Every fan of Pokémon franchise, regardless of whether they are brand new to the world of Pokémon or a veteran player, have their own opinion on what makes a Pokémon Trainer powerful. Some will say that a trainer is good because of the Pokemon in their overall roster, and especially in their main team. Others might point out how a trainer is powerful because of their quick thinking and adaptability, able to win even the toughest matches.
Many of history's most famous Pokémon trainers hail from the beloved Kanto region. Some trainers, like Elite Four member Agatha, have been working with Pokémon for decades and are now masters of their craft. Other trainers, such as Ash Ketchum, are on their way to becoming Pokémon Masters, but have still created a great legacy for themselves.
Sabrina was a true threat in Pokemon: Indigo League
A terrifying psychic who can communicate telepathically with his Pokémon
Although many trainers in Pokémon the world is friendly, there are also several that you know you never make an enemy of, even if they are not evil in themselves. Sabrina, a Psychic-type Gym Leader from Saffron City, is portrayed as a mysterious yet good-natured trainer in the games and animated series such as Pokémon Origins. However, she is much more terrifying Pokemon: Indigo Leaguewas shown as a gym leader who was obsessed with getting stronger. Her desire for power made her act cold and even imprison her own parents in a psychic dollhouse.
Sabrina, throughout Pokémon media, was born with psychic powers herself, making her a perfect trainer for the psychic type. The gym leader can even issue commands to his Pokémon without saying a word, as the two can communicate telepathically. After escaping her clutches, Ash and his friends seek the help of a playful Haunter, as Ghost/Poison-type moves would be super effective against Sabrina's Pokémon. In the end, Haunter's glee would allow Sabrina to laugh for the first time in ages, helping her relax and see the error of her ways.
Gary Oak acted as Ash's rival in the previous episodes
The skilled coach later decided to become a researcher
Since the two were young children, Ash and his childhood friend Gary Oak have always had a rivalry. Their competition would only grow more intense after the two became Pokémon trainers, and Gary was quick to make fun of Ash for oversleeping on the day he was supposed to pick a Pokémon. Much to Ash's chagrin, Gary seemed to breeze through the battles and easily earned gym badges. He was also great at catching and training Pokémon, collecting many for his Pokédex entries.
Gary would finally admit that he thought his childhood friend was a good trainer after he was able to defeat Jessie and James as the Viridian City Gym, acting as substitutes for Giovanni. By the time the two had their final battle in the Johto region, Gary had become much more supportive of Ash, telling him that he planned to change his career path. Gary therefore decided to become a Pokémon researcher like his grandfather, Professor Oak. Although he spends more time researching than fighting, Gary remains a phenomenal trainer and has helped many allies since then.
Agatha is a legendary master of Ghost-Type Pokémon
Agatha's Gengar is a true force to be reckoned with
Agatha, one of the legendary trainers of the Kanto Elite Four, is known for her short temper. Hotness aside, Agatha is feared by many trainers for her formidable team of Ghost-type Pokémon, a type she has worked very hard with to be considered a Pokémon Master. Agatha's perspective on how Pokémon should be used conflicts with many of her peers, as she believes that Pokémon should only be used for fighting. Despite this, she is shown to be close to her companions, most notably her partner Gengar.
Agatha is Professor Oak's former rival and often comments on how the famous professor is no longer as strong as he once was. Meanwhile, in the original Pokémon anime, Agatha was the acting gym leader of the Viridian City Gym after Giovanni's departure. Like every bit of Pokémon media, her main Pokemon was Gengar, who was able to defeat Ash's team in battle. Despite this loss, Agatha was impressed by Ash's fighting skills and wished him luck before leaving to challenge the Battle Frontier.
Lance has acted as an Elite Four member and a Champion
This trainer works with multiple types of Pokemon
No matter what role he takes on, the dragon-type Trainer Lance is sure to leave those around him in awe. Lance is known for the battles he has participated in with his partner Pokémon Dragonite, but he is also known for having a powerful Shiny Gyarados. In fact, Water/Flying type Pokémon can also Mega Evolve into Shiny Mega Gyarados. IN Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon Let's Go, Eevee!Lance is shown to have a Key Stone like his anime counterpart, although he has a Mega Charizard X instead of a Mega Shiny Gyarados. Usually, Lance acts as the last member of the Kanto Elite Four, but in the original Generation II games and their Generation IV remakes, he is instead the champion of Kanto, as Red is away training.
Lance is a great trainer both on and off the battlefield. In the original Pokémon anime, he is shown to be competitive and independent yet deeply loyal to his Pokémon. IN Pokémon Generationshowever, he is a much more terrifying character. His most prominent role was in the episode “The Lake of Rage”, where he teamed up with Ethan to infiltrate Team Rocket's headquarters in Mahogany Town. Lance and his Dragonite showed no mercy to the building's equipment or their enemies, be they Pokemon or humans.
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Ash Ketchum strives to become a true Pokemon Master
The famous champion of the Masters Eight tournament
The legendary trainer of the original Pokémon anime, Ash Ketchum came from humble beginnings like many other famous trainers. Growing up in Pallet Town, Ash dreamed of the day when he would be able to choose his starter Pokémon from Professor Oak's Pokémon Lab. Unfortunately, he ends up oversleeping on the day he gets to choose his starter, leaving Ash with an independent Electric-type named Pikachu. Although the two do not get along at first, they are soon able to work together as a team and embark on a great adventure together.
Ash's main dream is to become a Pokémon Master, and he has since trained all sorts of Pokémon from different regions around the world. Some of his most famous allies include the determined Infernape, the speedy Sceptile, and even the ferocious Charizard. At the end of the original anime, Ash competed in the Masters Eight Tournament alongside several famous Champions and won after defeating his final opponent, Champion Leon of Galar. Since then, Ash and Pikachu have traveled to new places, leaving many longtime fans wondering where the dynamic duo might be now.
Blue Oak is even more powerful than his alternate counterpart
A powerful champion as well as a gym leader
Though his counterpart in the original Pokémon anime, Gary Oak, is very powerful, Blue Oak is even more so. This anime equivalent of the legendary Trainer is directly based on the character of the same name from the video games, making him a more experienced trainer. Unlike his counterpart in the original Pokémon anime, this animated version of Blue remained a trainer, even becoming a champion in the process, as seen in Pokémon Generations episode “The Challenger”. Although the Elite Four members were tough, Blue displayed his signature confidence and won every battle easily.
As in the games, Blue would later become the Champion, welcoming his longtime rival Red to the end of the Elite Four as his final opponent. IN Pokémon Originsanother miniseries detailing events from the games, Blue is again shown as the competitive and unusually powerful rival of his neighbor Red. In addition to collecting Gym Badges from all the gyms in Kanto and helping Red in his fight against Team Rocket, Blue also faced off against Mewtwo but was unfortunately eliminated. Although he is one of the most formidable trainers in Kanto by the end of the miniseries, he is still upset at what he has failed to do compared to Red, especially after his rival managed to capture the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo.
Red is even more famous than Ash Ketchum
The first hero in the Pokemon franchise
Long before Ash Ketchum became famous via Pokemon: Indigo Leaguea boy named Red had already cemented his legacy as the original Pokémon hero. Red was first seen in Generation I, where he is the player character as well as a local from the small but cozy Pallet Town. Although he is often portrayed as a man of few words, Red is also shown to be a curious and friendly young man with a strong sense of justice. As he embarks on a journey to obtain every Gym badge and Kanto and hopefully become the next champion, Red also finds himself battling Team Rocket, an evil organization with ties to the Pokémon League. He has several roles later in the later games, including as the final boss in the original Generation II games and their Generation IV remakes.
Red does not appear often in Pokémon Generationsbut he has a prominent direct counterpart in Pokémon Origins. As the protagonist of the miniseries, the audience follows Red on his quest to become the Champion, similar to his gaming counterpart. Unlike his game counterpart, however, Red speaks more often and proves to be an occasionally clumsy young trainer with a big heart. He matures over time thanks to his many experiences in Pokémon battles and his encounters with Team Rocket, and becomes a trainer known for his desire to help anyone in need.
Pokémon
- Release date
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1997 – 2023
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuzaa,, Ken Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
- Author
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Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku
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Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
