List of Pokémon characters

This is a list of characters in the ''Pokémon'' franchise, including the games. Characters 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'', ''Green'', ''Blue'', ''Yellow'', ''Gold'', ''Silver'', ''Crystal'', ''Ruby'', ''Sapphire'', ''Colosseum'', ''FireRed'', ''LeafGreen'', ''Emerald'', ''XD: Gale of Darkness'', ''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'', ''Shield'', ''Brilliant Diamond'', ''Shining Pearl'', ''Legends: Arceus'', ''Scarlet'', and ''Violet''.

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.

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 (or supporting characters) are often named after and share many characteristics with the game protagonists.

Main series

* : The protagonist of ''Pokémon Red'', ''Green'', ''Blue'' and ''Yellow'' and the male protagonist of ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''. Red later appears in ''Pokémon Gold'', ''Silver'', and ''Crystal'' as a secret boss fight on Mt. Silver, and makes further reappearances in ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'', ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'', and ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon'', as well as in ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', reprising his role from the originals. In ''Pokémon Adventures'', he is the champion of Kanto, and later, in the ''Yellow'' chapter, defeated by Bruno of the Elite Four on Mt. Moon and frozen by Lorelei, later freed by Giovanni, and given 3 infinite-use evolution stones for his genetically modified Eevee. He then beat Bruno in a rematch.
** : The female protagonist of ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''.
* : The protagonist of ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'' and the male protagonist of ''Pokémon Crystal'', ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver''.
** : The female protagonist of ''Pokémon Crystal''.
** : The female protagonist of ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Sapphire'' and ''Emerald'' and ''Pokémon Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'', ''Platinum'', ''Brilliant Diamond'' and ''Shining Pearl''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'' and ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Side games

* : The protagonist of ''Pokémon Colosseum''.
* : The protagonist of '' Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Battle Revolution''.

Spin-offs

* : The protagonist of ''Pokémon Trading Card Game'' and the male protagonist of '' Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Great Team Rocket!''.
** : The female protagonist of ''Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Great Team Rocket!''.
* : The protagonist of ''Pokémon Snap''.
* : The protagonist of ''Pokémon Trozei!''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Ranger''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of '' Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of '' Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs''.
* : The protagonist of '' Detective Pikachu''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Masters EX''.
* and : The male and female protagonists of ''New Pokemon Snap''.

Rivals

Each 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. 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.

Main series

* : The rival of ''Pokémon Red'', ''Green'', ''Blue'' and ''Yellow'' and ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''. He is pushy and competitive, but is generally a good Pokémon Trainer. He is the grandson of Professor Oak and the player's childhood friend. After that he became the Champion of the Kanto region, waiting for the player to challenge him. Blue is the basis for Gary Oak in the anime. IGN listed Blue as the 98th best villain in video games, though they stressed that it was difficult to view him as a villain. However, they did say that he was kind of a "douche", citing his attempt to prevent the player character from getting a map. Three years later in ''Pokémon Gold'', ''Silver'' and ''Crystal'' and their remakes, ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', he becomes a Gym Leader for Viridian City. He acts as Kanto's Champion in ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'''s Pokémon World Tournament, and alongside Red in ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'' and their ''Ultra'' versions.
* : The rival of ''Pokémon Gold'', ''Silver'' and '' ''Crystal'''' and ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver''. This character steals his first Pokémon from Professor Elm and tends to see Pokémon as tools, to use and discard. Unlike the first rival, his view on Pokémon makes him a mediocre trainer, though the sage in the Sprout Tower recognizes that he is talented and has great potential, as does Lance, the Johto Champion. He eventually realizes his wrongdoings and changes his ways by treating his Pokémon and even the player with respect. This comes to a head in ''Pokémon Masters EX'', in which he is identified by Ho-Oh as being pure of heart and becomes his Pokémon. He is finally revealed to be the son of Team Rocket Boss Giovanni.
* : The rival in ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Sapphire'' and ''Emerald'' and ''Pokémon Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire''. In the beginning, he is a sickly young boy who needs help in catching a Pokémon. When he goes to the player's father for advice, Norman directs the player to help him catch a Pokémon. Using Norman's Zigzagoon, the player helps Wally catch a Ralts. The next time he battles the protagonist, he seems healthier and is in tune with his Pokémon. He battles the player for the last official time in Victory Road and waits there, always ready for another battle.
* : The rival of ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'' and ''Platinum''. He is often impatient and is determined to be the best Trainer of all time. He is best friends with the player and his father, Palmer, owns the Battle Tower in Sinnoh. Sometimes he will aid the player. He tends to accidentally crash into people quite often as he runs about, and often tries to fine people for being too slow. This is due to him apparently wanting to save up for a Battle Tower to compete with his father's.
* : One of the rivals of ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White''. Cheren is intelligent and trustworthy; he often gives the player character advice and battles the player to test his skills. Like the player, he aims to become the Champion. He is one of the player's childhood friends. Two years later, in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', he becomes Aspertia City's Gym Leader. If the player used the Memory Link function in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', he challenges the player using his final team from ''Black'' and ''White''. His name is from the Bulgarian word for black: (''cheren'').
* : One of the rivals of ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White''. Bianca is spontaneous and sometimes unreliable, but she develops over the course of the journey. She also has a strong side, which she shows when she goes on a Pokémon journey against her father's wishes. Her father wants her to stay back at home, believing it unsafe out in the world, until he is eventually convinced to keep Bianca on her journey by Elesa. She is one of the player's childhood friends. Two years later in the events of ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', Bianca becomes an assistant to Professor Juniper and gives the player their starter Pokémon. If the player used the Memory Link function in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', she challenges the player using her final team from ''Black'' and ''White''. Bianca's name is from the Italian word for white, while her Japanese name "Bel" has the same meaning from Russian: (''bel'').''CoroCoro Comic'' July 15, 2010
* : The rival of ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2''. He is from Aspertia City and one of the player's childhood friends. Like the player characters and is also seeking to become a Pokémon Master. Throughout the game, the player helps Hugh retrieve his sister's Purrloin which was stolen by Team Plasma years ago.
* : One of the rivals and friends of ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''. She is energetic and curious, but still does not know what she wants to gain from her experiences. She gives the player character a nickname at the outset of their journey. Like the other rivals, she is available as a Multi Battle partner at the Battle Maison.
* : One of the rivals and friends of ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''. He is more interested in finding new Pokémon to make a perfect Pokémon Dance Team.
* : One of the rivals and friends of ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''. He is studious and wishes to fill up all three parts of the Kalos Region's Pokédex.
* : One of the rivals of ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'' and ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon''. Compared to previous rivals, he is more friendly, and loves malasadas. He is Melemele Kahuna Hala's grandson. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, he challenges the player as their final battle before becoming Champion.
* : One of the rivals of ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'' and ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon''. This young man lends his strength to Team Skull as an enforcer. He places a high value on being strong in Pokémon battles. His partner Pokémon is the mysterious Type: Null, which later becomes Silvally. He is Lusamine's son and Lillie's brother.
* : The rival of ''Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!''. He is considered far too nice by many. He eventually becomes Champion of Kanto, and acts in a similar vein to Blue.
* : One of the rivals in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. He is the younger brother of Leon, the Champion of Galar. He idolizes his brother and only aspired to become Champion because of said reason. He continues to grow frustrated by constant losses to the player, until he eventually changes paths and sets out on becoming a Pokemon Professor.
* : One of the rivals in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. He is an arrogant trainer whose Pokémon journey is sponsored by Chairman Rose. After being disqualified from the Gym Challenge, Opal takes him under her wing and strongarms him into becoming her successor as the Ballonlea Gym Leader (Fairy Boot Camp). He initially specializes in Psychic-type Pokémon, but switches to Fairy types after becoming a Gym Leader (though a majority of his team still has the Psychic type).
* : One of the rivals in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. She is the younger sister of Piers, who is the Gym Leader of Spikemuth. Team Yell, a hooligan-esque group composed of Gym Trainers from Spikemuth, are her troublesome fans. After the game's conclusion, she succeeds Piers as the Spikemuth Gym Leader. She specializes in Dark-type Pokémon (with a little bit of diversity, as not all Pokémon on her team have the Dark type). In a secret post game cutscene in the Budew Drop Inn, she is shown to be incapable of smiling.
* Klara (クララ, ''Kurara''): The rival in the Isle of Armor story in ''Sword''. She specializes in Poison-type Pokémon. Her signature Pokémon is a Galarian Slowbro. She was an underground "idol" and aspires to become a Poison type gym leader to acquire fans. She cares a lot for her appearance, as she is shown to photoshop her league card (proven by looking at the weirdly shaped Slowbro behind her).
* Avery (セイボリー, ''Savory''): The rival in the Isle of Armor story in ''Shield''. He specializes in Psychic-type Pokémon. His signature Pokémon is a Galarian Slowking. He came from a family of psychics, but was shunned for not being able to teleport (as shown he always screams "Avery, Teleport!" while he runs away) nor read minds. He aspires to prove his family wrong and become a Psychic type gym leader.
* : The rival in ''Pokémon Scarlet'' and ''Violet''.

Spin-offs

* : The rival of ''Pokémon Trading Card Game'' and '' Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Great Team Rocket!''.
* : The rival of '' Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia''.
* : The initial rival of ''Pokémon Masters EX'', eventually supplanted in this role by Lear.

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.

Main series

* Professor Samuel Oak (): A Pokémon researcher and the grandfather of Blue in ''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', ''Green'', ''Yellow'', ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' and ''Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!''. He is often considered the leading Pokémon expert, often giving lectures to Pokémon academies and hosting a radio show in Goldenrod City and specializes in Pokémon behavioral science. Alongside his research, he is also authorized by the Pokémon League to give new Pokémon trainers one of the three Kanto starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander. In the anime, he gives Ash his Pikachu after Ash arrives too late to receive one of the usual three starter Pokémon. In '' Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition'', he simply gives the player a Pikachu after the rival takes the Eevee that Oak intended to give the player. He is a master Pokémon poet. All Pokémon he "baby-sits" are loyal to him and he had a Charmeleon as a young boy. In ''Pokémon 4Ever'', it is shown that he traveled forward in time to the future when he was a boy and Ash became friends with him. When Ash tells Professor Oak about him, he replies that he is sure that "Sammy" will always be his friend, even though Misty later realizes that Ash never told him his name; the current Professor Oak is later seen looking through a book of old drawings he made as a kid (the predecessor to the Pokédex, which he invented with the other professors). He is colleagues with many other professors, including Rowan and Willow.
* Professor Elm (): An absent-minded Pokémon researcher and former student of Professor Oak. In ''Pokémon Gold'', ''Silver'' and ''Crystal'', he is authorized by the Pokémon League to give new Pokémon trainers one of the three Johto starter Pokémon: Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. He is also credited as discovering that Pikachu is an evolved Pokémon. In the ''Pokémon'' anime, Jessie, James and Meowth temporarily steal a Totodile from him (in reality he tells them to take it, thinking they are Nurse Joy). His 'absent minded professor' stereotype is even more pronounced in the games as he often forgets to visit his family and his wife worries that he may not remember to eat. He specializes in research regarding Pokémon breeding and is credited with the discovery of Pokémon eggs, even gifting the player a Togepi egg for research via his aide in the games.
* Professor Birch (): A Pokémon researcher, known for his fieldwork and research on Pokémon habitual distribution. In ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Sapphire'', ''Emerald'', ''Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'', he is authorized by the Pokémon League to give new Pokémon trainers one of the three Hoenn starter Pokémon: Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip. He is the father of the rival character. In the anime, he gives May her Torchic. In the manga, he is the father of Sapphire. At the beginning of the game, he is attacked by a Poochyena ( Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire) or Zigzagoon (Emerald), and drops his bag, resulting in the player having to use one of his Pokemon, the Hoenn starter Pokemon, to save him from his attacker. He later gives the player the starter they chose and a Pokedex.
* Professor Rowan (): The Pokémon Professor in the ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' games, having returned to Sinnoh after four years of traveling abroad. A senior researcher to and old friend of Professor Oak, Professor Rowan is known for his research on Pokémon evolution. He is authorized to give trainers one of three Sinnoh starter Pokémon, Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup. In the anime, he gives Dawn her Piplup. He has an assistant, either Lucas or Dawn, depending on which player character was not chosen by the player.
* Professor Aurea Juniper (): The Pokémon Professor in the ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'' games, the first female professor to appear in the video game series. Professor Juniper specializes in research involving the origins of Pokémon. She is authorized by the Pokémon League to give new trainers one of three Unova starter Pokémon, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott. In the game, she leaves a present at the player's house containing starter Pokémon for the player and the player's rivals, Bianca and Cheren. In the anime, she gives Trip a Snivy and allows Ash to keep an Oshawott that escapes from her lab. Her father, Cedric Juniper, was also a Pokémon Professor and has since retired; in the games, he upgrades the player's Pokédex to the National mode after the player defeats N and Ghetsis.
* Fennel (): Fennel is a Pokémon professor in the Unova Region who studies Pokémon trainers as well as the dreams of Pokémon. The player encounters her when Team Plasma abducts a Munna from her research facility to use its Dream Mist powers to reach its goals. She gives players the C-Gear item as well as access to the Pokémon Dream World online system.
* Professor Augustine Sycamore (): A professor who debuts in the Pokémon games ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''. He battles the player from time to time. Unlike previous professors who gave out the regions' new starter Pokémon, Kalos's starter Pokémon Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie are given to you by one of the player character's friends. Instead, Professor Sycamore gives the player a choice amongst Kanto's starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle.
* : The Pokémon Professor in ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon''. Professor Kukui studies Pokémon moves. He takes Lillie under his wing as his assistant and is married to Professor Burnett. He has a secondary double life as The Masked Royal and is one of the strongest opponents in the Battle Royal. He is good friends with Molayne, who keeps his double life a secret. He takes one of the Alolan starter Pokemon under his wing, whichever was not chosen by Hau or the player, and later uses it in battle in its final form. He acts as the final opponent before becoming Champion in Pokemon Sun and Moon.
* : The Pokémon Professor in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. She studies the Dynamax phenomenon. Sonia is her granddaughter. She is responsible for the player and Hop's Dynamax Bands, as well as encouraging their endorsement by Leon. She later steps down as Professor after Chairman Rose nearly causes the next Darkest Day.
* : Sonia becomes the Galar professor after announcing her discovery of the legend of the darkest day in front of the Hammerlocke gym in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. She appears throughout the story prior to this, often assisting the player and Hop. She is a close friend of Nessa and was childhood rivals with Leon. She publishes a book on her Dynamax research, which causes Sordward and Shielbert to start the events of the postgame story. In the Crown Tundra, she is researching the Swords of Justice, Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion in Freezington. She also owns a Yamper, who helps her in her research.
*Professor Laventon: The Pokémon Professor of the Hisui region. He specializes in the ecology of Pokémon.
* and : The Pokémon Professors in ''Scarlet'' and ''Violet'' respectively, that are actually robotic duplicates of the originals. They are the first professors not to be named after trees, with Sada's name coming from the Spanish word for past, "pasado", and Turo's name coming from "futuro", the Spanish word for future. They study the possible relationship between past/future versions of modern-day Pokémon, otherwise known as Paradox Pokémon. They were also indrectly responsible for the appearance of the Terastal phenomenon originating from Area Zero, which is abundant with Tera Crystals. The robotic counterparts realised that what their original selves were doing (bringing Paradox Pokémon from each respective timeline into Paldea to create a paradise without any regard of the damage they would cause to Paldea) was wrong, but in the endgame, under the influence of an emergency protocol by their original selves' time machine (the ''real'' villain of ''Scarlet'' and ''Violet''), they end up defending the machine against their will with a full team of Paradox Pokémon from the respective timelines, including a hostile individual of Koraidon/Miraidon that killed their original selves. Afterwards, they then travel to each timeline knowing it was the only way to stop the time machine from bringing any more Paradox Pokémon to the present. Sada's fate remains unknown in Pokémon Violet while Turo's fate remains unknown in Pokémon Scarlet.

Side games

* : The Pokémon Professor in '' Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness''.
* : A scientist that is known for his inventions.

Spin-offs

* : The Pokémon card researcher in ''Pokémon Trading Card Game'' and '' Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Great Team Rocket!''.
* : The Pokémon Professor in ''Pokémon Trozei!''.
* : The Pokémon Professor in the ''Pokémon Ranger'' games.
* : The Pokémon Professor in ''Pokémon Go''.
* : The Pokémon Professor in ''Pokémon Masters EX''.
* : The Pokémon Professor in ''New Pokémon Snap''.
* Professor Phorus ''(unknown)'' The Pokémon Professor in Pokémon Unite.

Pokémon League

Gym Leaders

are 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.

Main series

=Kanto Gym Leaders

=

* Brock (): Gym Leader of Pewter City and an expert on Rock-type Pokémon. In the ''Pokémon'' anime, he joins Ash on his adventure, leaving his post to his father, Flint. Also, he is a ladies' man. However, in ''Pokémon Chronicles'', he returns to find his mother leading the gym, using Water-type Pokémon. His ace Pokemon is an Onix.
* Misty (): Gym Leader of Cerulean City and an expert in Water-type Pokémon. In the anime, she leaves this post for a time to join Ash on his adventure. In ''Pokémon Chronicles'', Misty returns to take over as the Gym Leader from her sisters and becomes one of the main characters, often co-starring with Tracey Sketchit, Casey or one of her sisters: Daisy, Lily and Violet. Her ace is Starmie in the games.
* Lt. Surge (): Gym Leader of Vermilion City and an expert in Electric-type Pokémon. Unlike the majority of the characters in the game, Surge is American born, rather than being native to Kanto. In the Japanese versions of the games, he speaks in broken Japanese, with many of his words parsed in katakana. He refers to being a veteran of a war. His ace is Raichu. In the anime, he calls Ash a baby, as he does to all 'weaklings'. In ''Pokémon Adventures'', he joins Team Rocket because "only real power allows me to take whatever I want!". He commands a Zapdos to attack Red.
* : An expert in Grass-type Pokémon. Runs the Celadon City Gym (which doubles as a greenhouse). In the anime, Erika also works as a perfume maker. In ''Pokémon Adventures'', Erika serves as the leader of the Kanto Gym Leaders who are unaffiliated with Team Rocket. Her ace is Vileplume.
* Koga (): An expert on Poison-type Pokémon, a ninja who also patrols the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City. Runs the Fuchsia City Gym in ''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', ''Green'', ''Yellow'', ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''. In ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', he leaves his gym to join the Elite Four and is replaced by his daughter Janine. He is a former Team Rocket executive in the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, who goes on to form the new Elite Four with Bruno, Karen and Will. The Technical Machine for the move Toxic is said to be a family technique of his. His ace differs through the games, though he is most frequently shown using Crobat.
* Sabrina (): A specialist in Psychic-type Pokémon, in Saffron City. In the anime, she is a cold, emotionless woman born with powerful psychic abilities, including telekinesis, telepathy and transmutation, which she used in destructive ways as a child. In the anime, she carries around a green-haired doll that is actually a physical manifestation of the childlike spirit she abandoned in favor of practicing her psychic abilities, but becomes good in the last time she appears. In the video games, she is also a psychic, but she is not portrayed as evil. She is capable of predicting the future, though some of her predictions don't always come to pass. The protagonist is told of how she beat the leader of "The Fighting Dojo" by robbing it of its Gym status. Sabrina returns in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'' in the Pokéstar Studios mini games as a movie actor playing a villain. In ''Pokémon Adventures'', she is a villain, working with Team Rocket, and attacks Pallet Town, taking the townspeople hostage. Her ace is Alakazam.
* Blaine (): An expert in Fire-type Pokémon. He enjoys testing his potential challengers with quizzes on their knowledge of Pokémon and appears to be an old friend of Mr. Fuji. Originally resided on Cinnabar Island, but moved to the Seafoam Islands after Cinnabar was destroyed by a volcano, with the intention of rebuilding the Gym on Cinnabar some day. He used to work as a scientist for Team Rocket in ''Pokémon Adventures'', working to create Mewtwo, the strongest pokémon in the world. His ace fluctuates throughout the games but is most frequently shown with Arcanine.
* Janine (): An expert in Poison-type Pokémon. Janine is Koga's daughter and in ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'' takes over the Fuchsia City Pokémon Gym after her father joins the Elite Four. She makes the Gym's invisible maze even more confusing by filling it with lesser Pokémon trainers disguised as herself, to mislead challengers. Her ace Pokemon is Ariados.

=Johto Gym Leaders

=

* Falkner (): Violet City Gym Leader and an expert on Flying-type Pokémon. Falkner inherited ownership of the gym from his father. He frequently argues with Janine over whose father is superior. His ace is Pidegeotto/ Pidgeot.
* Bugsy (): Azalea Town Gym Leader and an expert on Bug-type Pokémon. He is a child prodigy who has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon. He is frequently mistaken for being a girl. In ''Pokémon Adventures'', he is shown to be investigating The Ruins of Alph. His ace is Scyther, and sometimes its evolved form, Scizor.
* Whitney (): Goldenrod City Gym Leader and an expert on Normal-type Pokémon. She is known to throw tantrums when she loses, but is otherwise a cheerful Gym Leader and a good sport once she calms down. If defeated, she would actually refuse to give the player a badge at first, although she eventually comes around. She plays a larger role in ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', including meeting the player again at the Pokéathlon Dome, and being an active participant. In the anime, she is much more level-headed, though she tends to get lost in Goldenrod City quite easily. Her signature Pokemon is her Miltank, known for being tough to take down.
* Morty (): Ecruteak City Gym Leader and an expert on Ghost-type Pokémon. Morty has vaguely defined psychic abilities, although not quite as strong as Sabrina's. In ''Pokémon Crystal'', he is a friend of Eusine, a trainer searching for Suicune. He believes that he is destined to meet the legendary Pokémon of Ecruteak, and thus trains with Ghost type Pokemon in his Gym for that day. His ace is Gengar.
* Chuck (): Cianwood City Gym Leader and an expert on Fighting-type Pokémon. He spends most of his time in his Gym, much to the chagrin of his wife. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, Chuck was the childhood teacher of the rival, Blue. His ace is Poliwrath.
* Jasmine (): Olivine City Gym Leader and an expert on Steel-type Pokémon. She initially refuses the player's challenge because she is tending to a sick Ampharos named Amphy that provides light for the city lighthouse. Only after giving Amphy proper medicine from Cianwood City can Jasmine be challenged. Jasmine notably appears in ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' and ''Pokémon Platinum'' in Sunyshore City, where she hands out the Hidden Machine for Waterfall after defeating Volkner in Sunyshore Gym. She also appears as a competitor in Master Rank Pokémon Contests with her Steelix Rusty (). Her ace is Steelix, though it is implied to be a different one from Rusty.
* Pryce (): Mahogany Town Gym Leader and an expert on Ice-type Pokémon. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, Pryce leads Neo Team Rocket under the alias of the "Masked Man" or . In public, he serves as the leader of the Johto Gym Leaders in a similar capacity to Erika, Winona, Byron and Clay. Pryce is considerably more benign in the anime series, though he has a bitter attitude toward Pokémon since the mysterious disappearance of his loyal Piloswine during his youth. His ace is Piloswine, and sometimes its evolved form Mamoswine.
* Clair (): Blackthorn City Gym Leader and an expert on Dragon-type Pokémon. Clair is the younger cousin of Elite Four member and Champion, Lance. After being defeated, Clair sourly forces the player to complete a trial in a nearby cave, the Dragon's Den, and succeed in a quiz from the Elder before being awarded a Badge. She has a rivalry with Lance, though she typically loses. Her ace is Kingdra.

=Hoenn Gym Leaders

=

* Roxanne (): Rustboro City Gym Leader and an expert on Rock-type Pokémon. She is also a teacher at the Pokémon Trainer's School in Rustboro. In ''Pokémon Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'', her Gym is similar to a museum. Her ace is Nosepass/ Probopass.
* Brawly (): Dewford Town Gym Leader and an expert on Fighting-type Pokémon. He trains by surfing the waves along Dewford beach and claims that the swell helps build up his Pokémon's muscles. In the anime, he also has a private island which has a training facility and a battle field that has geysers on it. He used to train with Bruno, the Elite Four member from Kanto. His ace is Makuhita/ Hariyama.
* Wattson (): Mauville City Gym Leader and an expert on Electric-type Pokémon. An old man, Wattson is almost always seen smiling and likes a good joke. He and the Trick Master are good friends in ''Pokémon Adventures''. In the anime, any visitor who enters the Gym by the front door takes as an inadvertent roller coaster ride, ending up against a mechanical Raikou. Wattson helped develop Sea environment and New Mauville, and ended up being involved in their closure due to issues with Pokemon and the environment. Wattson also developed the conversion plans for Mauville City, which were shown in ''Pokémon Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'', making the city fully indoors and more high tech. His ace is typically Manectric, but in ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' and their remakes, Magneton acts as his ace.
* Flannery (): Lavaridge Town Gym Leader and an expert on Fire-type Pokémon. Like Falkner, she supposedly inherited her Gym; Flannery's predecessor was her grandfather and she is relatively new in her role as Lavaridge's Gym Leader, and is still trying to figure out how she'll act in front of challengers. Her ace is Torkoal.
* Norman (): Petalburg City Gym Leader and an expert on Normal-type Pokémon. In ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Sapphire'', their remakes and ''Emerald'', Norman is the protagonist's father. In the anime, he is the father of May and Max and Caroline's husband. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, he is the father of Ruby and a close friend of Professor Birch. His ace is Slaking.
* Winona (): Fortree City Gym Leader and an expert on Flying-type Pokémon. In ''Pokémon Adventures'', she is the de facto leader of the Gym Leaders of Hoenn against the plots of Team Aqua and Team Magma. She also apparently had a former relationship with Wallace. In the anime, she owns a shiny Swellow. Her ace in the games is Altaria.
* Tate and Liza (): The child twins are the Mossdeep City Gym Leaders and experts on Psychic-type Pokémon. Their parents work at the Mossdeep Space Center. In the anime, it is revealed that Liza is older than Tate by minutes from birth and also happens to be a more experienced trainer than him. Their aces are Solrock for Tate and Lunatone for Liza.
* Wallace (): Wallace is the Sootopolis City Gym Leader in ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire''. He is an expert on Water-type Pokémon and also happens to be a skilled artist and a top Pokemon Contest star. In ''Pokémon Emerald'', Wallace becomes the Pokémon League Champion, leaving the post of Gym Leader to his mentor, Juan. In the anime, he does not make an appearance until the ''Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl'' anime series, where he is a Contest Master hailing from the Hoenn region who holds a Contest called the Wallace Cup. His ace Pokemon is Milotic.
* Juan (): An expert on Water-type Pokémon. He was Wallace's mentor and ran the Sootopolis City Gym before him. After Wallace became the Pokémon League Champion, he returned to run the Gym. Juan can speak French and does so in the original Japanese version and Chuang Yi's English translation of ''Pokémon Adventures''. Juan's ace is Kingdra.

=Sinnoh Gym Leaders

=

* Roark (): Oreburgh City Gym Leader and an expert on Rock-type Pokémon. His father is Byron, who is the Gym Leader of Canalave City. He is first found in the mine near Oreburgh City. He and his father Byron are avid fossil hunters and Roark introduces the player character to the Underground. Roark's ace is his Cranidos/ Rampardos.
* Gardenia (): Eterna City Gym Leader and an expert on Grass-type Pokémon. In the anime, she is extremely enthusiastic about Grass-type Pokémon and would often approach one despite not being worried about being attacked. In the ''Diamond'', ''Pearl'' and ''Platinum'' games, she shows her discontent for Ghost-type Pokémon as she warns the player about them outside the Old Chateau at the Eterna Forest and notes that she is worried about what would happen if a dual Grass/Ghost-type and Bug/Grass-type Pokémon does exist. Her ace is Roserade.
* Maylene (): Veilstone City Gym Leader and an expert on Fighting-type Pokémon. Her father is often seen at the casino in Veilstone City and he describes his daughter as a tough one. She also appears in ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' at an eating contest in Celadon City and as a participant in the Pokéathlon. She is apparently friendly with Snowpoint Gym Leader Candice. Her ace is Lucario.
* Crasher Wake (): Pastoria City Gym Leader and an expert on Water-type Pokémon. Wake is dressed up like a masked wrestler. He is widely known as professional wrestler in the Sinnoh region and is often mentioned on various TV shows. He also makes several appearances in ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', and also makes another appearance in ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'' outside of the PWT battles he is also in. His ace is Floatzel.
* Fantina (): Hearthome City Gym Leader and an expert on Ghost-type Pokémon. She comes from a foreign land and she speaks in a broken form of the language of the game and her own original language; in the Japanese and French language games this is English, while other language editions have her as French. She is also a skilled tango dancer. Fantina can often be found participating in Master Rank Super Contests in the Hearthome Contest Hall. In ''Diamond'' and ''Pearl'', although Hearthome City is visited fairly early, Fantina will refuse to battle until the player has earned four Badges; in ''Pokémon Platinum'', she can be challenged during the player's first visit to the city, placing her as the third Gym Leader in the game. She also appears as a possible contestant in Pokémon Super Contests in ''Platinum'', entering with her Drifblim Loony (). Her ace in Gym Battles is Mismagius.
* Byron (): Canalave City Gym Leader and an expert on Steel-type Pokémon. He is the father of Roark, who is also a Gym Leader. He and his son are avid diggers and fossil hunters. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, Byron acts as the leader of the Sinnoh Gym Leaders against Team Galactic. His ace is Bastiodon.
* Candice (): Snowpoint City Gym Leader and an expert on Ice-type Pokémon. After the Elite Four are conquered, she will grant the player access to the Snowpoint Temple. In the anime, she is a childhood friend of Dawn's rival, Zoey. In ''Platinum'', Maylene admires her for her studiousness, and is shown to be friendly with her. Candice's ace is Abomasnow in ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' and their remakes, and Froslass in ''Platinum''.
* Volkner (): The Sunyshore City Gym Leader and an expert on Electric-type Pokémon. Volkner is close friends with Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four. He has become disillusioned after a long series of unworthy opponents, growing bored of battling. His "spark" for battling is revived by the player after defeating him. He is a tinkerer, and enjoys fiddling with machines and upgrading them. He apparently built the entire Sunyshore Gym's puzzle himself. His ace is Luxray in ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' and their remakes, and Electivire in ''Platinum''.

=Unova Gym Leaders

=

* Cilan (), Chili () and Cress (): triplets and waiters who share duties as the Striaton City Gym Leaders. The player challenges the Gym Leader whose Pokémon is strong against the player's starter; Cilan has the Grass type Pansage, Chili has the Fire type Pansear and Cress has the Water type Panpour. Cilan appears as a main character in the anime, joining Ash on his journey after he is awarded Striaton Gym's Trio Badge for defeating him and his brothers. While they do not reprise their roles as Gym Leaders in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', they do appear in the post-game as NPCs that the player can meet and then participate in a unique battle with them on a regular basis.
* Lenora (): Nacrene City Gym Leader and paleontologist who uses Normal-type Pokémon. Lenora has her Gym located inside Nacrene City's museum, of which she is also the director. Her devoted husband, Hawes (), is the assistant director. Her ace is a Watchog. While she does not reprise her role as a Gym Leader in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', she remains the director of the Nacrene Museum.
* Burgh (): Castelia City Gym Leader; he is a skilled painter and a Bug type specialist. Burgh's Gym is modeled after a beehive and features many of his works of art. He is friends with Lenora. In ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', Burgh is still the Castelia Gym Leader, but his Gym is now coated in silk from cocoons. The top floor is entirely smothered in paint. His ace is Leavanny.
* Elesa (): Nimbasa City Gym Leader and a model; Elesa specializes in Electric-type Pokémon. The Nimbasa City Gym is located in an amusement park and the Pokémon Gym is filled with roller coasters. Elesa helps to convince Bianca's father to allow his daughter to become a Pokémon trainer and also tells Clay to lower the drawbridge into Driftveil City for the player. She returns as the Nimbasa Gym Leader in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', but she has moved her Gym into a fashion studio complete with runway. Her ace is Zebstrika.
* Clay (): Driftveil City Gym Leader and CEO of an unknown company, who specializes in Ground-type Pokémon. Clay uses Ground-type Pokémon in his cavernous mine-like gym. He tests the player before allowing a Gym Challenge by asking the player help arrest the Team Plasma members in his town. He also leads the other Unova Gym Leaders against Team Plasma interests in these games and the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga. In ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', he retains his role as the Driftveil Gym Leader, though his Gym's puzzle now revolves around a maze of platforms obscured by darkness. His ace is Excadrill.
* Skyla (): Mistralton City Gym Leader; Skyla uses Flying-type Pokémon in her gym on an airstrip. She also works as a commercial pilot, flying cargo planes. Before she lets the player challenge her, she visits the Celestial Tower to help a hurt Pokémon she saw on her last flight. Her Gym has a puzzle based on air cannons that shoot the player around. In ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', she remains the Mistralton Gym Leader and her gym's puzzle involves fans that blows the player in specific directions to move through the Gym. She also flies the player to Lentimas Town. Her ace is Swanna.
* Brycen (): Icirrus City's Gym Leader; Brycen is an Ice type specialist and former movie star. After sustaining an injury on set, Brycen sought out Alder who suggested that he become a Pokémon trainer. He stresses the importance of concealing his identity from others and wears a mask. Brycen steps down from his role as Gym Leader two years later and in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'' returns to his old career in films, allowing the player to encounter him in the PokéStar Studios minigame. He is known for playing the role of a villain known as "Brycen-Man." His ace is Beartic.
* Drayden () and : The two Gym Leaders of Opelucid City and Dragon type specialists. The Gym features a puzzle based on different switches and the movement of statues within the building. While both characters are present in each version of the games, Drayden is battled in ''Black'' while Iris is battled in ''White''; the character who is not the Gym Leader will be the Move Tutor for Draco Meteor instead. In ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', Drayden becomes the sole Opelucid City Gym Leader while Iris has become the regional champion in the two years following the previous games. Iris appears as a main character in the anime. In the episode: "Drayden Versus Iris: Past, Present, and Future!", it is revealed that Iris went to Drayden's school in Opelucid City as a child. Being from a small, communal village, Iris had a very difficult time fitting in. At the end of the episode, Iris learns that Drayden went to talk to her village elder while she was still enrolled and the two decided she would inherit the Gym from Drayden. Both their aces are Haxorus.
* Roxie (): Roxie is the Gym Leader of Virbank City and specializes in Poison-type Pokémon. Her gym is a music club and she is often seen with her signature bass guitar that looks like a Scolipede. Roxie debuts in the anime in the first-season finale of the Japanese ''Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes!'' broadcast; Ash challenges her for his eighth Unova League Gym Badge, as Opelucid City was not accessible. Her ace is Whirlipede.
* Marlon (): Marlon is the Gym Leader of Humilau City and is a specialist in Water-type Pokémon. Inside his gym is a gigantic pond filled with lilypads that the player must navigate around on. In the Japanese edition, he speaks with a Kyushu accent, indicating he is possibly from Hoenn. He is fond of giving advice to new trainers and does things at his own pace, which sometimes makes him appear dim-witted. His ace is a male Jellicent.

=Kalos Gym Leaders

=
* : Viola is the Santalune City () Gym Leader, with the building her Gym is housed in filled with a spider web. She specializes in Bug types and is also an accomplished photographer. Her ace is Vivillion.
* Grant (): Grant is a Rock type Gym Leader of Cyllage City who enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing and many sports. His gym is an enormous rock-climbing tower at the top of which he resides. His aces are the Kalos fossil Pokémon Amaura and Tyrunt.
* Korrina (): Korrina is the Fighting type Gym Leader of the seaside Shalour City () who rides around on roller skates. She is knowledgeable about the secrets about Mega Evolution and her gym is styled after a roller rink. In the gym battle her ace is Hawlucha but outside of the gym she uses Lucario that can Mega evolve.
* Ramos (): Ramos is the Grass type Gym Leader of Courmaline City. He is an avid gardener and his gym is fraught with traps and puzzles based on plants. He also uses stereotypes of seniors, calling the player "sprout" as a pun on both the plant and the word used for "young person". His ace is Gogoat.
* Clemont (): Clemont is an Electric type Gym Leader of Lumiose City who is interested in science and enjoys inventing things as much as spending time with his Pokémon. The player can also meet his younger sister Bonnie (). His gym is in the Lumiose Tower, accessible only through a series of quizzes and elevators. In the anime, both characters become Ash's travelling companions during his travels in Kalos, but Clemont initially hides his status as a Gym Leader (which later gets exposed by his and Bonnie's father, Meyer) and Bonnie takes over Brock's infamous running gag, only ''she'' asks girls to marry her brother and is removed by ''him'' out of embarrassment, instead of the other way around. In the game his ace is a Heliolisk while in the anime his ace is a Diggersby while Bonnie's is a Dedenne that is taking care of by her brother until she is old enough.
* Valerie (): Valerie is the Gym Leader of Laverre City who specializes in Fairy-type Pokémon. Her gym resembles a labyrinthine dollhouse that the player must navigate to find her. Originally hailing from the Johto region, she is a fashion designer who always wanted to be a Pokémon. Her ace is Sylveon.
* Olympia (): Olympia is the Psychic type Gym Leader of Anistar City. Her Gym almost appears as if it is on another planet and is hinted to be the result of her warping reality inside the gym with her psychic powers. Her ace is a Meowstic.
* Wulfric (): Wulfric is the Ice type Gym Leader of Snowbelle City. The player first meets him at the Pokémon Village, before challenging him at his Gym. His ace is an Avalugg.

=Alola Kantonian Gym Leader

=
The unofficial Gym Leader of Malie City.

=Galar Gym Leaders

=
* Milo (): A farmer and Gym Leader of Turffield who specializes in Grass-type Pokémon. His main Pokémon is a Dynamax Eldegoss. If rematched in the Champion Cup or the Galarian Star Tournament after completing the game, he switches to a Gigantamax Flapple (in ''Sword'') or Appletun (in ''Shield''). he has an unnamed younger brother, which is seen in his concept art and the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga.
* Nessa (): A young model and Gym Leader of Hulbury who specializes in Water-type Pokémon. Her main Pokémon is a Drednaw, which she Dynamaxes in the Gym Challenge and switches with a female Drednaw that Gigantamaxes in the Champion Cup. She is also a close friend of Sonia.
* : Gym Leader of Motostoke who specializes in Fire-type Pokémon. His main Pokémon is a Gigantamax Centiskorch. He is from the Hoenn region.
* Bea (): The Galar karate prodigy and a Gym Leader of Stow-on-Side exclusive to ''Sword'' who specializes in Fighting-type Pokémon. Her main Pokémon is a Gigantamax Machamp. She shares a Gym with Allister, shown in the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga.
* Allister (): The Silent Boy of Mystery and a Gym Leader of Stow-on-Side exclusive to ''Shield'' who specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon. His main Pokémon is a Gigantamax Gengar. He shares a Gym with Bea, shown in the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga.
* Opal (): A Master of the Theatre and a Gym Leader of Ballonlea who specializes in Fairy-type Pokémon. Her main Pokémon is a Gigantamax Alcremie. Her quizzes represent a faerie's guile, as she is looking for a worthy successor to run the Gym after her retirement. She is later succeeded by Bede.
* Gordie (): Gym Leader of Circhester exclusive to ''Sword'' who specializes in Rock-type Pokémon. His main Pokémon is a Gigantamax Coalossal. He is Melony's son and has his own fanclub. He also has 4 siblings and shares a gym with his mother, whom he almost always tries to avoid (seen in ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga).
* Melony (): Gym Leader of Circhester exclusive to ''Shield'' who specializes in Ice-type Pokémon. Her main Pokémon is a Gigantamax Lapras. She is Gordie's mother. She is also seen with four other children in her concept art. She shares a gym with Gordie, shown in the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga.
* Piers (): A famous musician and the Gym Leader of Spikemuth who specializes in Dark-type Pokémon and the leader of Team Yell. Unlike other Gym Leaders, he refuses to Dynamax his Pokémon (his Gym does not have a Power Spot). His main Pokémon is an Obstagoon. Marnie is his younger sister. In the post-game, he is succeeded by Marnie.
* Raihan (): Gym Leader of Hammerlocke who specializes in Dragon-type Pokémon and weather manipulation. The player battles him in a Double Battle. His main Pokémon is a Gigantamax Duraludon. He is Leon's rival and an appreciator of art.

=Paldea Gym Leaders

=
* Katy: The Gym Leader of Cortondo and a pastry chef who specializes in Bug-type Pokémon.
* Brassius (コルサ ''Coiza''): The Gym Leader of Artazon and an artist who specializes in Grass-type Pokémon. His ace is a Sudowoodo that can Terastallize into a Grass type.
* Iono (ナンジャモ ''Nanjamo''): The Gym Leader of Levincia, as well as a streamer and an influencer, who specializes in Electric-type Pokémon. Her partner is Bellibolt.
* Kofu: The Gym Leader of Cascarrafa, who works as a chef and specializes in Water-type Pokémon.
* Larry: The Gym Leader of Medali and an office worker who specializes in Normal-type Pokémon. He is also an Elite Four member
* Ryme: The Gym Leader of Montenevera, as well as a rapper, who specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon.
* Tulip: The Gym Leader of Alfornada and a beautician who specializes in Psychic-type Pokémon.
* Grusha (グルーシャ ''Grusha''): The Gym Leader of Glaseado and a former snowboarder who specializes in Ice-type Pokémon. His partner is Cetitan.

Spin-offs

Club Masters

* : Nikki is the Club Master of the Grass Club.
* : Rick is the Club Master of the Science Club.
* : Ken is the Club Master of the Fire Club.
* : Amy is the Club Master of the Water Club.
* : Isaac is the Club Master of the Lightning Club.
* : Murray is the Club Master of the Psychic Club.
* : Gene is the Club Master of the Rock Club.
* : Mitch is the Club Master of the Fighting Club.

Fort Leaders

* : Morino is the Fort Leader of GR Grass Fort and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Catherine is the Fort Leader of GR Lightning Fort and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Hiderō is the Fort Leader of GR Fire Fort and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Kanoko is the Fort Leader of GR Water Fort and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Kamiya is the Fort Leader of GR Fighting Fort and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Mami is the Fort Leader of GR Psychic Stronghold and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Ishii is the Fort Leader of GR Colorless Altar and a member of Team Great Rocket.

Trial Captains and Island Kahunas

Trial Captains

* : llima is the Trial Captain of Melemele Island and Normal type specialist. His Trial takes place in Verdant Cavern, tasking the player with fighting Rattata or Yungoos, depending on the version, before fighting the Totem Gumshoos or Raticate.
* Lana (): Lana is one of the three Trial Captains of Akala Island. She uses Water-type Pokémon and has the player investigate splashes in the water at Brooklet Hill, before battling Totem Wishiwashi or Araquanid. In the ''Ultra'' versions, she has the player herd Wishiwashi to attract and battle Totem Araquanid.
* Kiawe (): Kiawe is one of the three Trial Captains of Akala Island. His Trial takes place at Wela Volcano Park, where the player watches the dances of Alolan Marowak, before fighting Totem Salazzle. In Ultra Sun and Moon, Salazzle is replaced by an Alolan Marowak. He uses Fire-type Pokémon.
* Mallow (): Mallow is one of the three Trial Captains of Akala Island. She tasks the player to gather ingredients in Lush Jungle to lure Totem Lurantis. She uses Grass-type Pokémon.
* Sophocles (): Sophocles is one of two Trial Captains of Ula'ula Island. He uses a device to attract Totem Vikavolt in S/M and Totem Togedemaru in USUM to the Hokulani Observatory, but causes a power outage/power surge. The player's Trial involves an audio quiz to open the security door or a Charjabug Roller mini-game to power his Totem-calling device. He uses Electric-type Pokémon.
* : Acerola is the Ghost type Trial Captain of Ula'ula Island. She tasks the player to track down Ghost-type Pokémon at an abandoned supermarket, culminating in a battle with Totem Mimikyu. Her ancestors were Alolan royalty.
* Mina (): Mina is the Fairy type Trial Captain of Poni Island. Her ''Ultra''-exclusive trial involves collecting various colored petals to make a special flower to draw out Totem Ribombee.

Island Kahunas

* : Hala is the Kahuna of Melemele Island. He fights with Fighting-type Pokémon.
* Olivia (): Olivia is the Kahuna of Akala Island. She specializes in Rock-type Pokémon.
* Nanu (): Nanu is the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island, specializing in Dark-type Pokémon. He is a police officer, living on Route 17, outside Team Skull's base at Po Town. He has connections to Giovanni in the anime.
* ): Hapu is the Kahuna of Poni Island. The player first meets her on Akala Island with her Mudsdale. She uses Ground-type Pokémon. She is seen being appointed as the kahuna by Tapu Fini later on in the games and anime.

Elite Four and Champions

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.

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.

Main series

=Kanto Elite Four and Champion

=

* Lorelei (): Lorelei is a specialist of Ice-type Pokémon. She is originally from the Sevii Islands and she collects Pokémon Dolls. She appears in the Orange Islands series of the anime, where she is known as Prima in the English version. In ''Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!'', she rescues the player from Team Rocket and takes on three of the Grunts at once, leaving the player to battle the fourth. She is a villain in ''Pokémon Adventures'', who attempts to take over the world with the other Elite Four. She later allies with Red and Blue to save her home.
* Bruno (): Bruno is an expert on Fighting types and a friend and training partner of Brawly. He constantly trains his own body along with his Pokémon and he wishes to fight the best trainers in the world, which is why he is part of the group. He regularly trains on the Sevii Islands and utilizes the spa for his Pokémon. He appears in the first episode of the anime as a combatant on television and he later meets Ash when he seeks out Bruno to learn of his "secret" to become a great trainer. Bruno is an unwilling villain in ''Pokémon Adventures'', where he is forced by Agatha to fight for her. He later forms the Johto Elite Four with Will, Karen and Koga. Bruno attaches his Poké Balls to the ends of a set of nunchaku and unleashes his Pokémon at high speeds to give him an advantage.
* Agatha (): An elderly woman who specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon. In the anime, she appears in the episode " The Scheme Team" where she is acting Gym Leader for the Viridian City Gym, defeating Ash in a battle. She is one of the main antagonists of the Yellow chapter of ''Pokémon Adventures'', along with Lance. She attempts to destroy most of humanity from their base on Cerise Island. She controls Bruno against his will by utilizing the mind-controlling powers of her ghost Pokémon and she is a former rival of Professor Oak, though their relationship eventually grew very bitter when he decided to pursue his own research career rather than stick with their group, which according to Oak, was only interested in finding new ways to control Pokémon, which the professor found unethical.
* Lance (): Lance, known as one of the best Pokémon trainers in the world, specializes in dragon Pokémon. He is Clair's cousin, having previously trained with her in Blackthorn City. He helps the protagonist in the second-generation games in the fight against Team Rocket. He appears in the anime, where he helps Ash's group defeat Team Rocket, catching a red Gyarados that is part of their experiments and later helps to stop the battle between Groudon and Kyogre. He is the main antagonist of the Yellow chapter of ''Pokémon Adventures'' who wishes to destroy humanity due to all of the pollution and their hurting of Pokémon. He later becomes an ally of Silver, who he sends on various missions. He is promoted to a Pokémon League champion of the Indigo Plateau in the sequel games. He is defeated by the Galar champion, Leon, in '' Pokémon Journeys: The Series''.

=Johto Elite Four and Champion

=

* Will (): A Psychic type specialist, who wears formal clothes and a mask. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, he was kidnapped by the Mask of Ice as a child and raised to be his servant. He is initially one of the leaders of Neo Team Rocket, but he eventually goes on to form the new Elite Four with Karen, Koga and Bruno. He takes over Lorelei's place.
* Karen (): A Dark type specialist; she likes Dark types because she finds their wild and tough nature appealing. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, she was kidnapped as a child and raised by Mask of Ice to be his servant. Like Will, she is initially a leader of Neo Team Rocket until she joins the others to form the new Elite Four. She takes over Agatha's place.

=Hoenn Elite Four and Champion

=

* Sidney (): A Dark type specialist, who believes that the dark-side is beautiful and that "might is right." He is always upbeat and congratulates those who defeat him.
* Phoebe (): A Ghost type specialist, whose grandparents are responsible for guarding the Blue, Red and Green Orbs at Mt. Pyre. She takes control of Regice, together with Glacia, in the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga.
* Glacia (): An Ice type specialist, who came to Hoenn while looking for a warmer climate that, as she claims, help her Pokémon grow strong.
* Drake (): A Dragon type specialist. He battles Ash in the anime and he wins overwhelmingly due to Ash's overconfidence.
* Steven Stone () is the Champion of the Hoenn League in ''Ruby'', ''Sapphire'', ''Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire''. He is the son of the president of Devon Corporation and aids the player in their battles against Teams Magma and Aqua. In ''Emerald'', he has retired from competitive battling, but can be challenged at Meteor Falls as the game's ultimate superboss. His signature Pokémon is his Metagross.

=Sinnoh Elite Four and Champion

=

* Aaron (): Aaron uses Bug Pokémon, calling them beautiful and perfect. He appears in the anime preparing for a championship battle against Cynthia. When he meets Ash, who tells him about his experience with Cynthia, Aaron tells Ash about how he abandoned his Wurmple during his youth. He does his best to train and understand Bug types out of regret for his mistake. He is later shown to have lost his match.
* Bertha (): An elderly Ground type specialist. She appears in the anime along with Cynthia.
* Flint (): Flint is a Fire type specialist, who meets the protagonist in Sunyshore City. He is a friend of Volkner and he has a younger brother named Buck. Flint is also seen on TV battling Cynthia in the final episode of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
* Lucian (): Lucian is a Psychic type trainer, who is an avid reader. He battles with Dawn in the anime and he is shown on television battling Cynthia.
* Cynthia (): Cynthia is the Sinnoh League Champion, who uses mostly female Pokémon. She is very interested in mythology and history and spends her time researching and exploring various sites associated with Legendary Pokémon of the Sinnoh region. In the game, she helps the protagonist fight against Team Galactic and she also assists them once Giratina appears and takes Cyrus into the Distortion World. While she does not have a particular associated Pokémon type preference, her signature Pokémon is Garchomp. In the anime, Ash first meets with Cynthia after she defeats Paul in a battle; she later helps the group fight against Team Galactic. In ''Black'' and ''White'' and their sequels, Cynthia travels to Undella Town for vacation in the spring and summer, where the player can battle her. She is often cited by fans as the most difficult Champion in the franchise.

=Unova Elite Four and Champion

=

* Shauntal (): Shauntal is a Ghost-type Pokémon Trainer. Her hobby is writing books. She can also be seen at Cynthia's holiday home in Undella Town on occasion. According to one of her stories, she once battled Volkner. She is part of the Unova region's Elite Four.
* Grimsley (): Grimsley is a Dark-type Pokémon Trainer. The son of a distinguished family that fell into ruin, he has since become an expert gambler. He is a member of the Unova region's Elite Four. He makes a brief cameo in Pokemon Sun and Moon
* Caitlin (): Caitlin is a Psychic-type Pokémon Trainer; she is described as having psychic powers which she had trouble controlling in the past due to her explosive temper. She travels to the region of Unova to learn how to control them and become a better trainer. She previously appeared in the Generation IV games' Battle Frontier and was in charge of running the Battle Castle but was unable to battle, with her valet taking that responsibility in her place. She is part of the Unova region's Elite Four.
* Marshal (): Marshal is a Fighting-type Pokémon Trainer. He is one of Alder's apprentices. He is a member of Unova's Elite Four.
* Alder (): Alder is the former Champion of the Unova League, who helps the player battle Team Plasma throughout Unova. N successfully challenges him to battle and wins, forcing the player to fight N. The player can later challenge Alder after finishing the main story of the game. While he does not specialize in a particular Pokémon type, half of his Pokémon are Bug types and his signature Pokémon is Volcarona. He later reveals he had another Volcarona that died before the games begin. He retires from his position by the time ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'' take place (having been succeeded by Iris), but can be battled in his home in Floccesy Town after the player has completed the main story.

=Kalos Elite Four and Champion

=
* Malva (): Malva is a Fire-type Pokémon Trainer. A hot-headed news reporter and a self-proclaimed star of the Holo Caster, she is also a former member of Team Flare and expresses animosity towards the player for the team's defeat. Looker was forced to tell her for helping the player stop Xerosic's plans.
* Siebold (): Siebold is a Water-type Pokémon Trainer. He is a chef, whose customers notably include Valerie and Grant and compares the art of cooking to the art of Pokémon battles.
* Wikstrom (): Wikstrom is a Steel-type Pokémon Trainer. He wears a suit of armor and is eager to battle challengers.
* Drasna (): Drasna is a Dragon-type Pokémon Trainer, inspired to train Dragon types after her grandparents from Sinnoh told her about the region's mythology surrounding Dialga and Palkia. She is just happy to battle and enjoys it when trainers and their Pokémon like each other.
* Diantha (): Diantha is the Kalos League Champion, but she does not reveal this to the player when they first meet in Lumiose City. She is known in the Kalos Region as a popular celebrity, appearing in films and advertisements, but it is not until the end of the game does the player discover her place in the Pokémon League. She does not specialize in a particular Pokémon type, but her signature Pokémon is her Mega Gardevoir.

=Alola Elite Four

=
* Kahili (カヒリ): A Flying type specialist and professional golfer. Her family apparently runs one of the hotels in Heahea City on Akala Island. Her ace is a Toucannon.
* Hala (ハラ): A Fighting type specialist and the Kahuna of Melemele Island, and Hau's grandfather. In the ''Ultra'' versions of ''Pokémon Sun and Moon'', he is replaced by Molayne as a member of the Elite Four. His ace is Crabrawler/ Crabominable.
* Acerola (アセロラ): A Ghost type specialist and the good friend of Ula'ula Kahuna Nanu. She is apparently descended from old Alolan royalty. Her ace is Palossand.
* Olivia (ライチ): A Rock type specialist and the Kahuna of Akala Island. She collects Stufful dolls in her house, and runs a jewelry shop in Konikoni City, which is often guarded by her Probopass. Her ace is a Midnight Form Lycanroc.
* Molayne (マーレイン): A Steel type specialist and the cousin of Trial Captain Sophocles. He replaces Hala in ''Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon'' as a member of the Elite Four. He helps Sophocles with upkeep of the Mt. Hokulani Observatory. His ace is an Alolan Dugtrio.

=Galar Champion

=
* Leon (): Leon is the Champion of the Galar League in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Pokémon Shield''. He has a younger brother, Hop, who serves as the main character's rival. His main Pokémon is Charizard which can Gigantamax. He oftens appears throughout the story, and defeats various out of control Dynamax Pokemon caused by Eternatus. He has a horrible sense of direction and often gets lost. He was childhood rivals with both Sonia and Raihan. After defeating him and becoming the Champion, he will convert Rose Tower, Macros Cosmos' old base of operations, into a Battle Tower, which he acts as head of. He also sets up the Galarian Star Tournament after the Crown Tundra is completed.
* : Mustard runs the dojo on the Isle of Armor in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. He is a former Galar Champion who trained Leon in the past, reigning undefeated for 18 years until he retired due to being asked to participate in a rigged match. His normal League Card states that after his retirement, he purchased a deserted island, to which he named the Isle of Armor. He later developed an interest in video games. When not in battle, he can be seen playing a video game that seemingly resembles Pokémon Quest due to the pixel theme of the game.
* : Peony is a former Gym Leader and adventurer on the Crown Tundra studying the tales of Legendary Pokémon in the area. He is Chairman Rose's younger brother, as stated on his rare League Card. He specializes in Steel-type Pokémon and his signature Pokémon is a Gigantamax Copperajah, which was the first Pokémon he caught with his brother. He has a daughter named Peonia, whom he dotes on excessively.

=Paldea Elite Four and Champion

=
* Rika: Rika is a Ground-type Pokémon Trainer. She administers the interview for trainers battling the Elite Four. Her ace is Clodsire.
* Poppy: Poppy is a Steel-type Pokémon Trainer. Her ace is Tinkaton.
* Larry: As a member of the Elite Four, Larry uses Flying-type Pokémon. His ace is Flamigo.
* Hassel: Hassel is a Dragon-type Pokémon Trainer. He works as the art teacher at Naranja/Uva Academy. His ace is Baxcalibur.
* : (オモダカ ''Omodaka''): Geeta is the Top Champion and administrator of the Paldea League. Nemona refers to her as "La Primera." Her ace is Glimmora.

Spin-offs

=Grand Masters and Champion

=
* Courtney (): Courtney is a Fire-type duelist.
* ): Steve is a Lightning-type duelist.
* Jack (): Jack is an Ice-type duelist.
* Rod (): Rod is a Dragon-type duelist.

=Big Bosses and King

=
* : Kanzaki one of the Big Bosses and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Rui one of the Big Bosses and a member of Team Great Rocket.
* : Biruritchi is the king and leader of Team Great Rocket.

Battle facility leaders

Frontier Brains

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 (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.

Hoenn Frontier Brain

* Salon Maiden Anabel () resides in the Battle Tower. She uses a variety of Pokémon. In the manga, she is the leader of the Frontier Brains and her Battle Tower is considered "special". In the anime, Ash challenges her before Pyramid King Brandon. After Ash and Anabel's battle, it is hinted that Anabel had fallen in love with Ash. She gives the Ability Symbol. She appears in ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'', working alongside Looker in investigating the Ultra Beasts, although with almost no memory of her time in the Battle Frontier.
* Dome Ace Tucker () resides in the Battle Dome. Tucker prefaces battles with narcissistic comments and enjoys the sound of a crowd chanting his name. He uses Pokémon that are one of a kind, for example, the final evolutions of starter Pokémon. He turns over the Tactics Symbol.
* Palace Maven Spenser () resides in the Battle Palace. In Pokémon Adventures, he once touched the Blue Orb, which controls Kyogre, so he can tell who also has touched it. When battling him, Emerald is not allowed to issue commands to his Pokémon, who must battle based on their instincts and sense of strategy; challenges against Spenser require the trainer to have faith in the Pokémon he has chosen. He hands out the Spirit Symbol.
* Arena Tycoon Greta () resides in the Battle Arena. A blunt girl who likes to face powerful trainers; she hands out the Guts Symbol to those who defeat her.
* Factory Head Noland () resides in the Battle Factory in Hoenn. As the Factory Head, he is able to view the Battle Swap data of any trainer and advocates gaining experience rather than relying solely on acquired knowledge. Noland battles with a randomly selected team each time he is challenged, which can include any Pokémon except those that are not admissible in the Battle Frontier. He hands out the Knowledge Symbol. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, he is the first to battle with Emerald and is in charge of the raising and caring for all the rental Pokémon.
* Pike Queen Lucy () resides in the Battle Pike. Lucy prefers to use serpent-like Pokémon. She is very tall, quiet and pale, with knee length black hair and sharp looking eyes. Never saying much, defeated or otherwise, she does state that it took a great deal of work to get to her level of skill. Instead of a series of battles like the other facilities, Lucy's Pike consists of rooms that randomly have either a double battle, a wild Pokémon, a healing station, a trainer battle or a random conversation. She hands over the Luck Symbol. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, she is the second to battle with Emerald.
* Pyramid King Brandon () resides in the Battle Pyramid. A man who appreciates the grand life of an explorer, he uses trios of Legendary Pokémon. In Pokémon Adventures, he remarks that he favors one-hit knockout moves and had captured Regirock, Regice and Registeel after the trio disappeared following the battle in Hoenn to stop Groudon and Kyogre. In the anime, Ash notably faces Brandon several times before finally defeating him as the final Frontier Brain. Brandon hands out the Bravery Symbol.

Sinnoh and Johto Frontier Brain

* Tower Tycoon Palmer () resides in the Battle Tower in Sinnoh and later, in Johto. He was first introduced in ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' as the leader of the Battle Tower, which was later incorporated into ''Pokémon Platinum''s Battle Frontier. He gives away the Silver Tower Print to trainers that defeat him once and the Gold Tower Print to trainers that beat him twice.
* Factory Head Thorton () resides in the Battle Factory in Sinnoh and later, in Johto. Like Factory Head Noland, Thorton's team is randomly selected each time he is challenged and can include any Pokémon except those inadmissible to the Battle Frontier. He gives away the Silver Factory Print to trainers that defeat him once and the Gold Factory Print to trainers that defeat him twice.
* Hall Matron Argenta () resides in the Battle Hall in Sinnoh and later, in Johto. Argenta uses a strange strategy to test trainers and forces them to choose one Pokémon to battle 10 Pokémon of each type during their challenge. She gives away the Silver Hall Print to trainers that defeat her once and the Gold Hall Print to trainers that beat her twice.
* Arcade Star Dahlia () resides in the Battle Arcade in Sinnoh and later, in Johto. Her challenge consists in using a roulette simulator that randomly chooses a special condition for the upcoming battle. She gives away the Silver Arcade Print to trainers that defeat her once and the Gold Arcade Print to trainers that beat her twice. She is also known to be a great dancer according to some trainers at her facility.
* Castle Valet Darach () and Lady Caitlin () reside in the Battle Castle in Sinnoh and later, in Johto. Darach is the butler of Caitlin (who later became a member of Unova's Elite Four), who is the one in charge of running the facility by determining how much Castle Points (CP) are awarded to the player in the castle. He fights in her place using her Pokémon. Managing and using CP is an important factor for this facility. Darach gives away the Silver Castle Print to trainers that defeat him once and the Gold Castle Print to trainers that beat him twice.

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.
* Nita () is the Battle Chatelaine for Single Battles.
* Evelyn () is the Battle Chatelaine for Double Battles.
* Dana () is the Battle Chatelaine for Triple Battles.
* Morgan () is the Battle Chatelaine for Rotation Battles.

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

Other Battle facility leaders

* Ingo () and Emmet () are the conductors of Nimbasa City's Battle Subway. Ingo is also one of the wardens in '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus''.
* Benga () is Alder's grandson.

Antagonists

Each set of video games in the ''Pokémon'' franchise has featured an antagonist seeking to take over, transform or destroy the world, only to be defeated by the protagonist.

Crime syndicates

Main series

=Team Rocket/Neo Team Rocket

=
is the crime syndicate in Kanto and Johto. In ''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', ''Green'' and ''Yellow'' and their remakes, ''Pokémon FireRed'', ''LeafGreen'', ''Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!'', they desire to exploit Pokémon to further their goal of world domination. 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.
* Giovanni (): An expert in Ground-type Pokémon and the leader of Team Rocket. He runs the Viridian City Gym in ''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', ''Green'' and ''Yellow'' and their remakes, ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''. He later disappears and is not seen again, though Team Rocket attempts to locate him in ''Pokémon Gold'', ''Silver'' and ''Crystal'' and their remakes, ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', the latter of which he appears via a downloadable event. He also appears as the final boss of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon in the postgame story event, when Team Rainbow Rocket takes over, as Giovanni is the leader. However, he is a different one from the other games, as he comes from an alternate reality where Team Rocket took over the world. His team in the game remains the same in both versions, but his Mewtwo uses a different Mega Evolution depending on the version, having a Mega Mewtwo X in Ultra Sun, and Mega Mewtwo Y in Ultra Moon.
* Dalton (): A Juggler who is a Team Rocket member.
* Jessie () and James (): They appear as mini-bosses in ''Yellow'', ''Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!''. The duo's name is a reference to Jesse James, an outlaw. Their Japanese names are references to two famed swordsmen in Japanese history, Sasaki Kojirō and Miyamoto Musashi, who famously fought each other on the Island of Ganryū in 1612, resulting in Musashi's victory and Kojirō's death.
* Gideon (): The head Team Rocket scientist in Sevii Islands.
* Proton (): One of the Neo Team Rocket Executives. He is the most ruthless of the executives, leading the operation in the Slowpoke's Well in ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', but is admired by the others for his actions.
* Petrel (): One of the Neo Team Rocket Executives. He is a master of disguise and is not as evil-minded as the other Neo Team Rocket Executives.
* Archer (): The head Neo Team Rocket Executive. He is one of the Team Rocket Admins in ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' and the sole Team Rocket Admin in ''Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!''.
* Ariana (): The only female Neo Team Rocket Executive. She claims herself to be the interim leader of Neo Team Rocket. She is one of the Team Rocket Admins in ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''.

=Team Magma and Team Aqua

=

are the two villainous groups in ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' and their remakes, ''Pokémon Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'' (depending on the game's version), which each seek to cause huge alterations to the planet's ecosystem. In ''Pokémon Emerald'', both of the groups are enemies.

Team Magma

are the player's enemies in ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Emerald'' and ''Omega Ruby''. They wish to expand the lands by awakening Groudon.
* Maxie (): The leader of Team Magma, leading the group in their goal of waking Groudon to cause a drought to dry out the oceans and expand landmasses to make the world a better place.
* Tabitha (): One of the Team Magma Admins. He leads the group to steal the Meteorite from Professor Cozmo at Meteor Falls and brings it to Maxie at Mt. Chimney.
* Courtney (): One of the Team Magma Admins. She leads the group at the Weather Institute attempting to steal Castform. After defeat, the presumably unnamed scientist that views the battle gives you Castform.

Team Aqua

are the player's enemies in ''Pokémon Sapphire'', ''Emerald'' and ''Alpha Sapphire''. They wish to expand the seas by awakening Kyogre.
* Archie (): The leader of Team Aqua, leading the group in their goal of waking Kyogre to cause a heavy rainfall to flood the landmasses and expand the oceans to make the world a better place.
* Matt (): One of the Team Aqua Admins. He leads the group to steal the Meteorite from Professor Cozmo at Meteor Falls and brings it to Archie at Mt. Chimney.
* Shelly (): One of the Team Aqua Admins. She leads the group at the Weather Institute attempting to steal Castform. After defeat, the presumably unnamed scientist that views the battle gives you Castform.

=Team Galactic

=
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 (depending the game's version). 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, compelling Cyrus to step into the new dimension as it collapses, killing him. Later, Looker arrests Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Charon, causing Mars to exclaim that “this is the end of Team Galactic."
* Cyrus (): The leader of Team Galactic. Although it appears he wants to work with his team to create a new dimension, he really wants to create the dimension solely for himself, making it one devoid of emotions that he sees as weak and useless.
* : One of Team Galactic Commanders. She leads the group's actions at the Valley Windworks and also the assault at Lake Verity. In ''Platinum'', she displays a dislike towards Charon and quits Team Galactic afterwards, looking to save Cyrus from the Distortion World.
* : One of Team Galactic Commanders. She leads the team at Eterna City's headquarters when they are investigating the city's Pokémon statue and the assault at Lake Acuity. In ''Platinum'', after Mars quits, Jupiter decides to leave Team Galactic as well.
* : One of Team Galactic Commanders. He leads the operations at Lake Valor as well as the group's headquarters in Veilstone City. After Cyrus's defeat, he decides to lead Team Galactic on a more virtuous mission of seeking alternative energy sources.
* Charon (): One of Team Galactic Commanders, introduced in ''Platinum''. He designs the devices that allow the group to control Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf and bring forth Giratina. He later tries to lead the group in obtaining the power of Heatran, but the player defeats him and he is arrested by Looker. The player can read his notes and it is hinted that he befriended the Rotom found near Eterna City.

=Team Plasma/Neo Team Plasma

=
is the antagonistic group in Unova games. In ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'', they 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 (depending on the game version), 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. In ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'', they intend to use the power of Kyurem to take over the Unova region and the rest of the world.
* : N is the king and leader of Team Plasma. He is a very mysterious trainer who shows up at random and inconvenient times and believes that all humans and Pokémon should be separated. He is almost always seen using Pokémon that can only be found in the area that he is fought in. He was forced to grow up with abused Pokémon, as a plot by his adoptive father, Ghetsis, so that he would want to liberate all Pokémon from humans. By following through with the plan, he captures either Zekrom in ''Black'' or Reshiram in ''White'' (the player will capture the opposite colored one) in order to show the world his power so that they will follow through with his plan to liberate all Pokémon. N returns in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'' in a supporting role, enabling the games' mascot Kyurem to transform into its iconic form for the game version. In the end game, N can be challenged, using his legendary Pokémon from the previous game and upon defeat the Dragon transforms into a Key Item the player can use to capture the Dragon. After another in-game event, N becomes a character the player can challenge on a monthly basis, with the team changing with the games' seasonal cycle. His full name is .
* The : The high-ranking members of Team Plasma. Throughout the course of the gameplay, the player encounters each of the sages but will not be able to battle them. After the defeat of N and before becoming the Pokémon Champion, the player must locate all of the Sages scattered throughout the Unova region.
** Ghetsis (): Ghetsis is the true leader of Team Plasma and N's father, having raised the boy to serve as a charismatic leader while secretly running the true operations of the group behind the boy's back. For much of ''Black'' and ''White'', he presents himself as a seemingly benevolent, well-meaning figure, but is steadily hinted at - and ultimately revealed as - the main villain of both sets of games and the main antagonist, rather than N. When N was only a child, Ghetsis kept him away from humans and closer to abused Pokémon, so that he would later develop resentment against humans who live side by side with their Pokémon and not realise how many good people actually existed. Because of this, Ghetsis was able to easily manipulate N into believing that he would be the "hero" that would help free all the Pokémon world from their owners. Afterwards, it is implied that Ghetsis planned to get rid of N once he had accomplished his mission: becoming the sole controller of Unova's Pokémon and using them as an army to conquer the entire world and rule it as a dictator. However, the actions of the player - who has helped inspire N to see beyond his old views - lead to N's defeat. This infuriates Ghetsis, who reveals his true colors and attempts of complete world domination to stop the player himself, along with calling N a 'freak without a human heart'. After his defeat, he begins losing his mind, but retains enough clarity to escape with the help of his loyal servants, the Shadow Triad. In ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', he uses Colress as a proxy leader of Neo Team Plasma to conceal its own identity. When met, he will state that Kyurem is an empty shell and that he will pour his ambitions into that shell. He uses the Legendary Pokémon to freeze Unova and its people, with the ultimate goal of conquer the world with its great power. In Giant Chasm, he will command Kyurem to freeze the player alive with the Pokémon's signature move, Glaciate, but will be stopped by N. Unfortunately, he predicted that N's love for Pokémon will lead him to Kyurem and then merges Kyurem and Zekrom (''Black 2'') or Reshiram (''White 2'') to create Black Kyurem (''Black 2'') or White Kyurem (''White 2''), respectively. After Black/White Kyurem is defeated, Ghetsis then challenges the player to a battle. After losing, he loses the last of his sanity and the Shadow Triad move him away - later revealing that his mind has completely broken from the shock of his failures. His full name is .
**Zinzolin (): Associated with the color purple. Despite claiming to dislike the cold, he can be found in Cold Storage after defeating Ghetsis. He seems to specialize in Ice types.
** Rood (): Associated with the color red. He returns in ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'' as part of the old Team Plasma and is battled at their warehouse in Driftveil City. He seems to specialize in the Normal type. He entrusts N's Zorua into the player's care and assists the player at the Giant Chasm against Ghetsis' faction.
** Gorm (): Associated with the color blue.
** Bronius (): Associated with the color brown.
** : Associated with the color yellow.
** Ryoku (): Associated with the color green.
* The Shadow Triad (): Three ninja-like young men who are Ghetsis's faithful servants because he once saved their lives. They have the ability to teleport and usually "escort" the player to N or Ghetsis. After Ghetsis's defeat and arrest (and later unexplained break-out), the Shadow Triad appears one last time on the Marvelous Bridge, where they explain that Ghetsis ordered them to bring the player the three Orbs of Dialga, Palkia and Giratina (Adamant, Lustrous and Griseous, respectively) and that despite their loyalty to him, he has ordered them to not look for him. The Shadow Triad returns in ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'' and battles the player several times in the game. They are also revealed to possess a Liepard which had evolved from a Purrloin which was stolen from the rival character's younger sister five years earlier, leading him to foster a deep hatred for the organization. At first, this includes Rood's faction as well. After Neo Team Plasma disbands, the Triad remains at Icirrus City, where they can be challenged on a monthly basis. Using the Unova Link Function unlocks a cutscene involving Cilan, Chili and Cress fighting against The Shadow Triad (and losing) - thus disbanding the rumors that the two groups are one and the same.
* Anthea (the ) and Concordia (the ): Two characters who appear towards the end of the main story of ''Black'' and ''White'' who serve N. Concordia tells the player the story of N and how Ghetsis raised him, while Anthea heals the player's Pokémon in preparation for the final battle against N. They can also be seen in the game's first opening sequence where they watch as N is crowned as the king of Team Plasma by Ghetsis. It was revealed that Anthea and Concordia are N's foster Sisters. They appear in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'' in Rood's Pokémon volunteer house in Driftveil City, where they tell the player of Ghetsis' ambitions and what he did to further them, as well as N's early childhood before Ghetsis found him. According to them, N had spent this part of his life in a forest with a Darmanitan and a Zorua (the latter of which can be acquired from Rood) as he had distressed people with an unusual ability to commune with Pokémon.
* Dudley (): A scientist that was researching (and modifying) Genesect for Team Plasma. If the player goes to the P2 Laboratory with a Genesect in their party, an event will trigger, involving Dudley challenging the player, who has the Pokémon of the cancelled project he was working on.
* Colress (): Colress is an independent Pokémon researcher and a proxy leader of Neo Team Plasma, who works to learn about the powers of Pokémon and tries to bring out the true strength within them. He battles the player several times throughout the game to test the player's ability and the power of the player's Pokémon. He eventually aligns with Neo Team Plasma, as they will allow him to study Pokémon the way he wishes. In the main story of ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', he is the helmsman of the Plasma Frigate, Team Plasma's primary mode of transportation. After Neo Team Plasma is defeated, he helps the group reform their ways. He can then be battled at the P2 Laboratory. He returns in ''Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon'', giving the player the means to fuse Necrozma with Solgaleo/Lunala once they catch the former and helping the player and their allies in defeating Team Rainbow Rocket in the post-game story. He has a larger and more antagonistic role in the anime, as he is building a device that would allow Ghetsis to control Reshiram and he takes control of various Pokémon, including Team Rocket's Meowth, in an effort to fine tune it. It was later destroyed by Ash's Pikachu (having resisted the device's effects) and Reshiram. He specializes in Steel-type Pokémon.

=Team Flare

=
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 and the sundial as their weapon to cause a nuclear holocaust.
* Lysandre (): The leader of Team Flare, seeking to attain eternal beauty. He follows the player's progress closely, seeking the player in his plans and revealing the history of Kalos and the king AZ, his ancestor, who nearly wiped out all life. After his identity as Team Flare's leader is revealed, he admits that he wishes to use his ancestor's weapon to enact a mass extinction, believing the Mega Ring to be central to his plans. The player ultimately defeats Lysandre and when Lysandre attempts to activate the weapon, despite the player having captured its power source Xerneas (''X'')/Yveltal (''Y''), the weapon crumbles and destroys the headquarters. Although the player and his/her friends, as well as most of the members of Team Flare, manage to escape, Lysandre is never seen escaping the destruction and therefore he is presumed dead. In the anime, using Lysandre Labs as a front, Lysandre manipulates Alain to provide him with Mega Evolution while his subordinates managed to capture the blue-core Zygarde in his plan to control both Zygarde Cores while destroying Lumoise City as a display of Team Flare's power. But after losing to Ash, Alain and a redeemed Malva, as well as losing both Zygarde Cores, Lysandre resorts to using a Zygarde fabrication created from the Megalith and have it absorb the energies of the Anistar sundial to invoke a global genocide. But the Zygarde Cores assume their 100% form to destroy the fabrication with the signature move Core Enforcer, with Lysandre seemingly killed in the process.
* : A former Team Flare admin who became a butler.
* Team Flare scientists: The scientists of Team Flare.
** Xerosic (): One of the Team Flare scientists. He is the group's head scientist, leading the building of the ultimate weapon. In the post-game, he also creates the Expansion Suit and hires Emma to be its user. At the end of the post game, he is arrested by Looker.
** Celosia (): One of the Team Flare scientists. She and Bryony lead the group in their attack on the Poké Ball Factory.
** Aliana (): One of the Team Flare scientists. She leads the group in their infiltration of Kalos's Power Plant.
** Bryony (): One of the Team Flare scientists. She and Celosia lead the group in their attack on the Poké Ball Factory.
** Mable (): One of the Team Flare scientists. She leads the group in their Frost Cavern operations, angering a native Abomasnow.

=Team Skull

=
is a gang of street thugs who are the resident villain team of Alola in ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'', secretly working with the Aether Foundation on the promise of money. They were disbanded following the events of the games.
* : Guzma is the boss of Team Skull and battles without mercy. He at one point went through the Island Challenge, but did not meet the criteria to become a captain. He has history with Professor Kukui. He can be teamed up with at the Battle Tree in Double Battles and in the ''Ultra'' versions, he helps the player defeat Team Rainbow Rocket out of his loyalty to Lusamine. After that, he appears as a possible Title Defense challenger.
* : Plumeria is Team Skull's admin and helps to keep the team in order. She cares for the grunts beneath her, making her less antagonistic than previous admins. She appears as a possible fighter in Title Defense.
* : This young man lends his strength to Team Skull as an enforcer. He places a high value on being strong in Pokémon battles. His partner Pokémon is the mysterious Type: Null, which eventually evolves into Silvally. He is Lusamine's son and Lillie's brother. He also appears as a possible fighter in Title Defense and in the ''Ultra'' versions leaves Alola post-game to travel to other regions to become stronger; he appears as a Title Defense challenger after a month has passed in those games.

=Aether Foundation

=
The 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 (in the original games)/travel to Ultra Megalopolis to battle Necrozma (in the ''Ultra'' versions) with no regard for the consequences of doing so.
* : The leader of the Aether Foundation, the mother of Lillie and Gladion and the real villain of the original ''Sun'' and ''Moon'' games. She is obsessed with the Ultra Beasts, specifically the Nihilego species having fallen under their influence; Gladion speculates her fixation started after her husband vanished while studying them. She went as far as unleashing them upon Alola by overclocking Nebby's power before wanting to live a solitary life amongst the Nihilego in their home realm. She then ends up allowing herself to be taken over by a Nihilego (which she caught while the player was in Alola) at the games' climax in a last-ditch attempt to destroy the heroes (making her the only villain in the franchise whose final battle is fought against as a mutant version of themselves). While she is now living in Kanto to have the last of the Nihilego poison removed from her and trying to rebuild her relationship with Lillie, her ultimate fate in the original games remains unknown. However it is implied that she is now wanted by the International Police for her actions against Alola while she was possessed. The ''Ultra'' versions depict her in a completely different light; devoid of Nihilego's influence and therefore her Ultra Beast obsession, believing she is doing the right thing, working also with the Ultra Recon Squad and harnessing Nebby's power so that she can fight Necrozma, but is defeated easily by the stealer of light. She reforms at the end, giving her children the independence she had denied them for so long and choosing not to directly interfere with their lives anymore, but is captured by Team Rainbow Rocket and taken hostage in the post-game. After Team Rainbow Rocket's defeat, she then appears as a possible Title Defense challenger at the start of every month, a role previously taken by Faba (see below)
* : The Aether Foundation's admin. He challenges the player multiple times to stop the player when Lillie gets kidnapped. In the original games, he also appears as a possible fighter in Title Defense, appearing every start of the month, having been demoted from his position of Branch Chief. In the post-game story of the ''Ultra'' versions, he betrays the Aether Foundation to Team Rainbow Rocket for his own benefit. Because of this, he is demoted to the position of intern following Giovanni's defeat, with Lusamine taking his place in Title Defense in these games.
* : The vice-chief of the Aether Foundation. Unlike the other two, she helps the player attempt to stop Lusamine's plans. She also appears in the post-game, helping the player with the Ultra Beast mission in the original versions.

=Ultra Recon Squad

=
The is an organization appearing in ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon''. They main goal is to investigate Ultra Wormholes, Ultra Beasts and return the light that was stolen from their home by Necrozma.
* : One of the members of the Ultra Recon Squad. He travels to Alola with Zossie in ''Ultra Sun'', but stays at the Ultra Megalopolis in ''Ultra Moon''.
* Zossie (): One of the members of the Ultra Recon Squad. She travels to Alola with Dulse in ''Ultra Sun'', but stays at the Ultra Megalopolis in ''Ultra Moon''.
* Soliera (): One of the members of the Ultra Recon Squad. She travels to Alola with Phyco in ''Ultra Moon'', but stays at the Ultra Megalopolis in ''Ultra Sun''.
* Phyco (): The captain of the Ultra Recon Squad. He travels to Alola with Soliera in ''Ultra Moon'', but stays at the Ultra Megalopolis in ''Ultra Sun''.
* Rhi: A member of the squad introduced in ''GO'' as a temporary substitute for Professor Willow since GO Fest 2022.

=Team Rainbow Rocket

=
is the crime syndicate in the post-game of ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon''. They plan to rule all worlds with an army of Ultra Beasts. They consist of alternate versions of all the evil team leaders from previous games, but unlike the events of the previous games, when they were defeated, they were successful in their plans. Each team leader wields a powerful Legendary Pokémon from their respective regions.
* Giovanni (): An alternate version of Giovanni is the leader of Team Rainbow Rocket. He has Mewtwo as part of his team. This Giovanni was successful in leading Team Rocket to take over the world and completely upgrading to Team Rainbow Rocket. Depending on the game's version, Mewtwo will Mega Evolve into either Mega Mewtwo X (''Ultra Sun'') or Mega Mewtwo Y (''Ultra Moon'').
* Maxie (): An alternate version of himself appeared as a member of Team Rainbow Rocket. This Maxie was successful in expanding the land but fell into a large fissure at that very moment and ended up in the game's world. He has Groudon as part of his team.
* Archie (): An alternate version of Archie appeared as a member of Team Rainbow Rocket. This Archie was successful in expanding the sea but was engulfed by a large wave during the moment of his victory and ended up in the game's world. He has Kyogre as part of his team.
* Cyrus (): An alternate version of Cyrus appeared as a member of Team Rainbow Rocket. This Cyrus was successful in recreating the universe but was engulfed by a mysterious shadow during the moment of his victory and was transported to the game's world. He has Dialga (''Ultra Sun'')/Palkia (''Ultra Moon'') as part of his team.
* Ghetsis (): An alternate version of Ghetsis appeared as a member of Team Rainbow Rocket. This Ghetsis was successful in separating people and Pokémon and became the absolute leader of its own world. He has Zekrom (''Ultra Sun'')/Reshiram (''Ultra Moon'') as part of his team. Unlike the other leaders, he secretly plotted to manipulate and overthrow Giovanni and refused to accept defeat. His true goal in this version is to use an army of Ultra Beasts and Pokémon to conquer not only the new world but all the worlds, becoming the universal dictator. He even threatened to harm Lillie, only for Colress of the game's world to intervene and send him back to the world he came from.
* Lysandre (): An alternate version of Lysandre appeared as a member of Team Rainbow Rocket. This Lysandre was successful in Team Flare's plan but was blinded by a bright light at the moment the ultimate weapon was fired and ended up in the game's world. He has Xerneas (''Ultra Sun'')/Yveltal (''Ultra Moon'') as part of his team.

=Team Yell

=
is the resident villain team of the Galar region in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'', although they are not the game's true villains. They are a group of troublemakers who want nothing more than the player's friendly rival Marnie to become Champion and they seek to impede all other challengers without they boss knew. They later help the player reach Leon and Chairman Rose after Rose's secretary, Oleana, closes off the monorail that would take the player to the Rose Tower.

They later help the player track down a rogue League staff member in Wyndon.
* : The leader of Team Yell, Marnie's brother and the seventh Gym Leader. He specializes in Dark-type Pokémon.
* : Spikemuth Gym trainer and Team Yell grunt.
* Marnie herself is not a member of Team Yell, but is Piers' sister and the grunts' idol.

=Macro Cosmos

=
is the large business conglomerate of the Galar region in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'' and the games’ true villains. Their president seeks to harness the power of Dynamax energy to awaken Eternatus from 3000 years of its slumber into Galar with no regard for the consequences. A majority of the employees specialize in Steel-type Pokémon.
* : The chairman of the Galar Pokémon League, president of Macro Cosmos, a large business conglomerate and the real villain of ''Sword'' and ''Shield''. He is made the Galar Pokémon League world-famous by implementing Gym Battles featuring the Dynamax phenomenon. He is obsessed with solving Galar's future energy crisis, but he wants to awake Eternatus believing harnessing its power would solve the problem. After the player defeats and catches Eternatus, he voluntarily surrenders to the authorities. After the events of the base story, his whereabouts are unknown. He specializes in Steel-type Pokémon (like all of his employees, excluding Oleana) and his signature Pokémon is a Gigantamax Copperajah.
* : is Rose's admin and is known for her calm and collected personality. She also serves as the vice president of Rose's company and is in fact largely in charge of the day-to-day running of the company. Her team is based around feminine beauty, but her signature Pokémon is a Gigantamax Garbodor. She was originally a low class researcher working on the Dynamax phenomenon and was promoted after Rose saw her talent (shown in Twilight Wings). The player can find her post-game at the Galar Mine, where she can give the player Rose's rare League Card. In the Crown Tundra, after the player battles Peony and gets his rare League Card, if he/she goes to the Old Cemetery at night, the player may find Oleana there, seemingly attempting to find Rose. She mixes up Peony for Rose due to their resemblance and after that, she will head back to the Galarian mainland.

=Team Star

=
Team Star (スター団 ''Star-dan'', Star Gang) is the villainous team of the Paldea region in ''Pokémon Scarlet'' and ''Violet''. They are a group of troublemaking students of Naranja/Uva Academy. They are the focus of the "Starfall Street" story.
* Mela (メロコ ''Meloco''): The boss of Team Star's Fire Crew, also known as the Schedar Squad.
* Atticus (シュウメイ ''Shūmei''): The boss of Team Star's Poison Crew, also known as the Navi Squad.
* Giacomo (ピーニャ ''Piña''): The boss of Team Star's Dark Crew, also known as the Segin Squad.
* Ortega (オルティガ ''Ortiga''): The boss of Team Star's Fairy Crew, also known as the Ruchbah Squad.
* Eri (ビワ ''Biwa''): The boss of Team Star's Fighting Crew, also known as the Caph Squad.
* : The founder and "Big Boss" of Team Star.

Side games

=Cipher

=
is the main antagonist group of ''Pokémon Colosseum'' and '' Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness''. Their primary goal is converting Pokémon into more powerful 'Shadow Pokémon' through cruel means.

''Colosseum''

* : The leader of Cipher in ''Colosseum''. He is secretly the mayor of Phenac City, where he pretends to be kind but bumbling.
* : The second-in-command of Cipher in ''Colosseum''. He runs most operations to give Evice cover.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''Colosseum''. He has a large Pokéball afro and spends most of his time teaching his Pokémon to dance. In ''Gale of Darkness'', he has left Cipher to form his own 'Team Miror' consisting of himself and two peons. He will nevertheless acquire any Shadow Pokémon the player fails to snag, providing another opportunity to capture them.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''Colosseum''. He is a hulking brute sent to steal the Time Flute to prevent it from being used to purify Shadow Pokémon.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''Colosseum''. A television star, she oversees the Cipher-controlled mining town known as the Under.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''Colosseum''. An unethical scientist who created the Shadow Pokémon process.

''XD: Gale of Darkness''

* : The leader of Cipher in ''XD: Gale of Darkness''. He pretends to be a generous and wealthy old man while his minions carry out his plans.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''XD: Gale of Darkness''. A ditsy scientist, she created the powerful XD001 Shadow Lugia, which is supposedly impossible to purify.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''XD: Gale of Darkness''. An egotistical politician who wishes to become governor of Orre.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''XD: Gale of Darkness''. A muscular, gorilla-like mechanic, he oversees the main Shadow Pokémon production factory.
* : One of the Cipher Admins in ''XD: Gale of Darkness''. A bodyguard (and son) of Greevil. After their defeat, he encourages Greevil to destroy Cipher's base and flee rather than surrender. Though this fails, he swears that he will return and rebuild Cipher once again.
* : One of the Cipher Admins and main rival in ''XD: Gale of Darkness''. A bodyguard (and son) of Greevil. After their defeat, he encourages Greevil to surrender rather than destroy his base and kill everyone inside.

=Team Snagem

=
is a gang of thieves and criminals in ''Pokémon Colosseum'' and '' Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness''.
* : The leader of Team Snagem.
* : One of the members of Team Snagem.
* : One of the members of Team Snagem.
* : One of the members of Team Snagem.

Spin-offs

=Phobos Battalion

=
The are the enemies in ''Pokémon Trozei!''.
* : The leader of the Phobos Battalion.
* : One of the Phobos Battalion Generals.
* : One of the Phobos Battalion Generals.
* : One of the Phobos Battalion Generals.
* : One of the Phobos Battalion Generals.
* : One of the Phobos Battalion Generals.

=Go-Rock Squad

=
The is the villainous team in ''Pokémon Ranger''.
* : The leader of the Go-Rock Squad.
* The : The admins of the Go-Rock Squad and Gordor's children.
** : One of the members of the Go-Rock Quads.
** : One of the members of the Go-Rock Quads.
** : One of the members of the Go-Rock Quads.
** : The leader of the Go-Rock Quads.

=Team Dim Sun/Team Debonairs

=
is the villainous team in '' Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia''. A secret subsection of the energy company Altru Inc., it seeks to control Pokémon using Gigaremo and Miniremo machines, eventually creating a massive version called the Incredible Machine capable of dominating all Pokémon in the Almia region. After their defeat, second-in-command Mr. Kincaid creates Team Debonairs using surviving Miniremos.
* : The leader of Team Dim Sun and president of Altru Inc. Once named , he was exposed by his father to an artifact called the Shadow Crystal, which filled him with negative emotions and twisted him into a controlling dominator.
* : The vice president of Team Dim Sun and the leader of Team Debonairs. He secretly became a teacher at the Ranger School to look for talented recruits for the team. He is notorious for his hatred of people running in the hallway.
* : The high-ranking members of Team Dim Sun.
** : The leader of the Sinis Trio. He has studied computer programing and often calls the player "noob."
** : One of the members of the Sinis Trio. She specializes in Fire-type Pokémon and is vain about her appearance.
** : One of the members of the Sinis Trio. He is from a different region and often misspeaks, seemingly because the player's language is not his first language.
* : A high ranking employee of Altru Inc.

=Pokémon Pinchers

=
The is the villainous team in '' Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs''.
* : The head admin of the Pokémon Pinchers.
* : One of the admin of the Pokémon Pinchers.
* : One of the admin of the Pokémon Pinchers.
* The : A secret society that controlled the Pokémon Pinchers.
** : The leader of the Societea and the Pokémon Pinchers.
** : One of the members of the Societea.
** : One of the members of the Societea.
** : One of the members of the Societea.
* : Characters from the past and members of the Pokémon Pinchers in the present.

=Team GO Rocket

=
is the villainous team in ''Pokémon Go''.
* Giovanni (): The leader of Team GO Rocket.
* : One of the Leaders of Team GO Rocket.
* : One of the Leaders of Team GO Rocket.
* : One of the Leaders of Team GO Rocket.

=Team Break

=
is the villainous team in ''Pokémon Masters EX''.

Other Antagonists

Main series

* & : The two main antagonists of the post-game story for ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''.
* Miss Fortune Sisters: A trio of bandits that attack the protagonist in '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus''.
* Volo: The main antagonist of '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus''.

Spin-offs

* : The main antagonist of '' Detective Pikachu''.

Pokémon Storage System developers

Main series

* Bill (): The inventor of the PC storage system in Kanto/ Johto. In the games, he manages to turn himself into a human-Pokémon hybrid by accident (This amazes the player's Pikachu in '' Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition''). His favorite Pokémon are Eevee and its evolutions. According to ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'', Bill seems to be allergic to dairy products and his first Pokémon was an Abra. In the anime, Bill was presented with green hair, but all other reincarnations of him included brown hair. He is loosely based on Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.
* Celio (): a Pokémon storage system programmer and good friend of Bill who lives in the Sevii Islands. Celio runs the Pokémon Net Center on Knot Island in ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''. He needs the player's help to finish the incomplete Pokémon Network machine. This machine is capable of transferring Pokémon between Kanto and Hoenn. To assist with this quest, Celio will give the Rainbow Pass and upgrade the Town Map so it shows the locations of the final four Sevii Islands.
* Lanette (): The inventor of Hoenn's storage system in the Pokémon games and developer of the new, more user-friendly storage system interface used in all Pokémon games since ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire''. It is implied in-game that she is close friends with Bill. The player can read an E-mail on Lanette's laptop from Bill complimenting her success with the Hoenn PC system. Her house is littered with books and she rewards visiting players with a doll, asking them not to tell anyone. In the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga she, along with her sister, go to Kanto to upgrade its Pokémon storage system and make it possible to exchange Pokémon with Hoenn.
* Bebe (): The inventor and manager of the PC storage system in ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'' and ''Platinum''. She developed Sinnoh's Pokémon storage system based on the previous designs of Bill and Lanette. Her house, which is next to the Pokémon Center in Hearthome, is not quite as cluttered as Lanette's. Bebe is good friends with Hayley, who owns a ranch in which Pokémon can be stored and they still keep in contact with each other. After the player obtains the National Dex, she will give them a level 5 Eevee. In ''Pokémon Platinum'', the Eevee is available right away at level 20, without the need of the National Dex.
* Amanita (): The inventor of the PC storage system in Unova. In ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'', she lives in Striation City and teaches the player about the PC Storage System. In ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'', she instead lives in Castelia City, where she works as an assistant to Fennel. In the latter games, she gifts the player a level 10 Eevee upon their becoming the Unova Champion.
* Cassius (): The administrator of the PC system in ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y'', he was personally recommended for the job by Bill. He had invented the tray system for the Pokémon storage system. He tends to talk pretty rudely, but he likes his job. He is based in Camphrier Town, where the player can talk to his two assistants as well.
* Molayne (): The developer of the PC Storage System of Alola. In ''Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon'', he is a member of the Elite Four (he replaces Hala in these games), specializing in Steel-type Pokémon. He is the cousin of Sophocles.

Side games

* : The older sister of Lanette and the host of ''Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire'' and ''Pokémon Bank''.
* : A friend of Bebe and the host of ''My Pokémon Ranch''.
* : A Pokémon researcher and the developer of ''Pokémon Home''.

Other characters

Main series

* : A kind old man who lives in Lavender Town in the first generation games. He is the founder of the Cinnabar Island laboratory and a former friend of Blaine. He owns a Poké Flute and wishes for the happiness of all Pokémon. He becomes enraged after Team Rocket kills a Marowak and he cares for the orphaned Cubone.
*: An female Trainer in ''Pokémon: Let's Go''. Originally planned to be in ''Pokémon Red'', ''Green'' and ''Blue'' as seen in the original game beta and the official guidebook artwork.
* Kurt (): Kurt is a famous Pokéball expert that lives in Azalea Town in the Johto Region alongside his grand daughter Maize(). In the games he can give the Player Pokéball's that he made out of Apricorns that possess different effects at the time of capturing Pokémon.
* Eusine (), called Eugene in ''Pokémon Chronicles'': Eusine is a self-declared Legendary Pokémon expert who appears in ''Pokémon Crystal''. He searches for Suicune for a decade and wishes to see it greatly.
* Aarune (): Aarune is a character introduced in ''Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'' who tells the player about the Secret Base feature in the game.
* Lisia (: Lisia is a character introduced in ''Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'' as a Contest Idol in Hoenn. The player occasionally competes against Lisia and her Altaria Ali () in the Master Rank Contests. She is eventually revealed to be Wallace's niece.
* Zinnia (): Zinnia is a character featured in the "Delta Episode" in ''Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire''. She has come to Hoenn from a faraway land in order to help stop a meteor from impacting the Earth, intending to capture Rayquaza to meet these goals. However, Rayquaza chooses the player instead and the player is the one who is to stop the meteor.
* Johanna (): The mother of Lucas or Dawn. She will sometimes appear in Pokémon Super Contests with her Kangaskhan Jumpy ().
* "Looker" (): "Looker" is a member of Interpol who appears in ''Pokémon Platinum'' investigating Team Galactic. He appears again in ''Black'' and ''White'' to seek the player's assistance in apprehending the seven sages of Team Plasma. During the events of ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', he is in another region searching for N with player character of ''Black'' and ''White''. In ''X'' and ''Y'', he poses as a detective to investigate Xerosic, a Team Flare scientist. In ''Sun'' and ''Moon'', he comes to Alola to assist the player with capturing the Ultra Beasts that were let loose there as the result of Lusamine's machinations.
* Five trainers can join the main character during different events in ''Diamond'', ''Pearl'' and ''Platinum'', and all of the trainers each specialize in one particular stat. They are made up of Cheryl (), who is scared of Team Galactic; Riley (), a senior protégé of Byron; Mira (), who wishes to be like the protagonist; Buck (), the younger brother of Elite Four member Flint; and Marley (), a girl interested in the Mythical Pokémon Shaymin. All five of these characters can be met later in the game at the Battle Tower.
* Curtis () & Yancy (): Curtis and Yancy appear as side characters in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'' depending if the player chooses the female or male player character, respectively. The player finds his/her lost Xtransceiver and begins a friendship with the player character. In the end, the character serves as a way to receive Pokémon with rare abilities by trading, as their job as popular television personalities in the game named Christoph () and Nancy (), respectively, brings them to the other Pokémon regions.
* Sina () & Dexio (): Two of Professor Sycamore's assistants. In ''X'' and ''Y'', their job was to give the player the Central, Coastal, and Mountain Pokédex and to help the player (in disguises) with stopping Team Flare. The two also appear in ''Sun and Moon'' and their ''Ultra'' versions as Pokémon trainers who specialize in Ice and Psychic types, respectively.
* : AZ is a mysterious man, noted for his great height at tall. He developed a deadly weapon during a war 3,000 years prior to the game to revive his deceased Floette, only for Floette to leave him out of disgust. After the player becomes the new Pokémon Champion, AZ challenges the player to a battle, after which AZ realizes the error of his ways and his Floette returns to him.
* ): The mother of Calem or Serena and a former Rhyhorn racer.
* Alexa (): Alexa is a journalist in ''X'' and ''Y'' who works at a publishing house in the central Lumiose City. Her younger sister is Viola, a Gym Leader.
* Emma (): Emma is a young girl who is central to the cases the player takes when working for Looker in ''X'' and ''Y''. She and her Espurr Mimi () move into the offices. She is later kidnapped by Team Flare's Xerosic and made the Expansion Suit's wearer Essentia (), whom the player must fight to save her.
* : Lillie is an important character in ''Sun and Moon'' and their ''Ultra'' versions. She hates Pokémon battles (because she does not like seeing Pokémon getting hurt) and likes reading. She has Nebby the Cosmog in her bag, which she stole from the Aether Foundation because she didn't want it to get hurt and knowing her mother's intentions would end up possibly killing it. She then takes refuge with Professor Kukui knowing the Aether Foundation would come after her.
* : Sonia is the granddaughter and assistant of Professor Magnolia in ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. She is the childhood friend of Leon. After the player completes the Gym Challenge, Magnolia will give her lab coat to Sonia, making her the new Pokémon Professor of the Galar region. If the player spots Cobalion footprints in the Crown Tundra for the first time, Sonia will appear, initiating a side quest that consists of catching the Swords of Justice: Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo.
* Honey (): Honey is Mustard's wife, who takes care of the Dojo on the Isle of Armor. As revealed in her normal League Card, she is the former CEO of a trading firm. She met Mustard during a business trip to the Isle of Armor, and as a result, they fell in love, and they got married prior to the events of both the base game and the Isle of Armor. She is also the creator of Max Soup, a soup made out of Max Mushrooms, which helps certain Pokémon unlock their Gigantamax potential.
* Peonia (): Peonia is Peony's daughter. She is interested in Dynamax Adventures. When the player first arrives in the Crown Tundra, she is seen getting grumpy at Peony for following her around at her age. As soon she sees the player, she will get his/her attention, requesting that the player challenge her father. She, however, uses the battle to secretly escape, forcing Peony to go after her. Once the main Crown Tundra story ends, she decides to join her father in his "Adven-tour", but immediately declines when he "comes up with more legends", stating that she needs personal space. From this point on, she, along with Peony, appear at the entrance of the Max Lair.
*Captain Cyllene (): The leader of the Galaxy Team's Survey Corps in '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus''. She is considered by fans as the ancestor of Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic. She may be strict to others and to herself, but she sees potential in the player and allows him/her to take a trial to join the Galaxy Team.
*Commander Kamado (): The boss of the Galaxy Team. He may be harsh at times, but the other members of the Galaxy Team look up to him, trust him deeply, and know him as a reliable leader. He is the ancestor of Professor Rowan.
*Iscan (ススキ ''Susuki''): One of the ten Wardens who looks after a special Basculegion. He can be easily frightened at times and is not very fond of the Ghost type. He is part of the Diamond Clan.
*Mai (ヨネ ''Yone''): One of the ten Wardens who looks after a special Wyrdeer. Her partner is Munchlax, and the two have been raised like siblings. She is part of the Diamond Clan.
*Arezu (ヒナツ ''Hinatsu''): One of the ten Wardens tasked to look after a "certain lady Pokémon". She feels a great deal of responsibility as a Warden, which sometimes leads to her solving problems all by herself. She is part of the Diamond Clan. She is considered as an ancestor to Team Galactic Commander Mars.
*Lian (キクイ ''Kikui''): One of the tens Wardens who tasked with looking after a noble Kleavor. Because of his talent, at a young age, he has been given the title of Warden. He is part of the Pearl Clan. He is considered as an ancestor to Clay, the Driftveil City Gym Leader.
*Calaba (ユウガオ ''Yūgao''): One of ten Wardens tasked with looking after a special Ursaluna that helps the player later on in the game. She initially does not trust anyone outside of the Pearl Clan, but after the Miss Fortune Sisters steal a slab of wall from the Solaceon Ruins, she begins to trust others, after the player offers to retrieve the stolen slab.
*Palina (ガラナ ''Garana''): One of the ten Wardens. She looked after a noble Hisuian Arcanine, but it sacrificed itself after it had to save its Growlithe pup at sea. Palina was then tasked to raise the pup to become his father's successor, but she decided to have the Growlithe pup live in peace. Because of this, many within the Pearl Clan doubted about her ability to perform her duties as Warden. When the Miss Fortune Sisters steal the pup's brother and escape to the Firespit Island, Growlithe overcame its trauma and evolves into Hisuian Arcanine. However, Arcanine later gets frenzied by the same lightning that made the previous two noble Pokémon go into their frenzies. After the player successfully calms down Arcanine, the Arcanine becomes the new Lord of the Isles, with Palina as his Warden. Irida later reveals that she and Palina once competed against each other to become the leader of the Pearl Clan.
*Melli (ツバキ ''Tsubaki''): One of the ten Wardens who looks after a noble Hisuian Electrode. He has an arrogant and self-centered personality, but Mai reveals that he used to be shy and withdrawn. That was until he announced he would work hard in order to assist Adaman.
*Gaeric (ハマレンゲ ''Hamarenge''): One of the ten Wardens. He looks after a noble Hisuian Avalugg, and he constantly trains his muscles in the cold, snowy environment of the Alabaster Icelands. Irida looks up to him as a mentor.
*Sabi (ワサビ ''Wasabi''): One of the ten Wardens. She looks after a special Hisuian Braviary that can fly the player to any location within the five geographical divisions of the Hisui region.
*Adaman (セキ ''Seki''): Adaman is the leader of the Diamond Clan. He believes that Arceus, worshipped by both the Diamond and Pearl Clans, controls time, implying that he represents Dialga, the deity of time. He occasionally engages in conflicts with Irida.
*Irida (カイ ''Kai''): Irida is the leader of the Pearl Clan. She believes that Arceus, worshipped by both her and Adaman's clans, controls space and dimensions, implying that she represents Palkia, the deity of space and dimensions. She occasionally conflicts with Adaman.
*Ginter: Ginter is the leader of the Ginkgo Guild. He is considered the ancestor of Volkner, the Sunyshore City Gym Leader.
*Cogita (コギト ''Cogito''): Cogita lives in a secret location within the Hisui region known as the Ancient Retreat. She possesses a vast knowledge of the legends of the Hisui region. After the player is banished from Jubilife Village, she instructs the player to collect the items required to forge the Red Chain, an item capable of closing the space-time rift. Once the main story is completed, she gives the player the Pixie Plate, which she had been using as a cutting board, unaware of what it truly was. She also visits the Galaxy HQ, and tells the player of Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus, also known as the Forces of Nature. After the player successfully completes their Pokédex entries, she reveals the player that there is one more member of that group: the Fairy and Flying type Enamorus, and tells the player to catch her at the Crimson Mirelands. Once Enamorus is caught, she gives the player the Reveal Glass, capable of transforming the Forces of Nature into their therian forms. She, along with Volo, resemble Cynthia, implying an ancestry.
*: Arven is a student of Naranja/Uva Academy, and the son of Professor Sada/Turo. He seeks the Herba Mystica, guarded by the Titan Pokémon, to help heal his Mabosstiff.
*: The director of Naranja/Uva Academy.

Side games

* : The sidekick in ''Pokémon Colosseum''.
* : The mother of Michael and Jovi.
* : The sister of Michael.

Spin-offs

* & : Two of Dr. Mason's technicians.
* : The inventor of the machine that drops Poké Balls onto the screen.
* : The prince of Pasio in ''Pokémon Masters EX'' and he is arrogant, later revealed to be saved by Hoopa when he was younger and later forms a sync pair with it. He is the rival of the protagonist as he/she is a threat to get the Champion of the PML, Pokémon Master League. They also remind him of Red, who beat him once before in the past. Lear is next in succession for his kingdom's royal family, and needs to win the PML to gain the right to become his deceased mother's successor.
* : Lear's servant and partner, a bit impatient and pairs up with Honchkrow.
* : Lear's servant and tolerated his impatience and pairs up with Umbreon, has a lot of fans as well.
*Tina: Another rival in ''Masters EX'' and an old friend of Paulo.

See also

* List of Pokémon video games

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Pokemon characters