Pokémon Trainer

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A **Pokémon Trainer** (Japanese: **ポケモントレーナー** *Pokémon Trainer*) is a person who Template:Pkmn2, trains, cares for, and battles with Pokémon. The majority of people within the known Pokémon world are Trainers.

Pokémon Trainer is a broad term for any person who owns Pokémon, including Coordinators and Template:Tc. However, the term is more often used to refer to people on a journey to collect Gym Badges and enter the Pokémon League.

## Background

 File:SugimoriTrainers.png
Many Trainers leave home at about the age of ten, sometimes accompanied with a starter Pokémon obtained from a Pokémon Professor. Many will travel around one or more regions, doing such things as gathering information for a Pokédex, perfecting their technique, collecting Gym Badges, and working to become a Pokémon Master. No matter what their specialties or aims, there is one code that they all follow—when two Trainers make eye contact, they must have a battle.

Pokémon Trainers come in all sorts of classes: Template:Tcs tend to stay close to home, and Template:Tcs swarm about the {{Bug}}-filled forests; Template:Tcs traverse mountains and caves, Template:Tc are rarely far from water, and Template:Tcs aspire to compete in the Pokémon League. A Trainer's class may reflect their favorite type, the areas they prefer, their technique, and their level of skill; however, even within each class, Trainers may vary greatly.

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Many towns have a Gym run by a strong and experienced Trainer known as a Gym Leader. Other Trainers may challenge a Gym Leader, and if the Gym Leader is defeated in battle, they award the challenger a Badge. However, in the Pokémon anime, the Gym Leader may award the Trainer a Badge for other reasons, since the Badge is a symbol of the Trainer's skill. For example, Template:Ash won several of his early Badges by refusing to take an unfair advantage or going out of his way to save a Gym, which proved himself as an exceptional Trainer outside of battle. In Alola, each of the four islands has a Kahuna who may be challenged by traveling Trainers taking the island challenge after the completion of their island's trials.

Above the level of Gym Leaders and Island Kahunas are the Elite Four members and the Pokémon League Champion. There are also Trainers who serve as leaders for battle facilities not recognized by the Pokémon League, such as the Frontier Brains of the Battle Frontier and the Template:Tcs of the Battle Maison. These Trainers are considered the cream of the crop, and should a Trainer defeat other Trainers at this level, it is not uncommon for them to be offered a place in these high ranks.

However, just as there are many Trainers with noble goals and lawful methods, there are also corrupt Trainers, including a number of villainous teams and poachers. These Trainers often use powerful Pokémon to take what they want and further their plans.

While the viability of Pokémon training as a lifestyle is never outright stated in most games, it is implied in

## Pokémon Trainer

 that it does not guarantee a sufficient income. Several Eevee users are seen having to take up part-time jobs in order to obtain the finances needed to support themselves, with the latter being unable to go into retirement using just the funds from Pokémon training.

## In the core series

### Trainer class

**Trainer classes** are the types of Pokémon Trainers one can battle in all core series Pokémon games. They come in different varieties and sprites which describe their occupation, estimated age, and sometimes what Pokémon they train. For example, a Template:Tc is a young adult with telekinetic powers who trains Template:Type Pokémon.

All Trainer classes have overworld or field sprites that sometimes may be used for non-Trainers. Unlike in-battle sprites, overworld sprites may be shared between multiple Trainer classes such as the Template:Tc overworld sprite, which is shared with Template:Tcs and Template:Tcs in Generation IV. Notable Trainer classes, such as Gym Leaders, have unique sprites between each individual one. Trainer classes can be combined in certain Double Battles; for example a Template:Tc and a Template:Tc can team up to form a Template:Tc; however, special class names are not created for Trainers involved in a Multi Battle.

Starting from Generation III, the player assumes the form of a generic Trainer class of their choice when data of this player is exchanged wirelessly or through record mixing to another core series game of the same generation.

While in Colosseum and Template:Pokémon XD, there is one model for each minor Trainer class, in Pokémon Battle Revolution, each minor Trainer class can consist of multiple models.

#### List of Trainer classes

Main pages: Category:Trainer classes and Category:Trainer classes

### As a Trainer class

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In the games, Pokémon Trainer (rendered as "Template:PKTemplate:MN Trainer" until Generation VI, in which the full title "Pokémon Trainer" is written out) is used as the Trainer class for certain storyline characters. These opponents tend to be the most powerful non-arena Trainers the player will face, notably including rivals (except Template:Ga and Template:Ga, who are instead outright referred to as rivals). This class is used for every opponent in link battles and the Pokémon World Tournament, Template:DL in the Battle Tree, Template:DL of the Battle Agency, as well as the following characters:

## * Pokémon Trainer

, and Template:V2: Template:Ga, Template:Ga, and Template:Ga
## * Pokémon Trainer

: the Stat Trainers (Cheryl, Mira, Riley, Buck, and Marley)
## * Pokémon Trainer

: Cynthia, Colress\*, Rood, N, Alder, Cilan, Chili, and Cress
* Template:G: AZ, Essentia, and Malva\*
* Template:G: Zinnia\*
* Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon: Dexio, SinaTemplate:Sup/7Template:Sup/7, MolayneTemplate:Sup/7, AnabelTemplate:Sup/7, Red\*, Blue\*, Ryuki, Plumeria\*, Guzma\*, and LillieTemplate:Sup/7
* Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!: Mina, Blue\*, Archer\*, Template:Ga, and Red
* Template:G: Hop, Bede\*, Marnie\*, Piers\*, Leon\*, Sordward, Shielbert, Klara\*Template:Sup/8, Avery\*Template:Sup/8, Peony, and Opal\*

## In the spin-off games

### Super Smash Bros. series

 File:Pokemon Trainer SSBU.png
Main article: Pokémon Trainer (Super Smash Bros.)
There is a Template:Player called "Template:Sbw" in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His appearance is based on Template:Ga's Generation III design, and he uses Template:P Template:P Template:P evolutionary families of the Kanto Template:Pkmn2s to battle against the others. While he was absent in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, he returned in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, along an alternate female version based on Template:Ga.

#### Trophy information

 File:Pokémon Trainer 3DS trophy SSB4.png
 File:Pokémon Trainer XY 3DS trophy SSB4.png
Two trophies appear in the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, one of the Brawl character and one of the player characters from Template:G.

##### Pokémon Trainer

**NA**: *Pop quiz! What do Misty, Brock, Cynthia, Iris, and Ash all have in common? That's right—they're all Pokémon Trainers! This Pokémon Master in the making is the same. Back in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he fought to be the very best—like no one ever was. To smash them was his real test—to launch them was his cause!*

**PAL**: *Quiz time! What do Misty, Brock, Cynthia, Iris and Ash all have in common? That's right - they're all Pokémon Trainers! This Pokémon Master in the making is just the same. He fought to be the very best - like no one ever was - back in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. To smash them was his real test - to launch them was his cause.*

##### Pokémon Trainer (Pokémon X & Y) (NA)/Trainers (PAL)

**NA**: *We suppose it's possible you've missed out up till now, so let us explain: in Pokémon, you set out from your hometown on a Pokémon journey, catching Pokémon and fighting battles with them. In Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, you reach the next town and find yourself embroiled in a tale of... No, wait—no spoilers!*

**PAL**: *If you've been living under a rock for some years now, let us explain. In Pokémon, you start from your home town on your own Pokémon journey, catching Pokémon and fighting battles with them. In Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, you reach the next town and find yourself embroiled in a tale of... Well, we won't spoil it for you.*

### Play It! series

In the introduction of Pokémon Play It! and Pokémon Play It! Version 2, Julie says that she and the player character are Pokémon Trainers. However, they play the Trading Card Game rather than train Pokémon. In the lesson "What's a Trainer card?", Julie mentions that Bill is a Trainer as well.

## Trivia

* For *Gettin' Twiggy With It!*, Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia is about Pokémon Trainers. He writes this senryū about it: 「さあ10さい　ぼくもわたしも　トレーナー」 *"Ah, the age 10; we will all be Trainers."*
* It is stated in the anime that a person may not become a Trainer until the age of 10; however, this is not the case in other media as some Trainers are obviously below the minimum age, such as the Trainer classes Template:Tc, Template:Tc, and Template:Tc. Some Preschoolers in the Battle Subway emphasize the fact that they are four years old. However, in the anime episode *Battling the Bully!*, Template:An mentions that young kids are allowed to have battles for fun.
* In Generation I and Generation II, the word "Trainer" is not capitalized. However, it is capitalized in later games.
* In *Pocket Monsters: The Animation*, it was revealed that Pokémon training was a very dangerous sport, as the mere act of training a Pokémon can result in severe injuries or even death. It also mentions that various men try to go out and become a Pokémon trainer at age 10 (which was considered the legal age of adulthood), and there was a high dropout rate regarding whether they become skilled Trainers that afterwards they come across as incompetent. It is also implied that this is the reason why most of the professional workplaces are almost entirely staffed by women.
* Pokémon X and Y introduced the most new Trainer classes out of any core series games, with 47.
## * Pokémon Trainer

 and Template:2v2 introduced the least amount of new Trainer classes out of any games, with one each.
* Pokémon Sword and Shield introduced the least amount of new Trainer classes out of any first game of a Generation, with 14.

## See also

* Pokémon Coordinator
* Anime Trainer classes
* Trainers with unique classes

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Template:TrainerNav

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de:Pokémon-Trainer
es:Entrenador Pokémon
fr:Dresseur de Pokémon
it:Allenatore
ja:ポケモントレーナー
zh:宝可梦训练家