Pokemon fans think gym leader Iono could be Scarlet and Violet wallflower Penny in disguise

gamesradar.com:

A Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fan theory suggests that your soft-spoken companion Penny could be the voice beyond the game's larger-than-life electric-type gym leader.

Earlier this week, Nintendo revealed Iono, a Paldean gym leader who moonlights as a live streamer. Their energetic stream, as well as their impressive get-up - complete with what appear to be fangs, and some unlikely hairpieces - have led some players to assume that they might be a Vtuber.

If you're not familiar with that term, a Vtuber is an animated layover that some streamers use. The designs - often in an anime style - can lend unlikely features, like fangs or horns, to an avatar, or simply be used to hide a streamer's face while maintaining the personality of a face-to-face stream. Iono's ever-so-slightly monstrous appearance could certainly match up to that idea, but that then begs the question - who's behind the mask?

The spotlight has turned to an unlikely option. First introduced in a trailer released over the summer, Penny is a shy, quiet classmate the player will meet early in the game. She seems like the last person to be attracting a crowd in the way Iono strives to, but players have latched onto a few aspects of her design.

What if Penny is also Iono? She does have Plusle and Minun symbols on her. And Eevee evolves into Jolteon. What if she is a normal-type girl performing as an electric-type Vtrainer?#PokemonScarletViolet #Pokemon #Penny #Iono pic.twitter.com/aA29MTkAhKOctober 13, 2022

As the tweet above mentions, Penny's leggings seem to evoke Plusle and Minun, Gen 3's electric-type Pikachu clones that have a red and blue colour scheme matched by Penny's hair. Nintendo also notes that Penny doesn't go anywhere without her Eevee backpack;