User:The dark lord trombonator/Sandpit
A non-player character (commonly abbreviated NPC) is a character in a Pokémon video game that cannot be controlled by the person operating the console. Their direct opposite is the player character.
Functions of non-player characters
Non-player characters are typically present in the game to further the progress of the player. Their duties vary. Early in the games they tend to offer advice for new players, similar to the trainer tips signage. Later in the game, as the player is more experienced, this function is less prominent, however at this point there still remain characters who encourage, or hint at, a visit at a certain area to fulfill a given task.
NPCs also supply the player with items and Pokémon, often free of charge. Generally, these cannot be received in another manner (except through utilizing a cloning glitch or through breeding). However, some NPCs hand out common or uncommon items on a daily basis, such as the Berry Masters of Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh.
The final variety of non-player characters are those who interact with the player. This may occur in Contests, in a battle on routes between cities, or in Pokémon Gyms. The latter belong to a category known as Gym Leaders; defeating all eight of these in a region enables access to the League, another group consisting of five NPCs. Template:V2v introduced five more NPCs who battle with the player