There are a lot of features that made the originalPokemon DiamondandPearlunique when they debuted on the Nintendo DS in 2006. They were the firstPokemongames to include fully fleshed-out online components such as the Global Trade Station, and the DS touch screen led toDiamondandPearl’s Poketchand other quality-of-life mechanics like shining one’s Gym badges.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill lose some of these features by nature of releasing on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, but the ILCA-developed remakes are still aiming to be as true to the originals as possible.
The Sinnoh region inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill largely be the same beyond its graphical updates and toy-like overworld design, which means the non-playable characters (NPCs) that people encounter throughout should be the same as well. EveryPokemongame has a healthy roster of rivals, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and more, butPokemon Diamond,Pearl, and their complete third versionPlatinumalso had a set of five special ally trainers.
RELATED:Will Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Implement the Global Trade Station
Dubbed the “Stat Trainers” by fans, according to Bulbapedia, these allies appear in five different parts of the game to help players explore thePokemonequivalent ofdungeons in most RPGs- areas like caves and forests. This name relates to their Pokemon each focusing on a different stat type, but beyond this the characters don’t get a lot of development.Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlhave the opportunity to change that, and the games should take that chance.
The first Stat Trainer players encounter inDiamondandPearlis Cheryl, who is waiting at the entrance of Eterna Forest to the north of Floaroma Town. Her partner Pokemon is Chansey, meaning her statistical focus is HP - both due to Chansey’s large health pool and because it knows moves such as Soft-Boiled that can heal either ally. While double battles were first introduced inGeneration 3and showcased by Mossdeep Gym Leaders Tate and Liza, the Generation 4 Stat Trainers were among the first NPCs to join players in multi battles.
That being said, Cheryl is technically the only character in this group that players are required to travel alongside. Each of the remaining characters also provide similar benefits, from fighting with the player to fully healing their Pokemon after each battle, but they appear in areas that are optional to visit. For example, Mira is the most out-of-the-way Stat Trainer in Wayward Cave; an area obscured underneath the Cycling Road and best known for being the placeGible can be caught. She uses a Kadabra and specializes in Special Attack.
The remaining three are found in more important areas that generally confer some benefit. Marley, partnered with a Speed-focused Arcanine, is found in an off-shoot of Victory Road that players can visit after defeating Cynthia in order to find theMythical Pokemon Shaymin with an event item. Buck, partnered with a defensive Claydol, is found in Stark Mountain where players can find Heatran and take on Team Galactic inPlatinum’s postgame. Finally Riley, partnered with a physical Attack-based Lucario, is found training on Iron Island. By going through the island alongside him, players can receive a Riolu egg, letting them hatch and train a potential Lucario of their own.
Joining the player in multi battles is these five trainers' main claim to fame, but they also have a little more to do outside of that. All of them can appear as ally NPCs for multi battles in the Battle Tower facility, both inDiamond, Pearl,andPlatinumas well asHeartGoldandSoulSilver. InPokemon Platinum, they can be challenged at the Battleground facility owned by Buck in Sinnoh’s Survival Area. This is also where players are able to partake in Gym Leader rematches once a day.
RELATED:Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Show Improved Graphics in Nintendo Switch OLED Reveal Trailer
Like most characters in mainlinePokemongames, these ally NPCs also appear inPokemon’s manga and anime adaptations. Cheryl and Marley are also inDeNA’s mobile gamePokemon Masters EXwith support skills focused on healing and Speed buffs, respectively. The other three have yet to appear inMastersas of this writing, though it could also be argued that Riley bears a striking similarity to Sir Aaron from the filmLucario and the Mystery of Mew.
With all of these appearances in mind, it’s clear the Stat Trainers are considered a major part of the Sinnoh region cast. Yet, unlike certain Gym Leaders or trainers likeChampion Cynthia, none of them have re-appeared enough to have a greater depth of characterization.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlcould potentially fix this by spending more time with these characters outside of their initial encounters, or just giving them more unique dialogue.
It’s unlikely this will happen given these remakes' apparent attempt to be more faithful to their source materials. By contrast,Pokemon Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphireon the 3DS were almost re-imaginings of the original Hoenn adventures rather than remakes. The idea of parallel universes was baked into their plot via thepostgame Delta Episode, and this freedom let developers introduce new characters like Coordinator Lisia and Lorekeeper Zinnia to serve as representatives of various features.
Cheryl, Mina, Marley, Buck, and Riley could conceivably serve a similar role inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlif the games experiment with them. Buck has the most character thanks to his involvement with the Battleground facility, but it would be just as easy to go one step further with characters like Cheryl. She only explores Eterna Forest in the video games, but can also be seen wandering the haunted Old Chateau in theminiseriesPokemon Generations. It’s ultimately up to ILCA and Game Freak to decide what they want to do, but either way it will be worth watching these five allies back in action on the Switch.
PokemonBrilliantDiamondandShiningPearlwill release on June 16, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Everything Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Need to Adapt From Platinum
