With each new Pokémon game announcement comes a slew of potential new husbands. Husbandologists and husband-hunters alike are alight with joy at the news of the upcoming mobile game, Pokémon Masters, which features a world in which all Trainers, generic and unique alike, live alongside each other. It has massive potential to be a gacha game, a mobile game genre where in order to obtain the characters you must use a currency for a chance to obtain them—in layman’s terms, gambling, and there is always the option to use real money (currencies besides Poké Dollars). This can be rather dangerous, so it cannot be understated that all prospective players should take great care when the game is released to play responsibly and make mature, informed decisions when it comes to attempting to obtain your favorite character(s). 

With that noted, however, the Husbandologist Committee of PokéCommunity has used the latest technology combined with the most recent scientific findings to generate a list of the greatest husbands to expect from the upcoming game. There is a very high chance these husbands will be worth pursuing, and even if they do not turn out to be the most effective partners in battle, they will still be fantastic options to try to obtain for your Husband Collection. 

Honorable Mentions

First, we would like to begin with our honorable mentions—Wes from the Orre region of Pokémon Colosseum, and Oda Nobunaga from the Ransei region of Pokémon Conquest. Wes, encapsulating complete and utter badassery, is a great husband in his own right, and would also likely have both Espeon and Umbreon. Being an ex-evil team member, he may not always play fair, which would work to your advantage—his double-trouble double-team may serve to give you an extra Pokémon, making battles into a 4v3 rather than a 3v3. Oda Nobunaga, the handsome conqueror, could potentially have a Zekrom, who is a powerful legendary Pokémon, but perhaps even more iconic is his shiny Rayquaza, which will dazzle foes before sweeping them beneath his feet. The only concern for these two husbands is that Pokémon Masters is described to feature Trainers from the “main series” of Pokémon games specifically, and both Wes and Nobunaga feature in spin-offs. We may never see these wonderful husbands in Pokémon Masters, or if we do, we may have to wait for a long, long time for them to be added. Husband-hunters seeking either of these two somewhat-antagonistic gentlemen are recommended to play their games, which are both fantastic and hold up well even to this day.

Another top-tier husband who will likely not appear in Pokémon Masters is Pokkén Tournament’s Keith. He is the master of the Ferrum region’s Blue Rank League, making him a gorgeous Trainer of substantial skill. As a bonus, his partner Pokémon is the legendary that is as beautiful as it is powerful, Suicune. Being from a region where battles are conducted differently than normal, this Suicune may even have the potential for unique moves based on its playstyle in Ferrum—but alas, Keith is another victim of spin-off-itis, and as such is not likely to appear in Pokémon Masters like Wes and Nobunaga before him.

Our final honorable mention is AZ. He, being from the main-series titles Pokémon X & Y, is practically guaranteed to appear in Pokémon Masters. He falls just short of meeting “good husband” requirements, primarily because using a superpowered weapon to kill thousands upon thousands of Pokémon even after you were able to revive your own is a pretty mean thing to do. But, by living forever, he will likely find a way to atone in due time. His main reason for inclusion as an honorable mention is because he will likely come with Floette, but his is no ordinary Floette. She has a special, Yveltal-colored flower, and her body is colored like Xerneas. On top of it all, according to the Seers of Hidden Information, she knows a terrifyingly-powerful move: Light of Ruin. Unless the still-mysterious Galar region has ties to Kalos, Pokémon Masters may be Trainers’ only chance of using AZ’s Floette in battle for themselves—these two will certainly be worthwhile allies!

The Sons

Before we dive into the main attraction, we would like to introduce you to three potential sons—these young boys you would love to adopt will likely be incredibly OP (overpowered) not only for their cuteness but for their unstoppable partner Pokémon. The first son to look out for is Bugsy: this cute Bug Trainer is notorious for stopping Johto Trainers who chose Chikorita (the correct choice) dead in their tracks with his out-for-blood Scyther. His damage build-up strategy with Fury Cutter could prove to be as deadly in Pokémon Masters as it was in Johto. 

Wally is another son to be on the lookout for; he has been on a quest for world domination ever since his appearance in the Hoenn Victory Road and has already conquered the Alola Battle Tree. It is best to adopt this adorable son and what will likely be his Mega Gallade into your personal army before he deems you an enemy—because once he does, there will be no escape.

The final son to watch out for is none other than Youngster Joey. If you can recruit him to your side, your enemies will be too busy dealing with his countless phone calls to be able to concentrate on your battles, giving you the upper hand. And when they are able to focus, his top-percentage Rattata is sure to guarantee victory in a snap; if not, Super Fang could be a potentially powerful support move. 

Generics

“Generic” Trainers (Trainers who, despite being different people, look exactly the same) have been confirmed to appear in Pokémon Masters, which is fantastic news, as most have wonderful designs that will make collecting them very enjoyable. Most gacha games include a rarity system, where stronger units tend to be a higher rarity, and therefore harder to get. Generics are likely to be “low rarity,” and may not even have fully-evolved Pokémon, but may still be useful in battle. The generics husbandologists feel will likely be the best of their kind are as follows:

Male Swimmer from Alola (and some Water-type Pokémon)

The Alolan male Swimmer is a powerful husband in his own right; depending on what Pokémon he comes partnered with, he could be a great husband to round out your team. It will almost certainly be a Water-type, which is great for type coverage. Before you are able to obtain the more elusive husbands, the generic male Swimmer from Alola will serve a crucial role in your team.

Brains & Brawn from Kalos (and Mr. Mime & Machoke)

These two—specifically Frank & Sly—may already be married to each other, but they are very strong husband contestants nonetheless. This duo is quite iconic within the region of Kalos. Among the most hazardous of generic battles, Brains & Brawn could find themselves being a strong pair even in Pokémon Masters. But they may not appear as a pair, as Black Belts and Psychics can be obtained separately; as such, they do beg the question of how doubles-only classes such as Twins and Young Couples will be handled when the game releases—only time will tell.

Ace Trainer from Unova (and some strong Pokémon)

Ace Trainers are among the strongest generic Trainers you will find, and those from Unova are the absolute cutest. Ace Trainers use a wide variety of Pokémon types, so it is difficult to predict exactly what he will use, but it is safe to guess it will be from the Unova region, and it may be a first- or even second-stage in its evolutionary line. Fraxure may be a safe choice due to a combination of strength, type, and popularity.

The Top 10 Husbands to Expect 

Each and every husband will likely be included in Pokémon Masters in some way eventually, and they are all worth hunting—this list is, again, to provide accurate hypotheses about which ones are most likely to be the best based on a combination of husbandry-factors and effective Pokémon partner-factors. 

Number 10: Sycamore (and Chespin)

As most people already know, Sycamore is a member of the Grand Husband Trinity, the three greatest husbands currently in existence. As such, Sycamore is guaranteed to be a fantastic target. But when it comes to battling, Sycamore is about as bad as they come. His husband-power is truthfully the main factor giving him a spot in this list at all. In Real-Life merchandise, such as the Pokémon & Trainers Pokémon Center campaign and Trading Card Game art, Sycamore is given a Chespin, so he will likely appear with one in Pokémon Masters, or perhaps a Chesnaught. As an aside, with this in consideration, Calem will likely have a member of the Froakie line, and Serena a member of Fennekin’s. 

Number 9: Eusine (and Suicune?)

The Mystery Man himself is a rather strong husband, but his placement is rather shaky—the most questionable of all our placements, admittedly. If he appears in Pokémon Masters with a usual member of his team, he will likely be quite weak, choosing from the unevolved Drowzee, Haunter, or an Electrode. If, however, this is his opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream, then he will undoubtedly be a very strong pick: if Eusine were to be paired with the elusive legendary Suicune, that alone will make him desirable for husband-hunters and non-husband-hunters alike. 

Number 8: Brycen (and Beartic)

Beartic may not be the strongest option for a Pokémon partner in the grand scheme of things, but Brycen is a martial arts master even in his slightly-older age. If the goings get tough in your battles, Brycen may be able to step in himself and lend a hand—or a karate kick to the throat. He will certainly be a strong choice for these 3v3 battles if he can join the fray.

Number 7: Colress (and Klinklang)

Another member of the Grand Husband Trinity, Colress will be a high-priority target on his own. His only disadvantage comes in the form of his partner Pokémon: his ace is a Klinklang, which is sadly not the strongest of options. Being an ex-Boss of an evil team, as well as being rather popular, he may find his partner being stronger than the average. Something to keep in mind is that the Team Plasma Boss Colress is likely to be paired with Klinklang, but he may also be obtainable in his Alola-coat appearance with a different partner—perhaps Magnezone?

Number 6: Steven Stone (and Mega? Metagross)

Steven Stone is just on the cusp of being a member of the Grand Husband Trinity, and has been shown in the promotional art for Pokémon Masters as a guaranteed inclusion with his Metagross. His partner is already strong, but has the potential for more. We know from the same image that Red will be partnered with a Mega Charizard X, so husbandologists cannot help but wonder if Steven Stone, who is rocking his Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire look, will be able to Mega Evolve his own Pokémon to increase its power. 

Numbers 5-2: Seasonal N(s)

In gacha games, it is practically guaranteed that characters will appear in special outfits for a limited time—some refer to these as “seasonals.” Common themes include holidays and the seasons themselves. Who better to receive seasonal variants than the winner of the Ultimate Valentine’s Tournament—the Ultimate Husband of the Grand Husband Trinity himself, N Harmonia? In Pokémon Black 2 & White 2, N can be challenged every month—with the passing of seasons—with a different weather-based team. Our top husbandologists have predicted which outfits N will receive for each season, and what partner Pokémon he may use for each.

Number 5: Summer N and Ninetales

Based on his fun-in-the-harsh-sun team, Summer N would likely appear in a swimsuit on the beach, likely in Undella Town. If he were to build a sandcastle, he may instinctively make it in the shape of his own castle. Partnered with Ninetales, this variation of N is sure to draw the attention of husband-hunters from all regions. Not only will N’s swimsuit turn heads, but his Drought-starting partner Ninetales is a popular pick that is sure to allow for unique battle strategies.

Number 4: Autumn N and Hippowdon

Based on his “it’s-coarse-and-gets-everywhere” sandstorm team, Autumn N would probably be in a swimsuit again—because what could be better than one swimsuit N? The answer, of course, is two swimsuit Ns! This one may not be set in Undella Town, but perhaps comedically in the Desert Resort or Route 4. Hippowdon may not be as popular or as competitively-viable as Ninetales before it, but the pure comedic potential of Autumn N places him a spot above Summer N.

Number 3: Spring N and Politoed

N’s rainy-day team will likely see him in an April Showers-themed ensemble, donning an adorable raincoat and perhaps even umbrella with his partner, Politoed. The quaint freshness and cuteness of the outfit places this iteration of N in a league all its own, but the effectiveness of a Drizzle Politoed (especially if we were to get “gen 5 weather” mechanics) really seals the deal. Part of the appeal of alternate units such as these is to see another side of your favorite husbands, and Spring N would absolutely be a treat.

Number 2: Winter N and Glaceon

Snuggled up in a gorgeous winter coat, winter N perfectly embodies the spirit of gacha seasonals: a beautiful, unique outfit that fits the character to a T. He has a few potential partner Pokémon for this iteration of himself, but we can narrow down the options: Abomasnow seems the obvious choice at first, being N’s own Hail-setter, but it is sadly not a popular partner nor very strong in battles. Vanilluxe is a great choice for being a potential Hail-setter (even though N’s was not), is very cute and iconic, hails from Unova itself, and was also in N’s final team in the original Pokémon Black & White games—its only real disadvantage is that in Unova, Casteliacones are not for sale in Winter, and Vanilluxe kind of looks like one. It may also not be too happy if N is, say, warming himself up by drinking a hot coffee that could potentially melt its icy exterior. A very safe bet as to N’s Winter partner would be Glaceon, a popular member of his Winter team whose ears could be used as inspiration for a potential scarf design in N’s new look.

Number 1: N (and Zekrom? Reshiram? Zoroark? Darmanitan?)

N may even appear in other outfits, such as his coronation garb—but he will certainly appear in his standard attire. Husbandologists feel he will at the very least appear in two variants, one with Zekrom, and one with Reshiram, to reference both the Black and White universes, and give husband-hunters the option of which to use. But N also has other iconic partners, such as Zoroark and Darmanitan, who may appear with him in the beginning. Until we know precisely how Pokémon Masters will handle the distribution of Trainers, their partners, and variants of them, there is no way to know who will appear as N’s Pokémon friend, but for the sake of game longevity, there is the possibility that N may be distributed with a partner like Darmanitan first, and later be released with a stronger partner like the Unova legendaries to keep players invested. Regardless, he will always be a top-priority target.

Final Thoughts

While compiling this list, husbandologists have come to a conclusion: all the Pokémon-universe husbands are worth pursuing. Husbands such as Drayden, Morty, Maxie, Archie, Lucian, Volkner, and many, many more, all have powerful husband traits that make them worthwhile targets in their own right, and they all have the potential to be paired with a strong partner Pokémon that will enhance your teams. At the end of the day, it is again heavily advised that once the world of Pokémon Masters is opened to all, you play (and spend) carefully and wisely, and save for your own targets so you may collect your own wonderful army of your personal favorite husbands and sons—to quote Brian David Gilbert: “Why catch them all if you can’t keep the ones that you love?”

Edited by Aldo, bobandbill, and Rabinov.