Random town residents can join your team? That's an odd one.
Speaking of cameos, are they actual cameos, as in confirmed by the game to be the same character? If so, are they actually important to the story? Please answer both of these questions with either a yes or no. No story spoilers please.
Confirmed They talk about it. For example
Team ACT
It's story characters plus town residents, it seems.
I find it a little strange that the cameos from past games aren't among those barred from evolution, though.
Most of them are