Erik and Sara

Erik (Japanese: コージ Kōji) and Sara (Japanese: アツコ Atsuko) are characters introduced in the Generation I Pokémon games.

They are implied to be cameos of Kōji Nishino and Atsuko Nishida, based on their Japanese names.

In the core series games

Erik and Sara are present in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, as well as in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.

Erik and Sara are looking for each other, although they are in different places: Erik is found near the Pokémon Zoo outdoors in Fuchsia City while Sara is found in a Rest House in the Safari ZoneRBY or at the entrance of the GO ParkPE.

Japanese version

In the Japanese version, it is not said what exactly is the relationship between Erik and Sara.

Their Japanese dialogue involves some wordplay using the word 「とり」 ("tori"). They failed to meet each other due to a misunderstanding: Erik used a bird Pokémon to arrive at Fuchsia City (とりポケモン "tori Pokémon" means bird Pokémon), while Sara is waiting for him inside the Safari Zone or GO Park where they would be able to obtain Pokémon (ポケモンとり "Pokémon tori" means obtain Pokémon).

English version

In the English version, their dialogue has been changed in the localization. Sara says that Erik is her boyfriend, unlike in the Japanese version.

Erik says that he was going to meet Sara where he is (in Fuchsia City). In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Erik further says that they were going to catch Pokémon together. However, Sara (in the Safari Zone or GO Park) does not seem aware of Erik's plans, since she asks where is Erik.

The "bird Pokémon" or "obtain Pokémon" wordplay from the Japanese dialogue is absent in the English version, as well as in the other language versions translated from English.

French, Italian, and Spanish versions

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Check if there are also any dialogue changes in the Chinese and Korean versions

In the French, Spanish, and Italian versions, their dialogue is mostly based on the English version, except with some minor changes:

  • In French, Erik mentions that Sara is always late.
  • In French and Italian, Erik's extended dialogue from the English version of Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! is not used. Instead, his dialogue is reused from earlier games.
  • In the Italian version of Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Sara mentions that she and Erik were going to catch Pokémon together. (This is said by Erik instead in the English version.)
  • In the Spanish version of Generation I and III games, Sara mentions that Erik is her friend (instead of boyfriend).
  • In the Spanish version of Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee, Sara mentions that Erik had promised to go catch bird Pokémon with her. This references the "bird Pokémon" dialogue from the Japanese version to some extent, except without the Japanese wordplay.

German version

In the German version of Generation I and III games, their dialogue is mostly based on the English version. However, in Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee, their dialogue was completely changed, now with some wordplay in this language:

Erik asked Sara on a date. She rejected using an idiom, but Erik misses the idiom's meaning and instead took the words at face value, which led him to believe she did want to go on a date with him.

Erik also further comments that it does not get dark no matter how much he waits, which breaks the fourth wall by referencing the fact that these games appear to have perpetual daylight with no passage of time.

Quotes

Japanese quotes

コージ『おかしいな?アツコと ポケモンとりで ()()わせって…… とりポケモンが ()つからない!
("Koji: Isn't that weird? Atsuko said to use a bird Pokémon to go meet her... but I can't find any bird Pokémon!")
アツコ『ポケモンとりに ()こうって ()ったのに……  コージ どこなのよ!
("Atsuko: I asked Koji to go catch Pokémon with me... but where is he!?")

English quotes

"Erik: Where's Sara? I said I'd meet her here."RBYFRLG
"Erik: Where's Sara? I said I'd meet her here to catch Pokémon... But all I'm catching are some weird looks!"PE
"Sara: Where did my boy friend, Erik, go?"RBY
"Sara: Where did my boyfriend, Erik, go?"FRLG
"Sara: Now where did Erik go...? He's the one who wanted to come here!"PE

German quotes (Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!)

In the German version of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, their dialogue was completely changed in the localization.

"Erik: Als ich Sara um ein Date gebeten habe, meinte sie, ich könne ihr mal im Mondschein begegnen. Ich warte jetzt schon eine ganze Weile hier, aber es will einfach nicht dunkel werden!"
("Erik: When I asked Sara on a date, she said I could meet her in the moonlight. I've been waiting here for a while now, but it just does not get dark!")
"Sara: Ich frage mich, ob Erik verstanden hat, dass aus uns beiden nichts wird... Nachdem ich ihm eine Abfuhr erteilt habe, ist er freudestrahlend davongeschlendert. Merkwürdig."
("Sara: I wonder if Erik understood that nothing is going to happen between us... After I rejected him, he strolled away beaming with joy. Strange.")

Gallery

Sprites and models

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Add overworld models from PE (Sara uses the same as Beauty)
Fisherman I OD.png Sabrina I OD.png Move Reminder FRLG OD.png Psychic f FRLG OD.png
Erik sprite from
Generation I
Sara sprite from
Generation I
Erik sprite from
FireRed and LeafGreen
Sara sprite from
FireRed and LeafGreen

Trivia

  • In the German version of Generation I and III games, although Sara's name was changed to "Sarah" in her own dialogue, Erik still refers to her by her English name "Sara".
    • In the German version of Generation VII games, she is no longer known as "Sarah"; she is simply referred to as "Sara" in all cases.

Names

Erik

Language Name Origin
Japanese コージ Kōji From 西野弘二 Kōji Nishino
English, German,
Italian
Erik
French Nico
Spanish EricRBY
EnriqueFRLGPE
Korean 효지 Hyoji Similar to his Japanese name
Chinese (Mandarin) 弘二 Hóng'èr Mandarin reading of 弘二 Kōji, Nishino's first name.
Chinese (Cantonese) 弘二 Wàhngyih Cantonese reading of 弘二 Kōji, Nishino's first name.

Sara

Language Name Origin
Japanese アツコ Atsuko From 西田敦子 Atsuko Nishida
English, German*,
Italian, Spanish
Sara
French Julia
German* Sarah
Korean 지연 Jiyeon
Chinese (Mandarin) 敦子 Dūnzi Mandarin reading of 敦子 Atsuko, Nishida's first name.
Chinese (Cantonese) 敦子 Dēunjí Cantonese reading of 敦子 Atsuko, Nishida's first name.

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Project CharacterDex logo.png This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.