Ditto serves as the player character in human form in Pokémon Pokopia.
At the beginning of the game, the player controls a Ditto that uses its transformation ability to imitate a human. This premise explains why the protagonist can move through the world in a human-like form while still learning and using Pokémon abilities.
The transformed Ditto helps cultivate a damaged environment and assist Pokémon encountered along the way. Construction, habitat creation, and environmental tasks form the foundation of the adventure.
Ditto is a particularly fitting protagonist because its defining species trait is transformation. The character is not a human trainer who owns Ditto; the player character is Ditto itself, adopting a human appearance. That distinction separates Pokopia’s story from the usual Pokémon trainer perspective.