The Pokemon universe is expansive, and fans continue to dig up niche details about the games years after launch. Each game contains meticulous worldbuilding to ensure the lore of the game makes sense, leading to gorgeous worlds and new Pokemon to encounter.
Though, new party members aren’t the only thing players are discovering in the Pokemon games! Throughout the years, dedicated Pokemon fans pour over the game’s contents, searching for references and fun easter eggs. Pokemon XY recently went viral for one such discovery. Upon comparing the likenesses of a group of Pokemon XY Trainer NPCs, players realized they look surprisingly alike!
Pokemon XY Trainer Character Design
Tweeted by @Touyarokii, an image comparing the School kid trainers and the Scientist trainers show just how alike they are. The image also compares the Ranger trainers to the Veteran trainers, showing a striking resemblance between the pairs. Just looking at the trainers side-by-side shows a unique detail: the Scientist and Veteran trainers are the grown-up versions of the Schookid and Ranger trainers.
This character easter egg is awesome, but these designs are also incredibly useful for creating a strong sense of cohesion. Similar-looking characters (even at different ages) help connect the game’s different citizens, making the game feel more rooted in reality.
In a way, these designs also help to represent progression. The older trainers are “grown up” versions in the sense that their Pokemon are often higher level; so, their older designs reflect a very literal growth in strength. It’s a useful and clever way to develop NPCs – crafting older personalities in tandem with gameplay mechanics.
Given that the characters all exist within the Pokemon XY world at the same time, a few players speculate that the older trainers may be the parents of the younger trainers. As these veterans and scientists have gone on to have Pokemon-centered careers, they’ve passed their love for battling onto their children as well. Their extreme likenesses would certainly support this, but of course, there’s no official information about NPC relationships for these specific trainer types.
The Pokemon XY Trainer NPCs may or may not be family, but their designs do give a little insight into how NPCs are created!
