Character Sheet: Sabrina

SABRINA

Next, we have Sabrina, the Psychic-type gym leader of Saffron City. In the anime, she has a notable role as a disturbed psychic child character and the villain of a mini-arc. In the manga, she is also a member of Team Rocket. By the time of Gen V, she has become a model and actress, appearing in some of Brycen’s movies. So . . . a lot to work with.

Here’s what we’ve got so far:

 

Standard B: Kadabra

Her Kadabra will probably use confusion.

 

Side B: Telekinesis

She will pick up an opponent and be able to fling them around with her mind, just like in the anime.

 

Up B: Warp Pad

She will teleport using one of the warp pads from her gym.

 

Down B: Dolly Playtime

She will transform an opponent into a doll, just like in the anime. They will turn back after a few seconds.

 

Final Smash: Saffron Gym Masterminds

She will send out Alakazam, Mr. Mime, and Hypno to deal incredible psychic damage to all around her.

 

Entrance: Her opening pose and line

 

Taunts: Up, she will rise into the air while glowing. Side, she will do a modeling pose. Down, she will clutch her dolly from the anime.

 

Kirby Hat: Her hair

 

Kart: Based on Kadabra

Special Move: Dolly Playtime

 

Spirit Battle: On Saffron City (omega form), with her original team.

 

Victory Screen: She will lift all opponents into the air and turn them all into dolls.

Losing Screen: She will hand over her badge.

 

Color Swaps: Her original version, her GSC version, her FRLG version, her HGSS version, her Let’s Go version, her anime version, her Team Rocket outfit, and her costume from Brycen’s movie.

 

Thanks for reading! Next up, Blaine erupts onto the scene.

Character Sheet: Janine

JANINE

Next up, we have Janine, Koga’s daughter who took up his position as the head of the Fuchsia City gym when he was promoted to Elite Four during the Johto games. She will be mostly an echo of her father.

Here’s the moveset I came up with:

 

Standard B: Spinarak

This will be the big difference, and it will use String Shot.

 

Side B: Invisible Wall

 

Up B: Smoke Cloud

With a Koffing, like her father.

 

Down B: Disguise

Instead of the shroud, she will instead disguise herself as another player, the disguise falling after one hit.

 

Final Smash: Fuchsia City Assassins

She will let out a Crobat, Ariados, and Venomoth, which will fill the stage with poison.

 

Entrance: Her starting pose and line

 

Taunts: All ninja moves, different from her father’s

 

Kirby Hat: Her hair

 

Kart: Based on Ariados

Special Move: Disguise

 

Spirit Battle: On Ilex Forest (omega form), with her original team.

 

Victory Screen: Similar to her father, as well as something about upholding the gym’s honor.

Losing Screen: Handing over her badge.

 

Color Swaps: Her original version, her HGSS version, based on Koga, based on Aya, styles based on other famous ninjas.

 

Thanks for reading! Next up, Sabrina unleashes her full psychic potential.

Character Sheet: Koga

KOGA

Next up, we have Koga, the Poison-type Fuchsia City gym leader for Gen I and its remakes, as well as an Elite Four member in Gen II and its remakes. His gym is notable for its invisible walls and tricks to obfuscate the leader’s location. Janine will be his echo.

Here’s the moveset I came up with:

 

Standard B: Venomoth

It will streak forward at high speed, dropping Poison Powder from its wings.

 

Side B: Invisible Wall

 

Up B: Smoke Cloud

He will drop a Koffing at his feet, disappearing into the resulting smoke and appearing up higher.

 

Down B: Shroud

He will raise a shroud matching the wall behind him, making himself invisible and intangible for a moment.

 

Final Smash: Fuchsia City Assassins

He will let out a Venomoth, Muk, and Weezing, all of which will fill the stage with poison.

 

Entrance: His opening pose and line.

 

Taunts: Oops, all ninja poses.

 

Kirby Hat: His hair and scarf

 

Kart: Based on Venomoth

Special Move: Smoke Cloud

 

Spirit Battle: On Safari Zone (omega form), with his original team.

 

Victory Screen: Taking up and pose and saying you have been defeated.

Losing Screen: Handing over his badge.

 

Color Swaps: His original version, GSC version, FRLG version, HGSS version, Let’s Go version, based on Janine, based on Aya, his manga Team Rocket uniform.

 

Thanks for reading! Next up, Janine joins in her father’s stead.

Character Sheet: Erika

ERIKA

Next up, we have Erika, the Grass-type Celadon City gym leader, who runs her gym as a greenhouse full of female trainers, almost always with a creepy old man outside looking through the window. In the anime, she also makes and sells perfume.

Here’s the moveset I came up with:

 

Standard B: Vileplume

It will let off a blast of Poison Powder right in the opponent’s face.

 

Side B: Perfume

She will spray a cloud of perfume from the anime in the air and put anyone who walks through it to sleep.

 

Up B: Vine Whip

She’ll pull out her Tangela and hold onto it as it pulls her up.

 

Down B: Hedge

She will spawn one of the hedges from her gym to block her opponent’s path.

 

Final Smash: Celadon Gym Flowers

She will send out Vileplume, Victreebel, and Tangela to spawn a full hedge maze right out of the stage.

 

Entrance: Her opening pose and line

 

Taunts: Up, admiring a flowered arch. Side, smelling a bottle of perfume. Down, yawning and sitting to go to sleep.

 

Kirby Hat: Her hair and headband

 

Kart: Based on Vileplume

Special Move: Perfume

 

Spirit Battle: On Safari Zone (omega form), with her original team.

 

Victory Screen: Yawning and suggesting you try again some other time.

Losing Screen: Handing over her badge.

 

Color Swaps: Her original look, GSC look, FRLG look, HGSS look, Let’s Go look, a Lass outfit, a Beauty outfit, and Ash’s dress from the anime.

 

Thanks for reading! Next up, Koga appears in a puff of smog!

Character Sheet: Lt. Surge

LT. SURGE

Next up, we have Lt. Surge, the Electric-type gym leader of Vermilion City, and an ex-soldier from some war that took place sometime prior to the games’ events (a point of lots of fan speculation). This one definitely has a notable gym trial, which is good, because his anime appearance was just kinda him being big and menacing. He is part of Team Rocket in the manga though.

Here’s the moveset I came up with:

 

Standard B: Raichu

Raichu will be using Thunder Punch, naturally.

 

Side B: Energy Barrier

Based on his puzzle from most of his gym setups, he will project an energy barrier in front of him as a shield.

 

Up B: Voltorb Grenade

He will drop a Voltorb at his feet to explode, throwing him up into the air and doing damage to those around him.

 

Down B: Garbage Can Switch

He will place a garbage can in the way of an attack. In most instances, the opponent will be shocked, but there is a one-in-five chance of it doing nothing.

 

Final Smash: Vermilion Gym Thunderstorm

He will send out a Raichu, Electabuzz, and Electrode, which will unleash powerful Electric attacks around the stage.

 

Entrance: His starting pose and line.

 

Taunts: Up, tossing a Voltorb in the air and catching it. Side, posing with a splash screen that reads “The Lightning American!” Down, he will crouch with a Poke Ball out, as if still in the military.

 

Kirby Hat: his hair and shades

 

Kart: Based on a Raichu

Special Move: Energy Barrier

 

Spirit Battle: On S.S. Anne (omega form), with his original team.

 

Victory Screen: Proclaiming the Vermilion gym undefeated.

Losing Screen: Handing over his badge.

 

Color Swaps: His original look, his GSC look, his FRLG look, his HGSS look, his Let’s Go look, his anime appearance, his Team Rocket uniform, and a beach outfit (he’s earned some shore leave).

 

Thanks for reading! Next up, Erika blooms in battle!

Character Sheet: Misty

MISTY

Next up, we have Misty, the Water-type Cerulean City gym leader as well as one of Ash’s companions for the first two generations of the anime. Her gym challenges have a little bit more to them, so we won’t have to rely on the anime nearly as much as for Brock, but we still may need a little.

Here’s the moveset I came up with:

 

Standard B: Staryu

Staryu will use Swift for this attack.

 

Side B: Life Preserver

She will toss out a life preserver as seen in her gym and use it to pull opponents closer.

 

Up B: Mermaid Tail

Across the anime, manga, cards, and otherwise, depicting Misty with a mermaid tail seems to just be a canon event, so we might as well use it. She’ll leap upward as if out of water and flip over to dive again.

 

Down B: Her Bike

She will pull out her roasted bike from the anime and throw it at people.

 

Final Smash: Cerulean Gym Water Spectacular

She will send out a Starmie, Gyarados, and Golduck to perform a water ballet while using powerful water moves.

 

Entrance: Her opening pose and quote.

 

Taunts: Up, performing a synchronized swimming maneuver. Side, trying to act flirty like she did with Ash a couple of times. Down, her Psyduck will pop out and she’ll hang her head.

 

Kirby Hat: Her hair with the side ponytail.

 

Kart: Based on a Gyarados

Special Move: Mermaid Tail

 

Spirit Battle: On S.S. Anne (omega form), with Staryu and Starmie.

 

Victory Screen: Proclaiming the Cerulean gym victorious

Losing Screen: Handing over her badge.

 

Color Swaps: Her RBG version, her original anime look, her GSC look, her FRLG look, her yellow jumpsuit from the anime, her HGSS look, her Let’s Go look, her Alolan anime look.

 

Thanks for reading! Next up, Lt. Surge makes a shocking entrance!

Character Sheet: Brock

BROCK

For the next . . . while, we’ll be going over the gym leaders of the Pokemon series, using their gym challenges and general themes to help us build a moveset, something I realized was a perfectly reasonable possibility to do with them. A few have very basic gym challenges, but thankfully, the anime helps fill in some for them. The Trial Captains will also be included, as their trials functionally act as gym challenges. The only ones who won’t be included at the moments are the rivals who become gym leaders, as the rivals are a bit more complicated, and I’m not quite ready to parse them all out yet.

Brock is a Rock-type specialist and the very first gym leader of the Kanto region, making him the very first gym leader ever faced by a Pokemon player. As such, his gym is extremely basic and has mostly remained so in every iteration, basically just having a bunch of scattered boulders in the path to get to him and little more. As such, we’ll probably have to rely on the anime to fill in for him more than anyone else. Thankfully, he is one of the most prolifically featured in said anime.

Here’s the moveset I came up with:

 

Standard B: Geodude

This slot will be reserved on all Gym Leaders for an attack from one of their most notable Pokemon. As such, Brock’s Geodude is the obvious one here, and will fly forward, striking opponents with a rocky punch.

 

Side B: Lovestruck!

Brock will immediately latch onto an opponent and start proclaiming his love. Will last longer with female characters.

 

Up B: Onix Surge

Onix will burst up from the ground beneath him, carrying him upward.

 

Down B: Drying Pan

He will hold up his frying pan and use it as a shield to protect himself.

 

Final Smash: Pewter Gym Rockstars

He will send out a Golem, Onix, and Aerodactyl to perform an ultimate Rock-type attack.

 

Entrance: His starting pose and line.

 

Taunts: Up, doing a little twirl with hearts in his eyes. Side, crossing his arms over his chest like his original pose. Down, kneeling and examining a Pokemon.

 

Kirby Hat: His hair and eyes.

 

Kart: Based on an Onix

Special Move: Drying Pan

 

Spirit Battle: On Mt. Moon (omega form), with Geodude and Onix.

 

Victory Screen: Proclaiming rock types victorious.

Losing Screen: Handing over his badge.

 

Color Swaps: His Red and Blue version, his original anime version, his Gold and Silver version, his Advanced anime look, his FRLG look, his Diamond & Pearl anime look, his Let’s Go look, a wedding look from his fantasies.

 

Thanks for reading! Next up, Misty makes a splash!