N

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N (Japanese: N) is a character in . In Pokémon Black and White, he is one of the 's rivals, has Rival theme skills in Pokémon Masters EX the puppet leader of Team Plasma, and aspires to create separate worlds for humans and . His full name is Natural Harmonia Gropius (Japanese: ナチュラル・ハルモニア・グロピウス Natural Harmonia Gropius).「増田部長のめざめるパワー」 Director's Columns, No.215 (October 14, 2011) (Japanese)
==In the core series games==
N was originally an orphan boy who lived in the woods, accompanied by only his Pokémon friends. Living this way allowed him to become able to understand what Pokémon are saying. Ghetsis, seeing the innocence within N, adopted him and started educating him in preparation for making him the king of Team Plasma. To warp his image of the world, Ghetsis only allowed Pokémon that had been mistreated by humans to accompany N, reinforcing his belief that humans and Pokémon should be separated, and made him live in his room in his castle for most of the time. Eventually, once he was old enough, Ghetsis crowned N as the king of Team Plasma and sent him out on a quest to befriend one of the Legendary Dragon Pokémon of Unova.
N first appears in , listening to Ghetsis's speech in Accumula Town. Afterwards, he approaches the , surprised to hear what their Pokémon is saying, and battles them. He's met again in front of the Nacrene City Museum, where he battles the player again and makes the first implication of his plan to befriend Unova's Legendary Pokémon. He reveals his affiliation with Team Plasma after taking the player to ride the ferris wheel in Nimbasa City. After being defeated again, he declares that he'll conquer the and defeat the in order to become unbeatable, and dares the player to try and stop him.
N is next encountered in Chargestone Cave, first near the entrance and later at the exit. When Professor Juniper and Bianca enter the conversation, N expresses his disgust at the concept of the Pokédex and storms off. After the player has defeated Skyla, N appears outside of the Mistralton Gym and talks with the player's lead Pokémon to find out more about them. After the player has defeated Brycen, N is found at the top of the Dragonspiral Tower, having succeeded in befriending /. He then heads for the Pokémon League, daring the player to find his dragon's counterpart so they can battle as equals.
Once the player has made it to the Pokémon League and defeated the Elite Four, they find N in the Champion's chamber, having just defeated Alder. Having proven himself stronger than the Champion, N summons his castle and has it surround the Pokémon League. He then invites the player to come confront him in the castle. N can be found in his throne room at the top of the castle, summoning his dragon to prepare for the confrontation. The dragon's counterpart subsequently awakens from the player's Light Stone/Dark Stone. Translating the Pokémon's speech, N tells the player the dragon wishes to be by them and urges the player to do so. After the player has caught the dragon, N challenges them to one last battle. Being defeated once more, he starts considering the possibility that the world isn't about just truth or ideals, but is a combination of both. Ghetsis then storms in, berating N for his loss and revealing that he was nothing more than a pawn in his plan for world domination all along. Once Ghetsis has been defeated, N reveals that he had first started doubting his beliefs when he had heard the player's Pokémon saying they enjoyed being with them during their first encounter in Accumula Town. He then bids the player farewell and flies away on his dragon.
During the post-game, Looker mentions that sightings of N and his dragon have been made in a region far from Unova.
In , N is first heard talking off-screen in Chargestone Cave. During the game's climax, he arrives to save the player from Ghetsis and at the Giant Chasm. Using the DNA Splicers, Ghetsis has Kyurem absorb N's dragon and fuse with it, but the is undone once the player has defeated Kyurem. After Ghetsis has been defeated once more, N talks with him, even addressing him as his father despite the verbal abuse from two years earlier, but Ghetsis rejects his words and calls him a freak, suffering a mental breakdown. N subsequently flies away with his dragon, but is encountered again at the entrance to , where he gives the player .
After the player has entered the Hall of Fame, the that had previously guarded a cave entrance at Victory Road leads the player to the ruins of N's Castle, which now lie deep underground below the Pokémon League. N is waiting for the player in the ruins of his former home, accompanying them on their way to the throne room, where he tells them about his battle with the Black and White player character and challenges the player to a battle as well, using his dragon against them. Once defeated, N has the dragon revert to its dormant stone form and gives it to the player, telling them to go revive it at Dragonspiral Tower. Once the player has revived and caught the dragon, N appears to congratulate them and tell them that Kyurem has returned to the Giant Chasm.
Once the player has either caught or defeated Kyurem at the Giant Chasm, N can be met in front of Nimbasa City's ferris wheel every Friday. If the player rides the ferris wheel with him, he then returns to the ruins of his castle, where he can be battled. The team he uses in this battle varies depending on the .
===Pokémon===
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=====First battle=====
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=====Second battle=====
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=====Third battle=====
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=====Fourth battle=====
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=====Fifth battle=====
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=====First battle=====
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=====Season battles=====
======Spring battle======
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======Summer battle======
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======Autumn battle======
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======Winter battle======
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=====Released=====
These Pokémon were by N at some point before the events of Black 2 and White 2. Once the player has used the Memory Link function to see a flashback of N releasing his Pokémon, they can encounter these Pokémon in the wild and catch them. The only exception to this is , which can be received as a from Rood without the need to use Memory Link. Once caught, these Pokémon will have N as their Original Trainer and N's Trainer ID number.
 	Pinwheel Forest 	Pinwheel Forest 	Pinwheel Forest
 	 	 	
Wellspring Cave 	Desert Resort 	Desert Resort 	Desert Resort
 	 	 	
Desert Resort 	Desert Resort 	Driftveil City 	
 	 	 	
Chargestone Cave	Chargestone Cave	Chargestone Cave	Chargestone Cave
 	 	 	
==In the spin-off games==
===Pokémon Masters EX===
N, based on the rival from , forms a sync pair with , , , , and in Pokémon Masters EX. N became a playable sync pair on December 24, 2020. 
N has also made notable appearances in the game's Main Stories, Legendary Adventures and the Villain Arc.
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==Gallery==
===Artwork===
 	 	 	 	
artwork by	Artwork with	Artwork with 	Artwork with for by 	Raw artwork of the package art by
 	 	 	 	
 	 	"The Puzzle that N Carries"	Raw artwork of containing N by	Raw artwork of the full art containing N by
===Sprites===
 	 	 	
Sprite from	Sprite from	Overworld sprite from	VS sprite from
==Quotes==
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
N appeared as a recurring character in . He is a mysterious young man with the ability to understand what Pokémon are saying. After encountering and , N joined them on their journey to the and their battle against Team Plasma.
===Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 Animated Trailer===
N appeared in the beginning of the Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 Animated Trailer, in which he was seen at Dragonspiral Tower, telling the viewers to think of their Pokémon and asking them what they are striving for.
====Voice actors====
===Pokémon Generations===
N appeared in The King Returns. He is seen arriving at the Giant Chasm with a , intending to confront Ghetsis and prevent him from using 's power to attack the Unova region. However, their attempt to stop Ghetsis failed, as he used the DNA Splicers to fuse Reshiram with Kyurem and create White Kyurem. Then, N witnessed the arrival of aboard his and was relieved by the intervention.
====Pokémon====
=====Lost=====
====Voice actors====
===GOTCHA!===
N briefly appeared in GOTCHA!.
===Pokémon Evolutions===
N appeared in The Plan. Through flashbacks, he was shown being found by Ghetsis as a child and his manipulation by Team Plasma - being crowned as their king, joining their plan to liberate Pokémon, summoning from the Dark Stone, and using it to defeat Alder. Eventually, N and Zekrom prepared to battle at Ghetsis's urging.
====Pokémon====
=====Owned=====
=====Befriended=====
====Voice actors====
==In the manga==
===Pocket Monsters BW===
N first appears in the third chapter of , where he shows his ability to communicate with Pokémon which Red's Clefairy tries to record and sell for money.
====Pokémon====
===Pocket Monsters BW: Meetings with the Legends===
N appeared in Pocket Monsters BW: Meetings with the Legends.
====Pokémon====
===Pocket Monsters BW: The Heroes of Fire and Thunder===
N appears in every chapter of Pocket Monsters BW: The Heroes of Fire and Thunder as the king of Team Plasma, known for harshly punishing any failure by grunts and wishing to turn Unova into a country inhabited only by Pokémon. He is first seen wearing a cape in a town in Unova, where he is approached by Shin who asks him for a battle, impressed by his . He responds that he is not a Pokémon Trainer, but merely a Traveler. Several Team Plasma grunts then appear and snatch up his Purrloin, not realising that he is their boss. Shin is angry about them stealing Pokémon, but N states that he should not get involved because it'd be dangerous for him, but Shin replies that he doesn't mind.
As they follow the grunts, N questions Shin's reasons for desperately trying to rescue his Purrloin if he is just a Pokémon Trainer who uses Pokémon as tools, to which he replies that traveling together with a Pokémon is just more fun. N overhears a pair of talking, to which Shin begs N to teach him how to understand Pokémon language, leading N to call him an odd Pokémon Trainer.
Catching up with Togari in a rocky plateau, he wonders why humans give orders to Pokémon to make them hurt each other, and tells Shin he is just saving Pokémon to make himself feel good, which he rejects, stating that being with a Pokémon is more fun for both the Trainer and the Pokémon as N hears Shin and his 's voices in unison.
N feels that Shin is stirring some emotion within him, saying that Shin really is an odd Pokémon Trainer for getting Purrloin back for him, and Shin decides to travel together with N as his journey will be more fun if they're together.
The second chapter starts as Shin and N are trying to return a to its herd, but though having being asked to by the Blitzle, the Zebstrika are too scared to think because they are humans. N, realising this when Shin attacks with his , jumps in the way and takes the attack instead, getting severely burned upon his arms. He says that despite being in pain, it's fine if to stop a Pokémon from being hurt, explaining his dream to create a world where Pokémon can live happily by using the power of Legendary Pokémon.
Shin replies that it's a dream he will support too, but N advises him to find his own dream. As they arrive at Dragonspiral Tower, N and Shin are separated by a falling pillar. N suggests that they should each make their separate way to the top floor where the Legendary Pokémon resides, but as Shin tries to ascend the tower, he is met by Togari who blocks him upon the orders of his "King"—to give him time to befriend Zekrom.
Finally, Shin arrives, and is surprised that no-one is there but N. N introduces Shin to his new friend who will fulfill his dream, , this time stating in full that his dream is to free Pokémon from foolish humans and create a place they can live happily by making a country just for Pokémon. Shin realises his dream is the same as the dream of the "King" of Team Plasma, to which N replies is him himself, and argues that there is no other choice as the world as it exists just gets Pokémon hurt. As he flies off upon Zekrom's back, he tells Shin that though he despises humans, Shin alone he'll allow to live in the world he creates.
In chapters three and four N is shown standing on the rubble of the Pokémon League having defeated the Elite Four and states Alder is next; and is explained by Alder that N told him that nobody but a Pokémon Trainer by the name of Shin could stand up to him, and sent Alder to help him become the Hero of Fire by controlling Reshiram.
In the final chapter Shin arrives at the secret headquarters of Team Plasma, N's Castle to fight N. N decides that Shin is after all just another human who cannot hear the weeping voices of Pokémon, summoning Zekrom to do battle and easily defeating Shin, saying that the strength of the Legendary Pokémon depend on how strong their hero's ideal or truth is, with his being the strongest having heard the weeping voices of Pokémon for so long, and the pain of separation will be only an instant of pain among a future free of it, as while humans live together with Pokémon, there will always be Pokémon hurt and crying somewhere.
Shin replies that if he was a real hero he'd save everyone, not just Pokémon, to which N replies that if that is true, show him his resolution through Reshiram. However, Shin gets defeated again, with him and Reshiram getting trapped under rubble, and unable to produce a flame. Yet he proclaims that he'll never give in until the very end, and Reshiram sets Emboar's fist on fire with its flame, to give it the power to attack through Zekrom's shield of thunder. However, as Emboar attempts to punch through it, instead it combines with the flame on his fist to become a piece of the Original Pokémon's power, a ball of flaming lighting, and Shin states that while N may be strong alone, Emboar's power now is a power they have only created by everyone working together, and Emboar punches out Zekrom.
Some time later, N lies together with Shin on the roof of his castle, realising that perhaps the world is not as black and white as he calculated, and that he will disband Team Plasma and rework his ideals over again from the start. Admitting that he too enjoyed their battle, he bids farewell to Shin as he flies off on Zekrom, wishing that perhaps one day they may meet and battle again.
====Pokémon====
N refuses to call the Pokémon he befriends "his Pokémon", instead naming them "his friends".
===Pokémon Adventures===
N appears as a major supporting character in Pokémon Adventures.
==In the TCG==
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring N or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
==Trivia==
* N was designed by Keiko Moritsugu.Keiko Moritsugu's About page on her personal website
* The cube hanging from N's belt is a sliding puzzle similar to a , and has been in his possession since childhood. It's one of many design elements reflecting the character's mathematical motif, and also resembles the first iteration of a , a geometric figure that simultaneously has infinite surface area and zero volume.
** N's concept artwork and the accompanying notes indicate that the puzzle cube might have been relevant to the game's plot at one point and was going to show a central cube with a keyhole that would appear when the puzzle was solved.
* Counting from middle C = 1, the notes in the four ascending arpeggios at the start of N's battle themes correspond to the first eight prime numbers (D, E, G, B, F', A', E, G = 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19)."HIDDEN POWER of masuda" Director's Columns, No.215 (October 18, 2011)
* N is 1.80 m tall (5'11").
* N, Bianca, and Cheren are the only Trainers in with animated battle sprites.
* Unlike most recurring characters, N battles with a completely different team in every appearance.
* N is the first NPC to own a Legendary Pokémon outside of a battle facility.
* Even if the player battles his Zekrom or Reshiram in Easy Mode or Challenge Mode, where it is levels 65 and 75 respectively, it will still be level 70 when the player battles it at Dragonspiral Tower.
* N has used all 17 types of Pokémon that existed in Generation V.
* Of the four seasonal teams he uses in Black 2 and White 2, his winter team is the only one to have a Pokémon introduced in Generation V: .
* Over the course of the games he appears in, N uses Pokémon of 42 different , more than any other NPC in the Pokémon games.
* N is fought more times than any other villainous team leader. However, he uses the class during his first two battles.
* N speaks very quickly, as indicated by the fact that his dialogue is printed faster than that of other characters and by Cheren's comment upon first meeting him: "Slow down. You talk too fast." Regardless of what speed the player has the dialogue set at, N's dialogue prints at the fastest speed. If the dialogue is set to "fast", N's speech will print even faster, at a speed unique to him.
* According to Junichi Masuda, N is rumored to have been born from Pokémon, since his true parents are unknown.
* An article in the May 2013 edition of PASH! estimated that N is about 20 years old.
* N's Trainer ID number is 00002.
* N is the only core series introduced as of Generation VII to not appear in Episode RR of . This is likely because he was only Team Plasma's puppet leader, whereas Ghetsis, who did appear, is the true mastermind behind the organization.
** N is also the only core series villainous team leader introduced as of Generation VII to not be encountered at Team Rocket's Castle.
* N is the only person who is known to have turned down the chance to become a .
* In Pokémon Black and White, N's Zekrom/Reshiram is programmed to always use / on the first turn of the final battle, to ensure the player would use Fusion Flare/Fusion Bolt and see their move double in power. If the player leads with a Ground type in the battle, N will instead use a different move.
* Aside from the final battle, all of N's teams in Pokémon Black and White consist of Pokémon found at or near of the area where he's battled.
* According to 's theme skills in Pokémon Masters EX, he is considered a rival.
** This makes N the first rival to own a Legendary Pokémon.
==Names==
Language 	Name	Origin
Japanese 	N 	From the Latin letter and the starting letter of Natural
English, German, Spanish,French, Italian, Portuguese,Thai, Vietnamese	N 	From the Latin letter and the starting letter of Natural
Korean 	 	From the Latin letter and the starting letter of Natural
Chinese(Mandarin and Cantonese) 	Ｎ N 	From the Latin letter and the starting letter of Natural
Chinese(Mandarin and Cantonese) 	N 	From the Latin letter and the starting letter of Natural
 	 	From the Latin letter and the starting letter of Natural
Natural Harmonia Gropius
Language 	Name 	Origin
Japanese 	ナチュラル・ハルモニア・グロピウス 	From , and possibly natural, , , or (Greek goddess of harmony), with Gropius possibly being a reference to the architect
English, German,French, Italian	Natural Harmonia Gropius 	From , and possibly natural, , , or (Greek goddess of harmony), with Gropius possibly being a reference to the architect
Spanish 	Natural Armonia Gropius 	From , and possibly natural, , , or (Greek goddess of harmony), with Gropius possibly being a reference to the architect
Korean 	내추럴 하르모니아 그로피우스 	From , and possibly natural, , , or (Greek goddess of harmony), with Gropius possibly being a reference to the architect
==References==
==Related articles==
* Images on the Bulbagarden Archives
Category:Rival characters
Category:Manga characters
Category:Black and White characters
Category:Black 2 and White 2 characters
Category:Trainers with Legendary Pokémon
Category:Members of Team Plasma
Category:Pokémon Generations characters
Category:Royalty
Category:Pocket Monsters BW characters
Category:Pokémon Evolutions characters
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