Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Iono Teaser Shows What Gym Leaders Are Missing in the Games

gamerant.com:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are right around the corner, yet they might be the entries with the least revealed about them so close to release. Thankfully, the slow trickle of information has ramped up a little recently, including an extended gameplay trailer with new features like the TM Machine, Girafarig evolution Farigiraf, and more on the new terastal phenomenon. Now, the latest material comes in the form of an in-universe video from Pokemon Scarlet andViolet Gym Leader Iono.

The video has Iono asking viewers to guess her Electric-type partner Pokemon as part of a segment on her own show. She describes herself as a streamer and influencer alongside her role as a Levincia City's Gym Leader in the Paldea Region, so it's a thematically on-point way of revealing the new character. Reactions to the trailer haven't been great due to how little it actually revealed about both Iono and the rest of the game, but it did show fans something that the Pokemon franchise could seriously benefit from in its portrayal of Gym Leaders.

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Iono's reveal is a great display of a Gym Leader's personality, yet also a reminder of how this is sorely lacking in-game. The immediately obvious part is the fact she is fully voiced, with all the enthusiasm to be expected from a world-famous streamer, but it goes beyond that. Her animation works well with her character design, using her baggy sleeves and Magnemite hair clips to convey emphasis and excitement. While holding back information didn't go down well with fans, even asking viewers to return for part two could be a funny jab at how creators on platforms like TikTok generate engagement.

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