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Hop (Pokémon)

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Hop
Pokémon character
Hop in Pokémon Sword and Shield
First appearancePokémon Sword and Shield (2019)
Voiced by
  • AJ Beckles
  • Griffin Puatu (Twilight Wings)[1]
  • Adriel Varlack (Evolutions)
  • Takuto Yoshinaga
  • Yuko Sanpei (Twilight Wings, Masters EX)
  • Miyu Irino (Evolutions)

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

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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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] Hop has been voiced by Griffin Puatu,[6] AJ Beckles,[7] and Adriel Vardack[8] in English, and by Takuto Yoshinaga[9] Yūko Sanpei[10] and Miyu Irino in Japanese.[8]

Appearances

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Hop first appears in Pokémon Sword and Shield, being the friend of the protagonist. He originally only has a Wooloo,[5] 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).[11][12] He aspires to become the new Champion in the place of his older brother, Leon.[13] 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.[14] Hop eventually competes in the Champion Tournament, where he battles the player and loses.[15] The challenge is then interrupted by Chairman Rose, who intends to summon the Pokémon Eternatus, but is ultimately stopped by Hop and the player.[16] 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,[17] feeling inspired by helping the various Pokémon Sordward and Shielbert dynamaxed, decides to pursue becoming a Pokémon Professor.[12]

In anime appearances, Hop is featured in several episodes of Pokémon: Twilight Wings alongside his Wooloo.[18] 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.[19][20][21] 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.[22] He appears in Pokémon Evolutions, where he is shown to use a Dubwool and Cinderace.

Critical reception

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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.[23] 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.[14] 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.[13] 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.[24]

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.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27] 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.[28] Siliconera writer Jenni Lada also appreciated the rival trio, noting how each one was memorable and distinct from one aother. She felt that Hop in particular was memorable due to his character growth and optimism while struggling with self-esteem.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Hop Voice: Pokemon Twilight Wings". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  3. ^ Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  4. ^ Mortensen, Lori (October 2010). Satoshi Tajiri: Pokemon Creator. KidHaven Press. p. 21. ISBN 9780737754858.
  5. ^ a b Garcia, Janet (October 24, 2019). "Pokemon Timeline Hints and 7 Other Details about Sword and Shield". IGN. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  6. ^ Behind the Voice Actors- Hop (Twilight Wings)
  7. ^ A new batch of #PokemonJourneys drops TODAY on @netflix. Archived August 25, 2024, at the Wayback Machine “LEONS MY BRO” Archived August 25, 2024, at the Wayback Machine It is my Ultimate honor to join this legendary franchise as the English Voice of HOP Thank you so much to @Pokemon @Lisalisejam and @iyunohq for having me. I had such a blast! Archived August 25, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b "Behind the Voice Actors- Hop (Pokémon Evolutions)". Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "「ポケモン」サトシのライバル・シンジが約12年振りに再登場！翌週にはホップが初登場（コメントあり）" ["Pokémon" Satoshi's rival Shinji is back for the first time in about 12 years! The following week, hops made their first appearance.]. コミックナタリー (in Japanese). June 3, 2022. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "Pokémon: Twilight Wings Anime Shorts Cast Tarusuke Shingaki". Anime News Network. February 7, 2020. Archived from the original on February 7, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  11. ^ Donaldson, Alex (November 15, 2019). "Pokemon Sword & Shield Starters: which starter Pokemon should you choose, and starter evolutions revealed". VG247. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Taguiam, Rhenn (February 19, 2021). "Pokemon Sword & Shield: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Your Rival, Hop". Game Rant. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Marshall, Cass (November 28, 2019). "Pokémon's newest rival is making me feel like a monster". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Shepard, Kenneth (April 29, 2021). "Hop is a Bad Pokemon Trainer, But That's Why He's a Great Character". Fanbyte. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  15. ^ Ford, James (April 30, 2022). "Pokemon Sword and Shield complete guide and walkthrough to become the Champion of Galar". gamesradar. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  16. ^ Fakhoori, Niki (February 4, 2022). "Pokémon: How Eternatus Nearly Destroyed The Entire Galar Region Twice". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  17. ^ Ford, James (April 30, 2022). "Pokemon Sword and Shield complete guide and walkthrough to become the Champion of Galar". gamesradar. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  18. ^ "Pokémon: Twilight Wings Episode 1 Letter". The Pokémon Company via YouTube. January 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  19. ^ "Pokémon: Twilight Wings Episode 3 Buddy". The Pokémon Company via YouTube. March 17, 2020. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  20. ^ Hernandez, Patricia (March 17, 2020). "Pokémon short cements Wooloo as a top Sword and Shield monster". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  21. ^ Wood, Austin (March 17, 2020). "Wooloo stars in the cutest episode of Pokemon: Twilight Wings yet". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  22. ^ "Pokemon Journeys Brings Hop to the Anime at Last". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  23. ^ Baird, Scott (November 17, 2019). "Hop, Please Go Away And Let Me Play Pokémon Sword & Shield". The Gamer. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  24. ^ Ferguson, Liam (December 25, 2022). "Pokemon Sword and Shield's Hop Could Have Shined in Scarlet and Violet". Game Rant. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  25. ^ Clemons, Jared (January 23, 2020). "Hop's Character Arc Is The Best Part of Pokémon Sword & Shield". www.crunchyroll.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  26. ^ Maher, Cian (October 18, 2021). "Pokemon Sword And Shield's Hop Is Great, You're Just Mean". The Gamer. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  27. ^ Jackson, Gita (December 5, 2019). "In Defense Of Hop, The Unlucky Pokémon Rival". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  28. ^ Kesore, Mahin (June 29, 2020). "Pokemon Sword and Shield didn't give us the annoying rivals that we all wanted, but we got the ones we deserve". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  29. ^ Lada, Jenni (November 25, 2019). "Pokemon Sword and Shield Rivals Are All Great Characters". Siliconera. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
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