Hop (Pokémon)

Hop (Japanese: ホップ ''Hop'') is a fictional character in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' franchise. Introduced in the 2019 video games ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'', he is the one of multiple rivals to the protagonist and the younger brother of the Pokémon League Champion, Leon. Hop aspires to become the Champion himself and surpass both the protagonist and his brother. He has a Wooloo and later receives either Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble as a starter, depending on which of the three the protagonist chose. Hop has received mixed opinions, with criticism directed at his enthusiastic nature and frequent appearances while his character arc has been received more positively.

Concept and creation

Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the ''Pokémon'' franchise began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' for the Game Boy. In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, both in the wild as well as those used by other Trainers. Created for the 2019 sequels ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'', Hop acts as the player's "rival", a type of trainer that acts as a boss the player must defeat during the course of the game multiple times, growing more difficult with each encounter. As a rival, Hop is the first in the series to have two Pokémon to start. This was done with the intention of conveying that he has more skill than the player and can be a guide for the player. Hop has been voiced by Griffin Puatu, AJ Beckles, and Adriel Vardack in English, and by Takuto Yoshinaga Yūko Sanpei and Miyu Irino in Japanese.

Appearances

Hop first appears in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'', being the friend of the protagonist. He originally only has a Wooloo, but after his brother, Leon, visits, he also gets either the Grass-type Grookey, Fire-type Scorbunny, or Water-type Sobble. The Pokémon he receives is determined by the Pokémon the player picked of these three, choosing the Pokémon that is weak to it (with Grass beating Water, Water beating Fire, and Fire beating Grass). He aspires to become the new Champion in the place of his older brother, Leon. To do this, he has to collect eight badges and then win a tournament consisting of those gym leaders, other rivals, and the Champion. He often appears during the player's quest, offering tips and guidance, and sometimes teaming up with the protagonist. Throughout the gym challenge, Hop suffers from setbacks and low self-esteem due to losing battles against the protagonist and fellow rival Bede. Hop eventually competes in the Champion Tournament, where he battles the player and loses. The challenge is then interrupted by Chairman Rose, who intends to summon the Pokémon Eternatus, but is ultimately stopped by Hop and the player. After the story is completed, Hop aids the player with stopping Sordward and Shielbert, a pair of brothers who intend to use "Galar Particles" to drive the Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta into a frenzy. Hop captures one of the pair, depending on the version, and after a battle with the player, feeling inspired by helping the various Pokémon Sordward and Shielbert dynamaxed, decides to pursue becoming a Pokémon Professor.

In anime appearances, Hop is featured in several episodes of '' Pokémon: Twilight Wings'' alongside his Wooloo. Featured in the episode "Buddy", he appears alongside Wooloo as the former is watching his brother's Pokémon battle on television. While Hop gushes over his brother's dragon-like Charizard Pokémon, Wooloo gets jealous and tries to imitate its fire breath and flight and fails quickly at both. Dejected, Wooloo runs away, but starts to return home after reflecting on Hop's reflection for it. Meanwhile, Hop frantically searches for it. The two catch sight of each other and are reunited, returning home together. Hop additionally appears in the ''Pokémon'' anime series, where he briefly battles series protagonist Ash Ketchum. Following this, he watches the Masters Eight Tournament- in which Ash is competing- alongside Goh, Ash's travelling companion. He appears in Pokémon Evolutions, where he is shown to use a Dubwool and Cinderace.

Critical reception

Hop's reception is mixed among fans and critics alike. ''The Gamer'' writer Scott Baird expressed frustration with Hop's personality in the game, describing him as an unbearable person who somehow always shows up when unwanted. He particularly disliked Hop due to how much he attempts to guide the player, feeling that this disrupted gameplay too much, especially with how simple he found the game to be. He felt like he represented the problem with rivals in modern ''Pokémon'' video games, comparing him unfavorably to Blue from ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' and Silver from ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', who did not talk much and were not friendly to the player. ''Fanbyte'' writer Kenneth Shepard felt that Hop was a bad trainer, but also that this helped enhance his character, praising the direction his character went by the end of the story. ''Polygon'' writer Cass Marshall also noted his poor performance in battle, explaining how fighting him always made him feel guilty due to how easy it was to beat him. ''Game Rant'' writer Liam Ferguson felt that the nature of ''Sword'' and ''Shield'' held him back, believing that him being so present in the game's cutscenes, tutorials, and so many battles made him more annoying.

Despite criticism, Hop has also received much praise from fans. Writing for ''Crunchyroll'', Jared Clemon cited Hop's character arc as one of the game's best aspects due to its humanization of Hop's insecurities and the manner in which he overcomes them. ''The Gamer'' writer Cian Maher was also positive. Having previously described Hop as "irritating and boring," he now opined that Hop is a great character and one of his favorite Pokémon rivals, believing that the hate was a byproduct of general fan dislike for ''Sword'' and ''Shield'' due to controversy around its release without giving it a proper chance. ''Kotaku'' writer Gita Jackson also defended Hop, arguing that his mannerisms such as praising the player when they land a critical hit, reflected a sweet side of him; that he would praise you even when he's losing. They felt that criticism came from the fact that he is not an antagonistic rival like Blue in ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', arguing that players didn't like the feeling of having a rival who is saddened when they lose and that their win should be a celebration of their skills. ''GamesRadar+'' writer Mahin Kesore felt that the trio of rivals in ''Sword'' and ''Shield'' was done well, appreciating Hop as a friendly rival who is complemented by more competitive rivals in Marnie and Bede. ''Siliconera'' writer Jenni Lada also appreciated the rival trio, noting how each one was memorable and distinct from one another. She felt that Hop in particular was memorable due to his character growth and optimism while struggling with self-esteem.

References

{{Pokémon

Fictional male sportspeople
Male characters in video games
Pokémon characters
Teenage characters in video games
Video game characters introduced in 2019