Sobble

Sobble, known in Japan as Messon (メッソン), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was first introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield and is one of three Pokémon available to the player at the beginning of the game, along with Grookey and Scorbunny. It is a Water-type Pokémon and evolves into Drizzile, then Inteleon, both of which are also Water-type.

Sobble was designed by the development team to be a timid Pokémon in order to provide a contrast with the other starter Pokémon in Sword and Shield, Grookey and Scorbunny. While popular among fans, critical response was mixed, with some reviewers praising Sobble's design and personality, while others were confused as to why Sobble cries, calling it "annoying".

Concept and creation
Sobble is a fictional species of Pokémon created for the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy. In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, and some can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution.

Sobble is a small lizard Pokémon able to camouflage itself when touching water. When it is nervous, embarrassed, or upset, it may cry, which can both cause it to become transparent and cause those around it to cry. Sobble has a "type," an elemental attribute that affects its strengths and weaknesses: Water. The design process involved a visual designer and a gameplay/feature planner cooperating to come up with ideas, with Sobble being created by one such team. The designers noted that the trio of starter Pokémon in Sword and Shield are more distinct than previous generations, and they intentionally made it more subdued to complement the "more energetic" Scorbunny and the "mood-maker" Grookey. The designers considered Sobble's meek personality as unusual for a starter Pokémon. They commented that Sobble would be good for players who are "kind and caring." Pokémon species designer James Turner expressed that he liked Sobble because it is "cute" and people "want to take care of [it]". Sword and Shield director Shigeru Ohmori described a culture in Japan where people find something cute because they feel sorry for it, and thus expected Sobble to be popular in Japan, with uncertainty about how it would be received elsewhere.

Appearances
Sobble is a Water-type Pokémon and one of the three starting Pokémon available to the player in the 2019 video games Pokémon Sword and Shield, along with the Grass-type Grookey and Fire-type Scorbunny. Its second evolution stage, Drizzile, is preceded by Inteleon. Both species are Water-type and do not gain any new types when evolving. It is not obtainable without trading in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but it was made available through The Indigo Disk, the second part of the games' downloadable content, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. It also appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Spirit, a collectible that can be used to upgrade a character's abilities or stats.

Sobble appears in Pokémon Journeys: The Series as a Pokémon belonging to the trainer Goh. Goh's Sobble evolves as the series progresses. It has also been the subject of multiple cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Promotion and reception
Sobble has been used in promotion for the series since its debut, appearing in the form of plushies, figurines, and t-shirts. Despite the development team's concerns about Sobble's international popularity, Sobble has been one of the more popular Pokémon in Sword and Shield worldwide and was voted the most popular of the starter trio in Sword and Shield in an official poll conducted by the Pokémon Twitter account. Sobble also won in a similar poll by Inside Games, while one by IT Media found Sobble to be the seventh most popular of all the new Sword and Shield Pokémon.

The depiction of Sobble as a timid creature has influenced its fanart, where much of it involved the species crying. Polygon writer Patricia Hernandez found it interesting that Sobble was so well-received, drawing comparisons between it and Popplio, who was criticized for having a similar "innocent demeanor." She found that Sobble's more baby-like attitude and more open negative emotions helped influence the more positive response to Sobble in comparison to Popplio. Fanbyte writer Dylan Bishop felt kinship with Sobble's anxiety and sadness, saying that Sobble was a good fit for anxious players. He also commented on how it reflected on Game Freak's intent to emphasize emotions in the games, citing that, in conjunction with other Sword and Shield Pokémon Wooloo, the Pokémon used their anxiety to help make players relate to the species on a more emotional level compared to past Pokémon. Examining the starters, Vice writer Natalie Watson questioned why Sobble had to be crying, citing that she felt Pokémon should be happy. While she found it relatable due to being an "anxious wreck," she hoped it would evolve into a less depressed Pokémon. Polygon writer Nicole Carpenter felt that Sobble was the best starter Pokémon in Sword and Shield, as well as her favorite in the games at the time.

USA Today writers Cian Maher and Ryan Woodrow criticized Sobble as annoying due to its cowardness, further describing its "edgelord" evolutions while expressing their confusion as to why it was popular. An article for The Gamer examining Sword and Shield's starters offered similar thoughts regarding its evolution, questioning what caused Sobble to go from a "crying boi" to a "secret agent" and arguing that it has an unusual lack of a clear path that other starter forms have in regards to their evolutionary growth.

Other writers for The Gamer felt differently. In a discussion with the website's staff examining various Pokémon from throughout the franchise, Rhiannon Bevan defended Sobble, saying that anyone who does has a "heart [...] made of coal." She identified it as her second-favorite Pokémon in the franchise, and felt that controversies with Sword and Shield as a game overshadowed Sobble, stating that in any other series title, it would have been a fan favorite. Fellow writer Ben Sledge identified it as his third-favorite Pokémon, and while he acknowledged his own misgivings with its evolutions, he felt much of the criticisms toward it and its evolutionary line would be dampened by the fervor of fans if they were introduced in Pokémon Red and Blue. Dual Shockers writer Logan Moore felt it was the "silliest looking starter ever made," adding that Sobble's "perennially nervous and stressed out" look was relatable. He found Sobble's personality to be the most emphatic of the three, stating that while he was usually not drawn to Water-type starters, Sobble was an exception. Fellow Dual Shockers writer Cameron Hawkins also enjoyed Sobble, recognizing it as a unique design for a Water-type starter.