Your Dad's a Real....Looker.

[Chase]

One of the most prevalent questions in the Pokemon game-verse seems to be this. "Where/Who is Dad?"

Gen 1: Dunno

Gen 2: Dunno

Gen 3: Norman, the Petalburg City Gym Leader and Normal type specialist.

Gen 4: Dunno

Gen 5: Dunno

Gen 6: Dunno

If the narrative were supposed to be "Dad b gone" or "all boys leave home someday", then why the hell is Norman even a thing? It would have been an expectation otherwise right?

This got me thinking. There are several characters in the Pokemon universe that are indeed older males. Could one of the characters hiding under our noses possibly give someone other than our Hoenn protagonist more than cheap dialogue.

What if we know who our Dad is - even if we're not playing a Gen 3 title or ORAS?

We just might.

Enter Looker - the globetrotting International Police officer who we have seen in four of the six known regions in the Pokemon universe. Looker is known to be one of the more recurring characters in the cast of NPCs we meet through our various journeys. He runs into the following cast of Protagonists on his cases

Gen 3 (ORAS): May/Brenden (Not the father - Norman is canonically called "Dad")

Gen 4: Dawn/Lucas

Gen 5: Hilda/Hilbert

Gen 6: Calem/Serena

Norman notwithstanding, my theory is that Looker, of the International Police, is the father of the protagonists from one of the the generations above.

Before we can prove the parantage of Looker with more story tangents, we have to first figure out which of these protagonists fit best. To do that, let's look at why Looker visits each of the generations.

Gen 3: By complete accident - Looker is shipwrecked and floats into the Battle Resort shores, found by the player.

Gen 4: Looker is assigned to stopping Team Galactic.

Gen 5: Looker is assigned to arresting the Seven Sages after the player defeats Team Plasma.

Gen 6: Looker is assigned to arresting Dr. Xerosic after Team Flare is dissolved.

At first glance, it doesn't appear Looker has any extreme ties to any of the four regions he visits. Let's try a different method.

Gen 3: The player is rewarded the Audinite for helping shelter Looker.

Gen 4: The player is provided assistance in stopping Galactic, along with the Vs. Recorder.

Gen 5: The player is provided the Super Rod, along with intel on the whereabouts of N.

Gen 6: The player is provided the code-name "Looker" and is an honorary member of the International Police.

After glancing at the tangible rewards granted by interacting with Looker, we notice only one item that is particularly region-specific - the Audinite. Audino is a Pokemon native to the Unova region, and from this we can extrapolate that Looker is Unovan and get a solid hint as to which of our protagonists may be related to him through it.

However, we can provide another layer of argument than that. Hoenn has already been explained away. It was by complete accident Looker ended up there. After locking up Charon and returning the Magma Stone, Looker says "he'll take his leave" - and it's very known that Looker's speech pattern is not synomymous with the Sinnoh national language. In Kalos, the whole story hints that Looker is living in Lumiose temporarily and that he is very poor, doing local detective work to survive and meet rent.

In Unova however - Looker has a very specific reason for leaving - and he doesn't even leave when the job is done (as Ghetsis is still at large). He leaves to verify a N sighting reported in a foreign land. Meaning, he's leaving, specifically to track down N. This doesn't give us any sense of Unova being a foreign place to him - and provides us with another possible point of reference to being the father of these two Protagonists:

Long thread; didn't read? - Looker may be the father of Hilda/Hilbert, the protagonists from the first two games of Generation V, Black and White.

In the next post I make, I'll tackle the five points (including the two used to determine our best fitting protags) specifically nailing Looker to the protagonists in the Unova Region in more depth.

Enjoy and please do comment!

[Exalted]

or your mom in game reproduces asexually and you mom told you a lie of your dad existing so that you wont feel different from other kids or prof oak is main canidate

[Aishi]

tbh I'm having a hard time believing this but please, do continue!

I wanna see where this goes. this seems really interesting. :0

[mde2001]

I had never thought about that. While I doubt it was what the developers had on their minds the evidence that you provided certainly does back it up.

This is a really cool theory and I'd love to see more. Everything you've said here makes sense so I can see the possible relationship.

[Chase]

1. Audino who my Daddy...

Covered in the last post - Looker awards the player in Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire with the Audinite. Audino is found natively in Unova, along with being found in ORAS through the Mirage Spots. - This means the only tangible place to find Audino without having access to the Eon Flute would be in Unova in the shaking grass.

There's no confirmation that Mega Evolution is a thing in the Unova Region yet > but you may like a video of another theory that raises the possibility.

Here, the "Many Worlds Interpretation" states that there are two distinct universes, and in one universe, Unova (setting of Black and White) may indeed not know about Mega Evolution simply because it isn't a thing in that particular universe while in a different Unova (setting of the potential but not-yet-made remake for Black and White) Mega Evolution does.

MatPat flat out explains it in the youtube video above. ORAS takes place in a different universe than Black and White does. In the ORAS universe, we can safely extrapolate that Mega Evolution IS INDEED a thing in Unova without even having to wait for the remakes to be released. Hence, it's possible for the Audinite to be used AND located in Unova, and found while Looker spends time there. We know Looker comes across one such Audinite somehow - as HE is the one who presents it to the player in ORAS.

2. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE!!?!?!

In Black and White, the player FIRST meets Looker inside their own home, disguised as the players Mother. - which is perhaps the strangest disguise Looker takes when on a mission in any of his appearances.

We know that Looker is indeed a staunch investigator, but is there a need to go to such extremes just to infiltrate the players' home in order to contact him or her otherwise? why not just wait outside like Shuana does in X and Y?

Wouldn't Mom like....go beserk if there were just someone disguised as her and she was right next to them, able to see them?

Apparently not. while somewhat hesitant - your mother calls Looker "unique" and doesn't seem unsettled by catching someone impersonating her. If this person was let in the house by nature and was known to do such things however - like say - a close family friend or a family member - then it would be natural for your mother to be cool with this person and his behavior.

Finally, if you're STILL not convinced, the item Looker provides the player with after this house episode is the Super Rod, which he proudly tells you and your mother has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with finding the Seven Sages as his earlier spiel rolls on about - but it IS a practical tool for another thing. Father-Child fishing trips. If the player is Looker's child, then it's completely sensible for something like Looker, who is nowhere NEAR a fisherman, to present this item to the player.

In short, Looker is able to walk in freely, doesn't concern your mother with his behavior, and gives you an item that would be used to bond with you their child. Sounds pretty "Dad" like to me.

3. Unova Where the Heart Is...

This was hashed out in the last post. Every Looker appearance in other games highly suggests that Looker is merely a foreigner looking to fight crime, who specifically leaves after his job is done, whereas here, Looker leaves Unova to further pursue the mystery behind Team Plasma and N - without even apprehending Ghetsis, allowing him to wreak havoc in the sequel Gen V titles, Black 2 and White 2.

This means Unova is the one place he doesn't seem out of place and the one place where it seems like he has to leave to "return home". Looking back to the last point, this is the one time Looker talks to a player in a building known as "home" as well. The second and third points work very well together.

4. Hey there, "Handsome"

There's no possible way we can allow ourselves to believe we are always born of a virgin mother in these games - especially when these games are from Japan, a nation that would address such births as "mythical" and usually would go well out of their way to indicate as such. And especially-especially because Gen III doesn't make this always the case.

Speaking of Japan, Looker's code name in the Japanese versions of any Pokemon title he appears in is "Handsome", an adjective usually used to describe a very well-put-together male by a woman in the West.

"Looker" is also a sort of adjective, made famous from the cat-call "That man's a real Looker." - indicating that the man is again, likely "handsome."

Let's say some ten to thirteen years ago, your Mother met a traveling man of this caliber and fooled around with him. This traveling man was some "cop" or something...You guys see what I'm getting at here. Looker's job as an International Police officer would be perfect for a figure that is seemingly not present in your life - as he is busy traveling the world and fighting crime! This also presents one possible explanation as to why there is not a close relationship prior to working with him on the Seven Sages manhunt with him and why he would have to introduce himself.

I don't remember what number 5 is.

Oh, wait, now I do!

In ORAS, Looker suffers from amnesia upon being found on the beach of the Battle Resort. The results of this are actually quite severe. Looker has no idea where he is, what he's supposed to be doing, and even worse, who he is...

Now, we have to consider how bad the amnesia is. Given how much information Looker seems to not have in ORAS - it's highly possible that Looker is suffering from "retrograde" amnesia - meaning memories before washing up on Hoenn's shores would be lost, while new memories could still be made. We don't get enough to tell if the police officer is also suffering from "anterograde" amnesia - or the loss of ability to make new memories, but it -is- possible for a patient to experience both concurrently.

Now, we could take the easy route and assume it's temporary and caused by trauma. - but there isn't enough dialogue to say for certain. We -can- confirm that something washed Looker ashore, so it's definitely on the table.

Korsakoff's syndrome - another cause of amnesia and other symptoms and a neurological disease - could also be the reasoning however. The main cause of it is MOSTLY found in alcoholics, as the intoxication causes Thiamine levels in the brain to severely drop. However, it's also potentially genetic -AND- can be caused by things such as malnutrition and eating disorders.

Look back to his adventures in Kalos. He's found living in Lumiose City on a very tight budget and becomes even MORE strapped once he lets Emma and Mimi into his care. Having no money is easily a cause of malnutrition - and it's also possible that Looker doesn't eat regularly while on his various missions.

If this is par for the course, then Looker may be an amnesiac prior to arriving in Hoenn. Perhaps, "Looker" isn't simply a code name after all. It's highly possible that's the name he goes by after blacking out some time previously. A time, where he forgot he had family back home.

So there you have it. Looker is a Korsakoff's Syndrome sufferer who travels the world to fight crime under an alias with two possible reasons he doesn't know his child - a Unovan boy or girl whom he would eventually give a fishing rod and send out to find the Seven Sages of Team Plasma.

There are holes in the theory to be sure. For instance, depending on the chronological order of events, Looker would still have to remember Mom in order to know to visit your residence - meaning 2 or 5 is somewhat flawed when put together.

That's all it was though. A theory. I think putting it all together though, the argument is rather compelling.

Who ya daddy? Looker over here.

[Tomas Elliot]

[GRAMMAR NAZI INTENSIFIES]

[Hexagoen]

Hmm. I actually really like this theory! I never thought of someone like looker to be the protagonists father. And there is a good amount of evidence of this! Can't wait to see what the actual canon tells us (if they ever will)

[Chase]

Look. I'll quality check my posts later today after I get some rest.

If anyone finds a mod, have them fix the title name for me. That really is an eyesore. I was writing this pretty late at night. :S

Thank you guys for the support!

Edited January 23, 2016 by Arkhi
Gotchu

[Peepeepoopoo]

Maybe you're just adopted.

[Isa-Chu]

This is a very well-made and interesting theory! I never actually considered Looker as the potential father of the protagonist, good job!

[Garnet.]

This is interesting as all hell. I really love reading theories, it's crazy how people think of this kind of thing but I can't even go far enough to investigate. I'm looking forward to your next topic, if you decide to write some more theories!

Edited January 23, 2016 by Spade

[5hift]

TIL that my dad is possibly David Tennant.

[Ironbound]

I really like this theory. However, while it sounds plausible enough, perhaps it's a bit too deep for a Pokemon game? It might just be that the Player's mother is a single parent.

[Chase]

Too deep for a Pokemon game?

Going down to brass tacks, yes - theorizing the identify of the players non-existent father seems to be at first glance redundant - as most theories would seem to be.

However, if you've played Pokemon, there are some very distinct topics that are breached.

• Criminal activity
• life and death
• the ethics of using Pokemon in fights and other various helpful task completion.
• the creation of the universe
• terraforming and seaforming

and so on and so forth.

On top of that, the Pokedex - which I know reads in an extremely ridiculous fashion - breaches several dark topics such as how some pokemon hunt in detail, the horrifying preference of harming -children-, Hell, and so on and so forth.

This game is deeper than pokemon slapping each other around.

[Ironbound]

Touché. I really cannot argue about all the below-the-surface issues that the not-very-innocent observer is made to understand. And I admitted to liking your theory. However, as much as I like it, I can't see Looker as anything more than a comic NPC whose popularity in Gen4 spurred Game Freak on to just slap him into almost every subsequent game, simply because it was more convenient than having another 'face' to represent an inter-regional authority.

Kudos to your idea, though. I would not be unhappy to see it actually be true.

[Chase]

There's only two faces that represent the International Police...

The first one was a character that wasn't really looked into much. An NPC can be found upon the S.S. Anne in Generation 1 who will tell you he is a part of the "Global Police" - He uses a generic Gentleman sprite.

...and the second is Looker.

Fan service is fine and dandy in all, but do you -really- want to think people were asking for Looker to be brought back this much? More so than the likes of even Champions or Red or what-have-you? Looker is a funny character - but in his origin game he's actually a part of the player's opposing the local criminal organization throughout the story. Looker merely cameos throughout the later games he's in - and has a perfectly valid reason for doing so due to being a part of of a global organization that fights crime.

I think Looker being brought back each and every generation since is a bit weird for some reason or another. This theory at least provides the answer as to "Why is Looker so much of a recurring character?" - as it's Game Freak's subtle way of showing Looker is important.

Without it, that in itself is something to theorize over.

[Ice Cream Sand Witch]

About the IP agent on the S.S. Anne, there are some people who think that actually is Looker.