Blaine

Blaine is a Kantonian gym leader and environmental rights activist. He has been the leader of the Cinnabar Island gym since 1978 and is thus the longest-serving gym leader in the world. He is immensely popular on Cinnabar Island although his popularity across Kanto has fallen in recent years due to his outspoken support for the Seafoam Islands. He is believed to be one of the main parties funding the Seafoam Liberation Front.

Before his retirement, Blaine worked as a scientist.

## 1994 "rift" accusations

In 1994 Blaine was witnessed sailing up and down the east coast of Cinnabar Island and was accused by rivals of abusing a rift in the time-space continuum which multiplied various items within the trunks on his boat. Pokémon League authorities intervened and made Rare Candy a banned substance under Kantonian Pokébattling regulations, a law which was soon adopted by the international Pokébattling community. Despite rejecting the notion that his Pokémon were using the performance-enhancing drug, Blaine is still occasionally seen sailing this route. This has led to speculation he is selling multiplied materials on the dark web and using the money to fund the Seafoam Liberation Front, although this remains unproven.

## 1995 Mewtwo Allegations

During his career Blaine was plagued by accusations that his projects involved work on Pokémon cloning and that he was at least partially responsible for the creation of Mewtwo. A police investigation which searched Blaine's mansion home on Cinnabar Island found evidence that Blaine had access to top secret government files regarding the existence of Mew, but nothing linking him to the creation of Mewtwo. In 2004 further rumours were fueled after Blaine's visit to Cerulean Cape preceded Bill's DNA being irretrievably spliced with that of a Clefairy.

Mewtwo has always denied any connection with Blaine, although the two were seen together at a restaurant the night before Wormadrid's 2002 Doubles Cup victory. This has led to speculation that Blaine and Mewtwo have together been using Mewtwo's Wormadrid wages to fund the Seafoam Liberation Front, although this remains unproven.

## 2009 Expenses

In 2009, Blaine was caught up in the Gym Leaders Expenses Scandal and joined forces with long-term rival Giovanni in an attempt to have the allegations quashed in court. This was unsuccessful and details of irregular payments to gym staff became apparent as well as evidence of Kadabra-assisted creative accounting. Despite expenses claims appearing to show the gym employed eight junior trainers, an undercover group managed to get all the way to Blaine through answering simple general knowledge questions. Those employed in each room appeared to be unwilling or unable to battle. This has led to speculation that Blaine has been channeling his expenses to the Seafoam Liberation Front, although this remains unproven and the gym now employs full-time trainers.

## Personal Life

Blaine is good friends with renowned environmental and Pokémon rights activist Mr Fuji and in 1992 the pair were the first Kantonian citizens to be welcomed on the Seafoam Islands by the local population in over thirty years.

He is a trivia buff and runs a monthly quiz at Cinnabar Island pub The Prancing Ponyta.

Blaine has regularly spoken out regarding Koga, alleging that the ex-Fuchsia gym leader continues to be involved in dumping illegal toxic waste in the Fuchsia Safari Zone and in waters off the shores of the Seafoam Islands through his business connections with Trubbish Solutions.

Blaine remains resident on Cinnabar despite a volcanic eruption destroying much of the island's infrastructure. He is a support of Cinnabar Roar and has offered to fund the construction of a new stadium on the island.

A running joke in the Pokébattling community focuses on Blaine's erratic use of items in battle.