Speculation Implied character connections in XY/ORAS

[Esserise]

During my recent re-play of the Gen VI games, I couldn't help but notice that they seem to be including quite a few more "implied" character references than usual. At least, more than I remember. And what I mean by "implied" is, they will reuse some key phrase in ORAS that was used by a character in XY, but won't outright say that those characters are the same. The recycled phrases seem like very tenuous links, but they can't be doing it on accident, right? I don't know how much each of these have been discussed, since I only just noticed most of these, but the ones that I have found so far are:

• There is a student in the Mossdeep Space Center, who is looking at the rocket model with her friends, and says, "Thick!" This is similar to a maid at the Hotel Richissime who is looking at a pillar and says, "This pillar... it's so thick!" Could this be the same girl as an adult?
  
• In XY, Tierno says that he received the Intriguing Stone from a man called the "wandering stone collector." In ORAS, the Fossil Maniac says that Steven calls himself the "wandering stone collector," and that he found his Shiny Beldum and "some kind of stone" in Kalos. Although, that would have happened before ORAS, so I am guessing that he went to Kalos again years later and met Tierno during the events of XY, and gave him the Intriguing Stone there.
  
• Speaking of Tierno, I have seen this one mentioned, but there is that bald kid at the Battle Resort who is fascinated by the dancing Whismur... you think that's him when he was younger? He does look to be about the right age, considering the gap of time that we know occurs between the time of ORAS and the time of XY.
  
• At the Verdanturf Poké Mart, there is a young girl who says, "Ball, Ball, Nest Ball. Ball, Ball, Luxury Ball. This is a song I learned from a strange person in red clothes when I went to Kalos." And in XY, there is indeed a Team Flare grunt at the Poké Ball Factory who says, "Ball! Ball! Poké Ball! Ball! Ball! Ultra Ball!" Now this one actually has an interesting implication, considering the aforementioned time gap between the two games. Has Team Flare really been in existence for that 10+ years?

There are a few others that I know have been mentioned, but I figure I'll list them anyway. Obviously we know about the Hex Maniac who says, "You are not the one" in both games. Additionally, there is Swimmer Kieran, who in XY, says that he swam all the way from Hoenn, and then also seems to appear in the ORAS demo, as while he does not say his name, he does tell his friends that he is going to swim back to Kalos. Now, I know that the demo is non-canonical, but still, it is an example of this. And then of course, there is the well-known Alain reference, which extends across mediums from the games to the anime.

I don't know. I just thought it was interesting, since I don't ever really remember them being this... vague, about cross-game continuity before. Are there any others that you guys have noticed? Being someone who plays for the story, I think these are kind of fascinating.

 

[BlackButterfree]

• Speaking of Tierno, I have seen this one mentioned, but there is that bald kid at the Battle Resort who is fascinated by the dancing Whismur... you think that's him when he was younger? He does look to be about the right age, considering the gap of time that we know occurs between the time of ORAS and the time of XY.
  
• At the Verdanturf Poké Mart, there is a young girl who says, "Ball, Ball, Nest Ball. Ball, Ball, Luxury Ball. This is a song I learned from a strange person in red clothes when I went to Kalos." And in XY, there is indeed a Team Flare grunt at the Poké Ball Factory who says, "Ball! Ball! Poké Ball! Ball! Ball! Ultra Ball!" Now this one actually has an interesting implication, considering the aforementioned time gap between the two games. Has Team Flare really been in existence for that 10+ years?

Well, the difference between X/Y and OR/AS is definitely at least 5 years, most likely closer to 10. Tierno is about 16-18, same as the Player Character (semi-confirmed by Emma's dialogue). So if the sprite is a Youngster, School Kid or Preschooler, then it could very well be him. But it could also be a reference to the Patrat Lady from Unova.

And just because the Grunt who taught the girl the song was wearing a red suit doesn't mean he was part of Team Flare at the time. In fact, Flare's suits are orange, not red. So he could've been wearing red clothes when he met her.

And don't forget Zinnia's connection to AZ, Archie and Shelley's connection to Jirachi, Looker to both the Battle Resort and Xerosic and Malva, Colress with Route 10 and Blue Oak with Lumiose City.

 

[Esserise]

So if the sprite is a Youngster, School Kid or Preschooler, then it could very well be him. But it could also be a reference to the Patrat Lady from Unova.

The kid uses the Preschooler sprite, I believe. And yes, it is probably also a reference to the Unovan Patrat Lady. Which is a curious coincidence; I remember prior to XY's release, some people were thinking that the Holo Caster on Tierno's wrist looked more like an Xtransceiver, and inferred from both that and the Vanillite design on his shirt that he could be from Unova. But, that is just coincidence.

And just because the Grunt who taught the girl the song was wearing a red suit doesn't mean he was part of Team Flare at the time. In fact, Flare's suits are orange, not red. So he could've been wearing red clothes when he met her.

Team Flare's suits are described as red in the games (ex., one NPC says, "Are red suits the hot new trend?" referring to Team Flare; I seem to remember some other instances but cannot recall them offhand) and on the official site ("You can easily recognize Team Flare members by their brilliant red suits."), but even setting that aside, the "red clothes" descriptor is supposed to fecall to mind a Team Flare grunt, I would think.

And don't forget Zinnia's connection to AZ

I was not aware of a connection between them. What is it?

Archie and Shelley's connection to Jirachi

Ah yes, that is another good one that I had forgotten about.

Looker to both the Battle Resort and Xerosic and Malva

These are a bit more than an "implied reference," though, no? More of a minor cameo in one game and a full sub-plot in another.

While we are discussing the more direct references/cameos, however, I suppose I could also throw in Kiyo/the Karate Master setting up a Fighting Dojo disguised as a dance studio in Lumiose City. Also, there is Inver, who seemed to be running a business centered around Inverse Battles in Mauville City back in ORAS, but then I guess he retired to Kalos many years later?

Colress with Route 10 and Blue Oak with Lumiose City.

Those two are both mentioned by name, though, which is why I didn't bring them up. Although the reference to Blue does interest me in another way. The woman says that Blue came to Kalos to study abroad, and that he "got 'Bonjour' down just fine, but still always said, "Smell ya later!" when he left." This strikes me as a reference to him greeting you with "Bonjour!" on the S.S. Anne in the Kanto games. So, I wonder, did his trip to Kalos occur back when he was very young, before the events of the Kanto games? I guess it seems a little odd that a ten-year-old would be studying abroad, but then, this isn't our world, and he is the spoiled grandson of a very successful Pokémon Professor.

Another one that I remembered just now is the Mirage Spot rings. Obviously, they were conjured by Hoopa, but aside from the visual similarities, the games don't ever directly connect the two.

 

[The Outrage]

At the Verdanturf Poké Mart, there is a young girl who says, "Ball, Ball, Nest Ball. Ball, Ball, Luxury Ball. This is a song I learned from a strange person in red clothes when I went to Kalos." And in XY, there is indeed a Team Flare grunt at the Poké Ball Factory who says, "Ball! Ball! Poké Ball! Ball! Ball! Ultra Ball!" Now this one actually has an interesting implication, considering the aforementioned time gap between the two games. Has Team Flare really been in existence for that 10+ years?

You know Team Flare Grunts don't just bud off of Lysandre's hair, right? All that would suggest is that the NPC who will eventually pay a P5,000,000 fee to join Team Flare has existed for 10+ years in-universe.

 

[Esserise]

You know Team Flare Grunts don't just bud off of Lysandre's hair, right? All that would suggest is that the NPC who will eventually pay a P5,000,000 fee to join Team Flare has existed for 10+ years in-universe.

I am aware of that, yes, but it is the specific reference to them wearing red clothes that suggests that they were a member of Team Flare at that time. You could argue that this individual just coincidentally had a propensity for red clothing beforehand, but I think here we have a case of, "If it looks, walks, and quacks like a duck... then it's probably not some weirdo in a duck suit."