Meet Iono, The Electric-Type Gym Leader From Pokémon Scarlet And Violet

wish they specified the scope of the advertised trailer better smh

She looks annoying from my first impression. 🤨
Btw, she has Electric Pokemon, I will defeat her with Ground Pokemons regardless of their looking.

What the hell was this?

Hate to say it but this design is pretty bad... it honestly sucks to look at, and I like some very wierd character deisgns. Shark teeth as well?

Even though this oestensibly uses her in game model... no disclaimer was given for the lack of voice over in the game... this makes her the first officially voiced mainline game character, (second after Legends protag?) even if her voice doesn't appear in game.

Perhaps Pawmi's evolution...?

@Fizza Raihan in Sword and Shield was, as well

I don't mind her design...but I hate that they are still doing the type-gym-leaders.
It's so easy and unchallenging to roll over them with a single type advantage.
Why not make (more) themed gym leaders?
Or just...gym leaders with a balanced team?

@spottedleaf

Huh? If we're accounting for voices that don't appear in game, doesn't that put Iono after the entire cast of the anime?

I will not be looking up her art anytime soon... poor soul.

@BLD Well, the anime is a seperate product to the games. This is directly tied to the game itself. (Even using game assets)

Certain trailers were voiced before (Hisuian Zorua, Grafaiai, Wiglett) but it was not the voice of an in game or specific character. This voice is specifically assigned to this game character for the purpose of the actual game.

Based on the hints, I'm guessing another Terrastalized Pokemon similar to the grass-type leader's Sudowoodo. Jigglypuff? Or maybe a flying type to get around the ground weakness for electric.

@Rika_Yoshitake oh gosh i can already see the fanart

Insert here 'Why you are so cute?!' meme

That was a super fun and energetic presentation..though maybe a little too much internet-idol cliché XD

After this I obviously expect all gym leaders and main characters in the game to introduce themselves in game with cutscenes of this level. No pressure Game Freak~

@HalloHerrNoob Considering how that part of the series has been here since the beginning, it's unlikely to change any time soon.

This was annoying....

@Rika_Yoshitake @novasoup I give it a few hours.. I'm sure the artists are hard at work as we speak.

@Nua
I get that...but it's such a dumb part.
There are much better ways to teach people type advantages.
And it's just really unfun to walk through the gym leaders.
Especially when they are hyped up throughout their city and region as this top-trainer...and then you beat them with one Pokemon/Attack.

Are there really any fans around who prefer them like this? I am genuinly curious, I just don't get the appeal at all.

@HalloHerrNoob
Because these games, in case many here haven't gotten it into their heads, are focused on the general public, especially children, and that's how they make their announcements, we have to understand it, we can't have a serious and intolerant attitude all the time They have always done it that way, we don't have to be selfish in that sense.

many will not like it, that is understandable, but is needed have to be respectful

I liked it. Cool stuff. I think it will only help Pokemon to explore this vibe. Look at the wonders it does for Splatoon.

V-tuber-esque designs are popping up everywhere in games. Not surprised we are getting one here.

Streamer? Preorder canceled.

Her design actually seems cute to me. But as others have said, having a character be voiced in promotional material when we KNOW she'll be mute in game is just stupid.

@HalloHerrNoob More of Gym Leader Blue diversity please. Or take the Pokemon Stadium approach and give Gym Leaders Pokes outside their type preference that makes sense and makes use of their type, through moves.

Her design is really cute.. The ridiculously oversized jacket sort of botched it for me though. Hopefully she'll get back to us later this day to reveal her partner.
I really thought her hair accessories were hinting towards paldean magnemite, kinda disappointed about that, but who knows. Excited either way

@SakuraHaruka
What kind of response is that?
Why am I disrespectful and intolerant because I said I don't like a certain feature?
It's just my personal opinion and I am not attacking anyone for liking it.
I just don't get who this is for and, in all honesty, "They have always dont it this way" isn't really a good reason in my opinion.
And I really don't believe that children need this kind of auto-win.

Why not make it more themed?
Have gym leaders with big or small pokémon. Or cute, scary, manly, dangerous ones that doesn't lock them into a certain type.

Good lord, she's annoying.

If they're going to have these characters be voiced in promotional materials, then they really need to add voice acting to the game.

Actually, they need to add it anyway. Modern 3D cutscenes without voice acting just feel bizarre.

Pastel pink and blue eh?

Oh we know how a part of the fandom will react lol.

@LillianC14 TRANS ICOOOOON

@novasoup
The text in the 4th image is also the colours for the bi pride flag!

Looks like some sort of waifu crap.

Can this version of pokemon move any further from previous games!

This is probably my least favorite trailer for a Nintendo game now

@HalloHerrNoob
Sorry, I respect personal opinions, it is that, I repeat it, I understand many people do not like this type of thing, this is normal and understandable and I know that it is normal to give an opinion about it and it is to be respected
however, I feel a lot of negativity for these things that I feel that it seems like a strong dislike to this and I even feel intolerant to this.
But that's fine, and I apologize for sounding rude, I'm just looking for there not to be too much negativity (it shouldn't be deleted, just lowered a little bit)

@novasoup
In the German news release TPC calls her a girl. Please don't be like this.

@SakuraHaruka
No worries, maybe I misunderstood you. I certainly don't mind people having different opinions on this matter.
It's just a topic that bothers me with every new game in the series so I might get a bit worked up about it. Certainly meant no personal offense though.
Maybe one day they will add a difficulty option and we can all be happy at the same time.

@steely_pete
1. its a joke
2. shes still a girl even if shes trans

@spottedleaf at least it is not as awfull looking as avery from sword and shield

@spottedleaf What a complete shame they don't have voice acting in the game.

It wasn't for me, but I don't have issues with it. Can understand if some people like it, or find it annoying, etc.

Hope their next update shows more new Pokemon, or something more for me. But interesting to know a little more about another gym leader, even though that video really wasn't for me.

I have no issues with her art style, it fits in with the themes of different colours and maybe dyes? hair that they're going with on many of the characters revealed so far.

Yeah but have you heard about our Lord and Saviour Lt. Surge

She reminds me of Alice Hiiragi's Shadow from Persona 5 Strikers. She's an idol who has two eyes attached to her head. Well, at least she's dressed more modestly than Alice.

Ugh. An annoying streamer. Just... ugh.

First time I hated an Electric-type gym leader's design, or any gym leader's design, for that matter.

All this trailer succeeded in doing for me is making me wish they'd bother having voiced cutscenes in game. TPC can obviously afford it if they're voicing this entire three and a half minute trailer.

I don't care if random trainers/NPCs in cities are voiced or not, but at least have a short voiced cutscene for introductions of gym leaders, elite four, and other major characters!

We're already animating those cutscenes, but it makes the game feel so empty when, for example, Rose is addressing a gigantic stadium at the start of Sword/Shield and a text box pops up. We have ambient crowd noise and an animation of mouth movement, but that last step would really make that scene more impactful.

@Ralizah give a discount to Game Freak they budget for Pokémon Scarlet e Violet don't allow they to add voice acting in the game(i joking, i don't want Iono to be Piers 2.0).

Who makes jackets that big and where can I contact them

@acNewUpdates Even better!

And her top could almost be a dysphoria hoody, lol

The oversized yellow jacket looks really out of place. The design gets kind of ruined by it to be honest.

Don’t care what any one says, she is so cute! I love her! (hopefully she doesn’t actually talk in game because oo boy, he is kinda annoying)

Oof what is her name? "WhenYouRunOutOfIdeas69" ?

@Justaguest Good lord what a burn!

I found her so annoying I had a hard time watching the whole thing :/

She...SHE IS TALKING!? WILL THE NEW GAME FINALLY HAVE VOICES!?

@novasoup
Oh ok, if you're just joking that's fine. Sorry, hard to tell over text and all. I just really didn't like how upset certain people were at Shiver being a girl and I didn't want this to be a similar situation to that.

Ugh that trailer was grating. So many here commenting that this makes them want voice acting. It makes me think the very opposite and be glad we don't have voice acting. lol

Ew. No. Get her away from me.

Good lord, the human characters in Pokémon just get more and more overdesigned every generation. Nevermind the Pokémon themselves, its the humans that are suffering the worst from the changing artstyle.

She looks awful and its probably the most annoying character that I've come across in any game for years. Couldn't even stand to watch the full video.

@BlueBCA They made her sound to much like those Loud streamers who just won’t shut up. If she does talk, if anyone talks, please, tone the voice down a few notches, it would make her waaaaay less annoying, I do like her jacket and hairpins tho.

I can’t believe they made Alex Olney a gym leader

Why is "she" constantly referring to herself as a man? I mean, power to her/him, I'm just curious if there is something about the influencer culture I'm missing? Is this common? It it implying this is the female avatar of a RL man?

If I speak I'm in big trouble...

@fenlix Doubt it. Just promotional stuff, and they explicitly said that the voices in the other trailers are not representative of the game.

Does everyone have to look for symbolism in everything???? She’s a gym trainer and a streamer in universe, let’s leave it at that unless TPC announces something please. Also she doesn’t refer to herself as a male. Boku has long been used as a neutral/less formal version of watashi/watakushi by females in Japanese. Don’t break another language to prove a point that doesn’t exist.

I do wonder what the in game story is for the characters with fangs though.

@HeadPirate
The hell are you on about? You mean ''boku''? That's not referring to yourself as a man at all. Do you consume no Japanese media or something?

Fashion icon!

What is up with all the women with fangs lately in Pokémon? I get Professor Sada, because she is a cave woman, but why her?

I think she looks really cool. I hope all the gym leaders have little cutscenes like this.

How much do you want to bet that Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokémon Company are setting her up to be a real-life VTuber like Sega did with Tails? I could see it happening.

Hello trainer. Would you like to play a game? She has a cute design, but an annoying personality.

I feel like you either love her or you hate her.

You can't look at this and not say that someone at the team said "make one of the gym leaders a vtuber"