Each new Pokemon generation introduces non-playable characters who fit mechanical roles: Gym Leaders, Champions, villains, and more. Yet each one also has a personality beyond that job, often corresponding with some real or imagined occupation fitting their battle specialties. Players will meet a variety of chefs or musicians across different games, for example, but the addition of Psychic-type Gym Leader Tulip in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet solidifies fashion models as one of Game Freak's most popular NPC archetypes.
One could go back to the original Kanto region and pick out archetypes that have appeared multiple times, from ninjas like Koga and Unova's Brycen to crazy old scientists like Blaine and Hoenn's Wattson; not to mention broad categories like Fighting-type martial artists. Modern entries have evolves with the times to include careers like social media influencers in Galar's Raihan and Paldea's Iono. Models and adjacent jobs have also become more prominent, which could anchor a spin-off series based on the profession - perhaps pulling from some of mainline Pokemon's recurring side activities.
Models, Movie Stars, and More in Pokemon
Pokemon games have long been known for their appealing character designs, but beyond generic Trainer classes like "Beauty" there were few important people known for their fashion sense until Black and White's Elesa. Her original Gym is themed around roller coasters as part of the Nimbasa City entertainment sector, but after a time skip for Black 2 and White 2 she changes her look and leads players down a literal runway. Pokemon X and Y followed up with Valerie, the first Fairy-type Gym Leader who is also known for being a fashion designer. Then fans got the one-two punch of Nessa in Sword and Shield, followed by Tulip in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
The latter two in particular are shown to have a big impact on the culture in their regions, with players able to find billboards featuring Nessa and Tulip in Wyndon and Levincia, respectively. It's not unreasonable to assume these figures have crossed paths given how often Game Freak confirms the interconnected nature of the Pokemon world, for example letting characters such as Jasmine and Volkner appear in the same place due to a shared interest in maintaining lighthouses.
A game that brings these model characters together could feature numerous adjacent professions, too. The Hoenn and Sinnoh regions host Contests with prominent names like Lisia, Fantina, and even the player character Dawn or Lucas' mother Johanna. Undersung idols like Yancy from Black 2 and White 2 could play a role, with those games also expanding the selection of movie stars and celebrities to include Sabrina and Brycen. Kalos' Champion Diantha is similarly a world-famous actress, and her Elite Four member Malva is a major television personality when not serving as a part of the villainous Team Flare. That's not to mention the generic trainers classified as models, actors, and stars of all sorts.
A Model-Driven Pokemon Game Could Have Multiple Goals
Though this assortment of model characters could all come together for a typical battling-focused adventure, perhaps determining who is the strongest among the already beautiful or talented bunch, there's room for more creative options. The Pokemon Company's net includes diverse spin-offs that range from puzzle games to on-rails photography sims, trading card games, pinball, dungeon crawlers, toy-based brawlers, and more. Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio Group even put out the series first multiplayer online battle arena Pokemon Unite on Switch.
With this in mind, it might make sense for the series to tackle a brand-new genre like dress-up games - something clearly designed for a younger audience akin to the glut of Nintendo DS shovelware titles such as Imagine Fashion Designer. Alternatively, some developer could pull inspiration from something like Yakuza 0 by introducing a management sim (it's clearly popular given Like a Dragon Gaiden will bring back the series' Cabaret club mini-game).
If some corporate mandate says this prospective spin-off needs to focus on the Pokemon themselves rather than their trainers, one could also imagine a title designed solely to flesh out Contests. Multiple games have included Pokemon Contests or alternative non-battling activities like the musicals in Black and White, each of which are rife with narratives around becoming the best in any given field. With influencers and models becoming ever-more common in the series, it seems like as good a time as ever to experiment with their professions.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.