Why Larry is the best Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader in a subtle way

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet respond to people saying that their characters are boring and uninteresting by making another character who is also boring and uninteresting.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been a mixed bag since they came out. Players are frustrated by performance problems, but the open-world format is fun. Even though players had mixed feelings about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, they all seem to like one character who responds in a new way to criticisms of the series in the past.

Throughout the Pokemon series, Gym Leaders frequently struggle to establish a memorable identity. Typically sporting a team comprised solely of their preferred type and not putting up a particularly challenging fight if the player has a solid understanding of type matchups, many opponents struggle to leave a lasting impression on the player. Moreover, due to the fact that the majority of leaders are defined by the type of Pokemon they employ, both visually and in terms of their characteristics, some of them tend to overlap. As a result, many fans assert that few Pokemon Gym Leaders are memorable, with the majority being uninteresting and lacking any distinguishing characteristics.

One brilliant aspect of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is how it responds to these criticisms through the character of its normal-type Gym Leader, Larry, whom fans have described as “very relatable” and as “hitting painfully hard.” Instead of having a conventionally tragic backstory, Larry is as ordinary as they come, working in an office and being extremely disillusioned with his boss. Larry is an easy-to-remember character because he is a good example of normality without being too cliche. He also represents the harsh reality of the real world. As part of his gym challenge, players can find him sitting at the bar of the Treasure Eatery restaurant and must speak with him. After the player orders the right dish, Larry will reveal himself as the leader of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Medali Gym and challenge the player.

Larry wouldn’t even stand out in a crowd, a clever reference to the fact that he specializes in normal-type Pokémon, whereas the majority of gym leaders have striking designs based on the Pokemon type they command. His jaded disposition also explains his preference for normal Pokemon, as he does not care enough about the role of gym leader to make it a full-time job, opting instead to earn an annual salary as a stereotypical office worker. When compared to other Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leaders, his lack of beauty and hope stands out.

His final words to the player upon giving them the TM Facade are also memorable, as he expresses his hope that they will never need to put on a facade of their own. Larry is a member of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Elite Four who specializes in flying-type Pokémon. He deviates from his normal typing when he later reappears as a member of the Elite Four who specializes in flying-type Pokemon. All of these elements combine to tell a story that is subtly depressing, with Larry being an elderly and uninteresting character in a game with infinite possibilities — something that many older players with extensive careers can relate to.

Even though everything seems to be going wrong for Larry at first, there is another small sign of hope. Larry has his Staraptor on both his Gym Leader and Elite Four teams. This shows that he and Staraptor have a strong bond and enjoy battling together, even though Larry is usually cold and uncaring. This is why he gives you the TM Facade after you beat him for the first time. Larry is ultimately a brilliant example of how to create an iconic Pokemon Gym Leader without the need for pompous outfits or unrealistic dialogue, instead relying on real-world stereotypes to tell a story that many players wish they couldn’t relate to as much as they do.