I was looking at my lineup of Poketagonists for every region so far and each team is made up of Starters or pokemon who could be considered "Starter Adjacent" but then that leaves each team with a 5 person party. Pokemon usually come in a team of 6 though, so I decided to bring in the baby Pseudo-legendries. Each of them are not as initial members of the team but characters who end up joining the team later and fill in whatever role is not already being filled on the team Team Johto has a good mix of skills, so I decided to give them a new member who is straight forward. The Larvatar line are based on Godzilla and generally Kaiju tropes, so I decided to lean into her Japanese culture and make her a Noble Samurai. Samurai are particularly good at not staying down for long, which also describes Godzilla fights where even if he's overpowered, he keeps getting back up and pressing his opponent till they give in. Her weapon is a Kanabo "Oni Club" made from Peach Wood which is a strong wood but also considered holy, and studded with a mix of Iron, Silver, and Bronze, which all have properties that effect or ward off different magical beings. The Hearts, the Pink Colors, and the Flowers tend to read to us in the western world is very feminine but in Japanese culture they are all symbols of a Warrior: The hearts are not Love Hearts like we see them in western culture but are meant to be a stylized depiction of a Pig's snout representing Courage, Protection, and being willing to Charge Forward with Reckless Determination!
The color Pink, especially in reference to the Sakura Cherry Blossom is meant to to represent the ideal Samurai. Their Life is Short but they should go out gloriously and without regret. Live in the moment as brilliantly and brightly as a Cherry Blossom. Kimiko is from a high-class Noble Samurai family. She knows how to behave with proper company like a noble lady, but she is immature and enjoys being a spoiled brat and messing with other pokemon and getting away with it because of her status, if she keeps messing with you then that probably means she likes you and wants to hang out more and play.
I call them Iron Spike, an Unofficial preevolution to the Paradox Tyranitar Iron Thorns. I don't know if they will be a member of the Johto team or just a Rival to Kimoko the Larvatar. Fun Fact: Samurai and Cowboys existed around the same time but they are also almost complete opposites. Samurai were hereditary warriors and retainers to a noble Lord who lived and died by their honor and service to their masters. Katana's were certainly not the only or main weapon used by actual Samurai but thematically it works as a representation of a Samurai. It's Traditional, often passed down from one generation to another, and takes time to learn and hone one's skill. Cowboys were Working men who are infamously informal and fiercely independent. Cowboys are almost universally associated with a weapon of choice as well being their revolver. A Revolver is an Industrial weapon, almost anyone can get their hands on one and use them immediately.
Though they are very different they also have some bridges that connect them. They are both emblematic of their respective cultures at a particular time and by the end of their lifespans were pushed aside to the wilderness and abandoned for progress. Also while not as prominent to Cowboys as the Samurai's Bushido code, there were codes of Honor and Manners among Cowboys like agreeing to a fair duel.
Kassidy and Kimiko get on each other's nerves while also being too similar for one another's comfort that they both find it disturbing, but they have have trouble figuring out or are in denial that they have any similarities, because it's easier to see their own worst traits and blame them on the other girl, or hyper focus on what's different between them.
