There have been plenty of expected staples of mainline Pokemon games since the release of the first games in 1996. Starter Pokemon, villainous teams, a league of some kind, rivals, and more. Characters don't usually make repeat appearances in every mainline game, with just one exception.
That one character is the unnamed man who first exclaimed that "Technology is Incredible!" in Pokemon Red and Blue Versions, and he has been in every mainline Pokemon game to date. This character almost always has something new to say about the features added in each game, but some are less noteworthy than others.
14 FireRed and LeafGreen
The technology enthusiast's appearance in FireRed and LeafGreen is the worst because he just repeats what he said in the first generation games word for word - "Technology is incredible! You can now store and recall items and Pokemon as data via PC!"
Since he's usually so excited about new features, it's surprising he didn't mention the wireless adapter that was included with the game or at least the new Pokemon abilities. Not mentioning everything new is one thing, but not saying anything new at all makes his appearance almost meaningless. It seems like they only kept him in because it's a tradition.
13 Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
In the Nintendo Switch remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, the Technology Enthusiast once again repeats the line he had in the original games - "Technology just blows me away! I mean, now you can play with people around the world...wirelessly!" It makes sense that he would repeat it since brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes, but by this point, the mainline Pokemon series had already had wireless communication features for nearly two decades.
This is made even weirder when considering there are a handful of new features he could've mentioned instead, although most of them are unlocked later on in the game and are at least mentioned by other characters.
12 Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald
In the third generation of Pokemon, "Technology is incredible" was changed to reference science instead with the line "If you use a PC, you can store items and Pokemon. The power of science is staggering!" This is closer to what the technology enthusiast says in the Japanese versions of the original games.
While it's cool that this quote is a more accurate translation, it's repetitive and too similar to the original quote to be all that notable. New features in the third generation games include Pokemon abilities, double battles, and in the case of Pokemon Emerald, wireless adapter compatibility, yet the Technology Enthusiast mentions none of it. Instead, we just get a reworded version of an older quote.
11 HeartGold and SoulSilver
The Technology Enthusiast's quote in HeartGold and SoulSilver is "Technology is incredible! You can now trade Pokemon overseas like email." While it imitates what he said in the original Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions, it's not as good, and it is too similar to what he said in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum versions.
Since he had already mentioned online functionality in the previous fourth-generation games, it's disappointing that he didn't say anything about the PokeWalker that was included with copies of HeartGold and SoulSilver, as it was a relatively impressive pedometer and Pokemon game hybrid at the time, and predated the release of Pokemon GO by about seven years.
10 Sword and Shield
He has a new outfit, and looks the best he ever has, yet what the technology enthusiast says here - "The power of science is amazing! Now you can battle and trade Pokemon with other people just by walking around! Isn't that super amazing?" - sounds a little too similar to the seventh generation games.
However, mentioning Dynamax, Gigantamax, or Raid Battles could be seen as out of character, as they are new features but aren't technological advances in-universe, so it wouldn't make much sense. It's nice that he acknowledges the player's existence by asking them a question at the end though, even if Pokemon Sword and Shield didn't add much to the battling and trading process.
9 Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon
While what the Technology Enthusiast says in Sun and Moon and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon is fine, it's disappointing that he didn't say something new in the Ultra games since they're set in a different timeline. Instead, he sticks with; "The power of science is amazing! A simple press of a button and you can trade Pokemon or battle with the people around you!"
This is probably because these updated games didn't introduce any noteworthy new features, making a number of minor changes to those already present in Sun and Moon instead, so there wasn't anything new he could say about them. It would be funny if he mentioned ultra wormholes, though, since they connect to other dimensions and are an essential part of the game's plot.
8 Black and White
Black and White may not have been the first Pokemon game to use infrared - that honor goes to the second generation Pokemon games - but it was referenced in the technology enthusiasts quote; "The power of science is amazing! Now you can use infrared to do all sorts of things in the blink of an eye!"
Infrared communication is used for battling, trading, feeling check, which checks how compatible trainers are with each other, and swapping friends codes. This is all done through an in-game device known as the C-Gear, which the player receives once they have reached a specific point in the game. It may be less impressive than some other features introduced in the series, but it has a larger variety of functions than one might expect.
7 Black and White Version 2
In the direct sequels to the fifth generation Pokemon games, the Technology Enthusiast says different things depending on which version is being played. You'll hear either "The power of science is amazing! Now you can use communications to play with a hundred people at the same time!" or "Now you can use infrared to trade pokemon and have battles - all in the blink of an eye!"
While he says the same thing as he did in the original Black and White Version in Black Version 2, in White Version 2, he instead mentions how players could play with a hundred people at once, referencing the new and updated communication features. While one quote is better than the other because it's not just a repeat, having what the Technology Enthusiast says be exclusive to each version is a nice touch.
6 Red, Blue, and Yellow
While the Technology Enthusiast's first appearance is far from the best, it deserves credit since it started the tradition of having him appear in the starting town of every mainline game. He talks about how items and Pokemon can instantly be stored in or gained from the PC - "Technology is incredible! You can now store and recall items and Pokemon as data via PC!"
While there were a few minor new features added to Pokemon Yellow version, it's unlikely he would have mentioned any of them. It's also possible that new features like compatibility with the Game Boy printer just weren't enough to impress him anyway.
5 Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
In the sixth generation remakes of the third generation Pokemon games, the Technology Enthusiast still talks about the staggering power of science, but mentions the Street Pass functionality of the Nintendo 3DS instead of regurgitating the same exact line about the PC instead saying; "To think that you can get data from the friends you pass by even when your Nintendo 3DS is in sleep mode. The power of science is staggering!"
At the time, StreetPass functionality was being promoted by a large variety of different Nintendo games, so it was merely a matter of time until it would be mentioned in a Pokemon game. Pokemon X and Y used StreetPass as well, but it had more limited functionality, just giving players Poke Miles they could trade in for items.
4 Pokemon X and Y
What the Technology Enthusiast says during his stay in the Kalos region may not seem impressive at first glance, but it's better when knowing the details. He'll tell you; "Science is amazing! If you use communication technology, you can look all over the world for players who are playing at the same time as you are. Then you can play together!"
X and Y did make communication a lot easier, by introducing the Player Search System, which would show friends, acquaintances, and passersby who were either nearby locally or currently connected online. They were also the first games to have the Global Trade System not tied to a specific in-game location. What the Technology Enthusiast says in the Pokemon X and Y isn't the best, but it helps show how the series has improved.
3 Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum
Because they were the first mainline Pokemon released for the Nintendo DS, Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum had online functionality where players could trade and battle Pokemon with others globally through the power of the internet. This is reflected in the Technology Enthusiast's line; "Technology just blows me away! I mean, now you can play with people around the world...wirelessly!"
Besides being able to battle and trade with the players online, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl also introduced player communication through the Nintendo DS microphone, so players could communicate when playing online. It's still rather odd that this was the first time wireless communication of any kind was mentioned by the Technology Enthusiast, despite being introduced several years earlier in the third generation Pokemon games.
2 Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee!
Unlike FireRed and LeafGreen, Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee don't just repeat the original quote. Let's Go is the first mainline Pokemon game to feature smartphone integration due to the immense popularity of Pokemon GO and the ability to connect with it, so what the Technology Enthusiast says in the game reflects that; "Technology is incredible! Now you can connect your smartphone to your game console and send data between them!"
Although no other mainline Pokemon game can be directly connected to smartphones at the moment, Let's Go helps show where the series could go in the future and led to the creation of Pokemon Home, which lets players transfer Pokemon between their smartphone and the Switch games.
1 Gold, Silver, and Crystal
This is hands down the best thing the Technology Enthusiast has ever said - "Technology is Incredible! You can now trade Pokemon across time like e-mail." This is not only because the second generation Pokemon games are the best in the series, but because it acknowledges the existence of time travel in the Pokemon universe.
The Technology Enthusiast has never mentioned any similar features in other Pokemon games, probably because unlike the Time Capsule, these features were locked behind post-game, and he's always encountered at the beginning. It wouldn't be wise to spoil the player right at the start and tell them about something they can't even access until after the credits have rolled.
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