Kanto
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Red'', ''Green'', ''Blue'' (1996), ''Protagonists
is the main 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 also appears 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 the Kanto Region. is the female protagonist of ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''. and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!''.Rivals
is the rival character of ''Pokémon Red'', ''Green'', ''Blue'', ''Yellow'', ''FireRed'', and ''LeafGreen''. He is the grandson of Professor Oak and the player character's childhood friend. He is pushy and competitive, but generally a good Pokémon Trainer. He briefly precedes the player character as the Champion of the Kanto Region, waiting for the player to challenge him. Blue is the basis for Gary Oak in the anime, in which both Gary and Ash, who is based off of Red from the games, are initially depicted as rivals. ''Professor Oak
Professor Samuel Oak () is a Pokémon Researcher and the grandfather ofGym leaders and Elite Four
Each main-series ''Pokémon'' game, with the exception of ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'' and their 3rd and 4th versions, includes a group of eight "Gym leaders", who award the player character a badge upon defeat. Each Gym leader possesses a team of several Pokémon of similarTeam Rocket
Giovanni () is the Leader of the villainous Team Rocket. He runs the Viridian City Gym in ''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', ''Green'', ''Yellow'', and their remakes. He later disappears and is not seen again, though Team Rocket attempts to locate him in ''Pokémon Gold'', ''Silver'', ''Johto
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Gold'', ''Silver'' (1999), ''Protagonists
is the main protagonist of ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', and the male protagonist of ''Pokémon Crystal'', ''HeartGold'', and ''SoulSilver''. was introduced in ''Pokémon Crystal'', and was the first female player character in the ''Pokémon'' series. Though players at the time paid little attention to the addition of a female character, Kris is considered a meaningful addition by women who grew up with the game. The character was replaced by in ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver''.Silver
is the rival of the Johto-based games. He steals his first Pokémon from Professor Elm and tends to see Pokémon as tools to use and discard. Unlike Blue before him, Silver is depicted as a mediocre trainer, though the Sprout Tower sage and Lance see talent and great potential in him. He eventually realizes his wrongdoings and changes his ways by treating his Pokémon with respect. Silver also appears in '' Pokémon Masters EX'', in which he is identified by Ho-Oh as being pure of heart. He is the son of Giovanni, with the Celebi event in ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' showing their past.Professor Elm
Professor Elm () is 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 trainers one of the three starter Pokémon: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile. He specializes in research regarding Pokémon breeding and is credited with the discovery of Pokémon eggs, even gifting the player character a Togepi egg for research.Jasmine
Jasmine () is the 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 cityHoenn
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Sapphire'' (2002), ''Protagonists and rivals
and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Sapphire'', ''Emerald'', ''Omega Ruby'', and ''Alpha Sapphire''. The player can select which character they want to play as, with the other character taking the role of the main rival. is an additional rival character. He is introduced as a sickly young boy who needs help catching Pokémon. Using a Zigzagoon borrowed from Norman, the player helps him catch a Ralts. He is later taken to Verdanturf Town, where the fresh air helps him recover, though he leaves to keep training his Pokémon. He later battles the player in Victory Road.Professor Birch
Professor Birch () is a Pokémon Researcher, known for his fieldwork and research on Pokémon habitual distribution. He is also the father of the rival character. In the games, Birch gives the player character and the main rival a starter Pokémon: Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip. At the beginning of the games, he is attacked by a wild Pokémon and drops his bag, resulting in the player having to use one of his Pokémon to save him. In the anime, he gives May her Torchic. In the '' Pokémon Adventures'' manga, he is the father of Sapphire.Other characters
Norman () is the Petalburg City Gym Leader and an expert on Normal-type Pokémon. In the games, Norman is the protagonist's father. In the anime, he is the father ofSinnoh
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'' (2006), ''Lucas and Dawn
and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'', ''Platinum'', ''Brilliant Diamond'', and ''Shining Pearl''.Barry
is the rival character in ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'' and ''Platinum''. He is often impatient and is determined to be the best Pokémon Trainer. He is best friends with the player, who he aids throughout their journey. His father, Palmer, owns the Battle Tower in Sinnoh. He tends to accidentally crash into people, and often tries to fine people for being too slow.Professor Rowan
Professor Rowan () is the Pokémon Professor in the ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' games, having returned to Sinnoh after four years of traveling abroad. He is a senior researcher to and old friend of Professor Oak, and 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.Other characters
Cynthia () is the Sinnoh League Champion. She is interested in mythology and history and spends her time researching and exploring various sites associated with Legendary Pokémon of the Sinnoh region. In the games, she helps the protagonist against Team Galactic and assists them when Giratina appears in ''Platinum''. In the anime, Ash first meets Cynthia after she defeatsUnova
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'' (2010) and their sequels ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'' (2012), which are set in the fictional Unova region.Protagonists
and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White''. and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2''.Rivals
is one of the rival characters in ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White,'' and is one of the player's childhood friends. He is intelligent and trustworthy, often giving the player character advice and battling them to test his skills. Like the player, he aims to become Champion. Two years later, in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', he becomes Aspertia City's Gym Leader. His name is derived from the Bulgarian word for black: (''cheren''). is the other rival in ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'', and alongside Cheren is one of the player's childhood friends. She 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 at home, believing the world to be unsafe, until Elesa eventually convinces him to let keep Bianca go on her own journey. Two years later, in the events of ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', she becomes an assistant to Professor Juniper and gives the player their starter Pokémon. Her English name is derived from theProfessor Juniper
Professor Aurea Juniper () is the Pokémon Professor in the ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'' games and the first female professor to appear in the video games. She specializes in research involving the origins of Pokémon. She gives the player character, Bianca and Cheren one of the game's starter Pokémon: Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott. 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 a Pokémon Professor and has since retired.Other characters
Fennel () is a Pokémon Professor who studies Pokémon Trainers and the dreams of Pokémon. The player encounters her when Team Plasma abducts a Munna from her research facility to use its Dream Mist powers. She gives access to the games' wireless capabilities and online systems. Alder () is the former Champion of the Unova Region, who helps the player battle Team Plasma throughout Unova. N successfully challenges him to battle and wins, forcing the player to fight N instead. 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-type and his signature Pokémon is Volcarona. He later reveals he had another Volcarona that died before the games begin. He has retired from his position in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', having been succeeded by Iris. is the Leader of Team Plasma. He is a mysterious Pokémon Trainer who shows up throughout the player's journey and believes that humans and Pokémon should be separated. He was forced to grow up with abused Pokémon, as a plot by his adoptive father Ghetsis, so that he would want to liberate Pokémon from humans. By following through with the plan, he befriends Zekrom in ''Black'' or Reshiram in ''White'' to help him alter the world. N returns in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'' in a supporting role, enabling the games' mascot Kyurem to transform. His full name is . Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius ( is the true Leader of Team Plasma and the main antagonist of the Unova games. He is the adoptive father of N, Anthea, and Concordia, He initially appears as one of the Seven Sages devoted to Team Plasma's cause. During the climax of the first games, it is revealed he manipulated N and Team Plasma as part of his plan to rule over the world via N. He is arrested after being beaten by the player, but escapes thanks to the Shadow Triad. He returns in the sequels as the leader of Neo Team Plasma, wanting to use Kyurem to freeze and rule over Unova. He reveals himself after Colress' defeat and retreats to the Giant Chasm with Kyurem. After his attempt to freeze the protagonist is interrupted by N and his legendary Pokémon, he uses the DNA Splicers he armed Kyurem with to merge them both. After beating it and Ghetsis, he snaps completely and is transported away by the Shadow Triad. Colress () is an independent Pokémon Researcher and a proxy Leader of Neo Team Plasma, who works to learn about the powers of Pokémon and bring out the true strength within them. He battles the player several times throughout the game to test their abilities and the power of their 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 theKalos
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y'' (2013), which are set in the fictional Kalos region.Calem and Serena
and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''. The protagonist the player doesn’t choose becomes another one of the player’s rivals.Rivals
is one of the rivals/friends of the player character in ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''. She is energetic and curious, but is searching for a goal in life. She gives the player character a nickname at the outset of their journey. is interested in finding new Pokémon to make the perfect Pokémon Dance Team. is studious and wishes to fill up all three parts of the Kalos region's Pokédex.Professor Sycamore
Professor Augustine Sycamore () is the Pokémon Professor of the Kalos region, who occasionally battles the player. Unlike previous professors, who gave out the regions' starter Pokémon, Kalos's starter Pokémon Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie are given out by one of the player character's friends. Instead, Professor Sycamore gives the player a choice between Kanto's starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.Diantha
Diantha () is the Kalos League Champion. She is known in the Kalos Region as a popular celebrity, appearing in films and advertisements, but the player does not discover her place in the Pokémon League until the end of the game.Lysandre
Lysandre ( is the Leader of the villainous Team Flare, which seeks to attain eternal beauty. He follows the player's progress closely, seeking them in his plans and revealing the history of Kalos and the king AZ, who nearly wiped out all life. He is also related to AZ, as he is a descendant of his brother. After his identity as Team Flare's leader is revealed, he admits he wishes to use AZ's weapon to enact 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, the weapon crumbles and destroys the headquarters. Lysandre also appears in the anime as the main antagonist of '' Pokémon the Series: XYZ'', where his plans are similar to the games.Alola
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'' (2016) or ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon'' (2017). These games are all set in the fictional Alola region.Elio and Selene
and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Sun'', ''Moon'', ''Ultra Sun'', and ''Ultra Moon''.Rivals
is one of the rivals of ''Pokémon Sun'', ''Moon'', ''Ultra Sun'', and ''Ultra Moon''. He is a direct contrast to previous rivals like Blue, as he chooses a Pokémon that is weak to that of the protagonist and is constantly trailing behind the player, rather than being ahead of them. is a member of the villainous Team Skull and a rival for the player. He is terse and combative, capturing the spirit of rivalry as established earlier in the franchise. His partner Pokémon is a Type: Null stolen from an Aether Foundation lab, which later evolves into Silvally. He is Lusamine's son and Lillie's older brother.Professor Kukui
is the Pokémon Professor in ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'', who studies Pokémon moves and takes Lillie under his wing as his assistant; he is married to Professor Burnett. He has a double life in the Battle Royal Dome as The Masked Royal. He is good friends with Molayne, who keeps his double life a secret. He takes one of the Alolan starter Pokémon 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 the first-ever Champion of Alola Region in ''Pokémon Sun and Moon,'' but he is replaced by Hau in ''Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon.''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 after being promised money. They disband following the events of the games. * is the Boss of Team Skull, who battles without mercy. In the past, he went through the Island Challenge, but did not meet the criteria to become a captain. He has history with Professor Kukui, as they were both unable to become captains. In the ''Ultra'' versions, helps the player defeat Team Rainbow Rocket out of loyalty to Lusamine. * is Team Skull's admin, who helps to keep the team in order. She cares for the grunts beneath her, making her less antagonistic than previous admins.Other characters
is the president of the Aether Foundation, the mother of Lillie and Gladion, and the true villain of the original ''Sun'' and ''Moon'' games. She is obsessed with the Ultra Beasts, specifically Nihilego, having fallen under their influence; Gladion speculates her fixation started after her husband Mohn vanished while studying them. She unleashes Nihilego upon Alola before deciding to live a solitary life amongst them in their home realm. She is taken as a host by a Nihilego at the games' climax in a last-ditch attempt to destroy the protagonists. In the ''Ultra'' versions, she works with the Ultra Recon Squad and harnesses Nebby's power to fight Necrozma, but is defeated. She reforms at the end of the story, choosing to no longer interfere in her children's lives, but is captured by Team Rainbow Rocket, taken hostage, and later freed by the player in the postgame. The is an organization that appears in ''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon''. They aim to investigate Ultra Wormholes and Ultra Beasts and return the light that was stolen from their home by Necrozma. is an important character in ''Sun and Moon'' and their ''Ultra'' versions. She hates Pokémon battles because she dislikes seeing Pokémon getting hurt. She keeps a Cosmog nicknamed Nebby in her bag, which she stole from the Aether Foundation because her mother could end up killing it. She later takes refuge with Professor Kukui and becomes his assistant.Galar
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'' (2019). These games are set in the fictional Galar region.Protagonists
and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''.Rivals
''Sword'' and ''Shield'' features several rival characters. These are: * is the younger brother of Leon, the Champion of the Galar Region. He idolizes his brother and aspires to become champion himself. Over time, he grows frustrated with his constant losses to the player, until he eventually changes paths and sets out to become a Pokémon Professor. * is an arrogant trainer whose Pokémon journey is sponsored by Chairman Rose. After he is disqualified from the Gym Challenge, Opal takes him under her wing and starts training him to become her successor. He initially specializes in Psychic-type Pokémon, but later on specializes in Fairy-type Pokémon. * is the younger sister of Piers, who is Spikemuth's Gym Leader. Team Yell, a group of Gym trainers from Spikemuth, are her troublesome fans. After the game's conclusion, she succeeds Piers as Spikemuth's Gym Leader. She specializes in Dark-type Pokémon. * Klara (クララ, ''Kurara'') is the rival in the "Isle of Armor" story in ''Pokémon Sword''. She was an underground "idol", and aspires to become a Poison-type Gym leader to acquire fans. * Avery (セイボリー, ''Savory'') is the rival in the "Isle of Armor" story in ''Pokémon Shield''. He came from a family of psychics, but was shunned for being unable to teleport or read minds. He aspires to prove his family wrong and become a Psychic-type Gym leader.Professors
is the Pokémon Professor in the Galar region, who studies the Dynamax phenomenon and gives the player and Hop Dynamax Bands. She steps down as Professor near the end of the game. is Magnolia's granddaughter, who becomes Galar professor after announcing her discovery of the legend of the Darkest Day. She also appears throughout the story, often assisting the player and Hop. She publishes a book on her Dynamax research and in turn the true history of Galar, which causes Sordward and Shielbert to start the events of the postgame story. In '' The Crown Tundra'', she researches the Swords of Justice: Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion.Other characters
Leon () is the Champion of the Galar Region. He often appears throughout the story, and defeats various out-of-control Dynamax Pokémon caused by Eternatus. He has a poor sense of direction and often gets lost. He was childhood rivals with Sonia and Raihan, a Gym Leader who specializes in Dragon-type Pokémon. After defeating him and becoming champion, he converts Rose's tower base into the Battle Tower. He also sets up the Galarian Star Tournament at the end of ''The Crown Tundra''. Nessa () is a model, and the Hulbury City Gym Leader, Specializing in Water-type Pokémon. runs the dojo on the Isle of Armor. He is a former Champion of the Galar Region who trained Leon in the past, reigning undefeated for 18 years until he retired due to being asked to participate in a rigged match. He purchased the Isle of Armor and developed an interest in video games. is the chairman of the Galar League, the president of a large business conglomerate, and the main villain of ''Sword'' and ''Shield''. He is obsessed with solving Galar's future energy crisis, and wants to awake Eternatus because he believes harnessing its power would solve the problem. After the player defeats and catches Eternatus, he voluntarily surrenders to the authorities. He specializes in Steel-type Pokémon. & are the main antagonists of the post-game story for ''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield''. They believe that Sonia's accounts of Galar's history are false.Hisui
Characters that were introduced in '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus'' (2022). This game is set in the Hisui region and takes place in the distant past of the Sinnoh region of ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl''. * and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Legends: Arceus'', who are sent back in time by Arceus. Before their official names were revealed, they were thought to be Dawn and Lucas. *Professor Laventon is the Pokémon Professor of the Hisui region, who specializes in thePaldea
Characters that were introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Scarlet'' and ''Violet'' (2022), which are set in the fictional Paldea region. * and are the male and female protagonists of ''Pokémon Scarlet'' and ''Violet''. * : The rival in ''Pokémon Scarlet'' and ''Violet,'' who is the president of the student council at Naranja/Uva Academy. She is a Champion-rank trainer who is determined to make the player a worthy opponent in battle. Nemona often tests the player's strength by purposefully using weaker teams throughout the game. She is passionate about battling and is often possessive over the player in hopes of being their sole mentor. * and : The Pokémon Professors in ''Scarlet'' and ''Violet'', respectively, and the parents of Arven. It is later revealed that the true professors died before the events of the story, with the ones that appeared throughout the story being robotic duplicates and the true villains of their respective games. They are the first professors not to be named after trees, with Sada's name coming from "pasado", the Spanish word for past, and Turo's name coming from "futuro", the Spanish word for future. They study the possible relationship between the ancient or futuristic versions of modern-day Pokémon, known as "Paradox Pokémon", and are indirectly responsible for the "Terastal" phenomenon. Their robotic counterparts eventually realize that bringing in Paradox Pokémon from different timelines is wrong, but in the endgame, end up defending the time machine against their will through the defense program the professors had set up. Afterwards, they decide to travel to the past and future, respectively, knowing that it would be the only way to stop the time machine from bringing any more Paradox Pokémon to the present. * is the Gym leader of Medali, who specializes in Normal-type Pokémon and an Elite Four member who specializes in Flying-type Pokémon. He is characterized as a toxic, self-serving individual who puts on a "depressedSee also
* List of Pokémon * List of Pokémon video gamesReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Pokémon characters