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Credit: KaijuFan2000DA
Template: These two are separate characters meme

All right, it feels like I want to set the record straight; especially given that a specific headcanon has become too commonplace that some people think that it is actual canon.

Technically speaking, Victor and Gloria aren’t blood-related at all. They never are, in the first place.

Sure, they’re both protagonists, they have the same mother and start point in Galar, and they have the same story.

But, have they ever interacted with each other in the game’s storyline? Is there any mention of like, another member of the player’s family?

Looking into the matter in-game, it seems like your player’s mom is the only family you have. There are no mentions of any other family member you might have there.

Whenever you play as one of them, the other doesn’t show up in any part of the game’s story at all. This has been like this since Generation VII; though, this technically started with Pokémon Crystal (Ethan and Kris) in Generation II and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (Red and Leaf) in Generation III.

The game developers have, so far, never planned for any of the game protagonists to be blood-related in the first place. So, in canon, the protagonists are separate people. In fact, there have been four past generations and one non-remake game in Generation VIII (Pokémon Legends: Arceus) that show two protagonists being separate people, not at all being siblings.

I do understand that protagonists are meant to be blank slates, such that we can formulate our stories and headcanons on them. Yes, I acknowledge that we all have our headcanons to enjoy and would like to share with others.

However, it seems that sometimes, people can take their headcanons to the mainstream that they may wind up letting others believe that it’s factual canon instead of fan canon.

This, I happen to find an issue with the ‘twin siblings’ (or just ‘siblings’, if not interested with the idea of twins) headcanon. This idea for protagonists to be blood-related has been set since long ago and also done with other protagonist pairs. However, it appears that Victor and Gloria are the ones most likely to be the subjects of this headcanon, as this headcanon for them has become so prominent nowadays in the Pokémon fandom.

Aside from protagonists not appearing simultaneously in the game’s story, this ‘twin siblings’ headcanon is another reason why some protagonist ships, especially GalarShipping/GloryWinnerShipping, have become so underrated and thrown aside these days. Viewing them in a romantic setting instead of platonic setting isn’t that well regarded by many. Even sometimes, people would think that shipping them together means incest! [Mind you, this isn’t incestuous at all, since protagonists technically aren’t supposed to be blood-related at all! Heck, the protagonists in the Pokémon Adventures | Pocket Monsters SPECIAL manga are shown as separate people; not one instance of any protagonist pair being siblings!]

Why do I bring this up? Well, it’s because some people really insist on that headcanon a little too seriously.

When I happen to be stumbling across Pinterest posts, with some pins of art featuring actual Victor and Gloria romance, some users comment on their insistence that they’re siblings, even though the artist intended for their work to be of romantic context instead of platonic. At times, when I even wanted to join in on commenting my interest in Victor and Gloria romance, I was told off by those who genuinely believe that the commonplace ‘siblings’ headcanon is factual. Needless to say, I had to step in and shove the fact in their face that Victor and Gloria are TECHNICALLY NOT SIBLINGS at all and that them being ‘brother and sister’ is JUST A FAN HEADCANON. I had to remind them that seeing Victor and Gloria as siblings is a headcanon they can keep but NOT ENFORCE AS ACTUAL FACT; because again, despite having similar starting points and stories, Victor and Gloria are TECHNICALLY SEPARATE PEOPLE since they never make any interactions with each other in the game’s storyline.

Back on to the game’s storyline; thus, if we are to strictly stick to game canon and put aside any headcanons about the protagonists, we may as well assume that the other character unchosen could be a separate person who is a normal citizen of Galar and doesn’t meet up or interact with the player at any instance in the story, or that the other character simply doesn’t exist at all.

Although, I wish that the dynamic of having both protagonists simultaneously in the game would come back; the recent time they did this was on Pokémon Legends: Arceus with Rei and Akari. It would’ve had an even nicer touch to the game’s storyline if the protagonists were to work together, and this can truly serve as juice for creative art and story ideas about them (and possibly shipping them romantically, if interested).

I repeat: So far, the game developers have NO INTENTIONS of making protagonist pairs blood siblings. Therefore, factually speaking, the protagonists are INTENDED TO BE SEPARATE PEOPLE.

It is fine and dandy that we can make up headcanons about the protagonist pairs, even the ‘twin siblings’ one; headcanons are for entertainment and amusement as we make fanart in any form (either literary or graphic). However, don’t forget the fact that protagonists are separate people in the first place, and that headcanons are simply fan canons to be enjoyed but NOT TO BE TAKEN AS SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTUAL FACTS.

Victor | Masaru {マサル} and Gloria | Yuuri {ユウリ} © The Pokémon Company, Nintendo and Game Freak

Description
Credit: KaijuFan2000DA
Template: These two are separate characters meme

All right, it feels like I want to set the record straight; especially given that a specific headcanon has become too commonplace that some people think that it is actual canon.

Technically speaking, Victor and Gloria aren’t blood-related at all. They never are, in the first place.

Sure, they’re both protagonists, they have the same mother and start point in Galar, and they have the same story.

But, have they ever interacted with each other in the game’s storyline? Is there any mention of like, another member of the player’s family?

Looking into the matter in-game, it seems like your player’s mom is the only family you have. There are no mentions of any other family member you might have there.

Whenever you play as one of them, the other doesn’t show up in any part of the game’s story at all. This has been like this since Generation VII; though, this technically started with Pokémon Crystal (Ethan and Kris) in Generation II and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (Red and Leaf) in Generation III.

The game developers have, so far, never planned for any of the game protagonists to be blood-related in the first place. So, in canon, the protagonists are separate people. In fact, there have been four past generations and one non-remake game in Generation VIII (Pokémon Legends: Arceus) that show two protagonists being separate people, not at all being siblings.

I do understand that protagonists are meant to be blank slates, such that we can formulate our stories and headcanons on them. Yes, I acknowledge that we all have our headcanons to enjoy and would like to share with others.

However, it seems that sometimes, people can take their headcanons to the mainstream that they may wind up letting others believe that it’s factual canon instead of fan canon.

This, I happen to find an issue with the ‘twin siblings’ (or just ‘siblings’, if not interested with the idea of twins) headcanon. This idea for protagonists to be blood-related has been set since long ago and also done with other protagonist pairs. However, it appears that Victor and Gloria are the ones most likely to be the subjects of this headcanon, as this headcanon for them has become so prominent nowadays in the Pokémon fandom.

Aside from protagonists not appearing simultaneously in the game’s story, this ‘twin siblings’ headcanon is another reason why some protagonist ships, especially GalarShipping/GloryWinnerShipping, have become so underrated and thrown aside these days. Viewing them in a romantic setting instead of platonic setting isn’t that well regarded by many. Even sometimes, people would think that shipping them together means incest! [Mind you, this isn’t incestuous at all, since protagonists technically aren’t supposed to be blood-related at all! Heck, the protagonists in the Pokémon Adventures | Pocket Monsters SPECIAL manga are shown as separate people; not one instance of any protagonist pair being siblings!]

Why do I bring this up? Well, it’s because some people really insist on that headcanon a little too seriously.

When I happen to be stumbling across Pinterest posts, with some pins of art featuring actual Victor and Gloria romance, some users comment on their insistence that they’re siblings, even though the artist intended for their work to be of romantic context instead of platonic. At times, when I even wanted to join in on commenting my interest in Victor and Gloria romance, I was told off by those who genuinely believe that the commonplace ‘siblings’ headcanon is factual. Needless to say, I had to step in and shove the fact in their face that Victor and Gloria are TECHNICALLY NOT SIBLINGS at all and that them being ‘brother and sister’ is JUST A FAN HEADCANON. I had to remind them that seeing Victor and Gloria as siblings is a headcanon they can keep but NOT ENFORCE AS ACTUAL FACT; because again, despite having similar starting points and stories, Victor and Gloria are TECHNICALLY SEPARATE PEOPLE since they never make any interactions with each other in the game’s storyline.

Back on to the game’s storyline; thus, if we are to strictly stick to game canon and put aside any headcanons about the protagonists, we may as well assume that the other character unchosen could be a separate person who is a normal citizen of Galar and doesn’t meet up or interact with the player at any instance in the story, or that the other character simply doesn’t exist at all.

Although, I wish that the dynamic of having both protagonists simultaneously in the game would come back; the recent time they did this was on Pokémon Legends: Arceus with Rei and Akari. It would’ve had an even nicer touch to the game’s storyline if the protagonists were to work together, and this can truly serve as juice for creative art and story ideas about them (and possibly shipping them romantically, if interested).

I repeat: So far, the game developers have NO INTENTIONS of making protagonist pairs blood siblings. Therefore, factually speaking, the protagonists are INTENDED TO BE SEPARATE PEOPLE.

It is fine and dandy that we can make up headcanons about the protagonist pairs, even the ‘twin siblings’ one; headcanons are for entertainment and amusement as we make fanart in any form (either literary or graphic). However, don’t forget the fact that protagonists are separate people in the first place, and that headcanons are simply fan canons to be enjoyed but NOT TO BE TAKEN AS SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTUAL FACTS.

Victor | Masaru {マサル} and Gloria | Yuuri {ユウリ} © The Pokémon Company, Nintendo and Game Freak