List of Pokémon anime characters

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Contents 1 Main characters 1.1 Ash Ketchum 1.2 Pikachu 1.3 Brock 1.4 Dawn 1.5 Max 1.6 May 1.7 Misty 1.8 Tracey Sketchit 2 Team Rocket 2.1 Jessie, James, and Meowth 2.2 Butch and Cassidy 2.3 Giovanni 2.4 In the movies 3 Rivals 3.1 Gary Oak 3.2 Paul 3.3 Ritchie 3.4 Zoey 4 Supporting characters 4.1 Delia Ketchum 4.2 Nurse Joy 4.3 Officer Jenny 4.4 Professor Oak 4.5 Professor Ivy 4.6 Professor Elm 4.7 Professor Birch 4.8 Professor Rowan 5 Orange Islands Gym leaders 5.1 Cissy 5.2 Danny 5.3 Rudy 5.4 Luana 5.5 Drake 6 References

The following is a list of major characters appearing within the Pokémon anime series.

English names are given before the Japanese names in Western order (given name before surname), when possible. All Japanese names, unless otherwise noted, are romanized from katakana.

[edit] Main characters

[edit] Ash Ketchum

Main article: Ash Ketchum

Ash Ketchum (サトシ, Satoshi^?) is the main character of the series. He dreams of being the greatest Pokémon Master in the world. Ash's voice actress in the dub include that of Veronica Taylor (4Kids Entertainment) Sarah Natochenny (Pokémon USA) and in Japanese he is voiced by Rica Matsumoto.

[edit] Pikachu

Main article: Pikachu

In the first episode, Ash receives a Pikachu from Professor Oak as his starter Pokémon. At first, Pikachu largely ignores Ash's requests, electrocuting him frequently and refusing to be confined to a Poké Ball. However, Ash puts himself in danger to defend Pikachu from a flock of wild Spearow, then rushes it to a Pokémon Center. Through these demonstrations, Pikachu warms up to Ash, and their friendship is formed. However, it still refuses to go into its Poké Ball. Soon after, Pikachu shows great power that sets it apart from other Pokémon, which causes Team Rocket to constantly attempt to capture it in order to win favor from their boss, Giovanni.

[edit] Brock

Main article: Brock

Brock (タケシ, Takeshi^?), as the former Pewter Gym leader, dreams of being the world’s best Pokémon breeder. He is Ash's longest lasting traveling partner, having only been absent from Season 2. Brock is voiced by Eric Stuart (4Kids), Bill Rogers (Pokémon USA), and Yuji Ueda (Japanese).

[edit] Dawn

Dawn (ヒカリ, Hikari^?) is a Pokémon trainer and coordinator that travels with Ash Ketchum during Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl. Following in her mother's footsteps as a coordinator, she chooses a Piplup, which she had already befriended at an earlier point, and sets out with the goal of winning the Grand Festival. After meeting Ash and Brock, she becomes rivals with another coordinator, Zoey,^[1] and goes on to win the Floaroma Ribbon and the Wallace Cup's Aqua Ribbon. She is voiced by Emily Bauer in the English version and Megumi Toyoguchi in Japanese.

[edit] Max

Max (マサト, Masato^?) is a young male character of the Pokémon anime series,, featuring the in the main series between the sixth and ninth seasons. Max appeared alongside one of Ash Ketchum's companions, May, as her brother, and joined the group of Ash, May and Pokémon breeder, Brock. Max is a budding Pokémon trainer, but was too young to receive a Pokémon.^[2] He remained simply a Pokémon enthusiast until he and May left Ash and Brock in the final Advanced Generation episode, "Home is Where the Start Is", in which he returned to Hoenn to help take care of the Peltaburg Gym. He is again seen in DP Battle Dimension episode, "Seven Stars Restaurant! Tag Battle for a Full Course!!", while he and Norman are watching May on the TV competing in the Wallace Cup. Max's actors are Amy Birnbaum (4Kids), Kayzie Rogers (Pokémon USA) and in Japanese he is voiced by Fushigi Yamada.

[edit] May

Main article: May

May (ハルカ, Haruka^?) is the daughter of the Petalburg City Gym Leader, Norman, and sister of Max. She meets Ash Ketchum in Hoenn and starts traveling with him after obtaining her first Pokémon, Torchic. She originally dislikes Pokémon, but soon takes interest in Pokémon Contests. She soon develops rivalries with other contest participants, Drew, Harley, and Jessie of Team Rocket, and goes on to win many contests. While Ash and Brock choose to travel to Sinnoh, May decides to follow her rivals to Johto instead. However, she meets up with Ash, Brock, and Dawn in Sinnoh sometime later to participate in the Wallace Cup. After narrowly losing to Dawn in the Wallace Cup Finals, she leaves the group to set out on yet another journey. ^[3].May's voice actresses are that of Veronica Taylor (4Kids) Michelle Knotz (Pokémon USA) and by KAORI (Kaori Suzuki) (Japanese)

[edit] Misty

Main article: Misty

Misty (カスミ, Kasumi^?) was Ash’s first traveling friend, who journeyed with him throughout the first five seasons. Her dream is to be the world's greatest "Water Pokémon Master," but her means of accomplishing this were never really made clear. She is currently the Cerulean City gym leader. Misty is voiced by Rachael Lillis (4Kids) Michele Knotz (Pokémon USA) and by Mayumi Iizuka in Japanese.

[edit] Tracey Sketchit

Tracey Sketchit (ケンジ, Kenji^?) was of Ash’s traveling friends through the Orange Islands. He is a Pokémon watcher, and is currently Professor Oak’s assistant.

Tracey is voiced in the English dubs by Ed Paul in Seasons 2 through 8 and in the Pokémon Chronicles series dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment and Craig Blair in "Home is Where the Start Is". In the original Japanese version, Kenji is voiced by Tomokazu Seki.

[edit] Team Rocket

Team Rocket (ロケット団, Roketto-dan, literally 'Rocket Brigade') is an evil organization bent on world domination. Team Rocket, headed by Giovanni, steals and exploits Pokémon for profit and power. The organization has operations in Kanto and Johto.

[edit] Jessie, James, and Meowth

The most frequently appearing members of Team Rocket are Jessie, James, and Meowth. They are the main antagonists of the anime series, known for their lack of competence in their evil-doings, and their infamous and annoying motto. They also provide much of the comic relief in the series. Almost every episode (there are very few rare exceptions) involves these three attempting to steal Ash's Pikachu, or the Pokémon currently being featured in the story, in order to present it to their boss, Giovanni. Sometimes they are defeated immediately, focusing the attention back on the main plot; and other times their theft attempt is a large aspect of the entire episode.

Jessie (ムサシ, Musashi^?) is often portrayed yelling loudly at her fellow Team Rocket members, beating them over the head, and generally being abusive. She is also noted for her large ego and delusional sense of skill with handling Pokémon. She has only been voiced by two different people in the nine years the show has been in English; seasons 1-8 were voiced by Rachel Lillis, and presently she is voiced by Michele Knotz.

James (コジロウ, Kojirō^[4]?), Jessie's male counterpart, is conversely portrayed as whiny and effeminate. On multiple occasions he has crossdressed, and even wore inflatable breasts in the unedited version of Beauty and the Beach. James has also been cast as a sometimes guillable or naïve character, principally through a running gag introduced in the first season where he buys a gold-plated Poké Ball with a Magikarp inside - later to find out that the Pokémon is almost worthless. He then proceeds to be duped by the same salesman over and over in later episodes. James was originally voiced in English by Ted Lewis in episodes 1-13, but was replaced by Eric Stuart until the end of season eight. At the beginning of season nine, Jimmy Zoppi, under the pseudonym of Billy Beach, took over the roles of both James and Meowth.

Meowth (ニャース, Nyasu^?) rounds out the trio as the fast-talking, cat-like Pokémon who travels with Jessie and James in the anime, The Electric Tale of Pikachu, and the Ash & Pikachu manga. This specific Meowth is unique among other Pokémon in his ability to speak like humans. This has been cited in the anime as the reason why Meowth can't evolve or use the advanced move Pay Day to get the team some quick cash. However despite these shortcomings, Meowth is often the one to come up with a diabolical plan for the team to execute in the given episode. Meowth was voiced in English by Nathan Price until episode 30, when Maddie Blaustein came in. She voiced the conniving Pokémon through the eighth season, and was replaced alongside Stuart by Zoppi.

Several episodes have given glimpses into the pasts of Jessie, James, and Meowth. Early on, both Jessie and James flunked out of the Pokémon-Tech school from The School of Hard Knocks and then joined a bicycle gang. While James was the only child of a very wealthy couple. Jessie has referenced growing up poor and being the youngest of several girls. Specifically, in a Japanese Pokémon drama CD Birth of Mewtwo (Myuutsuu no Tanjo), it is revealed that Jessie grew up in poverty because her mother, Miyamoto, fostered her out so she could focus on missions for Team Rocket given by its founder, Madame Boss (Giovanni’s mother). One episode in the earlier seasons focused on Meowth's past, and established that he taught himself to speak because he thought it would impress a female Meowth with whom he was infatuated, but instead he says she told him that he was a "talking freak meowth."

In Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu, a manga that loosely follows the storyline of the anime, Team Rocket's portrayals are similar. However, one notable variation is that by the end of the graphic novel, the pair is seen with Jessie being pregnant.

The three Team Rocket members are also featured in the Pokémon Yellow video game, in which the storyline and certain mechanics were altered from the original Pokémon Red and Blue games to follow the anime more closely. In Yellow, the player must battle and defeat a Meowth when fighting Jessie and James.

[edit] Butch and Cassidy

Butch and Cassidy (Kosaburō and Yamato in Japanese) are the rivals of Jessie, James, and Meowth; unlike the trio, however, they are successful Rockets and are looked upon favorably by Giovanni. Their plans are on a larger scale, with the goal of capturing many Pokémon at once. People usually mispronounce Butch's name.

[edit] Giovanni

Main article: Giovanni

Giovanni is the leader of Team Rocket. He is constantly frustrated by the failures of Jessie, James, and Meowth.

[edit] In the movies

In Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns, a Rocket operative named Domino/Black Tulip was seen. Domino often flung black tulips at her enemies, that would then explode or release shockwave. She also captured and enslaved Jessie and James.

In Pokémon 4Ever, a Rocket member known as the Iron Masked Marauder was introduced, In Japanese "Bishasu-sama no Kamen", or the Masked Lord Vicious. He used Dark Balls to capture Pokémon and make them evil. After capturing Celebi, he went on a rampage, destroying the forest, and talked about betraying Giovanni. He was defeated by Ash Professor Oak and Suicune.

In Pokémon Heroes, the villains were named Annie and Oakley. They try to capture Latias and Latios for Giovanni. Defeated by Ash and friends, the girls go to prison.

[edit] Rivals

[edit] Gary Oak

Gary Oak (オーキド・シゲル, Ōkido Shigeru^?), voiced by Jimmy Zoppi is Ash's Rival. At first, very cocky and arrogant, and unfriendly; he has since become more compassionate and strict. He and Ash grew up together in Pallet Town and quickly became rivals after becoming Pokémon trainers. He and Ash collected Gym badges and then competed in the Kanto and Johto League tournaments. After losing to Ash in the Johto League, he decides to pursue a career in Pokémon research, impeding his rivalry with Ash. During Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl, he travels to Sinnoh.

[edit] Paul

Paul (シンジ, Shinji^?) is a roaming Pokémon trainer from the Sinnoh region that has traveled through the regional areas of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. During Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl, he begins to travel through Sinnoh, where he meets and develops a rivalry with Ash Ketchum. Paul feels that Ash is a weak trainer and can easily bring on Ash's anger by stating it. Paul is characterized as a stern and captious trainer whose only concern for Pokémon is of their ability to act in battle. As such, Paul always checks his newly captured Pokémon with his Pokédex to learn what attacks they know. He strongly dislikes weak Pokémon and has a habit of releasing them if they do not meet up to his high expectations. He believes that forming a bond only dilutes a Pokémon's true potential and turns them into slackers. He has shown respect for some people like Nurse Joy, Professor Rowan, and Cynthia.

[edit] Ritchie

Ritchie (ヒロシ, Hiroshi Kariama Nagashi^?) is a fictional character in the Pokémon anime and manga series. He dresses mostly in green, with a blue hat. He and Ash develop a steady rivalry over the series progress.

Ritchie re-appeared in the Whirl Islands, and is one of the protagonists of Pokémon Chronicles. Ritchie revealed during Pokémon Chronicles that he is from Frotomar City. In the anime, he is voiced by Minami Takayama in the Japanese version, and by Tara Jayne in the English version. Ritchie can also be played in Pokémon Puzzle League.

[edit] Zoey

Zoey (ノゾミ, Nozomi^?) is a Pokémon coordinator and Dawn's rival. She first appeared in the episode of "Mounting a Coordinator Assault". Her Japanese voice actress is 早水リサ (Risa Hayamizu) and her English voice actress is Emily Williams.

[edit] Supporting characters

[edit] Delia Ketchum

Delia (ハナコ, Hanako^?) is Ash's mother. She is kind and gentle, but often scolds Ash when he often puts himself in dangerous situations. Delia herself has a Pokémon/house keeper in the form of Mr. Mime. Delia's voice actresses are Veronica Taylor (4Kids) Michelle Knotz (Pokémon USA) and by Masami Toyoshima (Japanese).

[edit] Nurse Joy

Nurse Joy (ジョーイさん, Jōi-san^?) is the name for each member of an identical family of Pokémon nurses. They mainly work in Pokémon Centers, but they also work in other locations. They are also often accompanied by a Chansey or Blissey. Brock, the only person who can tell all the Joys apart, is infatuated with every Nurse Joys he meets, often having to be restrained by a traveling companion. In the 4Kids dub they were voiced by Megan Hollingshead until the Advanced series, where Bella Hudson took over, and Michele Knotz from the Pokémon USA dub. Nurse Joy was also played by Diane Stillwell in The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon.

[edit] Officer Jenny

Officer Jenny (ジュンサー Junsê) is the name for each member of an identical family of police officers. They often show up patrolling, or in some cases stopping a crime. In seasons 1-6 Officer Jenny was played by Megan Hollingshead, and in seasons 7 & 8 was played by Jamie Davyous Owens and late Season 9 to present Elisabeth Morinelli (a.k.a. Emily Williams), and in The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon was played by Kayzie Rogers. Brock, the only person who can tell all the Jennys apart, is infatuated with every Officer Jenny he meets, often having to be restrained by a traveling companion.

[edit] Professor Oak

Professor Samuel Oak^[5] (known as Yukinari Okido (オーキド・ユキナリ, Ōkido Yukinari^?) or Dr. Ōkido (オーキド博士, Ōkido-Hakase^?) in Japan) is a Pokémon researcher, and generally considered the best of his kind. As such, his role in the Pokémon games and anime is that of a mentor to young Pokémon Trainers, a source of information and an occasional plot device. Amongst other things, he is credited with inventing the Pokédex. Although he is an expert on all matters relating to Pokémon, Professor Oak specializes in Pokémon behavioural science.

In the anime, when Professor Oak was a young Pokémon Trainer (referred to as "Sammy" in the fourth movie in which he played an important role of the Pokémon storyline) he owned a Charmeleon. He met the legendary Pokémon Celebi while it was being pursued by hunters and through its time traveling powers was transported decades into the future for a short while. During this time he met Ash Ketchum, who gave him the idea for the Pokédex. This adventure more than likely influenced all of his ideas and inventions thereafter creating a predestination paradox.

[edit] Professor Ivy

Professor Felina Ivy, Doctor Uchikido (ウチキド博士, Uchikido-hakase^?) in the Japanese versions, is the resident Pokémon professor of the Orange Islands, south of the region of Kanto.

Professor Ivy is first introduced in the second season of the Pokémon anime. Ash and his friends Misty and Brock make their way to Valencia Island and meet the Professor. The unusual Pokéball that Professor Ivy discovered is dubbed the GS Ball. It serves as a plot device that leads Ash to the region of Johto. Brock has decided to stay with Ivy to study Pokémon Breeding. Brock arrived in Pallet Town. He now reacts intensely to Ivy's name "Don't mention that name!"

Professor Ivy was in the animated film Pokémon: The Movie 2000.

[edit] Professor Elm

Professor Elm, Doctor Utsugi (ウツギ博士, Utsugi-hakase^?) in original Japanese language versions, is in charge of giving novice trainers their first Pokémon (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile) in the video games Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. According to the story, he was a student of Professor Oak and moved to New Bark Town in the region of Johto where he conducts his research on Pokémon breeding. His English name refers to the elm tree, while his Japanese name refers to deutzia.

Professor Elm dresses quite casually, with a shirt that has a stripe across it slightly covered by his lab coat. He wears khaki slacks and sometimes wears night slippers or moccasins.

He is stereotypically depicted as a professor that has a tendency to be absent-minded, due to his immersion in his work. His forgetfulness was shown in an episode of the Pokémon anime where Team Rocket visit his laboratory, and the professor carelessly assumes them to be Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center without looking up, and tells them to take the Pokémon, which they do. When the real Joy arrives, Elm discovers that one of his Pokémon, Totodile, has been stolen. With the help of Officer Jenny and the local Police Department the Pokémon is recovered from Team Rocket. This was meant to reproduce the moment in the game where one of his Pokémon is stolen by a rival character and is never recovered. Professor Elm also was said in one episode that he was Professor Oak's top student, and implies that he wants to surpass Oak.

[edit] Professor Birch

Professor Birch, Doctor Odamaki (オダマキ博士, Odamaki-Hakase^?) in original Japanese language versions, is considered the "Pokémon Professor" in the Hoenn region. Unlike other Pokémon scientists, he is known for his field work, rather than, in his own words, remaining "cooped up in [his] lab all day". He is an expert in the field of Pokémon habitual distribution. He is also responsible for giving new Pokémon trainers one of the three Hoenn starter Pokémon: Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip.

In the anime, Professor Birch appears at the start of the Hoenn Saga. When Ash arrives in the Hoenn region, his Pikachu is ill from an overexposure to magnetism, and needs treatment immediately. Birch himself takes Ash and Pikachu back to his lab. Birch gives May her first Pokémon, a Torchic, a Pokédex, and some Poké Balls.

He later appears when Ash, May, Brock, and Max return to Littleroot to help save the Starter Pokémon from Team Rocket, and also helps to solve the mystery of Clamperl's evolutions.

[edit] Professor Rowan

Professor Rowan , Doctor Nanakamado (ナナカマド博士, Nanakamado-hakase^?) in original Japanese language versions, is the authority on Pokémon in the region of Sinnoh, the setting of the Pokémon video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Professor Rowan's name derives from the rowan tree, similar to the names of other Pokémon professors, such as Professors Oak, Elm and Birch, which similarly derive from the names of other trees.

Rowan's laboratory is located in Sandgem Town, making him the first professor in Pokémon not to live in the protagonist's town. Specializing in the research of Pokémon evolution, Rowan is an expert on the Pokémon of Sinnoh. He gives the player a Pokédex, and allows him or her and the rival to keep one of the three Sinnoh Starter Pokémon (Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup) each after they are attacked by Starly while searching for a rare Pokémon, having seen a red Gyarados on TV appearing at the Lake of Rage (a reference to Pokémon Gold and Silver.)

Professor Rowan appears in the first episode of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, "Following a Maiden's Voyage!" He meets Dawn and later gives her Piplup.

[edit] Orange Islands Gym leaders

Collectively known as the Orange Crew, each of these Gym Leaders is in charge of a Pokémon Gym. Unlike other Gym Leaders, these five characters were created for the anime (along with the entire Orange Islands region), and do not appear in other media except the official manga adaptation of the anime. The Orange Crew mostly favor tests of skill, endurance, or other tests of the applicant’s mettle, instead of straight head-to-head battles. Each of them poses to Ash a challenge to overcome or task to complete before he earns the badges he needs to go on to the Orange League championships.

[edit] Cissy

Cissy (ナツミ, Cissy^? Natsumi in the Japanese language version), is Mikan Island’s Gym Leader. She is an expert on Water-type Pokémon, and one of the rules of her Gym is that opponents must use Water-type Pokémon as well. She lives with Senta, her assistant and little brother, who is also a Pokémon trainer and, according to Tracey Sketchit, she is known as “one of the toughest trainers in the Orange Crew”. She is very tough indeed, as well as a bit of a trickster. She hands out the Coral Eye Badge to trainers who defeat her.

When he seeks her out to win his first Orange League badge, Ash discovers that Cissy, like the rest of the Orange Crew, conducts a different kind of Gym battle from those he was used to in the Indigo League. The first part of Cissy’s match is an accuracy test, in which both trainers have their Pokémon use Water Gun to accurately hit targets. The second test is a Surfing race around some buoys near the coast. Ash prevails in both and wins the badge thanks to the speed of his Lapras.

[edit] Danny

Danny (ダン, Danny^? Dan in the Japanese language version), is Navel Island’s Gym Leader. He does not specialize in a particular Pokémon type. He appears to be in his mid-20s and enjoys water sports including sailing and windsurfing. Danny hands out the Sea Ruby Badge to trainers who defeat him.

He is the second Gym Leader Ash encounters in the Orange Archipelago. He and Misty seem to have a minor flirtation in the anime episode “Navel Maneuvers”. This seems to bother Ash a small amount. Like other members of the Orange Crew, Danny doesn’t simply battle Ash; instead, he challenges Ash to work with his Pokémon in order to win the Badge. Initially, Ash has to climb a mountain without the aid of any of his Pokémon. Then, Ash and Danny each choose one of their Pokémon to try to freeze a geyser of superheated water. Each then picks three Pokémon to carve a bobsled (or toboggan) of sorts from the ice, and the final challenge is a bobsled race down the side of the mountain. Ash wins the last two challenges (the requisite is two out of three) and receives the badge from Danny.

[edit] Rudy

Rudy (ジギー, Rudy^? Jigī in the Japanese language version), is Trovita Island’s Gym Leader. He specializes in combat between Pokémon of the same type. His strategy also includes teaching his Pokémon skills they would not normally learn, such as modern dance. Trainers who defeat him earn the Spike Shell Badge.

Rudy is the third Gym Leader that Ash Ketchum meets while traveling through the Orange Archipelago. In the episode “Misty Meets Her Match”, he ignores Ash and puts all his efforts into wooing Misty, who had saved his younger sister Mahri and her Seel from a whirlpool. Although he appears cultured and charismatic, Rudy fails to convince Misty to stay with him on the island.

Like Mikan Island Gym Leader Cissy, Rudy requires that all trainers who face him pass a test of skill. He has Ash’s Pokémon shoot at targets while aboard a moving boat. After Ash passes Rudy’s attack test, they face off in a three-on-three battle atop one of the rock pillars that surround Trovita Island, in which each of Rudy’s Pokémon are of the same type as the ones Ash chooses. Ash prevails in two out of three rounds, capturing the Spike Shell Badge. Rudy then tells Ash that he’s a lucky guy (because Misty continued to travel with him), but Ash doesn’t seem to understand what Rudy means.

[edit] Luana

Luana (ルリコ, Luana^? Ruriko in the Japanese language version), is Kumquat Island’s Gym Leader, and she owns a luxury hotel on Kumquat Island that also doubles as her Gym. Pokémon trainers often stay at the Kumquat Hotel to help prepare for battle. The actual Gym appears to be the largest in the Orange Islands, not counting Pummelo Stadium. She specializes in Double Battles (a feature that would not be added to the games for another four years), in which each trainer uses two Pokémon simultaneously. Luana hands out the Jade Star Badge to trainers who defeat her. She is a very large, and very loud woman.

When Ash first meets Luana, she mistakes him for her son, Travis. Ash bears a striking resemblance to Travis, who also has a Pikachu. Luana misses her son and wishes to care for him again. Luana’s maternal instinct extends to her Pokémon, whom she cares for deeply, treating each one like her own child. Ash uses Pikachu and Charizard for their match. Despite their initial unwillingness to cooperate, the two pull together in the end and are able to defeat Luana’s Pokémon.

[edit] Drake

For the leader of the Hoenn Elite Four, see List of Elite Four members.

Drake (ユウジ, Drake^? Yūji in the Japanese language version), is the leader of the Orange Crew, and resides on Pummelo Island. He shares his name with the leader of the Elite Four in Hoenn, and is not to be confused with Kanto Champion Lance (both have similar appearances and both own a Dragonite.)His name is a pun of Draco, Latin for dragon.

Although the American dub implies that Drake is merely the fifth and final Gym Leader in the Orange League, the Japanese version specifically uses the title "Head Leader" to denote his importance, and the Pokémon: Surf’s Up, Pikachu! manga refers to him as the "Supreme Gym Leader".

In any case, his importance is obvious, as trainers must defeat the other Gym Leaders to face him in the massive Pummelo Stadium, and are awarded a championship title and various honors upon defeating him. However, Drake is not necessarily a League Champion, as it is not clear whether or not he ever actually had to defeat a previous Head Leader in order to take the title. (The manga implies that he did.)

In both media, Ash Ketchum was the first person to defeat Drake in Orange League history, Pikachu being the only Pokémon to ever take down Dragonite.

Drake's English voice actor is Scottie Ray.

[edit] References

Manga volumes

• Ono, Toshihiro. Pokémon: Electric Pikachu Boogaloo Graphic Novel. VIZ Media LLC, April 5, 2000. ISBN 1-56931-436-5
• Ono, Toshihiro. Pokémon: Surf’s Up, Pikachu Graphic Novel. VIZ Media LLC, June 2000. ISBN 1-56931-494-2