>>51108697She's not supposed to be gloomy, she's supposed to be autistic
Just like Marnie, sans the spikes and shaved head
They're both filling Lillie's shoes in that their existence represents character growth to the player to help people too chicken shit scared to battle to work up the courage to finish the game in the first place (remember pokemon is targeted towards literal children)
Yes it's asinine but that's where the franchise is in 2022
Remember it's a franchise, not a game, they're trying to appeal to everyone ESPECIALLY the type of person who will buy comfort plushies and various merchandise with their favorite comfort animals
Next gen will have an outlier autistic/loner/quiet type, and they will have a similar design
This is the new norm, including the legpiss inspired androgynous designs that have started popping up in droves since last gen
Never forget that this isn't just a fun rpg to play with your buds anymore, it's a franchise, and every move is made to maximize every sale imaginable rather than just the """""""core""""""""" video game playing audience's two-three game cart purchases per year
