The Pokémon Ranger Union
Devoted to keeping the peace, protecting nature, and serving the people, the Pokémon Ranger Union employs people from across the globe. As a form of law enforcement, a Pokémon Ranger is equipped with a Capture Styler designed to calm down and recruit wild Pokémon, and has the authority to pursue and capture criminals who would endanger Pokémon or people.
Lunick and Solana
The player is offered a choice of gender, with males playing as Lunick and females playing as Solana. Whichever the player chooses is a new Ranger being employed in the land of Fiore. The one you don't choose instead serves as a friend and partner.
- Character Tics:
- Solana's capture stylus typically has the antenna extended, but Lunick keeps his retracted.
- Solana's character art depicts her smiling open-mouthed and making broader, more energetic gestures (usually with both hands), while Lunick is depicted with his mouth closed and his arms held in close to his body (usually only one).
- Composite Character: Solana appears in Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire wearing her original uniform, but reappears in the Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl wearing Kate's
◊ - Curtains Match the Window: Lunick's blue eyes match his hair.
- Damsel in Distress: During the Groudon mission, the Player Character must rescue Solana (or Lunick) from being trapped in the Summerland volcano.
- Hair-Contrast Duo: Lunick's Shonen Hair is dark blue and spreads into wings on either side of his head; he also has thick bangs that fall over his bandanna. Solana's Shonen Hair is light blue, the bangs clear her bandanna to fan out at the side, and she has an upward ponytail that fans out at the tip.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: You get to name your protagonist character whatever you want. Your partner uses the default name.
- The Hero: The chosen Player Character of the first game starts a rookie but quickly climbs the ranks and ends up saving the whole Fiore region at the end.
- Heroic Mime: As per Pokémon tradition, the protagonist never has any voiced lines.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: This appears to be Implied by giving Solana a Plusle and red eyes and giving Lunick blue eyes and a Minun.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Solana's Character Tics as depicted in the character art are typically more energetic than Lucas's.
- Ship Tease: The Groudon mission in the post-game features a helping of it between the chosen Player Character option and the unchosen—the Player Character must rescue Lunick or Solana from being trapped, a stray Go-Rock Squad grunt accuses the two of you of being on a date, and Cameron teases the both of you for possibly having feelings for the other.
- Shock and Awe: The Player Character's partner, Plusle or Minun, can discharge electricity that will stun some pokémon and buy the player time to ring them.
- Shonen Hair: Solana has it more than Lunick does, astonishingly.
- Signature Mon: Solana is associated with the positive Plusle, while Lunick is attached to the negative Minun.
- Static Role, Exchangeable Character: Whichever Player Character option you don't pick will be stationed at the Ranger Base and will show you the ropes. Their dialog and character are all but identical.
- Theme Naming: Solana and Lunick have Solar and Lunar names in every language and translation... except for Spain, where Lunick's named Helio and Solana becomes Selena, which is the reverse.
Prof. Hastings
The head researcher of the Ranger Union, he is known for being impatient. He invented the Stylers that the Rangers use. He has appeared in all three games so far, a title held by only a few others.
- Art Evolution: Loses his hat and unbuttons his lab coat after the first game.
- Cool Old Guy: He's a bit of a coot at times, but he's one of the founders of the Union and a pretty cool guy to be around.
- The Illegible: He could decipher an old, tattered diary that had been abandoned for years, but he can't decipher his own diary.
- Meaningful Name: He's very impatient and prefers to jog rather than walk.
- Mission Control: As one of the heads of the Ranger Union, he'll often assign missions to the player or contact them over voicemail.
- Rouge Angles of Satin: When he doesn't get much sleep, he tends to write his own name as "Hatsting" or even "Hatagnits".
Murph
A somewhat slow guy, he was originally a Ranger in Fiore with a Slowpoke as his partner Pokémon. Eventually, he became the PR head of the Ranger Union. In Guardian Signs, he is deployed to Oblivia on The Union to assist the player.
- Ascended Extra: Over the course of the series, he went from a minor character to a fairly important one and finally to a main character.
- Beware the Nice Ones: He doesn't get angry very often, but when he does...
- The Ditz: How he became a Ranger is a mystery, but he gets stuck with "missions" such as changing lightbulbs, building a sandcastle, and "How far can you walk in 100 steps?"
- Dreadful Musician: He has a horrid song made in his image that he'll sing for you if you complete his Quest in Shadows of Almia.
- The Heart: Fits this role in Guardian Signs, being the glue that holds the team together.
- Took a Level in Badass: Well, not exactly "badass", but by the second game he's stopped being a ranger, which he was terrible at, and instead is the head of the Ranger Union's public relations, a job he's much more skilled at.
Aria
A fellow ranger in Ringtown. She's abrasive and smug to those around her, but she has a kinder side she doesn't like to show.
- Break the Haughty: Being handed a humiliating defeat by Clyde is what kickstarts her Character Development.
- Custom Uniform: Her outfit is very different from the Ranger norm.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Over time she warms up to the protagonist, even crying when it seems like they were killed by Kyogre.
- Small Name, Big Ego: She thinks very highly of her own skill compared to a rookie like yourself.
Chris
A Ranger working under Elita. He's a pretty quiet guy, earning him the nickname "Silent Chris".
- Emotionally Tongue-Tied: He can actually speak just fine when you encounter him in the Go-Rock Squad's base; he just has trouble speaking around Elita.
- Motor Mouth: His gushing over Rayquaza.
- Not So Stoic: Upon seeing the legendary Rayquaza, he promptly bursts into an awe-filled, long-winded speech about its magnificence and beauty. Afterwards, he asks you not to tell anyone about it.
- The Quiet One: He's known as "Silent Chris".
Spenser
The leader of the Ringtown Rangers. His partner Pokémon is a Fearow.
- Big Brother Mentor: He's the one who teaches you how to be a Ranger, and he takes an active role in fighting the Go-Rock Squad.
- The Rival: A friendly rivalry with Joel.
- The Smart Guy: He knows all there is to know about Deoxys, and it's implied he knows about computers and stuff.
Joel
The leader of the Fall City Rangers. His partner Pokémon is a Dodrio.
- The Lancer: If you consider the local leaders a team, he's this to Spenser.
- Stoic Spectacles: Joel's a bit more subdued and intellectual than Spenser.
Cameron
The leader of the Summerland Rangers. His partner Pokémon is a Pelipper.
- Big Fun: Awkward gift sense aside, he's at least fun to be around.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: He really is quite lazy, but he holds the record at the Marine Capture Challenge.
Elita
The leader of the Wintown Rangers. Her partner Pokémon is a Skarmory.
- Dramatic Wind: There always seems to be a crossbreeze in just the right position to make her hair and uniform billow elegantly/badassly.
- Ice Queen: Somewhat distant toward you, and exudes a steely aura.
- The Smurfette Principle: The only female of the four Ranger Leaders in Fiore.
- The Stoic: She's more sociable than Chris, but that's not saying much.
The Go-Rock Squad
A gang of scoundrels with a bad fashion sense and an odd obsession with music. Their objective is known only to the top brass, but they have been controlling wild Pokémon in the Fiore region and causing mischief, and as such must be taken down by the Ranger Union.
Gordor
The leader of the Go-Rock Squad and one of Professor Hastings' former colleagues. By stealing and improving upon Professor Hastings' Super Styler design, he intends to control legendary Pokémon and unleash them on Fiore, so that he may then present himself and the Go-Rock Squad as heroes by stopping them. He bears a strong grudge against the Ranger Union and wants to drive them out of the region and replace them.
- Always Someone Better: His "Freudian Excuse," if you can consider it that. He's always envied Professor Hastings.
- Big Bad: He's the head of the Go-Rock Squad and the game's primary antagonist.
- Evil Laugh: Does this constantly, even when he's pretending to be good.
- Heel–Face Turn: He shows up in the final Ranger Net mission to stop The Remnant of his Go-Rock Squad from stealing the Manaphy egg, reprimand them, tell them to cut out the Pokémon-abusing world-conquering crap, and then inform the player that he's taken their last words to him to heart.
- Jerkass: From the moment you meet him, even before he's learned to be the Big Bad, he does nothing but insult you and everyone and everything else.
- Obviously Evil: It's pretty obvious from the moment you see him he's the bad guy, and they don't really try to hide it either.
- Ominous Pipe Organ: Not only does it feature in his leitmotif, the Power Styler he developed is actually shaped (and used) like one!
- Save the Villain: After the Power Styler is destroyed, Entei immediately turns on him. Being an upstanding fellow, you of course must save him.
Go-Rock Quads
From youngest to eldest, Tiffany, Clyde, Garrett, and Billy. The sons and daughter of Gordor, they act as his main enforcers. Apparently, being related to the boss is the only way one can get a promotion in the Go-Rock Squad... After the collapse of the Go-Rock Squad, they decide to go straight and become a famous band.
- Berserk Button: Clyde has a bit of a temper. In Shadows of Almia, Billy says that Clyde stormed out of the park in anger because he thought the lyrics to "Dream Energy," which was written by Blake Hall, sucked. Also, his line in the original motto is "the rhythm of rage pounds the ground!"
- Big Brother Instinct: Billy and Clyde take great offense to you besting their younger sibling(s).
- Bishōnen: Garrett and Billy. To a lesser extent, Clyde; just look at those hips!
- Demoted to Extra: In Guardian Signs. They're major villains in the original and still a big part of the plot in Shadows of Almia, but here they are solely around for a Quest, albeit the final one.
- The Dragon: Billy, as the oldest, fits this role. He even gets a unique battle theme.
- Faux Affably Evil: Garrett speaks in a polite manner, but makes sure every word of his is as biting as possible.
- Friendly Enemy: They all act very Affably Evil towards the Rangers in most encounters, even if being competitive and insulting. As opposed to their father, who's a total Jerkass.
- Heel–Face Turn: Appear again in the next two games as an ordinary, not-doing-evil-things band. And they don't like Blake Hall one bit in the second, perhaps because they realize that he's up to essentially the same stuff that Gordor was doing before him. Their responses to Altru Inc.'s efforts to dictate the structure of their upcoming concert are... less than cordial.
- Musical Assassin: They had their Power Stylers built directly into their musical instruments, allowing them to summon and control Pokémon by playing them.
- Only in It for the Money: Clyde doesn't really care much about his father's evil plan. He just wants to make some money off of it.
- Overlord Jr.: Billy, Garrett, and Clyde.
- Quirky Miniboss Squad: Continuing a tradition from the main series of each villainous team having a few top enforcers.
- Sibling Team: All four of them are the children of Gordor.
- Signature Mon: Each member has a different Pokémon they send in their fights against the player: Tiffany has Camperupt, Clyde has Slaking, Garrett has Scizor, and Billy has Tyranitar.
- The Slacker: Clyde's generally pretty lazy for a commander, only putting in a token effort to fight you and expressing indifference to the outcome. Fittingly, his favored Pokémon is Slaking.
- Techno Wizard: Garrett, according to the manga, was the one who altered Hastings' Super Styler. In-game, he runs the Dusk Factory.
The Pokémon Ranger Union
Kellyn and Kate
Like the game before it, Shadows of Almia also offers the player a choice of male or female. Unlike the last game, the gender not chosen does not become a separate character, and simply doesn't appear. Kellyn is the male, while Kate is the female.
- Badass Adorable: They seem to be younger than the Rangers of the first and third game, considering that they come fresh from the academy once they go to work, though the manga lists their ages as being the same as Lunick and Solana's (16). Then they use the Vatonage Styler and manage to defeat Darkrai!
- Cutting Off the Branches: Guardian Signs references Kellyn by name, suggesting that he's the canon hero of Shadows of Almia.
- 11th-Hour Superpower: Right as the Player Character is about to enter The Very Definitely Final Dungeon, they get a final upgrade for their styler, turning it into the Vatonage Styler and enabling them to befriend Pokemon that are under the influence of a Gigaremo unit or, as it turns out, the influence of The Incredible Machine.
- Ensign Newbie: Badass enough to be promoted to Top Ranger shortly after after graduating.
- Heroic Mime: Once again, they don't speak.
- Idiot Hair: Kellyn has a bit of hair sticking out a la Astro Boy.
- Schrödinger's Player Character: Unlike the other two games, the opposite-gendered character never shows up. Keith instead fills the role as a rival Ranger.
Keith
A fellow Ranger-in-training who serves as a rival of sorts early in the game, before becoming a Top Ranger alongside you.
- Expy: His personality and role is very similar to your opposite gender partner from the previous game.
- Idiot Hero: He has a tendency to run in head-first and get himself into trouble, requiring you to bail him out. He has his moments, however.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Comes off as this at the beginning of the game in their time as Rangers. He then takes a 10-Minute Retirement in Fiore, then comes back as a Top Ranger with the hero, and he becomes more supportive. He gets even nicer when the hero saves him from captivity, and saves the hero when he/she gets sucked into a void of darkness in the finale. He accompanies you on the extra mission to Darkrai and gives some help.
- Made of Iron: This guy should get some credit for being slammed by a Magmortar, crashing into that really far cliff, then flying back on a Staraptor at probably high speed, and diving to save the hero from dying.
- Prisoner Exchange: He is the prisoner. He tells you not to make the trade, but you're railroaded into making it.
- The Rival: At first, but soon he becomes your closest ally. Like the hero, he's promoted to Top Ranger shortly after after graduating.
Rhythmi
A young woman attending the Ranger School in hopes of becoming an Operator. She, along with Keith, serve as your friends.
- Accidental Misnaming: Her name is Rhythmi, not Misery.
- Demoted to Extra: After graduating from the Ranger School, you don't see her very often due to her being an Operator rather than a field agent. She does communicate with you quite often, however.
Crawford
One of the Rangers assigned to Vientown along with the player. He's lighthearted and provides a degree of levity.
- Cannot Tell a Joke: As much as he tries, he's not a good comedian. But he still manages to get his own column in Almia Times for his jokes.
Luana
Another Ranger assigned to Vientown. She accompanies the player on a few missions.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Despite being a skilled Ranger, she turns down offers to lecture at the Ranger Academy due to believing herself too inexperienced.
- The Generic Guy: There isn't too much going on with her.
- The Nicknamer: She's the one who christens Ollie.
Elaine
A mechanic working in the Vientown Ranger Base. She's fond of taking machines apart.
- Gadgeteer Genius: She's the one who starts dissecting the Gigaremo units to figure out how they work.
- Happily Married: To Ollie as of the downloadable Shaymin mission.
- Wrench Wench: Ollie finds her quite attractive.
Barlow
The local Ranger leader you work under for the first half of the game. Even after graduating out from under his command, he remains a close ally and friend.
- Badass in Distress: His mission in Boyleland goes south, requiring you to rescue him.
- Determinator: Absolutely refuses to abandon the Dim Sun cargo ship after it starts sinking without saving all the Pokémon aboard, even if it means he'll sink beneath the waves with it if the player doesn't plug the Kingston Valve in time.
- Dungeon Bypass: Locked doors in the way? Not anymore. TARGET CLEAR!
- Takes Ten to Hold: After Barlow was captured and tied down by four struggling Dim Sun grunts, one of the grunts mentions how difficult it was to tie him up "a smidgeon on the tight side." Another describes him as a "Pokemon Wrestler."
- The Big Guy: The physically strongest ranger in Vientown - though Big Bertha is significantly stronger than him. It took four Dim Sun grunts to tie him up, and he's strong enough to knock down cargo ship doors by ramming into them.
- Token Black: Probably the only black Pokémon character until the fifth generation, unless you count American Rosie from Pokémon Battle Revolution.
Ollie
A strange, oil-soaked man found at the site of a forest fire. He never gives his name, and is instead referred to by a nickname referencing his oily first impression.
- Heel–Face Turn: Though he wasn't much of a bad guy in the first place. The forest fire was an accident he tries to repent for, for what it's worth.
- Punny Name: He was "christened" while covered in spilt oil.
Sven
A Top Ranger under the Ranger Union. Though he has seniority over you, he quickly takes a liking to you and Keith.
- The Ace: Considered the best Top Ranger in the Union by many, and he has the skills to back that up.
- Meaningful Name: Coincidentally, he's the seventh Top Ranger under the Ranger Union.
- Mr. Fanservice: At least in the game's universe.
- Sleeves Are for Wimps: His uniform lacks sleeves.
Wendy
Another Top Ranger. Wendy is known for flying around on her Staraptor more than other Rangers tend to do. In the special mission focused on Dialga, you and Wendy wind up stuck in the past.
- Ace Pilot: She's the best pilot in the Ranger Union.
Chairperson Erma
The top authority of the Ranger Union, she runs everything. She is also the childhood friend of Professor Hastings.
- Big Good: She's the head of the Ranger Union.
- Cool Old Lady: She's very pleasant to be around.
- Mission Control: As the de facto leader of the Ranger Union, of course she'd fit this role. She never contacts you over voicemail, however.
Isaac
A young genius who attends the Ranger School with you. After graduating, he goes to work for Altru Inc., but soon finds himself caught up with Team Dim Sun at the oil field.
- Big Brother Instinct: He's very protective of his sister Melody.
- Ditzy Genius: Smart as he may be, he's awfully slow to pick up on things such as Dim Sun's true nature.
- Obliviously Evil: He's the one who designed the Miniremo and the Incredible Machine, but he's not a villain. In fact, Team Dim Sun has to kidnap his sister to force him to make the final adjustments on the Incredible Machine.
- The Password Is Always "Swordfish": He uses his sister's name as the password to the elevator in Altru Tower.
- The Smart Guy: As oblivious as he tends to be, there's no denying he's a genius in his field.
- Techno Wizard: Programmed many of the devices in Altru Tower, as well as the oil field.
- Teen Genius: Like you, he's fresh out of the Ranger School, and has an IQ of 163.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: After he makes the final adjustments to the Incredible Machine, Team Dim Sun intends to dispose of him. However, right at that moment, the player character, Keith and Barlow barge into the room.
Team Dim Sun
Another squad with the technology to control Pokémon, Team Dim Sun seeks to put every Pokémon in the Almia region under their command. In reality, Team Dim Sun is a front for Altru Inc.'s goal to find a better energy source than oil; namely, enslaved Pokémon.
Ice
The first of the Sinis Trio, Dim Sun's top three enforcers. Ice is cool and mocking, and even more intelligent than he puts on.
- Badass Longcoat: It goes down nearly to his feet, and he is quite the badass.
- Bishōnen: Ice has a fairly elegant appearance.
- Classy Cravat: All the better to blow in the cold wind.
- Curtains Match the Window: His hair is the same blue shade as his eyes.
- Deadpan Snarker: He has no problem snarking at his own allies... or at the malfunctioning voice in Altru Tower.
- Mr. Fanservice: Several characters find him fairly handsome.
- Meaningful Name: Despite this, he's not much of An Ice Person. You first meet him in an icy place, and he sics a Froslass on you, but after that he uses other types. The name refers to his cool demeanor and personality.
- Techno Wizard: He wasn't content with the programming that Isaac taught him, and studied more on his own to make things such as delayed traps and sturdy programming that even Isaac has difficulty cracking.
- Totally Radical: Calls you a "Noob" on more than one occasion, even appending it to your name.
Lavana
The second of the Sinis Trio, and head of the Crimson Unit. Like her name suggests, she mainly focuses on a fiery theme.
- Amazon Brigade: Leads the Dim Sun Crimson Unit, an all-female squad.
- Bare Your Midriff: Her uniform has a space between the top and bottom.
- Curtains Match the Window: Her hair is the same pink shade as her eyes.
- Early-Bird Cameo: She is pictured squaring off against Keith in a newspaper article a while before you meet her.
- Ms. Fanservice: Her uniform is fairly skimpy.
- Playing with Fire: While Ice and Heath don't specialize in a single type, she exclusively uses Fire Pokémon.
Heath
A large, foreign man who serves as the third of the Sinis Trio. His odd speech patterns and unusual sense of humor may catch you off guard, but he's quite competent.
- Ambiguously Brown: We don't know where he's from, or if that's a tan or melanin, but he's darker-skinned than everyone in the game save for Barlow.
- Fat Bastard: Don't be fooled by his goofy appearance; he really is quite an asshole.
- Funny Foreigner: Don't be fooled by his goofy dialogue either.
- Hostage for MacGuffin: Keith or the Yellow Gem?
- I Have Your Friend: Kidnaps Keith to bribe the hero to give up the Yellow Gem.
- Intentional Engrish for Funny: He mispronounces several words and has a poor sense of grammar.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Darkrai sucks Wheeler into a void, Heath's reaction is to run for his life, ignoring Blake. Granted, Blake told him off beforehand...
- Punny Name: Heat, as in that of a desert.
- You No Take Candle: Justified, as he's not from Almia.
Mr. Kincaid
An eccentric teacher at the Ranger School. He has no patience for students running in the hallways, and works on odd research projects in the school's basement. In reality, he's a chief enforcer of Team Dim Sun, second only to Blake, and took the teaching job to try and scout impressionable students to Team Dim Sun.
- Bad Boss: His minions would rather jump off a ship than face his wrath. Not to mention that he sinks said ship with minions still on it and flies away on a Gliscor.
- Berserk Button: Running in the hallways. This isn't just part of his teacher act; even Team Dim Sun dares not run in the hallways around him.
- The Dragon: He handles most of Team Dim Sun's day-to-day operations, and reports only to President Hall.
- Dragon Ascendant: In a Wi-Fi downloadable mission, he is the leader of what remains of Team Dim Sun, now known as Team Debonairs.
- Evil Teacher: In this case, his villainy is fairly separate from his teaching, though he has been corrupting students.
- Exit, Pursued by a Bear: During the main game, he is last seen being chased by the Wailord whose child he captured, although he survives and goes on to found Team Debonairs in a downloadable mission.
- Improbable Hairstyle: His swirly hair. Justified as he uses hair spray on it. Other characters often poke fun at it, much to his annoyance.
- Mad Scientist: We're never told just what it is he does in the basement of the school.
- The Mole: Planted in the Ranger School to sway students to Team Dim Sun's cause.
- Scary Scorpions: His preferred Pokémon.
- The Sociopath: He has absolutely no problem with scuttling the cargo ship and killing everyone aboard.
- Surrounded by Idiots: Exclaims this a few times, especially when his men try to convince him a Wailmer is a mini-Wailord (which, in a sense, it is, but that doesn't matter to Kincaid).
Blake Hall
The current president of Altru Inc. His goal is to find a better energy source than oil, his company's primary resource. Astute players will notice the seemingly infinite amount of oil Team Dim Sun has access to and make a connection. Indeed, Blake is the one funding and leading Team Dim Sun. His birth name was Wyatt Hall.
- Affably Evil: He seems to sincerely want to improve the world and is fairly cordial to the player, even if he's mad with power.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Has been using Altru Inc. to fund his own private terrorist organization.
- Dramatic Wind: Used to great effect with his billowing ponytail before the final confrontation.
- Graceful Loser: Blake takes his defeat quite well, willingly surrendering for questioning. This holds especially true after having his father's diary read to him, and realizing what a fool he'd been.
- Meaningful Rename: His father renamed him from Wyatt to Blake ceremonially in front of the Shadow Crystal. That day marked the newly-christened Blake's capitulation to the power and influence of the Shadow Crystal.
- More than Mind Control: It's heavily implied being exposed to the Shadow Crystal at a young age is what's led to his obsessions.
- President Evil: President Blake Hall.
- Punny Name: Black Hole/White Hole.
- Samurai Ponytail: Which billows in the wind.
- Save the Villain: When Darkrai goes berserk, it sucks him into a Dark Void, forcing the player to intervene.
- Sunglasses at Night: Fitting his obsession with darkness.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He was well-liked as the president of Altru Inc.
- Visionary Villain: He is convinced — convinced — that enslaving Pokémon and using them for labor or warfare is the glorious future for Almia he must usher in.
Brighton Hall
The previous president of Altru Inc., and Blake's father. All that's left of his legacy is a painting in the Altru building and a shack where he spent his days digging for oil.- Dead Man Writing: Though it's never stated, it's implied that Brighton has passed on and the book you're reading is his memoirs.
- Dug Too Deep: He wound up discovering the Shadow Crystal, which was the start of all his problems.
- Honest Corporate Executive: Implied to have been this, along with his father Doyle. Nevertheless, his desperation to preserve his business ended up unintentionally turning his son into what he is in the present.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Upon realizing what he has done to his son.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He uncovered the Shadow Crystal while searching for more oil. This resulted in Blake's exposure to its energies and his eventual obsession with it and turn to villainy.
- Parental Abandonment: Inverted. Blake abandoned him and even ran him out of his own company to take over.
Wheeler
Blake's odd, hunched-over assistant. He's pretty weird.
- Card-Carrying Villain: He has no problem declaring himself evil.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Every time, in your favor. His choice of Pokémon may have something to do with it.
- Harmless Villain: He only ever uses Bidoofs in battle.
- Improbable Pokémon User: He uses about eight Bidoofs to fight you, and near the very end he sends a single Bidoof to try and stop you. He would have sent more, but Blake stopped him.
- Large Ham: He has a very bombastic manner of speech.
- Save the Villain: Like Blake, he gets sucked into Darkrai's Dark Void and the player has to rescue him.
- Yes-Man: He sticks by Blake and hangs on his every word.
The Pokémon Ranger Union and Allies
Ben and Summer
The two choices of player character. Like in the original, the one not chosen becomes an important NPC who spends the first half of the game in captivity but soon joins you as a frequent ally.
- Badass in Distress: The ranger you don't choose for a good portion of the main story.
- Blow You Away: The ranger you didn't pick has a Staraptor as a partner Pokémon.
- Curtains Match the Window: Both their hair and eyes are a light shade of brown.
- Goggles Do Nothing: Subverted, they're used during flying routes and double as an air tank when underwater.
- Heroic Mime: They don't speak.
- The Lancer: Whichever one you don't choose. That is, after they've spent the first third of the game as a Badass in Distress.
- She's Not My Girlfriend: Whoever you don't choose gets defensive when Nema accuses you two of dating.
- Scarf of Asskicking: To set them apart from previous Rangers.
Ukulele Pichu
One of the Pichu native to Dolce Island. This one holds a toy ukulele that Booker built, and plays it by sending electric charges through it. After you help it out and rescue its friends, it sticks with you as your partner Pokémon.
- Badass Adorable: Unlike other assists, Pichu will keep assisting even if it's struck by attacks from Mewtwo and Arceus.
- Doomed Hometown: Near the end of the game, Dolce Island (Pichu's native island) is completely destroyed by the Sky Fortress's energy cannon.
- Musical Assassin: The ukulele it uses can calm down enraged Pokémon. Since that's the equivalent of damage, it works like this.
- Shock and Awe: Though it uses the ukulele primarily, it'll end its assist with electric attacks once upgraded.
- Team Pet: Your partner Pokémon this time around.
Booker
An elderly woodcarver who built everything from ukuleles to bridges to the Ranger Union's flagship. He rescues you from Dolce Island early on and helps you out with any repairs needed for bridges or boats.
- Friend to All Living Things: Pokémon seem to really like him.
- Long-Lost Relative: Well, not lost, but he hasn't seen his brother Professor Hastings in about twenty years due to a fight.
- Mr. Fixit: If it's made of wood, he can fix it. Or make it in the first place.
Nick
Booker's apprentice. He's a bit of an airhead and Booker is not afraid to tell him such, but he's responsible and dilligent.
- For Want of a Nail: He constantly imagines every little thing to somehow lead to something horrible (and irrelevant).
- You Have to Believe Me!: Nick's imagination is truly a scary place.
Rand
The only Ranger assigned to the usually-peaceful Oblivia region. He has a wife, Leanne, and a daughter, Nema.
- Disney Death: He seemingly bites it after an attack from Mewtwo, but Mewtwo later brings him back.
Leanne
Rand's wife, and a well-regarded archaeologist. She spends much of the game decrypting odd artifacts or books you bring her, and helps uncover the truth within the legends of Oblivia.
- Adventure Archaeologist: Leanne has no problem going into the ruins herself, even if they're possibly teeming with hazards.
Nema
Rand and Leanne's daughter. She's a technological genius ahead of her time despite her age. Somewhat impulsive and stubborn, but nevertheless a very helpful ally. She helps upgrade your Styler.
- Bare Your Midriff: She wears relatively small clothing that leaves most of her belly exposed.
- Child Prodigy: Like Isaac, she's quite a techie, but even younger.
- Giver of Lame Names: Most of them are her overly-long names for her own inventions, but she also tried to name Nick's bridge for him. It holds the record for longest name of a bridge.
- Pointless Bandaid: She wears it for the entire game.
- The Smart Guy: Provides you with all sorts of tech, as well as general advice on what to do.
- Shipper on Deck: She teases Summer and Ben about working together, saying it's "like a date."
* Techno Wizard: Like Isaac before her.
The Pokémon Pinchers
A band of poachers that have been capturing Pokémon left and right across Oblivia. Their primary targets are Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Some Pinchers have found old suits of Steelhead armor in Oblivia's ruins, which grant them even stronger control over Pokémon.
- Meaningful Name: They're all named after their eye colors.
Red Eyes
A prominent figure and one of the leaders within the Pokémon Pinchers. He shoots you down at the beginning of the game and remains a constant thorn in your side for much of what follows. He's not all that bad a guy, and after leaving the group he thinks things over and helps you out a few times in the post-game.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Introduced as one of the leaders of the Pokémon Pinchers alongside Blue Eyes. In reality, he's just a pawn to Purple Eyes, who is himself a pawn to the Societea.
- Graceful Loser: After his second defeat, he just leaves.
- Heel–Face Turn: He leaves after his second defeat to wander around and become a better person, which he does.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: He's able to make a one-man Bullet Hell with his Z.Z. Flyer.
- Mad Bomber: Blows up a bridge with a bunch of Electrodes just to impede your progress.
- Playing with Fire: His Pokémon preference.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He gets pretty darn depressed when you beat him the second time.
- Sleeves Are for Wimps: Which show off his arms.
- Villainous Friendship: It's implied that he's fairly close with Blue Eyes, being willing to negotiate her release.
- Worthy Opponent: He comes to see the player as this over time. In the postgame, he even seeks you out just to have a friendly rematch with his non-brainwashed Blaziken.
Blue Eyes
Another boss of the Pinchers, Blue Eyes crosses your path several times. In an unusual aversion of Villain: Exit, Stage Left, you capture and retain her after your first encounter and, while she's released later, things never go well for her following that.
- Bare Your Midriff: She wears a small tube top that leaves her belly entirely exposed.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With Red Eyes. Same deal for her; she's just an admin.
- Enemy Mine: Three times. Once as a prisoner-escort, the next while escaping the submarine, and the final in the true final mission. The last one is after her Heel–Face Turn, however, so she's not really an enemy then.
- Heel–Face Turn: After the submarine episode, she joins the Union.
- Rage Quit: After being fired by Purple Eyes, her reaction is to order the submarine rammed into the seafloor so that he won't be able to use it anymore. It turns out she didn't think this move entirely through.
- Stripperific: Her uniform leaves little to the imagination.
- Tsundere: She puts up a tough, mean front, but to her dismay is frequently having her softer side exposed, particularly in regards to how much she cares for her minions.
- You Have Failed Me: After her second defeat to you, Purple Eyes fires her.
Other Characters
Supurna
A young woman with an affinity for bird Pokémon. Her main purpose is to summon any Pokémon you befriended in the sky to be used on land.
- Younger than They Look: She's about the same age as the player character.
Sabios
The Oracle of the Dark Temple. Many years ago, he devised the Golden Armor and the Sky Fortress to achieve immortality and great power, and attempted to conquer the world. He was defeated by a great hero, but the Golden Armor and Sky Fortress still exist to this day.
- Dark Is Evil: Head of the Dark Temple, villain of the piece. Yep.
- Evil Chancellor: He is manipulating the other temple guardians, his ostensible superior Ellios included, for his own ends.
- Evil Overlord: It's implied that he was the "Evil Ruler" that the Hero of Oblivia fought in the past.
- Immortality Inducer: Via the Golden Armor. Of course, his absence during the present indicates that he lost it at some point and died.
- Mind Manipulation: In addition to controlling Pokémon like all the other Steelheads, he can also control people.
Purple Eyes
A shady third boss of the Pinchers, who isn't really revealed to even exist until later. He's both Red and Blue Eyes' superior, and the head of the Pokémon Pinchers. He is employed by the Societea, but after being disbanded seeks revenge.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Not by his choice. Arceus takes Purple Eyes away to another dimension because it deems him too evil and dangerous to live in this dimension.
- Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: He and his Pokémon Pinchers Trio completely contrasts the Team Rocket Trio. The Team Rocket trio consists of two humans with different shade of reddish and blueish purple hair and a talking Pokémon who all have equal partnership, while the the Pokémon Pinchers consist of three humans, with two of them having blond hair with Red and Blue streaks and Purple Eyes having traditional purple hair, and its obvious that Purple Eyes is the leader of his trio. The Team Rocket Trio is known for being Laughably Evil Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain who travels to every region trying to catch a boy's Pikachu and any other Pokémon they find, The Pokémon Pinchers, especially Purple Eyes, are serious Knights Of Cerebus who stay in the Oblivia region whose end goal is to wipe out the human race. Both trios also have bosses that they must perform tasks for. However while the Team Rocket Trio proves to incompetent minions time after time, but makes up for this with their Undying Loyalty for their boss and view each other as True Companions, Purple Eyes proves to be a much more competent and dangerous threat than his bosses, but is a Treacherous Starscream who betrays his bosses, views his trio as nothing more than pawns that he's willing to dispose of and the only person that he could remotely give a damn about is himself.
- The Dragon: Though he's introduced as the leader of the Pokémon Pinchers, the Pokémon Pinchers themselves are merely subordinate to the Societea, making him this.
- Dragon-in-Chief: On that note, he's the one who gets stuff done. Considering the Societea's advanced age, this makes sense. He even succeeds in overthrowing them as well, and serves as the game's Final Boss.
- Establishing Character Moment: Knocks Rand unconscious in his own home, and takes his wife and daughter hostage.
- Foreshadowing: Rand is unsure whether he was attacked by a person wearing red or blue. Red and blue mix to make purple.
- Immortality Inducer: When he wears the full Golden Armor. He loses it after the final battle.
- Kick the Son of a Bitch: The first thing we learn when he makes his dramatic reappearance at the finale of the game is that he stole the Golden Armor from Arley, Kasa, and Hocus, and either threw them from the Sky Fortress or at least left them very roughed up. Edward, at least, seems distraught by this.
- Kill All Humans: After being arrested by the Ranger Union at the end of the game, repeated questioning broke him and turned him into a full-blown omnicidal misanthrope who wants Arceus to wipe out all humans (except for himself).
- Laser-Guided Karma/Do Not Order Arceus Around: There are a few nasty villains in the Pokéverse, but Purple Eyes was so bad that he asked Arceus to wipe out all of humanity. Arceus' response after being calmed down is to personally remove him from the mortal plane.
- Laughing Mad: When the Sky Fortress begins falling, ensuring Oblivia's destruction by tsunami. He passes out shortly after.
- Power Glows: Once outfitted with the Golden Armor.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: As befitting his name, with himself. During the story, he's cocky, smug, and somewhat Hot-Blooded. After his imprisonment, he becomes cold, unfeeling, stoic, and even worse of a person, calmly and inflectionlessly advocating the destruction of humanity.
- Walking Spoiler: Nothing suggested there was a third Eyes character until he showed up.
- Would Hit a Girl: Ask Nema or Kasa, not that the latter didn't frankly deserve it.
The Societea
Forty years ago, a band of thieves called the Societea looted and plundered all manner of riches across the world. They are now too old for that, but upon learning the legend of the immortality-granting Golden Armor and powerful Sky Fortress, they reunited for one last job — eternal life and the whole world. To this end, they founded and financially back the Pokémon Pinchers.
- Dub Name Change: The group's name in the original Japanese is Tea Party.
Dr. Edward
A doctor living in Oblivia, he wanders the region making house calls and visiting his friends. 40 years ago, he and three of his friends were a band of thieves known as the Societea. Fearing death, he reunited with the other three and began pursuing immortality and world domination.
- Big Bad: The leader of the Societea, and thus the primary villain. However, Purple Eyes manages to succeed in overthrowing him.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He shows up a few times during the game, but doesn't do anything important until the big reveal.
- Evil Costume Switch: He ditches his white uniform for a dark colored suit when he reveals his true nature.
- Immortality Inducer: He gains this while wearing the helmet/shoulder armor of the Golden Armor.
- The Magnificent: His phantom thief persona is Ed "The Thinker".
- Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Played with. He is actually a real doctor, and states outright that he always wanted to be one; in his own words, "When you think about bad deeds from morning to night, you want to do a few good deeds to get a little balance in your life."
- Phantom Thief: Was this in the past.
- Recurring Traveller: That he shows up around Arley, Hocus, and Kasa is no coincidence.
Arley
A lumberjack living on Renbow Island, he is immensely strong and protective of Raikou's shrine. He is also a friend of Dr. Edward. In the Societea, he was their brawn.
- The Brute: The brawn of the Societea. Even in his old age, he's still a very powerful man.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Has some minor importance early on, but then disappears.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a pretty rough-looking gash across his face.
- Immortality Inducer: For the time that he wears the torso of the Golden Armor.
- The Magnificent: Back when he was a wrestler, he was known as "Arley the Destroyer".
- The Quiet One: He's less talkative than his friends.
Hocus
A magician living in Tilt Village, he puts on magic shows for the local kids. He also enjoys sipping tea with Dr. Edward and friends. He was part of the Societea, and was the crafty one.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: An... odd example. He turns himself gigantic, but then he seems to turn into an equally-large Crobat. Weird.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Aside from entertaining some kids, he doesn't do much until the reveal.
- Depraved Kids' Show Host: Not just a punk; he's outright evil!
- The Evil Genius: The brains of the Societea, along with Edward.
- Excited Kids' Show Host: Although it's just an act, he seems to genuinely enjoy making kids smile.
- Eyes Always Shut: He never opens his eyes.
- Mind Screw: He's fond of inducing these; his section of the Sky Fortress gets weird.
Kasa
A fashionable old lady living in Oblivia, she seems to be a friend of Dr. Edward. She was and still is a disguise artist, and was part of the Societea.
- Cool Old Lady: At least, until she reveals her true nature.
- The Dark Chick: Her skillset is fairly specific compared to the other three.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: She outright states that the right gauntlet from the Golden Armor is quite fashionable.
- The Fashionista: Keeps up on the latest trends despite her age.
- Immortality Inducer: She gets the right gauntlet of the Golden Armor.
- Master of Disguise: And pretty good at it, too.
- Never Mess with Granny: Her disguises are spot-on (at least in appearance), and her Ditto can put up an excellent fight.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: "Kasa" is noted to be a nickname. Her real name is never revealed, but it's possibly short for Kassandra.
- Older Than They Look: She's aged quite well, but she's at least 60 years old, and probably older than that.
- Shout-Out: Her red outfit and yellow scarf are highly reminiscent of the Cyborg 009 team uniform.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: She has no problems disguising herself as Ben.
