All confirmed and leaked characters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

As with any Pokémon title, the characters players meet are vital to their journeys. All of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailers so far have introduced fans to some of the key characters they’ll encounter in the games, giving them a taste of what to expect during their latest adventure. After all, it wouldn’t be Pokémon without a colorful cast of characters.

While not all of the games’ characters have been shown off yet, we do know who many of the earliest personalities are. To make things easier for those who want to scope out the NPCs before Scarlet and Violet’s Nov. 18 release, we’re rounding up everything we know about the game’s professors, rival, villains, and more. Read on to learn about the game’s cast and what to expect when you start your journey in Paldea.

Professors Sada and Turo

For the first time in the series’ history, the version of the game that players choose will determine which professor they interact with on their journey. Pokémon Scarlet features Professor Sada, who wears clothing straight out of the Stone Age, complete with a bone necklace and belt. Pokémon Violet introduces players to Professor Turo, who wears an intricately-designed futuristic suit. Both professors are reportedly researching the vast lore of Paldea.

Nemona

Nemona acts as Scarlet and Violet’s main rival, continuing the friendly rival trend established in recent Pokémon titles. She appears to not know the protagonist before the story begins, as she questions whether the starter Pokémon all belong to them. She both helps and challenges the player throughout their time at the academy. Nemona is described as being an “experienced Pokémon trainer” and “reliable guide,” though she’s also apparently bad at throwing Poké Balls.

Arven and Penny

One of the main roles players will have during their adventure is being a student at either Naranja Academy or Uva Academy, depending on the version of the game they’re playing. There, they’ll learn alongside Nemona as well as other classmates, including the upperclassman Arven and the shy Penny. Arven enjoys cooking and likes researching recipes that can help Pokémon feel better. Not much is known about Penny, but she does sport an adorable Eevee backpack.

Clavell and Jacq

Naranja Academy and Uva Academy are run by Director Clavell. He reportedly helps the player learn more about their school. Depending on which version of the game players are using, he’ll wear either an orange jacket (for Naranja) or a purple jacket (for Uva). Jacq is the player’s homeroom teacher, who created the Pokédex app on the Rotom Phone. He knows a lot about Pokémon biology and has that classic scruffy teacher look about him.

Grusha and Brassius

Gym leaders are making a return in Scarlet and Violet as one of the many ways players can train their Pokémon and strengthen their bond. Grusha is a former snowboarder who is now the Ice-type gym leader of Glaseado City. His ace Pokémon appears to be the newly-revealed Cetitan. Brassius is a Grass-type gym leader whose town hasn’t been revealed yet. In a trailer, he used the Pokémon Smoliv followed by Sudowoodo, the latter of which appears to be his ace Pokémon.

Mela

Mela is the boss of Team Star’s Fire crew. Team Star is Scarlet and Violet‘s villainous organization, filled with rebellious students and petty crooks. As her title and look suggest, she uses primarily Fire-type Pokémon in battle. She also drives an enormous car that doubles as a rock and roll stage.

Geeta

Geeta is the mysterious chairwoman of Paldea’s Pokémon League. Not much is known about her as of yet, but she helps to run the region’s gyms and meets the player when they visit the Victory Road institution for the first time. We’ll likely learn more about her when the game releases.

Players can look forward to meeting these characters, as well as various discovered and undiscovered Pokémon, as they travel through Paldea in Scarlet and Violet. Both games will release worldwide on Nov. 18 and are now available to pre-order now via the Nintendo eShop and brick-and-mortar retailers.