User:Cukie Gherkin/Ball Guy

Concept and creation

Ball Guy is voiced by Tomokazu Seki.

Critical reception

Since his appearance in Sword and Shield, Ball Guy has been a popular character for fans. IT Media writer Tobe Mamiya called him one of the funniest characters in the series The Gamer writer Stacey Henley called him the games' best character, suggesting the sequels, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, need a character as iconic as him. She argued that Ball Guy helped represent Galar's culture, which she contended was built in part around British sports culture. She discussed how Ball Guy was more akin to American sports culture's feelings on mascots, he felt at home in the British-inspired Galar, and helped give soul to the gym challenges. Polygon writer Patricia Hernandez praised Ball Guy, saying that she was instantly infatuated with him the moment she saw him. She felt that his earnest interest in the things he likes was an endearing trait, commenting on the rate of people finding him creepy by pointing out that he was a normal person by the standards of the Pokemon series. Kotaku writer Natalie Degraffinried, however, felt that the premise of Ball Guy, regardless of his earnestness, was nevertheless promoting a product in the world of Pokemon, also discussing particular issues that Pokemon species face in the world of Galar, such as Corsola dying. IT Media writer Sawadee Otsuka noted that Ball Guy's tendency to end his statements with "ボル" (bol) made an impact on players. While discussing his appearance in Pokemon Masters EX, Otsuka noted that it had a balance of comical elements, but his voice, which he describes as handsome, created a sense of gap moe (a term referring to a character with traits or actions that contradict how they normally are). GameSpot writer Kallie Plagge noted that, while she initially found him enjoyable during her main playthrough of Sword and Shield, expressing frustration with how distribution of rewards by Ball Guy was handled, particularly with the Flame Orb. Tobe Mamiya noted a negative response by fans due to the limited access to the Flame Orb item through Ball Guy.