The
second chapter of
Pokémon Adventures’s
Scarlet & Violet arc is a charming setup to the story to come. While it may not have as much energy and excitement as the
first one, it gives us a lot to think about for the future of the arc. Many characters and their dynamics are explored a bit deeper, giving us some insight into how they will grow with the series itself.
There will be spoilers ahead. If that’s a concern,
make sure to enjoy the chapter for yourself on the CoroCoro website before reading!
I thought it was creative that the authors decided to frame the bulk of this chapter within some exciting scenes at
Asado Desert. This worked because the story was able to start off with a bang, but also give us some needed context about the aftermath of the first chapter. Although I would have liked to see
Nemona have a battle with
Violet, it was pretty funny to learn that she indirectly influenced
Arven to join him in the first place. It’s interesting how the relationship between those two translates from the
games. While Arven was always a bit annoyed with Nemona there, he’s actively trying to escape from her here. I’d like to see how their relationship evolves over time—hopefully we’ll get to see the two develop some kind of chaotic friendship.
It was also funny that Violet was ready and willing to battle Nemona, but immediately changed his mind when
Rotojī scolded him for getting distracted. This shows us that Violet is either a people pleaser, a scatterbrain, or someone who expects someone else to make decisions for him. Personally, I think all three describe him based on what we’ve learned from him being treated like a prince.
Speaking of Violet’s childhood, one of the most compelling parts of this chapter was when we learned about the backstory between him and Rotojī. I was genuinely shocked to learn Violet isn’t actually a prince (although the
King’s Rock on his head should have been a giveaway), and also that Rotojī is the digitized spirit of his late butler, who was the only person in his life who wanted to teach him how to socialize. It kind of hurt to learn that Violet’s parents, who already prevented their son from learning valuable life lessons, reacted to his grief by giving him a
Rotom Phone installed with the butler’s personality—especially when the butler seemed to be the type of person who wouldn’t approve of something like this. We don’t know much about what the butler was teaching Violet, but I doubt he would be the type to support distracting Violet’s grief with an AI. I also want to point out that this concept should definitely raise a few flags with readers who have made it to the end of the Scarlet & Violet games.
Something else that interested me was that when Arven asks Violet why he dresses up like a prince, he reveals that Rotojī gave him the idea so that people would have an easier time understanding that’s what he is. There’s a bit to unpack here. First off, Violet genuinely believes he is a prince, being in complete denial. Second, despite wanting to help Violet enter society, Rotojī is the one encouraging Violet to make changes to his appearance in order to look like a prince. If Rotojī really has the personality of Violet’s former butler, would he want to play into Violet’s denial, potentially prolonging it in the process? And not only that, but go against his desire to have Violet easily fit into society? It’s certainly interesting, and makes me wonder if this is all part of the butler’s complicated plan to socialize Violet, or a sign that Rotojī’s creation was the wrong idea.
Moving on from that topic, I’m glad we got to have a scene of Nemona trying to track down her
opponent to finish their battle. It’s interesting how the authors depict her as becoming genuinely stressed when not being able to battle—almost as if she’s being deprived of something vital. I thought it was funny how she was completely oblivious to the bulk of the phone conversation she’d overheard her opponent having, especially because that’s where we learn that she has been illegitimately enrolled into the school as an honor student. This is definitely interesting—what is she planning that would make her have to enroll—unauthorized—into the academy? Even though we’re not told a lot about Nemona’s mysterious opponent, she’s set up to be an intriguing character. Of course Nemona, in true Nemona fashion, only dwells on the fact that she has a battle to finish.
I liked the other flashback-within-a-flashback that took place after this that showed us how Violet met
Miraidon. I love how Pokémon Adventures stays true to the canonical fact that Miraidon loves sandwiches. I also thought it was adorable that this was the reason Miraidon started following Violet. The panel depicting this scene is pretty cute, especially because it seems like Violet was initially wary of Miraidon. Their expressions always make me smile when I come back to this. Even Arven, despite his indifference to Miraidon, seems to be amused by this story.
The ending of the chapter, when we’re finally brought back to the scene with the Great Tusk and Iron Treads, was also a lot of fun to read. I thought Violet’s method of having his Fuecoco start puffing out fire to draw out the Iron Treads was clever, especially because of the way illustrator
Satoshi Yamamoto hinted at what was going on by subtly showing that the temperature was getting warmer. I also loved the moment where Violet points out that Arven has a
Poké Ball in his vest pocket, and as his best friend, Arven shouldn’t hide things from him. This got a laugh out of me, but it also shows us a bit about the way Violet’s lack of socialization as a child has affected him now. Since Violet grew up without any friends, the few hours he has spent with Arven are meaningful enough to earn him the title of Best Friend. Violet’s naïveté here is both endearing and a little sad. To add to the bittersweet feeling of this scene, this is where Arven finally reveals that he has a
Mabosstiff, calling it his only friend.
Even though this chapter may have felt like it was setting up future events, it taught us more about Violet and Arven, especially how similar the two are. It seems like before they met, they were both friendless due to their dysfunctional families. Despite this, it’s like they’re on opposite sides of the same spectrum—while Violet is quick to call everyone he meets a friend, Arven finds himself better off alone with his Mabosstiff. From how he’s been depicted so far, Arven seems to be the type of person who distances himself from others, as we’ve seen him go out of his way to avoid talking to both Nemona and
Professor Turo. Violet, on the other hand, inserts himself into every situation he can find. This creates an interesting dynamic between the two of them, as both are similar, yet not quite.
Violet’s characterization continues to fascinate me, and this chapter gave us a whole new layer of it with the reveal that he is not actually a prince. For such a cheerful character, there’s something quite sad that comes with all of his denial. It makes me wonder if, at some point, the truth will come out and hit him hard. Although we are shown that Rotojī wants to help Violet work through this, I’m a bit curious as to how necessary it is for him to go along with his delusion. I’m interested in seeing where Rotojī’s plan goes and how Violet will grow along the way.
What were your thoughts on this chapter? Were you surprised to learn the truth about Violet? Do you think Rotojī has the right idea?
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