List of ''Pokémon'' characters

This is a list of characters in the Pokémon franchise, including the games, anime series, and manga series. A single character may appear in multiple continuities, sometimes in the same basic role (e.g. Giovanni) and sometimes in very different roles (e.g. Brock).

All references to the "video games" collectively refer to Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, and Moon only, unless noted otherwise. Likewise, references to the Pokémon anime also include, in addition to the eponymous anime itself, the related sidestory Pokémon Chronicles anime, the game Pokémon Channel, and Ash & Pikachu manga unless otherwise noted.

Names in bold are the names from the English-language versions of the video games or anime. Names within parentheses in plain text are the anglicized form of the characters' original Japanese language name if different from the English-language version. Italicized names are the romanized version of the Japanese language name if different from the anglicized version.

Pokémon Trainers

Player characters

The protagonist of the video games can be renamed by the player, but each has an array of default names. As the anime and the various manga are, to differing degrees, based on the games, other Pokémon protagonists (or supporting characters) are often named after and share many characteristics with the game protagonists.

Rivals

The main character's rival in the video games has a number of different names, but he roughly corresponds to several other characters in the animated series and comics. (Note that not all of the corresponding characters are rivals or antagonists to the protagonist in the anime or in Pokémon Adventures, however.) In the Pokémon video games, the rivals will always pick a starter Pokémon which has a type advantage over the player's own.

Pseudo-rival

The "pseudo-rival" in the video games debuted in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and is usually the character that the player did not choose to play as. They will appear in the game and will sometimes aid the player during their journey.

Pokémon League

The Pokémon League is a little-described organization that organizes and certifies Pokémon Gyms and Pokémon tournaments. Becoming the Pokémon League Champion is one of the main goals in the video games, as well as one of Ash's stated goals in life in the anime.

The members of the Pokémon League have differing roles depending on where they appear; in the video games, they are the one-time "boss" opponents the player has to overcome to progress through the game, in the anime, they are usually one-time challengers Ash has to face to become the Pokémon League Champion, and in the manga, they are alternately enemies or allies to the protagonists, depending on their individual motivations.

Gym Leaders

Gym Leaders (ジムリーダー, Jimu Rīdā) lead Pokémon Gyms, and offer Gym badges to Pokémon trainers who can defeat them. Usually, this challenge takes the form of a Pokémon battle, but, occasionally, the challenges are a trial of skill or endurance, or the badges are given in return for extraordinary services rendered.

Each main region has at least eight Gym Leaders at a time. Any trainer who earns a Gym Badge from eight Gyms is eligible to go on to face the Elite Four or participate in the Pokémon League Championships, as appropriate.

Kanto Gym Leaders

Orange Islands Gym Leaders

These gym leaders only appear in the anime series' second season. They do not appear in any of the games.

Johto Gym Leaders

Hoenn Gym Leaders

Sinnoh Gym Leaders

Unova Gym Leaders

Black and White
Black 2 and White 2

The majority of the Gym Leaders in Black and White reprise their roles as Gym Leaders, though others (Cilan, Chili, Cress, Lenora, Brycen, and Iris) are no longer Gym Leaders and appear in the sequels in a different capacity.

Kalos Gym Leaders

Alola Trial Captains and Kahunas

Members of the Elite Four

The Elite Four (四天王, Shitennō, lit. "Four Heavenly Kings") is an order of exceptionally skilled Pokémon trainers consisting of four member trainers of ascending rank. Like the Gym Leaders, they also specialize on a type of Pokémon but are far stronger. Most different regions possess their own organizations. The player must first defeat them all so that they may gain the right to challenge the 'Pokémon Champion'. The player must obtain all eight badges from each respective region's gym leaders.

Kanto Elite Four

The Kanto Elite Four act as the Elite Four in the original series of Pokémon games consisting of Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow versions as well as in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen versions which act as remakes of the original games. Within the timeline of the game series they are eventually also given the status as the 'Johto Elite Four', as Johto shares its Pokémon league with Kanto. Specifically, this Elite Four is located on the Indigo Plateau, shared by both Kanto and Johto.

Johto Elite Four

The Johto Elite Four act as the Elite Four in the original series of Pokémon games consisting of Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions as well as in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver versions which act as remakes of the original games. Within the timeline of the games series, they become the successors of the Kanto Elite Four. Only Bruno from the previous games returns, while the others are replaced by new ones.

Hoenn Elite Four

The Hoenn Elite Four act as the Elite Four in the original series of Pokémon games consisting of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire.

Sinnoh Elite Four

Unova Elite Four

Kalos Elite Four

Alola Elite Four

Regional Champions

At the start of every game series, each region has their own respective regional League Champion. They are meant to be the strongest trainer within their own region and are far superior to the Elite Four or any Gym Leader. Their position of 'Pokémon Champion' is constantly open to challenge to any Pokémon trainer who gains eight badges and defeats the Elite Four, and once they defeat the Champion in a Pokémon battle, they automatically earn the title for themselves. Whenever the title of Champion is passed on, it is honored by an inauguration into the Hall of Fame.

Frontier Brains

The Frontier Brains (フロンティアブレーン, Furontia Burēn) are a group of powerful Pokémon trainers from the Battle Frontier that appears in Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Platinum, and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Each Brain resides at a Frontier facility and has his or her own title. After defeating a Frontier Brain, the trainer will receive a Silver Symbol (1st time) or Gold Symbol (2nd time). In Platinum, the trainer will receive a Silver Medal (1st time) or Colored Medal (2nd time).

In the anime, Ash Ketchum travels the land of Kanto after his journey in Hoenn, defeating the Frontier Brains. Instead of being on the Battle Frontier island, the facilities are in cities in Kanto.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, a mysterious boy called Emerald, who has a connection with Latias and Latios, comes to the Battle Frontier island to defeat the Frontier Brains. Todd, a character from the anime and the Pokémon Snap games, watches Emerald go through the frontier. Similarly, Platinum Berlitz challenges the Frontier Brains of Sinnoh alongside Looker in order to learn more about the Distortion World in a later chapter of the manga.

Kanto/Hoenn

Johto/Sinnoh

Subway Bosses

Similar to the Battle Towers and Battle Frontiers of the third and fourth generations, the Battle Subway (バトルサブウェイ, Batoru Sabuwei) is a venue in Pokémon Black and White where the player can fight a series of trainers in succession, before eventually challenging the Subway Bosses (Subway Masters (サブウェイマスター, Sabuwei Masutā)).[7]

When challenging the two Multi Battle lines (two players or one player with an NPC challenging two NPCs), both Emmet and Ingo are fought in a Multi Battle.

Battle Chatelaines

In Pokémon X and Y, the Battle Maison is introduced as a new system where the bosses are the sister Battle Chatelaines (バトルシャトレーヌ, Batoru Shatorēnu). Each serves as a leader of a different type of battle style and are faced after winning a series of battles against other trainers in succession. They also appear in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, serving the same role.

When challenging the Multi Battle system, the sisters pair up amongst each other.

Crime syndicates

Team Rocket

Team Rocket (ロケット団, Roketto-dan) is the first syndicate to be revealed in the Pokémon metaseries. In each of its various incarnations, Team Rocket desires to steal Pokémon to further its goal of world domination. After debuting in the original games, Red and Blue, the syndicate then appeared in the anime and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. They also appear in the Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, and HeartGold and SoulSilver versions.

Team Magma and Aqua

Team Magma (マグマ団, Maguma-dan) and Team Aqua (アクア団, Akua-dan) are two opposing groups that each seek to cause huge alterations to the planet's ecosystem. Magma wants to expand the lands through the use of Groudon, and Aqua wishes to expand the seas by awakening Kyogre. In Ruby and Omega Ruby, Team Magma is enemies to the player, while in Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire, Team Aqua is the player's enemies. In Emerald, both of the groups are enemies.

Team Magma

Team Aqua

Team Galactic

Team Galactic (ギンガ団, Ginga-dan) first appear in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, being the evil team tormenting the region of Sinnoh. They desire to reshape time and space to their preferred designs by making a red chain to control Dialga and Palkia. They attempt create a new universe, kidnapping Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf for their plans. In the video games, they appear to only want Dialga in Diamond or they only want Palkia in Pearl. In Pokémon Platinum, they want both but are stopped when Giratina comes out of the Distortion World and drags everything back in with it. In the anime series, They are almost successful in creating a new universe, but are stopped when Ash and his friends destroy the red chains, forcing Cyrus to step into the "new universe" as it collapses. Later, Looker arrests Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Charon, causing Mars to exclaim that "... this is the end of Team Galactic."

Team Plasma

Team Plasma (プラズマ団, Purazuma-dan) is the antagonistic group in Pokémon Black and White who seeks to separate Pokémon from humans. They are led by a boy known only as N and the Seven Sages who will capture Reshiram in White and Zekrom in Black (the player will capture the opposite colored one), intending to use the Dragon Pokémon to force people to abandon capturing Pokémon. In reality, N is a pawn used by his adoptive father Ghetsis, one of the Seven Sages, who raised him for the sole purpose of being able to tame the legendary Pokémon and then disposing of him, so that he can take control of Unova. Two years after Ghetsis's defeat and N's departure from Unova, Team Plasma reforms itself with its true intentions at the forefront, intending to use the power of Kyurem to take over the Unova Region and the rest of the world.

Team Flare

Team Flare (フレア団, Furea-dan) is the evil team appearing in Pokémon X and Y. Their main goal is to "create a beautiful world", which eventually manifests itself into mass genocide of all human and Pokémon life but themselves, using an ancient weapon once used by a king of Kalos, an ancestor of their leader Lysandre, from 3000 years ago. While their plan involved harnessing the power of Xerneas and Yveltal depending the game's version, Team Flare's scheme in the anime involves controlling Zygarde.

Aether Foundation

The Aether Foundation is an organization appearing in Pokémon Sun and Moon seemingly dedicated to the conservation of Pokémon. However, it is revealed that they are also researching the Ultra Beasts and while they are not technically a criminal syndicate, their president sought to bring the Ultra Beasts into Alola with no regard for the consequences of doing so.

Team Skull

A gang of street thugs who are the resident villain team of Alola, secretly working with the Aether Foundation on the promise of money. They were disbanded following the events of the game.

Cipher

Cipher (Shadow (シャドー, Shadō)) are the main antagonists of Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. They produced the technology that creates Shadow Pokémon by locking the Pokémon's hearts to compassion.

Team Snagem

Team Snagem (Snatch Gang (スナッチ団, Sunatchi-dan)) is another villainous organization in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. They developed the Snag Machine technology, allowing them to steal already captured Pokémon from other trainers. However, their prototype in Colosseum is stolen by the player character, a former member of the group.

Go-Rock Squad

Go-Rock Squad (GoGo Gang (スナッチ団, GoGo-dan)) is a villainous team in Pokémon Ranger. Their plot consists of replacing the rangers and becoming the new heroes of Fiore. The Squad begins this by stealing a Capture Stylus from Professor Hastings. Reverse engineering the design, the Go Rock Squad mass-produces a great many styluses. Following this, the Squad captures a multitude of Pokémon for their own use. In the endgame of their plans, Gordor attempts to summon legendary Pokémon Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, who would terrorize the land with their power. In theory the Squad would then stop the legendaries with the Pokémon they already had, but the Squad broke up after the Rangers foiled the plot.

Pokémon Pinchers

The Pokémon Pinchers are a group of rogues who steal Pokémon by taking control over them in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs. They are led by four elderly members known as the Societea:

Then there is the "eyes" trio which acts as the public face of the Pinchers, consisting of:

Supporting characters

Pokémon Professors

The Pokémon Professors give new Pokémon trainers a starting Pokémon appropriate to their region, and entrust them with a task (be it completing a Pokédex, delivering an object, or otherwise offering encouragement). They are also leading researchers of Pokémon-related topics, and mentor Pokémon trainers in a general way. It's interesting to note that almost all Pokémon Professors are named after trees: Oak, Ivy, Elm, Birch, Rowan, Juniper, and Sycamore, with the exception of Professor Hastings.

PC developers

Other characters

Recurring "clones"

These characters in the anime are actually a group of people with identical appearances (although Brock demonstrates the ability to tell the women apart). They do not individually recur, but they do appear in each town in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos and the Orange Islands, an identical-looking and -sounding person with the same name filling the same role. Their identical appearance may be a reference to or parody of the identical sprites used in the video games, a common practice in video game RPGs.

See also

References

  1. "Gary Oak is number 98". IGN. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  2. 1 2 CoroCoro Comic July 15, 2010
  3. "ライバル". Pokemon.co.jp. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  4. "New Details Emerge from the Unova Region!". Pokemon.com. June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  5. "ホミカ". Pokemon.co.jp. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  6. "シズイ". Pokemon.co.jp. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  7. Thomas East (21 February 2011). "New Pokémon Black & White screenshots show Battle Subway". Official Nintendo Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Game Freak (2011-03-06). Pokémon Black Version/Pokémon White Version. Nintendo DS. Nintendo, The Pokémon Company.
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