More NPCs in Pokémon Go?

Those who play Pokémon Go will no doubt be familiar with the characters that pop up from time to time to accompany their adventures - specifically Professor Willow and the three team leaders, Blanche, Spark, and Candela. These four characters may be considered as "non-player characters" (NPCs), and the original ones at that. With the development of the game, it becomes natural to consider the possibility that more NPCs can be conceived for different situations and aspects in the game, and that's worthy of some insightful exploration.

Admittedly, since the beginnings with the above NPCs, there have been a few more of them: Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo as the Team Go Rocket leaders; Giovanni as well as Jessie and James as their representative crossovers; and Rhi in situations involving Ultra Beasts. There had also been "guest" NPC Trainers in the past, though they are slightly out of the scope of this discussion. The point is that different situations had demanded different NPCs, and they have, in fact, risen to the occasion of those situations.

Should new NPCs appear, therefore, it would be to guide Trainers through some novel feature or aspect, or to facilitate a certain kind of that. They would have to have a background and do things that normal Trainers do as well, as to fit in with the overall premise of things for day-to-day Trainers living out life with and around Pokémon, and of course other Trainers. A battle would be an expected outcome, but not every Trainer in Pokémon Go engages on this; so a novel feature - like a hypothetical "item swap" - would be expected.

In fact, those who have been exploring Routes recently might notice a new NPC pop up at the end of them. He's called Mateo, and his repute is as a world explorer; when he pops up, Trainers can then engage in a "Gift swap" with that of another Trainer from somewhere around the world for whom one is likely not friends with. This is the kind of novel backstory and aspect that are expected of NPCs, and even earlier introduced ones would have this, if one were to look around hard enough.

NPCs, therefore, (have to) add to the allure and dynamics of Pokémon Go, whether or not players - that is, Trainers - realize this. If these can be realized, then the possibilities of new NPCs appearing, as with the case of Mateo above, is very much out in the open just like the Pokémon waiting to be captured. While Pokémon Go as an adventure has a lot to do with the eponymous species, it also has a lot to do with the people who make it so, and existing and possible NPCs can only add to that adventure along with all the Pokémon on the way.

One year ago: Quickies: Snorlax on the Road

Two years ago: My Current Pokémon Unite Role Preferences

Three years ago: Popular Poké-Shipping

Four years ago: Pieces of a Pokémon Life

Five years ago: Cosplay: IJF - Cosplayer Rising Star

Six years ago: (Un)finished Business