~ Hypnotized Professor ~

Apperance

Sonia is a cheerful young woman whose bright personality and fashionable style reflect her curiosity as a Pokémon researcher. She has fair skin, turquoise eyes, and long orange hair tied into a high ponytail decorated with small heart-shaped clips, with a thick braid framing one side of her face. Her expressive smile and energetic body language give her an approachable and confident presence, while her relaxed demeanor highlights her friendly and supportive nature.

Sonia's attire is stylish yet practical, blending modern fashion with comfort. She wears a mustard-yellow double-breasted coat over a teal V-neck top, paired with pale turquoise leggings that create a soft contrast with the rest of her outfit. She also wears very long turquoise acrylic nails. She completes the look with teal ankle boots featuring black accents and matching striped socks, giving her outfit a playful touch. Resting atop her head is a pair of oversized sunglasses, while a black shoulder bag decorated with heart-shaped details carries her research essentials. Altogether, her appearance combines casual elegance with a vibrant, adventurous spirit, making her instantly recognisable as one of Galar's leading Pokémon researchers.

After succeeding her grandmother's place as a professor, Sonia wears a white lab coat that she receives from her grandmother and a teal crop top underneath. She keeps the coat open, which shows off her crop top and midriff.

Personality

Helpful and knowledgeable, Sonia provides practical advice to aid the player character on their journey. While she's a big sweetheart and is very friendly, she often gets exasperated by Leon's antics, especially his tendency to keep his head in the clouds. She also isn't afraid to speak her mind, as shown when she berates Sordward and Shielbert later on in the game.

However, although she mostly has a mature exterior, Sonia actually doesn't mind acting childishly to those who are younger than her.

Biography

Many years before, Sonia used to be a Trainer. She was also Leon's rival during their Gym Challenge, but she eventually dropped out. This seems to have bit her in the butt, as while Leon eventually grew to become a world famous celebrity, Sonia became little more than a glorified assistant. Ever since then, she has been trying to find out what she is good for and what she wants to do, albeit unsuccessfully.

Sword and Shield

Sonia is first met in Professor Magnolia's lab. At first, Sonia seems to be a little prickly, as she scolds Leon for his outlandish requests about super strong Pokémon and expresses her desire for him to stop. After Leon tells the player character a few things about Sonia (he likes her helpful Yamper and the way she cooks), she scolds him for improperly introducing her, revealing that they used to be rivals during their Gym Challenge. When she is done lecturing Leon, Sonia's friendly side finally shows through, as she happily introduces herself to the player character. After Leon leaves, however, an exasperated Sonia sighs to herself and complains about him some more. She quickly perks up again when she sees the player character's Rotom Phone, though. After talking about Rotom Phones for a bit (and muttering to herself that Leon still gets lost even with their map and navigation functions), Sonia apologizes and asks if the player character likes Pokémon. Whatever their answer is, Sonia modifies their Rotom Phone so it can use the Pokédex. Afterwards, she asks the player character to talk to her grandmother, as the Pokédex was a gift from her. If Sonia is talked to before her task is completed, she mutters about Leon's Champion status and how she is basically just an assistant (though even then, she's not actually her grandmother's official assistant- she just calls herself one).

Sonia is next met when she comes back home to Route 2. She talks about having dinner, briefly telling the player character about her obsession with making curry. After the incident in the Slumbering Weald, Sonia can be talked to in her house, where she questions Hop about the strange, unrecognizable Pokémon that attacked him. When Hop sheepishly gives out what little information he has, Sonia sarcastically compliments him. Later, in the same house, Sonia talks about the mysterious Pokémon and how it gives her a strange uneasy feeling.

Sonia then shows up when the player is outside and traveling with Hop later on. She talks about how her grandmother apparently lectured her, parroting what she said: "Those two young Trainers are setting out on a journey, but what are you doing with your life?" When the player character expresses their sympathy for Sonia, she tells them not to worry about it. She then reveals that she had been curious about the strange Pokémon in the Slumbering Weald ever since Hop told her about it. She talks about looking into it, briefly wondering if her grandmother will finally admit that she has talent if she manages to discover something huge. When Hop gives Sonia some sympathy again by saying that being an adult must be tough, she chides him, reminding him that she said not to worry about it. Changing the subject, Sonia then talks about how she's happy to be on the road again (and how she looks forward to fishing and camping). Then, when Hop talks about beating the snot out of a bunch of Dynamax Pokémon and runs off, Sonia puts her hands on her hips and talks about how Dynamax Pokémon are actually on another level. Continuing her talk about Dynamax, Sonia then talks to the player character about it, including telling them to Dynamax their Pokémon if they want to have a chance of beating strong opponents. Afterwards, she gives the player character a Pokémon Box Link as a parting gift. She then tells them that the Wild Area is waiting for them, saying that the start of their real adventure has begun shortly after.

When the player character makes it through the Wild Area and finally reaches Motostoke, Sonia can be met again, where she offers her congratulations and tells them to head into the Pokémon Center. As a way of persuading them, she also talks about how the Pokémon Center may have something that the player character would like. Once inside, Sonia talks about the Rotomi information service and tells the player character to play around with their League Card, giving them a copy of Leon's as a sample. Afterwards, she offers to show the player character around Motostoke, telling them to find her after they heal up their Pokémon. Before the player character is able to do what Sonia requested, she dreamily talks about the Gym Challenge's opening ceremony for a bit before she leaves. When the player character does what Sonia asked and meets her outside, she calls them brilliant and again praises them for braving the Wild Area. She then asks them if they remember what their goal in Motostoke is. Whatever their answer is, Sonia tells them that the ceremony is being held the next day at Motostoke Stadium. Before she departs, she talks about how she's going to swing by Motostoke's shops and tells the player character to register at the stadium.

After the player character gets registered and enters Motostoke's Budew Drop Inn with Hop, Sonia happily greets them. When Hop asks why she's in the hotel, Sonia tells him that she's researching the mysterious Pokémon from before. She says that she thinks she'll figure something out if she looks into Galar's legends and asks if the player character would like to join her, since they're already there anyway. When Hop questions Sonia about the strange statue in the hotel, she reveals that it depicts a hero that saved the Galar region long ago. She then talks about the hero's legend, and when Hop says that she must have a ton to research, the player character can speak up, either asking if she'll be fine or expressing their confidence that she can make it through. Whatever their answer is, Sonia says that she'll muddle through it. She then asks if the player character is staying at the hotel and reminds them to check in. When Sonia is talked to after their conversation, she thanks the player character for always tagging along with Hop, as Leon really worries about him.

After the Gym Challenge's ceremony, Sonia can later be found outside again, where she compliments the player character on how they looked during the proceedings. Briefly asking about where Hop is, Sonia then decides to tell the player character about something that may interest them. She talks about a huge building far to the north of them, revealing that it's a company owned by Chairman Rose. She also talks about how there is a coal mine just past Route 3 and how Chairman Rose's building processes the ore into energy (which means that he is the man responsible for keeping Galar running). After briefly talking about Chairman Rose some more, Sonia gives the player character an Escape Rope as thanks for talking to her and heals up their Pokémon, free of charge. She then wishes the player character luck on their long journey to Turffield before she walks away.

The Crown Tundra

After the base game's post-game story is completed, Sonia appears when the player discovers a footprint in the western section of Frostpoint Field. She explains that she came to Crown Tundra to learn more about a group of Legendary Pokémon who prefer places with no people, not knowing the cold climate of the Crown Tundra. Given the Crown Tundra has little to no people, she has made a theory that the Iron Will Pokémon, the Cavern Pokémon and the Grassland Pokémon are lurking within the Crown Tundra, and the footprints are evidences of it. If the player finds 100% of the footprints of one of the Pokémon, she is able to find the location of that Pokémon using her Pokémon Finder. After explaining, she stays in the house with a Beldum in Freezington to hide from the extreme cold.

After catching one of three Swords of Justice and talking to Sonia, she gives 10 Exp. Candy S to the player, celebrating to herself that her theory was right. After catching the second one, she gives 10 Exp. Candy M, and after catching the third one, she gives 10 Exp. Candy L, thanking the player for helping her. After that, she returns to Wedgehurst with her Yamper.

In the laboratory, she explains that she is writing about her findings about the Legendary Pokémon, but there is too much information that she does not know where to start. By showing her a Keldeo caught in the Crown Tundra, Sonia regrets that she should stay in the Crown Tundra for a bit longer, but thanks the player character for reporting anyways.