Sobble
Pokémon character
National Pokédex
Cinderace - Sobble (#0816) - Drizzile
First gamePokémon Sword and Shield (2019)
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypeWater

Sobble, known in Japan as Messon (メッソン), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was first introduced in the 2019 Pokémon Sword and Shield, and was one of three Pokémon available to the player at the beginning of the game, along with Grookey and Scorbunny. It is a Water-type Pokémon, and evolves into Drizzile before evolving into Inteleon, both of which are also Water type.

Concept and creation

Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Pokémon series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the Pokémon Red and Blue video games 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,[1]: 6–7, 11  and some can transform into stronger species, or evolve, once they gain enough experience.[1]: 31, 35  The ultimate goal of the games is to complete the entries in the Pokémon index (Pokédex), a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain creatures from all Pokémon species.[1]: 6–7 

Sobble is a small lizard Pokémon that is able to camouflage itself when touching water. When it is nervous, embarrassed, or upset, it may cry, which can both cause it to become transparent and cause those around it to cry. The team designed it using a new style involving a visual designer and a gameplay/feature planner forming teams to come up with ideas, with Sobble being created by one such team. The designers noted that the trio of starter Pokémon in Sword and Shield are more distinct than previous generations, and they intentionally made it more subdued to complement the "more energetic" Scorbunny and the "mood-maker" Grookey.[2] Sobble is a meek Pokémon, which is unusual for a starter Pokémon according to the designers.[2] They commented that Sobble would be good for players who are "kind and caring."[2] Pokémon species designer James Turner expressed that he liked Sobble so much because "he's just so cute and [he] just want[s] to take care of him."[2] The staff expected Sobble to be popular among Japanese players, but were unsure how it would be received by players outside of Japan. Sword and Shield director Shigeru Ohmori discussed a culture in Japan where people find something cute because they feel sorry for it.[3]

Appearances

Sobble is a Water-type Pokémon, and one of the three starting Pokémon available to the player in the 2019 video games Pokémon Sword and Shield, along with the Grass-type Grookey and Fire-type Scorbunny. It is given to the players early by the Pokémon Champion, Leon. It eventually evolves into its second stage, Drizzile, which itself evolves into Inteleon, both of which retain their Water typing and gaining no new typing. It is not obtainable without trading in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but it was later made available through The Indigo Disk, the second part of the games' downloadable content, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, which allowed it to be captured. It also appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Spirit, a collectible that can be used to upgrade a character's abilities or stats.

Sobble appears in Pokémon Journeys: The Series as a Pokémon belonging to the trainer Goh. Over the course of the series, it eventually evolved into Drizzile, and later, Inteleon. Sobble appeared in the Pokémon Adventures manga as a Pokémon named Sniffler, belonging to the trainer Marvin. It has also been the subject of multiple card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Promotion and reception

Despite the development team's concerns, Sobble has been one of the more popular Pokémon in Sword and Shield worldwide,[3] and was voted the most popular of the starter trio in Sword and Shield in an official poll by the Pokémon Twitter account.[4] A similar poll was conducted by Inside Games, with Sobble also winning,[5] while a poll by IT Media found Sobble to be the seventh most popular of all the new Sword and Shield Pokémon.[6]

The depiction of Sobble as a timid creature has influenced its fanart, where much of it was Sobble crying.[7] Polygon writer Patricia Hernandez found it interesting that Sobble was so well-received, drawing comparisons between it and Popplio, who was criticized for its "innocent demeanor."[7] Fanbyte writer Dylan Bishop felt kinship with Sobble's anxiety and sadness, saying that Sobble was a good fit for anxious players. He also commented on how it reflects on Game Freak's intent to emphasize creature emotion in the games. He hoped that it would eventually evolve into a happier Pokémon and felt it was a joke about a "woke, depressed millennial, until he considered that Wooloo was similarly conflict averse.[8] While examining the starters, Vice writer Natalie Watson questioned why Sobble had to be crying, saying that Pokémon should be happy while hoping that it evolves into a less unhappy Pokémon, as well as finding it relatable due to being an "anxious wreck" herself.[9] Polygon writer Nicole Carpenter felt that Sobble was the clearly best starter Pokémon in Sword and Shield, as well as her favorite in the games at the time.[3]

USA Today writers Cian Maher and Ryan Woodrow criticized Sobble as annoying due to its crying and scared nature, further describing its "edgelord" evolutions while expressing their confusion as to why it was popular.[10] An article on The Gamer examining Sword and Shield's starters offered similar thoughts regarding its evolution, questioning what caused Sobble to go from a "crying boi" to a "secret agent" and arguing that it has an unusual lack of a clear path that other starter forms have.[11]

Other writers for The Gamer felt differently however. In a discussion with the website's staff examining the franchise's most often hated Pokémon, Rhiannon Bevan defended Sobble, saying that anyone who does has a "heart [...] made of coal." She identified it as her second-favorite Pokémon in the franchise, and felt that controversies with Sword and Shield as a game overshadowed Sobble, stating that in any other series title it would have been a fan favorite[12] Fellow writer Ben Sledge identified it as his third-favorite Pokémon, and while he acknowledged his own misgivings in how it changed when it evolved, he felt much of the criticisms toward it and its evolutionary line would be dampened by the fervor of fans if they were originally introduced in the original games, Pokémon Red and Blue.[13] Dual Shockers writer Logan Moore felt it was the "silliest looking starter ever made," adding that Sobble's "perennially nervous and stressed out" look was relatable. He found that Sobble's personality was the most emphatic of the three, stating that while he usually isn't drawn to Water-type starters, Sobble was an exception.[14] Fellow Dual Shockers writer Cameron Hawkins also enjoyed Sobble, feeling it was a unique design for a Water-type starter.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Game Freak (September 30, 1998). Pokémon Red and Blue, Instruction manual. Nintendo.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Game Freak Explains Everything About Sobble From Pokémon Sword And Shield". Game Informer. October 9, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Carpenter, Nicole (October 9, 2019). "Pokemon's developers just want us to take care of Sobble". Polygon. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ↑ Doolan, Liam (March 4, 2019). "Sobble Voted Favourite Sword And Shield Starter Pokémon In Japanese Poll". Nintendo Life. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ "「『ポケモン ソード・シールド』最初に選ぶ御三家はだれにする？」結果発表―人気はみずタイプの「メッソン」！【アンケート】". Inside Games. March 3, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  6. ↑ Dopey (June 21, 2021). "【ポケモン剣盾】ガラル地方のポケモン人気ランキングTOP30！　エースバーン、マホイップの同率第1位に！【2021年最新投票結果】". IT Media. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Hernandez, Patricia (February 27, 2019). "Pokémon fans want to protect Sobble at all costs". Polygon. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  8. ↑ Bishop, Dylan (June 27, 2019). "Pokemon Sword and Shield's Monsters are All About Personality". Fanbyte. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  9. ↑ Riendeau, Danielle (March 1, 2019). "Sobble Will Grow Up To Be Happy One Day, and Other Pokemon Hopes and Dreams". Vice Media. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ Maher, Cian; Woodrow, Ryan (December 15, 2022). "The best starter Pokemon, ranked". USA Today. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  11. ↑ Colby (January 4, 2020). "Pokémon: 6 Problems With Galar's Starter Trio (And 4 Things We Love)". The Gamer. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  12. ↑ Van Der Velde, Issy (May 9, 2022). "The Big Question: What Is The Least Hateable Pokemon?". The Gamer. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  13. ↑ Sledge, Ben (May 21, 2022). "Give The Pokemon Gen 9 Starters A Chance". The Gamer. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  14. ↑ Moore, Logan (February 27, 2019). "Ranking the New Starters from Pokemon Sword and Shield". Dual Shockers. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  15. ↑ Hawkins, Cameron (June 7, 2019). "Pokemon Sword and Shield May Finally Reignite My Love for the Series". Dual Shockers. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
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