>>41486478No rivals, no "main story' other than you beating gyms and going to the pokemon league, and evil team that's at most team skull/yell level of evil.
Instead you find OPTIONAL story npcs scattered throughout the region (similar to pic) that have their own story arc you can progress.
For example; On a side path in route 1, after going through some grass, you see a newbie girl trainer, talk to her and she says her pokemon fainted so you escort her back to town. If you do this she will appear later in a different town being harassed by the evil team, you can go help her. If you help her she will appear in a route later challenging you the battle to prove that she's no longer a weakling and so on.
Yuu can find a guy in a library, talk to him and he says he researching some ruins. Then you can find him in cave later and help him search for clues, an so on
There's a researcher in a route that asks you to show him a pokemon, you show it to him and he gives you an item. Appears in a different later asking for a different pokemon and so on.
Some of the stories need you to progress another character's story to continue. For example. Ruins guy finds the path to the ruins but needs a key, progress the girls story to a certain extent and she will give you the key. lend it to ruins guy and he will unlock the ruins region, which is where you can catch the pokemon researcher is looking for.
The stories later converge in the end which will lead to the legendary pokemon.
As for how to find the npcs, after finding them for the first time, they will give you their contact numbers .You can call them and they will give you hints as to where they are.
