Rika (Pokémon)

About

Rika is a character and member of the Elite Four in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. She makes several appearances in the game ahead of her battle with the player, encouraging them and then giving them the "championship assessment," an interview segment before the player battles her. Online, she developed a passionate fanbase thanks to her androgynous look and personality.

Origin

Rika debuted in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, released on November 18th, 2022.^[1] In the game, she appears at several points on the player's journey before she interviews the player before facing the Elite Four. She is the first of the Elite Four and specializes in ground types.

Spread

After the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Rika became a quick fan favorite. In particular, players were drawn to her attractive and androgynous design. On November 24th, 2022, Twitter user @scifidraws^[2] posted art showing Rika joking that "everyone" finds her hot, which makes "everybody" gay, gaining over 9,000 retweets and 50,000 likes in one week (shown below, left). On November 29th, Twitter user @Mana_chan__^[3] posted a comic of the player-character being overwhelmed by Rika's beauty, gaining over 270 retweets and 1,000 likes in two days (shown below, right).

Rika also inspired scores of fan art, particularly Rule 63 fan art, making her slightly more masculine. For example, user @Majiburger^[4] posted art of Rika that gained over 600 retweets and 1,800 likes in two days (shown below, left). User @soggystyrofoam^[5] posted art of Rika as a shirtless male, gaining over 80 retweets and 280 likes (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References