Lt. Surge

**Lt. Surge** is a recurring character in Pokémon Red (Animation Series). He serves as the Vermilion City Gym Leader and specializes in Electric-Type Pokémon. His title is "The Lightning American!".

## Personality

Although Lt. Surge looks stern, he is shown to be helpful to those in need. Given his military background, Surge knows the importance of thinking with a clear head not letting the past overtake someone's life. This was best shown with Red, as he helped the latter get through his guilt of accidentally killing Blue's Raticate and sending him home to take time off from his journey.

It's also shown that Lt. Surge puts Trainers through a special training regiment should they defeat him for the Thunder Badge.

## Biography

### Early Life

Early in his life, Lt. Surge fought in the Kanto-Hoenn war with humans and his Raichu. While not much is shown, Lt. Surge was saved by Raichu at one point, and he was seen being a leader to his men. Also, he was shown making the difficult walk of telling a widow that her husband died in the line of duty. The war ended with an unknown winner, and Lt. Surge was dismissed from the military. Afterwards, Lt. Surge became the Vermilion City Gym Leader and brought one of his men to serve as his Gym Trainer.

### Battle with Red

In the present, a young man named Red challenged Lt. Surge for the Thunder Badge after defeating his Gym Trainers and solving his trash bin puzzle. Lt. Surge had an early advantage by giving Voltorb and Pikachu X Speed to speed past Red's Pokémon team. While Red gained some ground, Lt. Surge caught something to his attention after the former recalled Nidoking despite him beating Pikachu. Down to Raichu, Lt. Surge defeated the rest of Red's Pokémon, forcing the latter to bring back Nidoking. As the fight continued, Lt. Surge saw Red as a soldier who had seen things and was hiding from them. Red had Nidoking use Poison Sting to knock out Raichu, and the former won the Gym Battle. Accepting defeat, Lt. Surge opened an attaché case and gives Red a Thunder Badge, with the latter imagining it as him holding Blue's Raticate's dog tags. Red got emotional and tears up, while Lt. Surge hugged him in comfort.

After the battle, Lt. Surge told Red that he must think with a clear head and not let the past overcome his actions, owing to what he learned back in the military. After taking Red through the Diglett Cave, Lt. Surge suggested he heads back to Pallet Town and give himself a break.

### Battle with Blue

Sometime later, Blue challenged Lt. Surge for the Thunder Badge. Not much was shown of the battle, but Blue used Growlithe's Dig attack to easily defeat Lt. Surge's team. After Blue won the Thunder Badge, Lt. Surge tried to shake his hand, but the former walked away.

### Training with Red

Days later, Red returned to Vermilion City, refreshed from his break and ready for a new day. Lt. Surge took Red under his wing, training Red and his Pokémon team through military drills. Among Red's team, Raichu personally trained Red's Pikachu on how to use Thunderbolt. Once Lt. Surge felt Red was ready, he took the latter to Route 11 so he and his Pokémon can showcase the results of their training. After Red's rampage through Route 11, Red and Lt. Surge head to the checkpoint to the east and saw a Snorlax sleeping in the middle of the bridge. With the pathway blocked, Lt. Surge showed Red how to get to Lavender Town through Cerulean City.

During Red's stay at Vermilion City, Lt. Surge showed the former different locations such as a fisherman who gave him an Old Rod. Also, he was with Red when the latter went to the Pokémon Fan Club building and heard about the President's Rapidash and Fearow. Later that day, Lt. Surge reseted and had his Gym Trainers salute the Red in respect. Lt. Surge and Red shook hands, with him reminding the latter to keep a clear head and never lose what he was on the inside. Misty came to pick up Red and Lt. Surge saw how different the latter was to when he challenged him for the Thunder Badge weeks ago.

## Trivia

* He is the second Gym Leader that is shown to keep his Badges in special places: in this case, an attaché case.