting as its overall shield. It's a bit versatile, and as someone who likes to edit PR videos, Calem knows how to apply the correct tools to a given situation.)
- Salamence (Gardening takes patience, and so does Salamence, but Calem probably quietly enjoys the bragging rights that come with raising one successfully, and thinks Salamence looks really cool. It can also tie into Sky Battles if you want. In general, I just like how unusually early and readily they made Bagon available in XY.)

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Alola: Selene

Reasoning: I'm not really sure, to be honest. I guess I just like Selene more than Elio. The opposite protagonist doesn't become the rival in these games, so that's not a factor like it was for Brendan and Calem. Personality-wise? Selene is extremely lax. I'm assuming a Moon canon here, so symbolically, we could interpret her along the lines of the phases of the moon - it fades in and out of visibility over the course of a month, and shines very brightly for a time in the middle of that. Likewise, Selene is brilliant when she's in the right moment... but most of the time, she prefers to relax or procrastinate instead. Which hey, fair enough - I'm guilty of the same!

- Decidueye (Much like the OP, I can't really picture Kukui using anything other than Incineroar. Besides, I think Rowlet pairs well with Selene on a visual level anyway.)
- Lycanroc Midnight Form (Like I said, I'm working with the Moon canon. I mostly managed to avoid choosing what I call "spotlight" Pokémon for my previous teams - that's like, your Lucarios and your Zoroarks (and yes I know I gave Rosa a Lucario, but it's more of a "spotlight" Pokémon for Gen 4), but here, I'm more okay with it, since Lycanroc fits the night theme very well, and bleeds personality, being the really energized member of the team. If I were to be cruel, I'd joke that it, too, showed a lot of potential but in practice can only really make a splash under specific circumstances!)
- Alolan Sandslash (A Moon exclusive. But it's quite pretty, and is another Pokémon whose usability is maximized only in certain temporary situations.)
- Salazzle (I guess potential and situationality are actually going to be the themes here. Salandit is another Pokémon whose full potential is conditionalized, as only female Salandit can evolve. And it's nice to have a Fire type.)
- Carbink (It's rocky and it reflects light. Species-wise, Carbink also contain the potential to mutate into Diancie, but it only happens very rarely.)
- Lunala (Nebby. Duh. It even fits the "potential" theme.)

And... that's all I got!

 

[JFrombaugh]

Personality wise, I've always imagined Selene/Moon to be kind of like Lillie in many ways, which is partly why the two of them get along so well in the actual storyline (I actually didn't know until watching some other playthroughs that choosing certain dialogue options will make Lillie get mad at you). Much more quiet and shy than Kukui or Hau, but at the same very nice, cares for her Pokémon, and more than capable of handling herself in battle against the villains. And I wanted her team to have a mix of cute and dark.

I agree that for USUM Dusk Lycanroc will probably replace one of her team members, unless it's confirmed to not be an anime-only phenomenon in story somehow (another NPC gets it).

 

[Pyrax]

I have a few ideas for every protagonist, so this might take a while.

Leaf: Same as Red, tbh. They're basically the same character

Johto:

Spoiler

Gold/Ethan:

Spoiler

• Typhlosion - I'm so used to seeing Ethan with Typhlosion that I can't really see him with anything else. Plus Typhlosion's Fire typing fits both of their colour schemes.
• Umbreon - Represents the day/night cycle and friendship evolutions being introduced in Gen II. Umbreon parallels Red's Espeon and represents the introduction of Dark-types.
• Togekiss - From the Togepi egg. Represents Gen II introducing breeding.
• Gyarados - From the Lake of Rage, of course.
• Dragonite - The Extremespeed Dratini from Dragons' Den.
• Scizor - The Bug Catching Contest and the introduction of Steel-type

Lyra:

Spoiler

• Feraligatr - Fits her colour scheme. Feraligatr's blue scales and red spikes translates well into her shirt and overalls.
• Azumarill - Referencing the Ethan/Lyra NPC's Marill.
• Umbreon - Same as Ethan
• Togekiss - Same as Ethan
• Dragonite - Same as Ethan
• Scizor - Same as Ethan

Kris:

Spoiler

• Meganium - Counters Suicune. This association is also thanks Crystal's own Meganium in PokéSpe.
• Suicune - She presumably caught Suicune in Bell Tower.
• Tryranitar - Mt.Silver. Represents Dark-types. Johto's Pseudo to contrast with Dragonite.
• Togekiss - Same as Ethan and Lyra. Represents breeding and friendship evolution.
• Scizor - Same as Ethan and Lyra. Represents the Bug Catching Contest and Steel-types.
• Dragonite - Same as Ethan and Lyra. Contrasts with Tyranitar.

Hoenn:

Spoiler

May:

Spoiler

• Blaziken - I honestly can't see her with anything else, not to mention it fits her colour scheme.
• Linoone - Normal-type, just like Norman.
• Wobbuffet - The Wynaut Egg in Lavaridge Town.
• Kecleon - Silph Scope.
• Milotic - Represents contests. Also for surfing.
• Latias - Southern Island.

Brendan:

Spoiler

• Sceptile/Swampert - Either one fits him, tbh. Sceptile because of Generations, and Swampert because of Ruby version (Groudon).
• Linoone - Same as May.
• Wobbuffet - Same as May.
• Kecleon - Same as May.
• Wailord - Surfing. Part of the Sealed Chamber sidequest.
• Latios - Southern Island.

Sinnoh:

Spoiler

Lucas:

Spoiler

• Torterra - I agree about Lucas being calm and down-to-earth. Torterra's arguably the calmest Sinnoh starter; Infernape is rambunctious, while Empoleon is too proud of itself. They were practically designed with each other in mind imo.
• Staraptor - References the beginning of DPPt.
• Luxray - Thought it would fit Lucas' name.
• Blissey - Gift Pokémon.
• Lucario - From Riley.
• Gyarados - DP opened with the report on the red Gyarados, so I figured this would be a nice reference.

Dawn:

Spoiler

• Empoleon - Like May, I really can't see Dawn with anything other than Empoleon.
• Lopunny - Association more than anything. Dawn in the anime and Platinum both own Lopunny.
  
• Staraptor - Same as Lucas.
• Blissey - Same as Lucas. Might also reference HGSS.
• Lucario - Same as Lucas. GameFreak would inevitably give both of them a Lucario considering its popularity.
• Spiritomb - References the Sinnoh Underground.

Unova:

Spoiler

Hilda:

Spoiler

• Emboar - Association, considering most of her appearances pair her with Tepig. I picture her as having a rough, tomboyish personality that fits Emboar best.
• Simisage - Dreamyard. Goes with Emboar.
• Musharna - References the Dream World.
• Zoroark - The Zorua event from Castelia CIty. Parallels N's own Zoroark.
• Volcarona - The Larvesta egg in Route 18.
• Zekrom - Hilda is associated with White version.

Hilbert:

Spoiler

• Emboar - I'll be honest here, I associate both Hilbert and Hilda with Emboar. For Hilbert, it can act as a foil towards his calmer personality.
• Simisage - Same as Hilda.
• Musharna - Same as Hilda.
• Zoroark - Same as Hilda.
• Volcarona - Same as Hilda.
• Reshiram - Black Version.

Rosa:

Spoiler

• Serperior - You can thank the animated trailer for this. I see Rosa's cheerful and bubbly as a foil towards Serperior's calmer, proud self. Contrasts with Hilda's Emboar.
• Reshiram - Parallels Hilda's Zekrom.
• Zoroark - N's Zorua.
• Sawsbuck - The Serene Grace Deerling from Route 6.
• Cincinno - Hidden Grotto.
• Starmie - For Surf. Starmie's a fast Pokémon, which I'd imagine she likes to use. It's also part of the new Unova dex.

Nate:

Spoiler

• Samurott - Animated trailer. Also fits Nate's colour scheme and contrasts with Hilbert's Emboar.
• Zekrom - Parallels Hilbert's Reshiram.
• Zoroark - Same as Rosa.
• Sawsbuck - Same as Rosa.
• Cincinno - Same as Rosa
• Arcanine - Another addition from the animated trailer, and a mon from the new Unova dex.

Kalos:

Spoiler

Calem:

Spoiler

• Greninja - Fits Calem's colour scheme. Calem strikes me as fairly laid-back, which I feel would also describe Greninja.
• Charizard - A foil to Greninja. Calem's primary Mega - it'll likely be X due to its popularity.
• Xerneas - Calem is associated with X version.
• Snorlax - The Snorlax blocking the path.
• Lucario - From Korrina.
• Florges - Fairy-type. Also the first Fairy encountered by the player.

Serena:

Spoiler

• Delphox - I associate Serena with the Fennekin line due to the anime.
• Venusaur - A foil to Delphox. Serena's primary Mega.
• Yveltal - Serena is associated with Y version.
• Snorlax - Same as Calem
• Lucario - Same as Calem
• Sylveon - Fairy-type. Like with Delphox, Sylveon's inclusion can be attributed to the anime.

Alola:

Spoiler

Selene:

Spoiler

• Decidueye - I associate her with Rowlet more than the other two starters. It's the starter she's often paired with as well.
• Lunala - Moon version's Nebby of course.
• Umbreon - Eevee egg from Paniola Ranch. Evolves from Eevee via friendship at night, so it fits Selen's moon theme.
• Midnight Lycanroc - Rockruff's evolution in Moon, and thus fits that night aesthetic she has going on.
• Alolan Sandslash - Alolan form and exclusive to Moon.
• Silvally - Given by Gladion as Type:Null.

Elio:

Spoiler

• Primarina - Elio's design has a lot of blue, so I feel the Popplio line fits him the most due to the similar colour schemes.
• Solgaleo - Sun version's Nebby.
• Espeon - Evolves from Eevee via friendship during the day, so it fits Elio's sun theme.
• Midday Lycanroc - Rockruff's evolution in Sun.
• Alolan Ninetales - Alolan form and exclusive to Sun.
• Silvally - Same as Selene.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Gold/Ethan

Typhlosion - I remember him being depicted with Cyndaquil in official art before and I just can't accept Silver taking Chikorita.

Togetic - Egg from Professor Elm

Sudowoodo - If Red canonically caught Snorlax, it's probably a safe assumption that Gold caught Sudowoodo too.

Espeon - He got an Eevee from Bill in Ecruteak, I just feel like Espeon fits him better and further separate s him from SIlver since it evolves via happiness (and you won't be able to get evolution Stones in this game for a long, long time)

Hitmontop - He got Tyrogue in Mt. Mortar

Red Gyarados - Required story encounter and Gold wouldn't pass on such an opportunity.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

With Rainbow Rocket being a thing now, I really hope we'll get to see all the previous protagonist and their so called canon teams in USUM.

 

[Guzma]

Hilbert
Oshawott/Dewott/Samurott - I just associate the line's primarily blue color scheme with Hilbert. I also see Hilbert as being sort of an awkward adorkable guy that grows into a badass, so a starter that starts off dorky-looking and becomes awesome fits him.
Darumaka/Darmanitan - I see this as one of the comic relief 'mons of his team, being a happy-go-lucky goofball that eats a lot.
Drilbur/Excadrill - The other badass of his team, for obvious reasons.
Rufflet/Braviary - It's another Pokemon that, like Samurott, fits his team. Also a PokeSpe referece
Joltik/Galvantula - This one also seems to fit him for some reason due to its design making me think of it as "timid."
Axew/Fraxure/Haxorus - I just see this Pokemon as a natural fit for him, honestly.

 

[Alola]

I won't get into as many details as everyone else, at least not now, but I wanted to say that always pictured Serena with Fennekin. Even before the pairing was introduced in the anime. Fennekin just seems to fit her so well, aesthetically and personality wise. Serena being Serena, would have taught it moves to cover its weaknesses-such as Shock Wave when it becomes a Braixen (for her rival's Frogadier) and Dazzling Gleam after evolving into a Delphox (to deal with her rival's Greninja and such).

 

[RK9]

So this is something I've always been wondering about and been looking up people's opinion of over the internet, but I'd figured I'd see what people here think of it.

We've seen Red's canon team in the games because he actually physically appears in the game. Meanwhile, the other protagonists really don't have any canon team. Which makes sense, considering you are the protagonist and you can't port over the game data, but we don't even get hints of what could be on their team (Well, unless you play Black or White where the protagonist gets the other Legendary).

So, my question to y'all is, what would you reckon the (canon) teams would be for the protagonists after RBY? I, myself, tend to just make a mix of teams from the Pokémon Adventures manga, events, trades or gift Pokémon from their respective games or game-exclusive pokémon.

I'd love to see all of your guys reasoning behind .

 

[Poke Dragon]

I personally believe that the Black 2 and White 2 canon protagonist teams consist of their starter Pokemon, a Lucario-like Pokemon whether it's Lucario himself or Zoroark, a fused Kyurem form that depends on which Unova they live in and an overall a more mixed team than the Black and White protagonists due to the available Pokemon in the sequels.

 

[Silktree]

I like to think that Gold/Ethan has a Typhlosion, Togekiss, Umbreon, Red Gyarados, Scizor and Smeargle. The latter two are taken from a Sugimori artwork, although I suppose you could replace Smeargle with Sudowoodo.

For Kris I'm a lot more imaginative, but suffice to say that her team includes Meganium, Misdreavus/Mismagius, Espeon and Suicune.

 

[RK9]

I personally believe that the Black 2 and White 2 canon protagonist teams consist of their starter Pokemon, a Lucario-like Pokemon whether it's Lucario himself or Zoroark, a fused Kyurem form that depends on which Unova they live in and an overall a more mixed team than the Black and White protagonists due to the available Pokemon in the sequels.

I can get behind that, somewhat. I could always see Rosa with an Ampharos, due to there being a small 'event' with the Herdier where you can find Mareep, with a Riolu for the male protagonist.

I like to think that Gold/Ethan has a Typhlosion, Togekiss, Umbreon, Red Gyarados, Scizor and Smeargle. The latter two are taken from a Sugimori artwork, although I suppose you could replace Smeargle with Sudowoodo.

For Kris I'm a lot more imaginative, but suffice to say that her team includes Meganium, Misdreavus/Mismagius, Espeon and Suicune.

I like how everyone has Typhlosion for Gold. Can get behind the rest of the team, even though I think Gold would have an Ambipom as well.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Actually, a thread like this already exists here.

 

[RK9]

Actually, a thread like this already exists here.

Well, I figured necro'ing a thread that's a year old wouldn't have been the best way to go about it.

Woops.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Victor
Orbeetle
Dracozolt
Sirfetch'd
Toxitricity
Zacian
G-Cinderace

Hop
Rillaboom
Dubwool
Snorlax
Pincurchin
Zamazenta
G-Corviknight

Leon
Inteleon
Aegislash
Haxorus
Mr Rime
Dragapult
G-Charizard

Gloria
Boltund
Arctovish
Rapidash
Toxitricity
Zacian
G-Inteleon

Well I'm sure about Leon and Hop's teams. I'm not sure how to deal with Victor and Gloria. Technically, Gloria shouldn't exist if Victor does but I can't imagine her with the same team as Victor. The only thing I'm sure about is that Victor will have Cinderace and Zacian and Gloria, Inteleon.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

My team for Victor:

G-Inteleon
Corviknight
Boltund
Centiskorch
Sirfetch'd
Sandaconda

 

[MurotanGekkiLuv]

Gloria:

1. G-Cinderace
2. G-Orbeetle
3. G-Butterfree
4. G-Lapras
5. G-Eevee
6. G-Hatterene

Victor:

1. G-Inteleon
2. G-Corviknight
3. G-Machamp
4. G-Meowth
5. G-Pikachu
6. G-Toxtricity

Selene:

1. Primarina
2. Midday Form Lycanroc
3. Goodra
4. Pheromosa
5. Tsareena
6. Magearna

Elio:

1. Incineroar
2. Midnight Form Lycanroc
3. Lucario
4. Naganadel
5. Turtonator
6. Zeraora

Serena:

1. Delphox
2. Pangoro
3. Sylveon
4. Diancie
5. Dedenne
6. Ampharos

Calem:

1. Greninja
2. Luxray
3. Diggersby
4. Garchomp
5. Lucario
6. Absol

Rosa:

1. Serperior
2. Liepard
3. Azumarill
4. Lucario
5. Simisage
6. Reshiram

Nate:

1. Emboar
2. Darmanitan
3. Braviary
4. Volcarona
5. Simisear
6. Zekrom

Hilda:

1. Samurott
2. Patrat
3. Conkeldurr
4. Haxorus
5. Vanilluxe
6. Zekrom

Hilbert:

1. Serperior
2. Liepard
3. Mienshao
4. Hydreigon
5. Chandelure
6. Reshiram

Dawn:

1. Empoleon
2. Luxray
3. Beautifly
4. Garchomp
5. Milotic
6. Shaymin

Lucas:

1. Infernape
2. Kricketune
3. Dustox
4. Pachirisu
5. Gyarados
6. Porygon-Z