History Characters / PokemonJourneysTheSeriesGalar

[[center:[[WMG:''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Pokémon anime]]'' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeries characters index]]\\
[-'''Series-wide:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesAshKetchum Ash Ketchum]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesPikachu Pikachu]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesTeamRocketTrio Team Rocket Trio]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesTeamRocketTriosPokemon Team Rocket Trio's Pokémon]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesTeamRocketOrganization Team Rocket Organization]]\\
'''Major Characters:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesMisty Misty]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesBrock Brock]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesMay May]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesDawn Dawn]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesPaul Paul]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesIris Iris]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesSerena Serena]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesLillie Lillie]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesGoh Goh]] \\
'''Original Series:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheOriginalSeriesAshsPokemon Ash's Pokémon (Kanto, Orange Islands, Johto)]]\\
[[Characters/PokemonTheOriginalSeriesCast Supporting Cast]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheOriginalSeriesGymLeaders Gym Leaders]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheOriginalSeriesOneShotCharacters One-shot Characters]]\\
'''Advanced Generation:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphireAshsPokemon Ash's Pokémon (Hoenn)]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphireCast Supporting Cast]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphireGymLeadersAndFrontierBrains Gym Leaders and Frontier Brains]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphireVillains Villains]]\\
'''Diamond and Pearl:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearlAshsPokemon Ash's Pokémon (Sinnoh)]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearlCast Supporting Cast]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearlGymLeaders Gym Leaders]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearlVillains Villains]]\\
'''Black and White:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhiteAshsPokemon Ash's Pokémon (Unova)]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhiteCast Supporting Cast]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhiteRivals Rivals]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhiteGymLeaders Gym Leaders]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhiteVillains Villains]]\\
'''XY:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesXYAshsPokemon Ash's Pokémon (Kalos)]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesXYCast Supporting Cast]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesXYRivals Rivals]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesXYGymLeaders Gym Leaders]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesXYMegaEvolutionSpecials Mega Evolution Special]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesXYVillains Villains]]\\
'''Sun and Moon:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoonAshsPokemon Ash's Pokémon (Alola)]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoonCast Supporting Cast]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoonKahunasAndGuardianDeities Kahunas and Guardian Deities]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoonAetherFoundation Aether Foundation]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoonVillains Villains]]\\
'''Journeys:''' [[Characters/PokemonJourneysTheSeriesAshsPokemon Ash's Pokémon (Journeys)]] | [[Characters/PokemonJourneysTheSeriesCast Supporting Cast]] | '''Galar''' | [[Characters/PokemonJourneysTheSeriesOneShotCharacters One-shot Characters]]\\
'''Horizons:''' [[Characters/PokemonHorizonsTheSeriesLeadCharacters Lead Characters]] | [[Characters/PokemonHorizonsTheSeriesPokemon Pokémon]] | [[Characters/PokemonHorizonsTheSeriesAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/PokemonHorizonsTheSeriesSupportingCast Supporting Cast]]\\
'''Movies:''' [[Characters/PokemonMovies Movies 1 to 19]] | [[Characters/PokemonIChooseYou I Choose You!]] | [[Characters/PokemonThePowerOfUs The Power of Us]] | [[Characters/PokemonSecretsOfTheJungle Secrets of the Jungle]]-]]]]]

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[[foldercontrol]]

!Galar League Challenge

[[folder:Leon (Dande)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leon_anime_jn.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/DaisukeOno
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/AlejandroSaab
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Alejandro Orozco

The Champion of the Galar League, who eventually becomes the [[WorldsBestWarrior Monarch]] of the World Coronation Series.
----
* TheAce: He becomes this for the entire world after defeating Lance in the Pokémon World Championships Finals, gaining the title of Monarch after a hard-fought battle. All of his battles are either one-sided beatdowns or at best {{Curb Stomp Cushion}}s. [[spoiler:The only opponent who successfully beats him is Ash, and even with the latter having the advantage of using Mega Evolution, Z-Moves and Gigantamax all in one battle against Leon's mostly un-powered team, he still comes close to losing.]] On his team itself, Charizard fills the role of Ace.
* AdaptationalBadass: In the games, Leon has never lost an official battle throughout his career, but he's still only the Champion of the Galar region and is never shown battling other Champions (though Raihan is noted to be on the level of some Champions). However, during his debut in the anime, Leon defeats Lance (the Champion of the Indigo League) in the final round of the Pokémon World Championships and gains the title of Monarch - being the first trainer in the series' 20-year history to be implicitly referred to as the strongest trainer in the world.
* AdaptationalIntelligence: Is shown to be warier of [[DevilInPlainSight Chairman Rose]] and notices suspicious intent in some of his words. When given the chance, he arranges to stay at the mines, secretly investigating Rose behind his back.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: As the Monarch of the World Coronation Series, he's this to ''every single trainer on the planet''. He defeats both Lance and Ash -- the Champions of the Kanto/Johto and Alola Regions, respectively -- in battle, and just like the games, is envied by Raihan for his undefeated record. [[spoiler:However, in the end Ash turned out to be this to him, defeating Leon in their final match after a long, arduous struggle.]]
* AmbiguousSituation : He shows knowledge of Aura when watching Ash battle, [[spoiler: and seemingly tries to account for it during his full battle with him,]] but it is never elaborated where he got that knowledge or if he uses it himself at all
* AwesomeByAnalysis:
** Leon was able to figure out quickly that Ash defeated Chairman Rose just by noticing his Riolu had evolved into Lucario.
** He managed to pick up Ash's counter shield tactic that he used against Cynthia and uses it himself against the young trainer in their finals match in only a short period of time.
* BareFistedMonk: His Cinderace knows High Jump Kick, and its ability lets it change into a Fighting-type.
* BeneathTheMask: Sonia tells Goh that Leon is nothing like his public image, and didn't have many friends as a kid.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Despite only interacting with Ash and Goh a few times, he's shown a general fondness for both of them, and didn't hesitate to shield both of them from Eternatus and telling them to run to safety, even if it meant leaving him behind.
* TheBigGuy: Rillaboom. While none of his team can be described as weak, Rilaboom showed a consistent demonstration of strength and power only surpassed by Charizard, being a reliable source of knockouts against opponents and contributing greatly to Leon's victories. In fact, Rillaboom got the most amount of knock outs in the entire Masters Eight Tournament, defeating Alain's Chesnaught, Diantha's Tyrantrum, Aurourus, Gourgeist, and Goodra, and Ash's Dragonite and Sirfetch'd, notably having 2 more knock outs than Ash's Pikachu. Outside of Ash, its only loss was against Alain's Charizard and Diantha's Gardevoir, the ace of their respective trainer. Against Ash, Rillaboom is the only Pokémon on Leon's team who scored multiple knock outs, on top of contending against half of Ash's team.
* BlowYouAway: His Charizard knows Air Slash, which gets upgraded to a Max Move when Gigantamaxed. Rillaboom can also use Acrobatics, which is upgraded similarly when Gigantamaxed.
* BrokenWinLossStreak: [[spoiler:His famous winning streak goes kaput when he battles and loses to Ash in the Masters Eight tournament.]]
* TheCameo: Makes a brief appearance in ''[=JN077=]'' where he is shown to be watching Ash and Volkner's Coronation battle.
* CastingAShadow: His Inteleon knows the move Dark Pulse.
* CavalierCompetitor: While he always battles to win, Leon firmly believes that having fun along the way is what really makes you a winner.
* ChallengeSeeker: Although he's never lost a Pokémon battle, he is not arrogant about this fact. In fact, it was a source of angst for him, as it made him worry that he'd already reached his limit and could never grow any stronger. Being helpless against Eternatus showed him that there are still things stronger than him out there, and that he can still improve. [[spoiler:In ''[=JN129=]'' he changes the rules last-minute to let Ash use ''all three powers'' of Mega Evolution, Z-moves and Dynamaxing against him, stating that he wants Ash to challenge him with everything he has]].
* CharacterExaggeration: Not only is his status as the Monarch much more prestigious than the games, but his "undefeated" status is extremely played up as well, especially in ''Ultimate Journeys''. The games imply that not every battle he has is necessarily a CurbStompBattle, with Raihan in particular stated to be able to knock out more of his Pokémon than any other trainer. In the Masters Eight Tournament, however, he defeats [[spoiler:Alain and Diantha]] with little trouble despite both being among the strongest trainers in the world.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Sonia as shown in ''[=JN043=]''.
* CompetitionFreak: He feels that battles are no fun unless the trainers take them and the stakes [[SeriousBusiness seriously]]. Leon also asks Ash if he can put more entertainment value for his audience into his battles as well.
* CrazyPrepared: Leon and Charizard switch up their movesets frequently depending on the opponent they are battling, going through as many different moves in forty-two episodes as Cynthia's Garchomp did in the entirety of Diamond and Pearl (191, plus the Best Wishes episodes they appeared in, and this is not including Charizard's Max Moves). This allows them to cover not only a wide range of types (we've seen Charizard use Fire, Flying, Electric, Dragon, Ground, Fighting, and Rock-type moves) but also techniques ranging from long range combat moves to close quarters combat to moves to limit their opponent's movements.
* CoolCar: Drives a van that resembles Charizard in the third version of the opening. His car makes an official appearance in the series in ''[=JN100=]''.
* ConfusionFu:
** His Cinderace's biggest threat is its ability Libero which changes its type based on the move it uses. In Leon's match against Ash, it's shown able to switch between Fire, Ground, Fighting, and Steel-types.
** His Dragapult knows Dragon Tail, a move that lets him switch out his opponent's Pokemon, which he uses to devastating effect against Ash and leads to Dragapult defeating Mega Lucario. It's also implied this is what let his Rilaboom sweep Diantha's team.
* CurbStompCushion: On the giving end of one during his match against Ash; Ash and Pikachu's inexperience with Dynamax aside, they hold their own reasonably well, enduring and landing several attacks, but ultimately Leon wins without ever seriously being pushed to his limits. While this is rather impressive considering Leon explicitly didn't hold back, it still goes to show that even as a Champion Ash still has room for improvement if he truly wants to be the very best.
* ADayInTheLimelight: He gets just as much focus as Ash in ''[=JN100=]'' after he invites Ash to join him with his training and we learn more about his past and worries and doubts about being Champion.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: When Dracovish unexpectedly displays the ability to stretch its spikes, Leon, after ordering his Dragapult to use Thunderbolt to damage the Fossil Pokémon orders Dragapult to charge in to deliver the finishing blow. Cue Dragapult getting grabbed by Dracovish's spikes and pummeled until the Dragon/Ghost-type uses Dragon Tail to switch out Dracovish.
* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler: His initial response to Pikachu's HeroicSecondWind before quickly getting excited]]. He also gets hit with this at other points during the battle such as Gengar using Will-O'-Wisp to hit and boil away Inteleon's Counter Shield and Dracovish's extending spikes which it uses to restrain and beat up Dragapult with and combine with Ice Fang to get rid of Rillaboom's Drum Beating defense.
* DishingOutDirt: His Charizard uses Dig, a Ground-type move. It also uses Rock Tomb and Ancient Power, two Rock-type moves. Additionally, the first move his Cinderace uses is Scorching Sands.
* DragonTamer:
** Having the part dragon type Dragapult in his team that knows Dragon Darts.
** [[spoiler: As of ''[=JN127=]'', he becomes the new trainer of Eternatus after Goh entrusts and gives it to him to take care of.]]
* DragonRider: In ''[=JN100=]'', he's riding his Dragapult during training alongside Ash.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Subverted. He's implied to be a reckless driver during the 3rd opening, where it shows him driving through Galar with Ash, Goh, and Chloe. However, in the actual series, he's shown to be a much safer driver compared to Sonia in [=JN100=].
* ExtraOreDinary: His Cinderace knows Iron Head, and its ability Libero lets it change into a Steel-type.
* FantasticRankSystem: He's No.1 of the world's strongest 8 in the Master Class of trainers. The Championships Tournament is for those 8 only. Goh warns Ash it's no cakewalk to get into that category. The ranking system is based on an individual trainer's win-to-lose ratio. Ash can't advance if he loses too many battles. Leon swiftly shot up to this top-tier Master Class because he's ''never lost'' an official battle. [[spoiler:After finally being defeated by Ash in ''[=JN132=]'' and finishing as runner-up, the rankings would obviously be adjusted to show he's No.2. Leon congratulates him, but warns Ash he'll train harder than ever to become Monarch again.]]
* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:He is Ash's final opponent in the Masters Eight Tournament, and as the reigning Monarch, the strongest trainer that Ash has ever faced off against. His defeat at Ash's hand signifies Ash's growth into the strongest trainer in the world.]]
* FluffyTamer: [[spoiler:''[=JN127=]'' reveals that Leon has managed to tame ''Eternatus'', prompting Goh to officially leave it in his care.]]
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: After Gigantamaxing Cinderace, he forgets that it knows Scorching Sands which would allow it to turn into a Ground-type thanks to Libero and as such as a collision of G-Moves sends Cinderace packing for good.
* FragileSpeedster: Inteleon and Cinderace are very fast, but comparatively cannot take hits. That being said, 'comparatively' is a key word.
* GlassCannon: Cinderace is good enough to give Pikachu trouble with Scorching Sands and its Libero allows it to beat Dracovish, but a collision between G-Max Pyro Ball and G-Max Volt Crash is all it takes to beat the Fire-type.
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Takes his loss to Ash exceptionally well, going over to meet and congratulate him and Pikachu once he sees he's woken up and recovered from their match. He even presents Ash the trophy himself and is seen proudly applauding him with everyone else.]]
* GreenThumb: He owns a Rillaboom that he can Gigantamax.
* GunsAkimbo: His Inteleon, unlike Goh's, can use moves its species would as finger guns, such as Snipe Shot and Dark Pulse, with both hands at once. Hop claims this is a special talent of his big brother's Inteleon.
* AnIcePerson: He owns a Mr. Rime that knows Freeze-Dry.
* InformedAttribute: He's stated to have a similar battle style to Ash in [=JN131=], but not much actually supports this in canon. Leon is shown to be significantly more tactical with a heavily planned out VictoryByEndurance through Dragapult's Dragon Tail, unlike Ash who relies primarily on the IndyPloy. In addition to this, Leon's ability to overcome type disadvantages in an extremely common occurrence in the anime (especially among rivals), while his use of Drum Beating's VineTentacles is fairly standard for ''any'' Pokémon that knows Vine Whip or similar tendril-based attacks, not just Ash's.
* InvincibleHero: As with the games, he's never lost a Pokémon battle, and this fact is only played up more and more as the series goes on. By the time of the Masters Eight Tournament, [[spoiler:he's so overpowered that even other Masters Eight members such as Alain and Diantha barely stack up to him. So much so, in [=JN129=], he changes the rules last-minute to let Ash use ''all three powers'' of Mega Evolution, Z-moves and Dynamaxing against him. And even with such an advantage on Ash's side, the latter still comes close to losing to Leon if not for Pikachu's sheer determination.]]
* KillerGorilla: His Rillaboom is ''formidable'', and likely his second strongest Pokémon just behind his ace and starter, Charizard. It pretty much [[spoiler:swept Kalos champion Diantha's team in ''[=JN122=]'', and nearly did so to Ash in ''[=JN131=]'', taking the combined efforts of Dragonite, Sirfetch'd and Dracovish just to shut it down and Dracovish is in turn so wounded from fighting it that Leon's Cinderace wastes no time taking it out of the fight.]]
* LightningBruiser: His Pokémon all possess exceptional power and speed, but are still tough enough to take hits. To emphasize this, an undubbed promo for the Masters Eight semifinals showed Leon with perfect stats for attack, defense, and speed, making him the only competitor with no physical shortcomings.
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: He can Gigantamax his Charizard, Rillaboom, and Cinderace.
* MakingASplash: He owns an Inteleon which knows Snipe Shot and Aqua Jet.
* ManChild: Seemingly appears this way during his training with Ash in ''[=JN100=]'' where he's shown to have a much more playful attitude and making it as fun as possible. Sonia even refers to him as a big kid, which causes Goh to compare him to Ash in the interaction.
* MirrorCharacter: With Ash as shown in ''[=JN100=]'' where they can both be very excitable when it comes to playing with Pokemon and seemingly reckless activities. The training montage shows just how alike they really are.
* MrExposition: He plays this role in ''[=JN085=]'' when he explains to everyone why Ash's Lucario refuses to Mega Evolve when trapped by Bea's Machamp, since Ash's bond with Lucario was so strong, it caused him to worry too much about him, leading to an hasty attempt to Mega Evolve even through Lucario was capable of breaking free, thus making Lucario refuse the Mega Evolution, break free from Machamp, and preventing Ash from making critical misplay that would most likely cost him the battle, all as an sign that their Mega Evolution should be saved until they truly needed.
* MrFanservice: Episode 100 has a scene of him taking off his shirt to calm a Corviknight he was on down. It was as sensual-looking as an E-rated anime could get. Not to mention how the camera loves panning into his waist and rear during his battles.
* {{Mouthscreen}}: His way of telling Ash during their final battle that Gengar hiding in the ground to escape Inteleon's attacks won't work.
* MythologyGag:
** His opening dialogue when about to start his battle against Lance is an exact match to what he says when he prepares to battle the player in-game.
** The jacket he wears in the childhood flashback is identical to the one Hop wears in the games.
** [[spoiler:His team consists of a collection of various Pokémon he uses in the games, including all three fully evolved Galar starters (he only uses one in the games based on whichever Hop and the player didn't choose, though as Ash owns none of them in ''Journeys'', Leon uses all three). Notably, besides Charizard, every Pokémon he owns debuted in Generation VIII.]]
** [[spoiler:During his finals match with Ash, he throws his hat off like he does in the game. This time he does it mid battle rather than the end. Also in his childhood, he hides his face behind his hat after losing to Sonia, like he does whenever you defeat him.]]
* NiceGuy:
** Since Ash's Pikachu spontaneously Gigantamaxes without any instruction (which could be dangerous in the wrong circumstance) he gives the boy a Dynamax Band to control the power better, and tells him to keep it after their friendly match. Leon also gives an Oran Berry to restore the defeated Pikachu's health.
** Ever since Ash joined the World Coronation Series, he has been heavily implied to be rooting for Ash in each of his matches (as shown with his matches against Bea[[spoiler:, Raihan, and Cynthia]]).
* NoSenseOfDirection:
** Just like his in game counterpart. Played with in the 3rd opening where it shows him constantly reading a map while Ash, Goh and Chloe and their Pokemon are enjoying the sights.
** This is properly shown in ''[=JN082=]'' where he quickly gets lost heading back to the Stadium after playing with the Fairy-type Pokemon.
** In ''[=JN085=]'', he apologizes for being late for Ash and Bea's battle because he ended up getting lost again.
** Once again shown in ''[=JN100=]'' where he manages to get lost driving himself and Ash to the training area, only for him to pull over and have them ride Charizard the rest of the way. His tendency of getting lost is also brought up by Sonia when Goh tells her of their training together.
* AnOddPlaceToSleep: He falls asleep under a bush outside of Hammerlocke so he can make sure he is early to the battle against Ash and Raihan.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: In ''[=JN042=]'', it is confirmed he has Dragapult in this continuity which uses Dragon Darts and Dragon Rush. His Charizard also uses Dragon Claw and Dragon Pulse.
* OutOfFocus: After being an important recurring character and rival of Ash in his introductory season, he plays a much smaller role in ''[=Master Journeys=]'' before appearing much more frequently in ''[=Ultimate Journeys=]''.
* PlayingWithFire: As well as his signature Charizard, he also uses Cinderace. His Dragapult can also use Flamethrower.
* PromotedToOpeningTitles: From the second opening onwards, he appears in the opening for each season in some form, serving as Ash's main rival for the series.
* PsychicPowers: His Mr. Rime knows Psychic Terrain, and Expanding Force..
* RealMenWearPink: As shown in ''[=JN082=]'' where he's wearing an apron and participating in Opal's tournament along with Raihan, Ash, Goh and Chloe.
* RedOniBlueOni: He is shown to be a calm and collected Blue Oni during competitions compared to Raihan's more more fired up and competitive Red Oni. On top of that, he is quick to form a close friendship with Ash while Raihan takes a while to fully warm up to him.
* TheReveal: [[spoiler:After Ash defeats him in the Grand Finals, he reveals that he's actually the second trainer who ever defeated him. The first was Sonia during their childhood.]]
* TheRival: Ash decides to enter the Pokémon World Championships in order to [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable face Leon again]] after losing to him during a friendly 1-On-1 battle.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Along with Lance, Steven, Diantha, and Cynthia he is one of the champions we seen on-screen that take proactive measures against wide-scale threats.
* ShockAndAwe: Charizard knows Thunder Punch, and gains access to its corresponding Max Move when it Gigantamaxes. This allows it to stand against Lance's Gyarados during an Aqua Tail barrage, and land a devastating blow near the end of the battle. His Dragapult is able to use Thunderbolt.
* SignatureMon: Charizard is his main Pokémon partner, being his starter since he was a kid. It's also his most powerful Pokémon on his team, with the reputation of being undefeatable. Due to this, everyone wants to see Charizard in action and Leon gives them what they want by always ending his battles with Gigantamax Charizard utterly destroying his opponent's last Pokémon.
* VictoryByEndurance: A key part of his strategy [[spoiler:in his battle against Ash]] is to have his Pokemon wear down all of his Pokemon at once. While some of Leon's Pokemon go down, he leaves his opponent's Pokemon exhausted and easier to pick off. Punctuating this, he uses long-ranged and status-afflicting move to hit opponents, uses defensive tactics to keep his Pokemon unharmed, and employs Dragon Tail to disrupt other Pokemon. [[spoiler:The final stretch of the fight is his healthy Charizard and somewhat wounded Cinderace against Pikachu and he manages to almost win if it hadn't been for Pikachu's sheer determination to win as well as forgetting that his Cinderace had Scorching Sands.]]
* VictoryIsBoring: Part of his angst is easy to see why as Leon's ''just too strong'' among even the best of trainers. Champions like Lance and Diantha can't give him the exhilarating competition he seeks, his battles always ending with Pokémon to spare. [[spoiler:Leon opts to change the rules in ''[=JN129=]'' that allows Ash to use Mega Evolution, Z-moves and Dynamaxing all against him, to test the limits of his team. Worth noting his Cinderace [[BloodKnight was unhappy]] at being recalled early-on, as Leon rarely gets to use all six Pokémon in a single match]].
* WindFromBeneathMyWings: His Charizard knows Air Slash which usually is one of his most used moves.
* WorfHadTheFlu: [[spoiler:His second loss against Ash probably would've gone the other way if he hadn't handicapped himself by allowing Ash to Mega Evolve, Gigantamax (twice, although Leon himself also benefited from this), and use a Z-move in the same battle, in spite of the rules saying otherwise for the Masters Eight tournament.]] In addition, while his Rillaboom is powerful, it doesn't have unlimited stamina as each of its losses has been after it ran out of stamina and taken a lot of damage (Alain's Charizard taking down Rillaboom with a Flare Blitz and punching through Drum Beating, Gardevoir using Psychic to grab Rillaboom and slammed it into the ground after it had beaten most of Diantha's team and Ash's Dracovish taking down Rillaboom after a brief collision between Dragon Rush and High Horsepower with Rillaboom even shown to be pushed back due to the damage it took from Dragonite and Sirfetch'd)
* WorldsBestWarrior: Leon's the No. 1 Pokémon trainer. And he's [[InvincibleHero never lost a battle]] since winning the Galar League at 10 [[spoiler:at least up until Ash is through with him]].
* WorldsStrongestMan: Since Charizard is Leon's strongest Pokémon and Leon is the best trainer in the world, Charizard has a reasonable claim to being the strongest trainer-owned Pokémon in the world. Even after being deprived of Gigantamaxing, it still manages to gain the upper hand against Eternatus and only loses the ability to fight back after it goes full OneWingedAngel. [[spoiler:It's also strong enough to KO Alain's ''Mega Charizard X'' with a single Dragon Pulse.]] [[spoiler:He gets dethroned after being beaten by Ash]].
* WorthyOpponent: He is shown numerous times to view Ash this way (ever since their first encounter in ''[=JN013=]'') as both Chairman Rose and Raihan point out how Leon speaks very highly about him and his skills as a trainer. There are even numerous hints he's expecting Ash to make it to the Master Rank and is looking forward to their battle together. [[spoiler:When Ash defeats Cynthia to advance to the finals of the Masters Eight Tournament against Leon, he states that he's fired up to face him while grinning from ear to ear.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Raihan (Kibana)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_raihan_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/TatsuhisaSuzuki, Creator/YoshitsuguMatsuoka
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Danny Kramer
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Abraham Vega

The Hammerlocke Gym Leader and Leon's rival.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: The 8th Gym Leader in the games of Sword and Shield. Here, he's one of the 5 that's confirmed to be Top 8 (along with Leon, Lance, Cynthia, and Flint; the other 3 have yet to be revealed) of the Pokémon World Championships. (That said, it ''has'' been suggested in the games that he could easily become the Champion of a region other than Galar if he wanted to.) [[spoiler:Even after losing his spot in the Masters Eight to Ash, he's still ranked 9th, higher than Flint and Drasna, who are implied to be the strongest Elite Four members in their respective regions.]]
* AdaptationalHeroism: In the anime, he fights off Oleana's subordinates to protect Sonia during the darkest day in contract to his game counterpart where he simply evacuates the gym like the other gym leaders.
* AdaptationalJerkass: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], but he does have some SoreLoser tendencies, especially when it comes to beating Leon, traits that were never shown in his game counterpart. He's also rather standoffish towards Ash at first, [[spoiler:though he warms up to him after their battle.]]
* AlwaysSecondBest: His resentment towards Leon is that he could never defeat him no matter how he tried.
* TheCameo: Makes a slight appearance in ''[=JN077=]'' where he was shown to be watching Ash and Volkner's Coronation battle.
* TheCasanova: He tends to act very flirtatious when it comes to "beautiful women" as shown with his interactions towards Sonia.
* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:Gets over his SoreLoser tendencies after Ash proclaims his intention to defeat Leon (before he had assumed Ash wasn't taking the whole thing seriously), even congratulating him after their match. Instead, he settles for beating Leon AND Ash one day, and tells him not to lose.]]
* CompetitionFreak: He's shown to be more of one than Leon when it comes to competition. Not only is he focused on beating Leon in the World Coronation Series, he gets highly competitive in Opal's All-Alcremie Decoration Challenge during ''[=JN082=]'' (despite initially having no interest in competing in it).
* DareToBeBadass: [[spoiler:One of the main reasons that he doesn't quite take to Ash is because he feels like Ash only wants to battle Leon for the sake of it, rather than actually try to ''defeat'' him. His respect for Ash goes up immensely during their battle when Ash makes it clear that, even though he highly respects Leon, he ''does'' want to dethrone him as well.]]
* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After losing his World Coronation Series match against Ash, he finally warms up to the young trainer, acting more friendly towards him and inviting him for a selfie to commemorate their match together.]]
* DishingOutDirt:
** His Duruladon knows Stone Edge.
** He's also revealed to have a Flygon, a part Ground Type that knows Sandstorm.
* ExtraOreDinary: His Pokémon is Duraludon which is part steel type which knows Metal Claw, Iron Defense and Steel Beam.
* DragonTamer: He specialises in Dragon Types and unlike his In-game counterpart, is seen using only Dragon Types.
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Takes his loss to Ash rather well, even taking a selfie with him afterwards. Doubly so considering with that he's lost his spot in the Masters Eight, and with it the chance to dethrone Leon - although he does promise to defeat both him ''and'' Ash one day.]]
* GreenEyedMonster: He shows signs of this towards Ash and his friendship/rivalry with Leon, seeing him as serious competition.
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: He can Gigantamax his Duraludon.
* MakingASplash: Is revealed to own a Goodra that knows Surf and Hydro Pump.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Despite his jealousy towards Ash, he can't help but be impressed with his and Pikachu's batting against Opal. On top of that, even he enjoys Ash's cake after losing to him in Opal's compatition.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: He entered the current season of the World Coronation Series and worked his way up to the Master Class for the sole purpose of defeating Leon. The idea of anyone else (such as Ash) potentially beating him to punch seems to frustrate him a bit. [[spoiler:He extends this sentiment to Ash as well after losing to him, telling him not to lose to anyone else before he can defeat both him ''and'' Leon.]]
* RealMenWearPink: As shown in ''[=JN082=]'' where he's wearing an apron and participating in Opal's tournament along with Leon, Ash, Goh and Chloe.
* RedOniBlueOni: He is shown to be a more fired up and aggressive CompetitionFreak Red Oni in contrast to Leon's more calm and focused Blue Oni. On top of that, he takes a while to fully warm up to Ash while Leon is quick to become good friends with him.
* SelfieFiend: Much like his in game counterpart, he takes selfies to commemorate moments of his life, including his first defeat against Leon, meeting his Alcremie partner, [[spoiler:and his defeat against Ash.]].
* ShipTease: With Sonia. His interactions with her tend to be quite flirtatious and after defeating Oleana's subordinates, he winks at her. On top of that, he planned to ask her on a date if it weren't for their situation. In the Japanese version, he calls her "babe" but in the English dub, he calls her "lovely lady".
* ShockAndAwe: His Goodra knows Thunder.
* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler:He loses to Ash in the final promotion match of the season, dropping him down to 9th and out of hte Masters Eight meaning he's lost his chance for a rematch with Leon for the season. He takes it pretty well, though, and makes it clear that he hasn't given up on defeating both Leon ''and'' Ash one day.]]
* SignatureMon: Duruladon is his main Pokémon ace, and he intends to use Duruladon to be the one to defeat Leon's Charizard. Duruladon is also capable of Gigantamaxing, which always give Raihan a spectacular photo finish.
* SoreLoser: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. While he congratulates Leon for defeating him in [=JN027=], it's shown in ''[=JN108=]'' that he was extremely frustrated with the loss afterward, even punching a hole in the wall. To a lesser extent, he's also slightly annoyed about losing to Ash in the All-Alcremie Decoration Challenge during ''[=JN082=]'' (in contrast to Leon's GracefulLoser).
* WeatherManipulation: He's called the "Dragon Storm" and the announcer makes note that his strategy is controlling the weather to steer the battlefield in his favor; his Flygon and Goodra use Sandstorm and Rain Dance respectively to gain the advantage against Ash's Pokemon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bea (Saito)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_bea_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/YokoHikasa
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/TianaCamacho
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Alicia Vélez

The Stow-On-Side Gym Leader who serves as one of Ash's main rivals throughout the series.
----
* AdaptationalJerkass: Compared to her original game incarnation, this version of Bea debuts as an ArrogantKungFuGirl. After Ash mentions his past victory over fellow Fighting-Type Gym Leader Korrina, Bea calls her soft and overconfident.
* AffectionateNickname: Korrina refers to her as Saito-chan. In the English dub, she calls her Bea-bee.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Her Hawlucha manages to get the better of Ash's Farfetch'd/Sirfetch'd in both of their battles, although Sirfetch'd does put up a much better fight the second time.
* AmbiguousSituation: Her Pangoro's scuffle with Korrina's Lucario in 84, shown with Ash's own scuffling with Grapploct, implies that Pangoro had battled in Bea's battle with Korrina, but this is not said outright.
* ArrogantKungFuGirl: In her first appearance, she dismisses Korrina as "too soft", which triggers Ash's temper. She also doesn't even speak to Ash once she beats him or even offers him a handshake, she simply walks away without a word as he tends to his fallen Riolu.
* BaitAndSwitchCharacterIntro: Her harsh comments about Korrina in her debut make it seem like they don't like each other (Ash and Goh actually assume this in-universe), but it turns out they're friends. After this, Bea's bluntness is treated more like an odd quirk than a display of arrogance or disrespect.
* BareFistedMonk: She is the Fighting type Gym Leader and a master of the Galar Karate.
* BlowYouAway: Her Hawlucha is part Flying type, allowing her to counter other Fighting types and uses Flying-type moves including Sky Attack.
* BreakingOldTrends:
** Bea is Ash's first and only major female rival. The only previous female rival of his was Bianca, who was a minor rival.
** She's the first rival in the anime to be a Gym Leader[[note]]Raihan debuted before her, but did not start his rivalry with Ash until much later on[[/note]], as Ash is not participating in a traditional Gym quest in this series.
** She's the first and only major rival that [[spoiler:did not make it to the final tournament of the series. Gary, Paul, Trip, Sawyer, Alain, Gladion, and eventually Leon himself all made it to their respective Pokémon Leagues and/or the Masters Eight, and ended their rivalries with Ash there, while Bea was defeated by episode 86 during Ash's second Ultra Class battle.]]
* BrutalHonesty: Even if she is friends with someone, she does not mince words on what she thinks of them or their fighting style, particularly when she harshly refers to Korrina as being overconfident and soft.
* TheCameo: Makes a slight appearance in ''[=JN077=]'' where she was shown to be watching Ash and Volkner's Coronation battle.
* TheComicallySerious: Even when she's friendly towards someone, her brutal honesty doesn't go away. It just usually manifests in this manner.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After being defeated in their third battle, she stops calling Ash the "Lucario Trainer" and starts using his real name instead, and states that he can refer to her without honorifics as well.]]
* DemotedToExtra: Her in-game ace, Machamp, only appears for Bea's third battle after cameoing in a photograph. Grapploct is her main Pokemon in her first matches with Ash and appears in the third battle. However, as stated by Korrina, Machamp is still her one true ace.
* HeyYou: She refers to Ash as the "Riolu Trainer" rather than his name, even after acknowledging him as her rival. When Ash later reveals to her that his Riolu has evolved, she simply adapts to calling him the "Lucario Trainer" instead, much to his chagrin. [[spoiler:After losing to him in their third battle, she finally begins to refer to him by name, having fully recognized his strength.]]
* InnocentlyInsensitive: For the ones who aren't close enough of her, Bea's aloof and blunt personality can pass her as arrogant and condescending, coupled with her harsh honesty. She's actually friendly, if stern.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Or daughter in this case. Episode 39 reveals her attitude, battling skill and martial arts technique comes from her father who was a Dojo Master in Galar.
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: She can Gigantamax her Machamp.
* MythologyGag:
** All of her Pokemon we see in her team in ''[=JN085=]'' are ones she uses in game.
** In ''[=JN092=]'' she's wearing her casual/school outfit from her concept artwork.
* NoSell: During their first battle, Ash's improvisations don't work on her at all; he sees much greater success during their second battle when he wisens up to her style and is able to force a draw and in their third battle [[spoiler: where he ends up triumphing]].
* NotSoStoic: She loosens up significantly when [[SweetTooth sweets are involved]].
* OutOfFocus: After a short arc establishing her rivalry with Ash, she doesn't really appear again until their third and final rematch roughly forty-five episodes later. After that, she's PutOnABus save for a couple of cameos.
* PinkIsFeminine: Downplayed. She has a pink Rotom Phone but isn't particularly feminine outside of her love for sweets.
* RememberTheNewGuy: When we see a photo of her team in her debut, it notably doesn't include the Falinks we see before Bea's third battle with Ash.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: She is usually seen with a stern-nonsense personality, especially during training and battles. But when she's enjoying sweets with Ash and Goh, she shows a much softer side and even shares her slice of cake with Pikachu and Riolu.
* TheRival: She shares this role with Leon towards Ash as he vows to rematch her sometime in the World Coronation. After their second battle, she fully acknowledges Ash as a rival, with the two planning to compete to see who can defeat Leon first.
* SignatureMon: At first, Grapploct seems to be her main Pokémon partner, being TheRival to Ash's Riolu/Lucario. But in Ash and Bea's third and final match, Korrina tells Goh that Machamp is Bea's true ace, being able to Gigantamax and is Bea's last Pokémon standing [[spoiler:before finally falling to Ash's Mega Lucario.]]
* SignatureMove: Both her Grapploct and Machamp, which seem to be her two Ace Pokemon, are trained in a similar technique in which they use their multiple arms to bind an opponent's Pokemon and then pummel them with the additional limbs while the opponent struggles to escape.
* SpectacularSpinning: Her Hitmontop knows Gyro Ball.
* TheStoic: A completely focused and no-nonsense person. Ash's strategies don't even make her flinch during their first battle.
* SweetTooth: Her entire party seems to love sweets. It lets down her guard enough to share some cake with Pikachu and Riolu.
* ThirdTimesTheCharm: [[spoiler:Ash manages to defeat her in their third World Coronation Series match.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: [[spoiler:In ''[=JN085=]'', she's very friendly and welcoming to Ash upon seeing him compared to their last two encounters, offering to train together with him even though they're scheduled to have their Ultra Class match the following day (and they do end up spending a lot of time eating sweets along with Goh, Korrina, and their respective Pokémon). Much to the shock of Ash and Goh, she is also revealed to be close friends with Korrina in spite of her earlier criticism regarding her.]]
* WakeUpCallBoss: Serves as this for Ash after she defeats him in a CurbStompBattle, showing him that the road to Leon and becoming the Monarch will be an extremely hard task to achieve.
* WhenSheSmiles: When Ash and Goh are enjoying sweets together they are surprised to see Bea join them and have a genuine smile, followed by a much softer side to her following Ash managing to draw with her in their second fight.
* WorthyOpponent: She views Ash and his Riolu this way after their second battle ends in a draw, openly praising them for finding a way to combat her Grapploct's Octolock. However, she still refers to Ash as "Riolu's/Lucario's trainer" rather than calling him by his name. [[spoiler:After she is defeated by him in their third battle, she finally begins to refer to him by name, with Ash having earned her full respect]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Opal (Poplar)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_opal_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Yoshino Ohtori
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/MarinMiller
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Yolanda Vidal

The Ballonlea Gym Leader who appeared in ''[=JN055=]''
----
* CoolOldLady: An 88 year old gym leader who enjoys challenging people to random contests.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first thing she tells Ash and Goh when she sees them is that they are lacking pink, quite similar to her in-game counterpart when she greets the player character during their Gym Challenge at Ballonlea Stadium.
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: She can Gigantamax her Alcremie.
* MythologyGag: The two questions that she asks Ash and Goh are the same ones asked during her gym battle. She also has the same dialogue when they get their two questions wrong.
* NeverMessWithGranny: If you come to one of her tournaments, you cannot leave even if it is a competion you don't want to partake in. She'll stop you, even if you are a top trainer. She can intimidate Raihan, and Leon knows better than to try and escape from her.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: She specializes in Fairy types and owns an Alcremie, as shown in [=JN082=].
* PinkIsFeminine: Just like her in game counterpart, pink is what she sees in others and also gives Ash, Goh, and their Pokémon pink clothing to wear, much to their dismay (save for Cinderace, who actually likes wearing its new pink outfit).
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Even though Grookey screwed up Goh's chances of winning the bake-off, she just takes it as proof that his Alcremie's off to a great start in her training since her cream was that delicious.
* TheReveal: At the end, she reveals the real reason she gave them the quiz is to get them to wait patiently for Chloe to return rather than blindly go searching for her.
* SignatureMon: She has many Alcremie at hand, but her preferred variant is Ruby Cream Alcremie, whom she can Gigantamax in battle.
* SweetTooth: She is shown to really love sweets and desserts to the point she even hosts a bake-off in her Gym, to which she invites Ash, Goh, Chloe, Leon and Raihan to participate in.
* WhamLine: Her last question was who they think the person behind her is. Turns out the answer was Chloe. This also leads to the real reason behind her quiz for Ash and Goh.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Allister (Onion)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_allister_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Chiyuki Miura
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/RyanBartley
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' TBA

The other Stow-On-Side Gym Leader who appears in ''[=JN091=]''.
----
* BigDamnHeroes: He's the one who manages to free Ash from the Spiritomb possession, allowing him to join Goh in calming the angered Pokemon.
* TheCameo: Makes a small appearance in ''[=JN099=]'' where he's watching Ash and Marnie's battle on his Rotom Phone.
* TheDragAlong: In ''[=JN091=]'' after he tells Ash and Goh where to find Max Mushrooms in the woods, Ash grabs his hand and drags him with.
* MentorArchetype: Serves as this for Gengar in ''[=JN092=]'', where he helps Ash to teach it how to Gigantamax.
%%* RiddleForTheAges: It's never specified if Allister ever got that letter or not Ash picked up or what it said.
* ShrinkingViolet: Much like his game counterpart, he is very timid and tries to hide from people. During his first encounter with Ash, he doesn't say anything and simply runs away.
* SoulPower: He specializes in Ghost Type Pokemon and his only known Pokemon is Cursola.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: He is able to communicate with Ghost types easily and translate what they are saying to others.
* StealthHiBye: Does this to Ash and Goh at the end of ''[=JN091=]''. He disappears without them realizing before Ash can return a letter he dropped.
* SupremeChef: Is shown to be a very skilled cook, being the one who cooks the Max Soup for Gengar.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Piers (Nezu)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/piers_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/HiroShimono
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/HowardWang
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' TBA

The Spikemuth Gym Leader who appears in ''[=JN099=]''.
----

* CoolBigBro: Shown to be this towards his younger sister, Marnie.
* CoolBike: He drives a pretty cool motorcycle that's coloured in the same way as his gym. Despite that, he drives it quite slowly and carefully, believing in Safety First.
* DarkIsNotEvil: He is the Dark Type Gym Leader and can seem a quite aloof kind of guy, but he is shown to have a friendly side, willing to give Ash a ride to the stadium so he can challenge Marnie.
* GreenThumb: He owns a Rillaboom.
* MythologyGag: His group of Pokemon are the ones from the band in the Sword and Shield game.
* ShockAndAwe: He owns two Toxtricity (Both Amped and Low-Key forms), and one knows Thunderbolt.

[[/folder]]

!Galar Villains

[[folder:Chairman Rose]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rose_anime_2.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/KenichirouMatsuda
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Barron Bass
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Creator/JoseGilbertoVilchis

The Chairman of the Galar Region who serves as the ArcVillain when the anime gets around to adapting the [[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Darkest Day]] storyline. The arc revolves around Rose's plan to unleash Eternatus upon Galar in an attempt to resolve the region's Dynamax energy crisis.
----
* AdaptationExpansion: The anime reveals that his father worked in the mines, but died in an accident. This drove him towards finding alternative forms of energy, in order to keep others from going through what he did.
* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: Whereas in the games he was a GracefulLoser who still acted cordial to the player before going on the face Eternatus, here, Rose is much more easily excitable and freaked out. Zacian and Zamazenta damaging Eternamax Eternatus rattles him so much that he even pulls off a villanous NightmareFace.
* AdaptationalVillainy: [[DownplayedTrope Not to the extreme]], since Rose is still a sympathetic character who's doing what he's doing for the future of Galar (which is rooted in childhood trauma, no less), but the anime's interpretation makes it clear he's TheUnfettered in regards to Galar's people, not caring in the slightest if people or Pokémon end up hurt if it means his goal will still be achieved. He is even willing to [[WouldHurtAChild attack Ash directly with his Pokémon.]]
* AntiVillain: Just like his game counterpart, but [[AdaptationalVillainy somewhat less Anti and more Villain in this case.]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: When Zacian and Zamazenta start to turn the tide, Rose desperately calls for Eternatus to "shape up". Seconds later, Eternatus fires blasts of energy in all directions. One of the blasts clips Rose's helicopter, forcing him and Oleana to flee.
* TheCameo: He makes a slight appearance in ''[=JN027=]'' as his debut episode.
* DemotedToExtra: The BigBad in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'', in the anime though he's an ArcVillain for the Darkest Day 4-episode subplot.
* ExtraOreDinary: Like in the games, his Pokémon team consists of Steel-types.
* KarmaHoudini: Unlike in the games, he and Oleana escape and are on the loose at the end of the Darkest Day arc.
* ObviouslyEvil: Due to his ArcVillain status, he's suspected as being shadier than he lets on by Leon very quickly, and even Pikachu started to make faces the moment he met Ash.
* PetTheDog: After his Pokémon are defeated by Ash, he frantically rushes to their side and asks if they are all right, showing that he cares deeply for his team.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He deeply loves the region of Galar, in spite of his methods. After his father died in a mining accident and vowing no one should have to [[NeverBeHurtAgain suffer the loss he had]], he wants people to [[TerminallyDependentSociety turn away from fossil fuels]] and harness the might of Eternatus instead. Oblivious to the fact that, ''[[AlwaysChaoticEvil no one can control]]'' the extraterrestrial giant-creating Pokémon.
* WouldHurtAChild: He orders two of his Pokémon to attack Ash directly during their battle. It's also shown with Ash's Riolu, a Baby Pokémon. Riolu blocks Ferrothorn and Copperajah's double Power Whip to protect Ash and Pikachu, nearly getting crushed and putting its own life in danger in the process, and Rose then orders them to finish it off, much to Ash's panic. If Riolu didn't evolve into Lucario right in that moment, it could have been over for the young Pokémon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Oleana]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_oleana_anime_1.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/AtsukoYuya
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/JenniferLosi
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Connie Madera

Chairman Rose's secretary who makes her first appearance in ''[=JN042=]'' alongside him.
----

* AdaptationalVillainy: She fully supports Rose's scheme with Eternatus and does not reconsider changing her mind once it goes on a rampage, whereas in the games she became concerned about it and Rose's well-being when things were starting to look too dire. Going so far as to allegedly give away her Garbodor to a random subordinate only implies she's less human than implied in the games.
* DeathGlare: Gives a very serious one to Ash and Pikachu for declining Rose's offer. Even Chairman Rose could feel it from behind him.
* DemotedToExtra: Her Garbordor only appears in two episodes but under the ownership of her subordinate, Her only known Pokemon she uses is Milotic to battle against Goh.
* KarmaHoudini: Unlike in the games, she and Rose escape and are on the loose at the end of the Darkest Day arc.
* LittleNo: Her response after being defeated by Goh after their battle.
* MakingASplash: Her only known Pokemon is Milotic that knows Water Pulse and Aqua Tail.
* NotSoStoic: Normally she is TheStoic. But at times she can show emotion, like rage.
* UndyingLoyalty: Just like her game counterpart, she shows shades of this.
* YouShallNotPass: She does this to Goh at the end of Episode 45, resulting in a battle between them.
* ZergRush: She sends her Subordinates to stop Sonia and Goh.

[[/folder]]

!Other Galar Characters

[[folder:Sonia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_sonia_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/MarinaInoue
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/BrittanyCox
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Jessica Ángeles

The granddaughter and assistant of Professor Magnolia who is doing research on what was the Darkest Day.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: [[spoiler:Whilst in the games, Sonia has mentioned her journeys together with Leon when they were kids, we never battle her or see her do any forms of battling ever since Leon managed to defeat and surpass her. In the anime, she's revealed to be the first and only trainer to actually defeat him in a battle until Ash.]]
* AdaptedOut: Her in game Yamper doesn't make any appearances in the anime. This is most likely because Yamper in Journeys belongs to Professor Cerise and mainly serves as one of Chloe's Pokemon instead.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Leon as shown in ''[=JN043=]''
* CutenessProximity: Her reaction upon first meeting Ash's Pikachu and Goh's Raboot, squeezing their ears in delight.
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Played with. [[spoiler:She's the only person other than Ash who has been confirmed to have defeated Leon in battle, although this was during their childhood, long before he grew into the unstoppable InvincibleHero he is today.]]
* DrivesLikeCrazy: In ''[=JN042=]''., she's driving so fast and recklessly that it scares the hell out of Goh and his Pokemon. This comes back again in ''[=JN100=]'' where this time Goh tries and fails to get away from her because of it. Leon even comments about her reckless driving when flying Charizard with Ash, comparing their ride to her driving.
* HiddenDepths: Despite being a Professor-in-training who has retired from Pokémon battling, [[spoiler:she was the only trainer who has ever defeated Leon prior to Ash.]]
* MsExposition: She explains the tale of the Legendary Hero to Ash and Goh.
* RunningGag: Her reckless driving when she's seen on the road and poor Goh's horror being her passenger.
* WindFromBeneathMyWings: During her childhood, she had a Rookiedee as her Pokemon.
* WingdingEyes: Upon seeing Pikachu and Goh's Raboot, her pupils become heart-shaped as she squees upon seeing them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Magnolia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_professor_magnolia_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/ShokoTsuda
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Mary O'Brady
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Magda Giner

The Professor of the Galar Region, and Sonia's grandmother, who first appears in episode 43.
----
* TheBusCameBack: After her last appearance in ''[=JN045=]'', it she set to make a return in ''[=JN127=]''
* TheCameo: Her first appearance is in ''[=JN027=]'' on a picture on Goh's Rotom Phone.
* PassingTheTorch: At the end of the Darkest Day arc, she passes on her professor title to Sonia.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cara Liss (Ukattasu)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_cara_liss_anime.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/RieMurakawa
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Mary O'Brady
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Circe Luna

A researcher who works with fossil Pokemon in Galar.
----
* AdaptationalKarma: Her game self got zero punishment for creating a mismatched mess of a Pokémon and passing it off as an actual species. Here, she and Bray Zenn are caught in the crossfire of Arctozolt's tantrum and [[HumanPopsicle frozen in ice]].
* BlatantLies: She and Bray Zenn make up theories on the spot for how Dracovish and Arctozolt existed in the past. Goh doesn't buy it, Ash does.
* CoveredInGunge: Her face, hands and coat are all covered in mud.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Upon first meeting her, she's arriving late because she forgot to set her alarm clock, immediately showing how careless she can be.
* FashionableAsymmetry: Just like her video game counterpart, she has one red and one yellow shoe.
* HumanPopsicle: After she and Bray Zenn are hit by Arctozolt's Powder Snow.
* LethalChef: Zigzagged: When they end up making Whipped Cream Curry for lunch, even she is unimpressed with the result. At the end, the group find it surprisingly delicious.
* NightmareFace: She and Bray Zenn have these when the fossil Pokemon are about to be revealed.
* PunnyName: She is indeed quite ''careless'', and her companion Bray Zenn is 'brazen'.
* TheRival: Her relationship with Bray Zenn appears as this.
* SweetTooth: She's shown to to really love chocolate.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bray Zenn (Gasattsu)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_bray_zenn.png]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Masaya Fukunishi
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/KellenGoff
Another researcher who works with Galarian Pokemon fossils and is Cara Liss' colleague.
----
* DishingOutDirt: Owns a Mudsdale.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: He's first seen having his Mudsdale use Double Kick to move some boulders, which nearly hit Chloe and Eevee. He then gets promptly chewed out by Goh for his recklessness.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Marnie (Mary)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marnie_3.jpg]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/YuiOgura
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/HaydenDaviau
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' TBA

Piers's younger sister who appears in ''[=JN099=]'' as one of Ash's World Coronation Opponents.
----

* AGirlAndHerX: Her relationship with her Morpeko.
* BigShutUp: She does this to the Team Yell Grunts when they start harassing Ash.
* DarkIsNotEvil: She specializes in Dark-type Pokemon but is shown to be a respectable person.
* DishingOutDirt: Her Grimmsnarl knows Stomping Tantrum, a Ground-type move.
* OhCrap: Not Marnie herself, but her Grimmsnarl has this reaction when he sees the Shadow Ball heading for him that finishes him off.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: Her Grimmsnarl, who is part Fairy-type and knows Spirit Break.
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: She can Gigantamax her Grimmsnarl.
* MythologyGag: The way she uses her fingers to pull her face into a smile is just like her game counterpart, before giving Ash a genuine smile.
* SavingTheOrphanage: She joined the World Coronation to become Champion and save her hometown.
* ShockAndAwe: She has a Morpeko just like her game counterpart.
* SignatureMon: Much like her game counterpart, Morpeko is her main Pokémon partner, being outside of its Poké Ball and standing by Marnie's side. However, she doesn't use Morpeko in her fight against Ash, using her Gigantamax Grimmsnarl instead.
* WhenSheSmiles: At the end, she manages to give Ash a sincere smile as she wishes him good luck with the rest of his journey and the Coronation match.

[[/folder]]


[[folder:Hop]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/20220603_204853.jpg]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Takuto Yoshinaga
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/AJBeckles
->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' TBA

Leon's younger brother who appears in ''[=JN115=]''.
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* AdaptationalLateAppearance: First appears at the start of the game, doesn't appear until the Masters Eight Tournament begins in the anime.
* AdaptationalWimp: In the games he catches up with the player a lot and is relatively only slightly weaker than them and his brother Leon, and may even surpass them after catching Zacian or Zamazenta following the events of the Darkest Day. Here, however, he's still a novice trainer long after the Darkest Day passed with his Wooloo being both unevolved and easily beaten in one attack from Ash's Pikachu.
* AdaptedOut: Due to not appearing until much later, his role during the Darkest Day was given to Goh.
* CurbStompBattle: On the receiving end of one from Ash. After challenging him to a battle, Ash's Pikachu takes him out with just one Iron Tail.
* DemotedToExtra: In the original games, he's the {{Deuteragonist}}. Here, he's only a minor supporting character during the Masters Eight Tournament.
* TheGhost: Is only mentioned by Sonia during ''[=JN100=]'' before appearing in ''[=JN115=]''.
* NiceGuy: Manages to befriend Ash and Goh very quickly despite losing to the former in a CurbStompBattle. additionally, he's been rooting for Ash as much as he is for Leon.
* NonElemental: His only known Pokémon being a Wooloo.
* SignatureMon: Like in the games, his true signature Pokémon is Wooloo, though he hasn't evolve it into Dubwool due to his late inexperience.

[[/folder]]


[[folder:Nickit (Kusune) -> Thievul (Foxly)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px_nickit_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The trio as Nickit]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thievul_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The trio as Thievul]]
->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/RisaShimizu, Creator/KeiShindou, Creator/SayakaSenbongi
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/MichelleRuff

A trio of Nickit Ash and Goh encounter during their first trip to Galar who eventually make a reappearance in ''[=JN127=]'' where they evolve into Thievul
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* TheBusCameBack: Made their reappearance in ''[=JN127=]'' where they are now helping people and Pokemon alike.
* ButThouMust: They do this to Scorbunny when Ash and Goh set off, grabbing it and forcing it onto the train to join Goh. This unsurprisingly turns out for the best for Scorbunny.
* LovedByAll: Upon their return, they have appeared almost like heroes to the town and much more loved by everyone for helping them out so much. People are also more willing to share their food with them.
* TookALevelInBadass: Upon being freed from Team Rocket's capture by Ash, Goh and Cinderace, they help them to fight back against them and their Pokemon, allowing them to evolve and help finish them off.
* TookALevelInKindness: Upon their return, they are no longer stealing food from people and instead, stopping other Pokemon from doing so and even sharing what they receive with other Pokemon surrounding them.

[[/folder]]

'''Movies:''' [[Characters/PokemonMovies Movies 1 to 19]] | [[Characters/PokemonIChooseYou I Choose You!]] ([[Characters/PokemonIChooseYouAshKetchum Ash Ketchum]]) | [[Characters/PokemonThePowerOfUs The Power of Us]] | [[Characters/PokemonSecretsOfTheJungle Secrets of the Jungle]]-]]]]]

* TheWorfEffect: Downplayed and while it is far from weak, Leon's Dragapult is usually this out of his team. It is on the losing end against Eternatus to demonstrate how strong the Legendary Pokémon is compared to a Champion's Pokémon and it loses against Diantha's Tyrantrum to indicate that she is the Champion of Kalos for a reason.

* BirdsOfAFeather: With Ash as shown in ''[=JN100=]'' where they can both be very excitable when it comes to playing with Pokemon and seemingly reckless activities. The training montage shows just how alike they really are.

->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/AmandaWinnLee

* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler: His initial response to Pikachu's HeroicSecondWind before quickly getting excited]].

* VictoryByEndurance: A key part of his strategy [[spoiler:in his battle against Ash]] is to have his Pokemon wear down all of his Pokemon at once. While some of Leon's Pokemon go down, he leaves his opponent's Pokemon exhausted and easier to pick off. Punctuating this, he uses long-ranged and status-afflicting move to hit opponents, uses defensive tactics to keep his Pokemon unharmed, and employs Dragon Tail to disrupt other Pokemon. [[spoiler:The final stretch of the fight is his healthy Charizard and somewhat wounded Cinderace against Pikachu and he manages to almost win if it hadn't been for Pikachu's sheer determination to win.]]

* WorldsBestWarrior: Leon's the No. 1 Pokémon trainer. And he's [[InvincibleHero never lost a battle]] since winning the Galar League at 10.

'''Major Characters:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesMisty Misty]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesBrock Brock]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesMay May]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesDawn Dawn]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesPaul Paul]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesIris Iris]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesSerena Serena]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesGoh Goh]] \\

[-'''Series-wide:''' [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesAshKetchum Ash Ketchum]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesPikachu Pikachu]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesTeamRocketTrio Team Rocket Trio]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesTeamRocketTriosPokemon Team Rocket Trio's Pokemon]] | [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesTeamRocketOrganization Team Rocket Organization]]\\

The Chairman of the Galar Region who serves as the ArcVillain when the anime gets around to adapting the [[{{Videogame/PokemonSwordAndShield}} Darkest Day]] storyline. The arc revolves around Rose's plan to unleash Eternatus upon Galar in an attempt to resolve the region's Dynamax energy crisis.

* DemotedToExtra: The BigBad in Videogame/PokemonSwordAndShield, in the anime though he's an ArcVillain for the Darkest Day 4-episode subplot.

** She's the first and only major rival that [[spoiler:Ash settled the score with midway through his current journey. Gary, Paul, Trip, Sawyer[[note]]Ash had already defeated Sawyer multiple times, but would end up suffering his first loss to him right before the Lumiose Conference, where the two would later end up rematching at[[/note]], Gladion, and eventually Leon himself were all defeated near the end of their respective journeys (with Alain notably [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter not being defeated at all]]), while Bea was defeated by episode 86 during Ash's second Ultra Class battle.]]

* TheBigGuy: Rillaboom. While none of his team can be described as weak, Rilaboom showed a consistent demonstration of strength and power only surpassed by Charizard, being a reliable source of knockouts against opponents and contributing greatly to Leon's victories. In fact, Rillaboom got the most amount of knock outs in the entire Masters Eight Tournament, defeating Alain's Chesnaught, Diantha's Tyrantrum, Aurourus, Gourgeist, and Goodra, and Ash's Dragonite and Sirfetch'd.

* WorfHadTheFlu: [[spoiler:His second loss against Ash probably would've gone the other way if he hadn't handicapped himself by allowing Ash to Mega Evolve, Gigantamax (twice, although Leon himself also benefited from this), and use a Z-move in the same battle, in spite of the rules saying otherwise for the Masters Eight tournament.]]

* WorldsStrongestMan: Since Charizard is Leon's strongest Pokémon and Leon is the best trainer in the world, Charizard has a reasonable claim to being the strongest trainer-owned Pokémon in the world. Even after being deprived of Gigantamaxing, it still manages to gain the upper hand against Eternatus and only loses the ability to fight back after it goes full OneWingedAngel. [[spoiler:It's also strong enough to KO Alain's ''Mega Charizard X'' with a single Dragon Pulse.]]