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 and sometimes in very different roles.
All references to the "video games" collectively refer to Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Let's Go, Pikachu!, Let's Go, Eevee!, Sword and Shield.
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.

Trainers

are people who capture wild Pokémon with Poké Balls, raise them, and train them to battle other Pokémon. Although Pokémon battles between Trainers are very popular in the Pokémon universe, the series also emphasizes the harmony between humans and Pokémon.

Protagonists

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 manga are, to differing degrees, based on the games, other Pokémon protagonists are often named after and share many characteristics with the game protagonists.

In the core games

Each video game will have one or more rivals. Some rivals can be renamed, while some rivals cannot. They roughly correspond to several other characters in the anime and the manga. In the Pokémon video games, the rivals will usually pick a starter Pokémon which has a type advantage over the player's own. In the more recent games the rival will pick the starter with a type disadvantage against the player, most likely to make the rival battles easier.

In the core games

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.
Each set of video games in the Pokémon franchise has featured an antagonist seeking to take over or otherwise destroy the world. The antagonist is utterly defeated at the end of the game, by the protagonist.

In the core games

Team Rocket
is the crime syndicate in Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, and their remakes, Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen,. They desire to exploit Pokémon to further their goal of world domination.
Neo Team Rocket is the crime syndicate in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, and their remakes, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. They seek to find and bring Giovanni back to lead. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, they seek to create Arceus to complete their goals.
are the two villainous groups in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and their remakes, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, that each seek to cause huge alterations to the planet's ecosystem. In Pokémon Emerald, both of the groups are enemies.
Team Aqua
are the player's enemies in Pokémon Sapphire, Emerald, and Alpha Sapphire. They wish to expand the seas by awakening Kyogre.
are enemies to the player in Pokémon Ruby, Emerald, and Omega Ruby. They want to expand the lands through the use of Groudon.
first appear in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, being the evil team tormenting the region of Sinnoh. They desire to make a new dimension to their preferred designs by making the mythical Red Chain to control Dialga and Palkia. To accomplish this, they kidnap Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf for their plans. 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 dimension, but are stopped when Ash and his friends save Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, forcing Cyrus to step into the new dimension as it collapses. Later, Looker arrests Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Charon, causing Mars to exclaim that "... this is the end of Team Galactic."
is the antagonistic group in Pokémon Black and White who seeks to liberate Pokémon from humans. They are led by a boy known only as N and the Seven Sages who will capture Zekrom and Reshiram, 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.
Neo Team Plasma is the antagonistic group in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. They intending to use the power of Kyurem to take over the Unova Region and the rest of the world.
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, Team Flare's scheme in the anime involves controlling Zygarde and the sundial as their weapon of holocaust
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 harness the power of Cosmog to bring the Ultra Beasts into Alola /travel to Ultra Megalopolis to battle Necrozma with no regard for the consequences of doing so.
is 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 games.
is the crime syndicate in the side-quest of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. They plan to rule all worlds with an army of Ultra Beasts.
is the resident villain team of the Galar region. They are a group of troublemakers who want nothing more than Marnie to become Champion.
is the large business conglomerate of the Galar region. Their president seeks to harness the power of Dynamax and Gigantamax to awake Eternatus from 3000 years of slumber into Galar like in the Darkest Day with no regard for the consequences.
Team Great Rocket
are the villainous group in Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Great Team Rocket!. They attempt to steal the Legendary Cards of the Grand Masters.
are the main antagonists of Pokémon Colosseum and . They produced the technology that creates Shadow Pokémon by locking the Pokémon's hearts to compassion.
''Colosseum''
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.
Team Miror is a lesser-known villainous team in '. They are seeking to own all the Pokémon in the world.
The are the enemies in Pokémon Trozei!. They steal Pokémon to use their energy to power up a secret weapon called the Phobosphere.
is the 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.
is the villainous team in '. Their plot is to take control of all the Pokémon in the Almia region by using Darkrai's dark powers.
The Pokémon Pinchers are a group of rogues who steal Pokémon by taking control over them in '.
Team Go Rocket is the crime syndicate in Pokémon Go.
Team Break are the resident villain team of Pasio in Pokémon Masters. They often try to steal other people's Pokémon and disrupt the Pokémon Masters League. Unlike most villain teams, they don't have a standard uniform, nor do they have a designated leader; instead, its members wear eye masks in the style of their logo.
are Gym Trainers who 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. Any trainer who earns eight Gym Badges is eligible to go on to face the Elite Four or participate in the Pokémon League Championships.

Kanto Gym Trainers

Pewter Gym Trainers
Grass Club Members
These gym trainers only appear in the anime series' second season. They do not appear in any of the games.
Mikan Gym Trainers
Violet Gym Trainers
Grass Fort Members
Rustboro Gym Trainers
Oreburgh Gym Trainers
Striaton Gym Trainers
Santalune Gym Trainers
Melemele Trial Captains and Island Kahunas
Turffield Gym Trainers
The is an order of four exceptionally skilled Pokémon trainers. Like the Gym Leaders, they also specialize on a type of Pokémon but are far stronger. 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 in order to face the Elite Four. The Galar region does not have an elite four.

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.
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.
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.
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.
The 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 or Gold Symbol. In Platinum, the trainer will receive a Silver Medal or Colored Medal.
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.

Hoenn

Similar to the Battle Towers and Battle Frontiers of the third and fourth generations, the 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.
When challenging the two Multi Battle lines, 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. 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.

''Pokémon Go'' team leaders

As they reach level 5, players in Pokémon Go can choose to join one of three teams: Team Mystic, Team Valor, and Team Instinct. Each of these teams has a leader, who gives advice to the player and acts as an assistant to Professor Willow:

Professors

The Pokémon Professors give new Pokémon trainers a starting Pokémon appropriate to their region, and entrust them with a task. They are also leading researchers of Pokémon-related topics, and mentor Pokémon trainers in a general way. It is interesting to note that almost all Pokémon Professors are named after trees or plants: Oak, Ivy, Elm, Birch, Rowan, Juniper, Sycamore, Kukui, Magnolia, Willow or Bellis.
Trainer classes are the types of Pokémon Trainers one can battle in the main series Pokémon games. They come in different varieties and sprites which describe their occupation, estimated age, and sometimes what Pokémon they train.