Nurse Joy

English names are given before the Japanese names in Western order (given name before surname), when possible. All Japanese names, unless otherwise noted, are romanized from katakana.

Main characters

Ash Ketchum

Ash Ketchum (サトシ Satoshi^?) is the main character of the series. His dream is to become the greatest Pokémon Master in the world. His current Pokémon are Pikachu, Staravia, Grotle, Chimchar, Gliscor, and Buizel. In the 4kids translation though, the Gliscor is still a Gligar, and the Grotle is still a Turtwig. Ash's voice actress in the dub are Veronica Taylor (4Kids Entertainment) and Sarah Natochenny (Pokémon USA) and in Japanese he is voiced by Rica Matsumoto.

Pikachu

In the first episode, Ash receives a Pikachu from Professor Oak as his starter Pokémon in a special pokeball,It is special because it is the only one with a bolt of thunder on the bottom of the red part. At first, Pikachu largely ignores Ash's requests, electrocuting him frequently and refusing to be confined to a Poké Ball. However, Ash puts himself in danger to defend Pikachu from a flock of wild Spearow,but Pikachu saves ash by thunder shocking all the Spearows, then rushes it to a Pokémon Center. Through these demonstrations, Pikachu warms up to Ash, and their friendship is formed. However, it still refuses to go into its Poké Ball. Soon after, Pikachu shows great power that sets it apart from other Pokémon, which causes Team Rocket to constantly attempt to capture it in order to win favor from their boss, Giovanni,and never gave up

Brock

Brock (タケシ Takeshi^?), as the former Pewter Gym leader, dreams of being the world’s best Pokémon breeder. He is Ash's longest lasting traveling partner, having only been absent from Season 2. Brock is voiced by Eric Stuart (4Kids), Bill Rogers (Pokémon USA), and Yuji Ueda (Japanese). He will be portrayed by Joon Park in the upcoming live action adaption.

Misty

Misty (カスミ Kasumi^?) is Ash’s first traveling friend, who journeys with him throughout the first five seasons. Her dream is to be the world's greatest "Water Pokémon Master," but her means of accomplishing this are never really made clear. She becomes rival with some people and says she's a better pokemon trainer than Ash (her rival and crush) She is currently the Cerulean City gym leader. Misty is voiced by Rachael Lillis (4Kids) Michele Knotz (Pokémon USA) and by Mayumi Iizuka in Japanese.

Tracey Sketchit

Tracey Sketchit (ケンジ Kenji^?) is one of Ash’s traveling friends through Season 2, set in the Orange Islands. He is a Pokémon watcher, and is currently Professor Oak’s assistant. Tracey is voiced in the English dubs by Ed Paul in Seasons 2 through 8 and in the Pokémon Chronicles series dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment and Craig Blair in "Home is Where the Start Is." In the original Japanese version, he is voiced by Tomokazu Seki.his name is a pun of tracing and sketching

May

May, as seen in Pokémon Emerald. In the Diamond and Pearl arc of the anime, she wears a similar outfit.

May (ハルカ Haruka^?) is the daughter of the Petalburg City Gym Leader, Norman, and sister of Max. She meets Ash Ketchum in Hoenn and starts traveling with him after obtaining her first Pokémon, Torchic. She originally dislikes Pokémon, but soon takes interest in Pokémon Contests. She soon develops rivalries with other contest participants, Drew (her main rival), Harley, and Jessie of Team Rocket, and goes on to win many contests. While Ash and Brock choose to travel to Sinnoh, May decides to follow her rivals to Johto instead. However, she meets up with Ash, Brock, and Dawn in Sinnoh sometime later to participate in the Wallace Cup. After narrowly losing to Dawn in the Wallace Cup Finals, she leaves the group to continue her journey in Johto.¹ May's voice actresses are Veronica Taylor (4Kids), Michelle Knotz (Pokémon USA), and KAORI (Kaori Suzuki) in Japanese.

Max

Max (マサト Masato^?) is a young male character of the Pokémon anime series, featured in the main series between the sixth and ninth seasons. Max appears alongside one of Ash Ketchum's companions, May, as her brother, and joins the group of Ash, May and Pokémon breeder Brock. Max is a budding Pokémon trainer, but is too young to receive a Pokémon.² He remains simply a Pokémon enthusiast until he and May leave Ash and Brock in the final Advanced Generation episode, in which he returns to Hoenn to help take care of the Petalburg Gym. He is again seen in DP Battle Dimension episode, "Seven Stars Restaurant! Tag Battle for a Full Course!!", while Norman, Caroline, and he are watching May on the TV competing in the Wallace Cup. Max's actors are Amy Birnbaum (4Kids), Kayzie Rogers (Pokémon USA) and in Japanese he is voiced by Fushigi Yamada. He takes on what had once been Misty's role in restraining Brock from pretty women with the ear-pull.

Dawn

Dawn (ヒカリ Hikari^?) is a Pokémon trainer and coordinator that travels with Ash Ketchum during Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl. Following in her mother's footsteps as a coordinator, she chooses a Piplup, which she had already befriended at an earlier point, and sets out with the goal of winning the Grand Festival. After meeting Ash and Brock, she becomes rivals with another coordinator, Zoey,³ and goes on to win the Floaroma Ribbon and the Wallace Cup's Aqua Ribbon. The Pokemon she has are Piplup, Buneary, Ambipom(which she traded with Ash), Pachirisu and Swinub. She is voiced by Emily Bauer in the English version and Megumi Toyoguchi in Japanese.

Team Rocket

Jessie (ムサシ Musashi^?), James (コジロウ Kojirō^?), and Meowth (ニャース Nyasu^?) are the main antagonists of the series. While they set out to steal Ash Ketchum's Pikachu and various other Pokémon in almost every episode, they usually fail in the end. They use various disguises, traps, and schemes to trick Ash's group into a false sense of security, and after being revealed, they give a poetic speech, known as their motto, that often changes slightly throughout each season. After failing, they are often sent "blasting off" by an explosion or a Pokémon's attack. They are constantly out to appease their boss, Giovanni, though he finds the group to be incompetent.

Jessie is a loudmouth who often abuses the other two. She grew up in a poor foster family, while her mother focused on missions from Team Rocket. She is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara in the Japanese version, Rachel Lillis during the first eight seasons of the English anime and Michele Knotz from the ninth season onwards. James is portrayed as whiny and submissive. He grew up in a rich household that he ran away from after his parents set up an arranged marriage. James is voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the Japanese version, Ted Lewis for the first thirteen episodes of the English anime, Eric Stuart until the end of the eighth season, and Jimmy Zoppi from the ninth season onwards. Meowth is a unique Pokémon with the ability to speak, which came about while trying to impress a female Meowth. Meowth is voiced by Inuko Inuyama in the Japanese version, Nathan Price for the first thirty episodes of the English anime, Maddie Blaustein until the end of the eighth season, and Jimmy Zoppi from the ninth season onwards.

Supporting characters

Delia Ketchum

Delia (ハナコ Hanako^?) is Ash's mother. She is kind and hospitable, but often scolds Ash when he often puts himself in dangerous situations. Delia herself has a Pokémon/house keeper in the form of Mr. Mime. Delia's voice actresses are Veronica Taylor (4Kids) Michelle Knotz (Pokémon USA) and by Masami Toyoshima (Japanese).

Gary Oak

Gary Oak (オーキド・シゲル Ōkido Shigeru^?), voiced by Yūko Kobayashi in Japanese and Jimmy Zoppi in English, is Ash's rival. You cannot ignore his girth. He is based off the character Blue. Like his counterpart Blue, Gary hails from Pallet Town and is the grandson of renowned Pokémon researcher Profesor Oak. At first, Gary was arrogant,always traveling with cheerleaders who only call out his name. After a few seasons he ditched the cheerleaders and has since become more open-minded. He and Ash grew up together in Pallet Town and became rivals after becoming Pokémon trainers. Like Ash, Gary collected Gym badges and then competed in the Kanto and Johto League tournaments. After losing to Ash in the Johto League, he decides to pursue a career in Pokémon research, impeding his rivalry with Ash. During Pokémon: Advanced Generation, he travels to Sinnoh.

Giovanni

Giovanni Sakaki (サカキ Sakaki^?) is the leader of Team Rocket, having inherited his position from his mother, and the Viridian City Gym Leader. He is constantly frustrated by the failures of Jessie, James, and Meowth. Aside from the operations of Team Rocket, he also funds the creation of Mewtwo in the movie Mewtwo Strikes Back, but Mewtwo eventually escapes from him. He attempts to recapture Mewtwo in Mewtwo Returns, but Mewtwo ends up erasing all memories of himself from Giovanni's mind. He is voiced by Hirotaka Suzuoki and Kenta Miyake in the Japanese anime, Ted Lewis for the first eight seasons of the English dub, and Craig Blair from the ninth season of the English anime onwards. However, in "The Thief That Keeps on Thieving!" he was again voiced by Ted Lewis.

Nurse Joy

Nurse Joy (ジョーイさん Jōi-san^?) is the name for each member of an identical family of Pokémon nurses. They mainly work in Pokémon Centers, but they also work in other locations. They are also often accompanied by a Chansey or Blissey. Like the Chansey and Blissey, the Nurse Joys are mostly hospitable, especially towards Pokemon. Brock, the only person who can tell all the Joys apart by appearance (the cross on their hats changes color), is infatuated with every Nurse Joy he meets, often having to be restrained by a traveling companion. In the Japanese version, she was first voiced by Ayako Shiraishi, followed by Yuriko Yamaguchi and for a short time by Kikuko Inoue. In the 4Kids dub they were voiced by Megan Hollingshead until the Advanced series, where Bella Hudson took over, and Michele Knotz from the Pokémon USA dub. Nurse Joy was also played by Diane Stillwell in The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon.

Officer Jenny

Officer Jenny (ジュンサー Junsā^?) is the name for each member of an identical family of police officers. They often show up patrolling, or in some cases stopping a crime. In the original Japanese version, she was voiced by Chinami Nishimura. In the English versions, she was voiced by Megan Hollingshead from seasons 1 through 6, Jamie Davyous Owens from seasons 7 through 8, Elisabeth Morinelli (a.k.a. Emily Williams) as of season 9, and by Kayzie Rogers in The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon. Brock, the only person who can tell all the Jennys apart, is infatuated with every Officer Jenny he meets, often having to be restrained by a traveling companion. The Officer Jenny from Hearthome city is Mitsuki's mother.

Paul

Paul (シンジ Shinji^?) is a roaming Pokémon trainer from the Sinnoh region, hailng from Veilstone City. As a Pokémon trainer, Paul is well experienced and has traveled across the regional areas of Kanto,Johto,Hoenn,and Sinnoh. He is voiced by Kiyotaka Furushima in Japanese and Julián Rebolledo in English. During Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl, he begins to travel through Sinnoh, where he meets and develops a rivalry with Ash Ketchum. Paul feels that Ash is a weak trainer and can easily bring on Ash's anger by stating it. Paul is characterized as a stern and captious trainer whose only concern for Pokémon is of their ability to act in battle. As such, Paul always checks his newly captured Pokémon with his Pokédex to learn what attacks they know. He strongly dislikes weak Pokémon because they get spoiled and has a habit of releasing them if they do not meet his high expectations. He believes that forming a bond only dilutes a Pokémon's true potential and turns them into slackers. He has shown respect for some people like Nurse Joy, Roark, Professor Rowan, Cynthia, and his older brother Reggie. His Pokemon team consists of Torterra, Electabuzz, Honchkrow, Weavile, Gliscor, Ursaring, and Magmar.Paul Released His Starlys (3x),Chimchar(Ash Ketchum now has Chimchar,And Stantler (just caught then just released)

Professor Oak

Professor Samuel Oak⁴ (オーキド・ユキナリ Ōkido Yukinari^?, Yukinari Okido), sometimes Dr. Ōkido (オーキド博士 Ōkido-Hakase^?) in original Japanese language versions, is a Pokémon researcher, and generally considered the best of his kind. As such, his role in the Pokémon games and anime is that of a mentor to young Pokémon Trainers, a source of information and an occasional plot device. Amongst other things, he is credited with inventing the Pokédex. Although he is an expert on all matters relating to Pokémon, Professor Oak specializes in Pokémon behavioural science. In the popular Royal Flow song "Pokémon Playa" he is considered a Pokémon lesser.

Team Rocket

Team Rocket (ロケット団, Roketto-dan, literally Rocket Brigade) is an evil organization bent on world domination. Headed by Giovanni, their plans to steal and exploit Pokémon for profit and power is a central plot device used throughout the series. According to the anime, the organization only has bases in the Kanto and Johto regions, however that does not stop the show's antagonist trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth from following Ash Ketchum to other areas around the Pokémon world. Often, members of Team Rocket are broken up into pairs in order to perform specific heists - like Jessie and James. In the English translations, the pairs are often been given names which nod to iconic figures of the American Old West: Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and Annie Oakley.

Zoey

Zoey (ノゾミ Nozomi^?) is a Pokémon coordinator, Dawn's rival and best friend. She is unlike most rivals, though, such as giving out helpful adivce, and helping out in certain situations compared to fighting and competing against Dawn all the time. She first appeared in the episode of "Mounting a Coordinator Assault". Her Japanese voice actress is 早水リサ (Risa Hayamizu) and her English voice actress is Emily Williams.

Minor characters

Butch and Cassidy

Butch (Kosaburō^?) and Cassidy (Yamato^?) are the rivals of Jessie, James, and Meowth; unlike the trio, however, they are successful Rockets and are looked upon favorably by Giovanni. They show up in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl when the group (Dawn, Ash, Brock) see a Pokémon they have rescued (Hippoputas). Their plans are on a larger scale, with the goal of capturing many Pokémon at once. As a running gag, other characters usually mispronounce Butch's name.(e.g. Bif, Box, Bill, Butcher, etc.) James is usually the one most guilty of this.

Orange Crew

Collectively known as the Orange Crew, the five Orange Island Gym Leaders mostly favor tests of skill, endurance, or other tests of the applicant’s mettle, instead of straight head-to-head battles. Each of them poses to Ash a challenge to overcome or task to complete before he earns the badges he needs to go on to the Orange League championships. They appear in both the anime and its manga adaptations.

The first four members are Cissy (ナツミ Natsumi^?), a Water-type Pokémon specialist; Danny (ダン Dan^?), who challenges trainers to work with multiple Pokémon to complete challenges; Rudy (ジギー Jigī^?), who uses unorthodox training methods such as dance; and Luana (ルリコ Ruriko^?), who specializes in double battles. Drake (ユウジ Yūji^?) is the leader of the Orange Crew, and resides on Pummelo Island. Trainers that defeat him in a six on six battle obtain a trophy, a championship title and various honors. Ash is the first person to defeat him and Pikachu is the only one to ever defeat his Dragonite.

Professor Birch

Professor Birch (オダマキ博士 Odamaki-Hakase^?, Doctor Odamaki) is considered the "Pokémon Professor" in the Hoenn region. Unlike other Pokémon scientists, he is known for his field work, rather than, in his own words, remaining "cooped up in [his] lab all day." He is an expert in the field of Pokémon habitual distribution. He is also responsible for giving new Pokémon Trainers one of the three Hoenn starter Pokémon: Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip.

In the anime, Professor Birch appears at the start of the Hoenn Saga. When Ash arrives in the Hoenn region, his Pikachu is ill from an overexposure to magnetism, and needs treatment immediately. Birch himself takes Ash and Pikachu back to his lab. Birch gives May her first Pokémon, a Torchic, a Pokédex, and some Poké Balls. He later appears when Ash, May, Brock, and Max return to Littleroot to help save the Starter Pokémon from Team Rocket, and also helps to solve the mystery of Clamperl's evolutions.

Professor Elm

Professor Elm (ウツギ博士 Utsugi-hakase^?, Doctor Utsugi) is in charge of giving novice trainers their first Pokémon (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile) in the video games Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. He was a student of Professor Oak and moved to New Bark Town in the region of Johto where he conducts his research on Pokémon breeding. His English name refers to the elm tree, while his Japanese name refers to deutzia. Professor Elm dresses quite casually, with a shirt that has a stripe across it slightly covered by his lab coat. He wears khaki slacks and sometimes wears night slippers or moccasins.

He is stereotypically depicted as a professor that has a tendency to be absent-minded, due to his immersion in his work. His forgetfulness was shown in an episode of the Pokémon anime where Team Rocket visit his laboratory, and the professor carelessly assumes them to be Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center without looking up, and tells them to take the Pokémon, which they do. When the real Joy arrives, Elm discovers that one of his Pokémon, Totodile, has been stolen. With the help of Officer Jenny and the local Police Department the Pokémon is recovered from Team Rocket. This was meant to reproduce the moment in the game where one of his Pokémon is stolen by a rival character and is never recovered. Professor Elm also was said in one episode that he was Professor Oak's top student, and implies that he wants to surpass Oak.

Professor Ivy

Professor Felina Ivy (ウチキド博士 Uchikido-hakase^?, Doctor Uchikido) in original Japanese language versions, is the resident Pokémon professor of the Orange Islands, south of the region of Kanto.

Professor Ivy is first introduced in the second season of the Pokémon anime. Ash and his friends Misty and Brock make their way to Valencia Island and meet the Professor. The unusual Pokéball that Professor Ivy discovered is dubbed the GS Ball. It serves as a plot device that leads Ash to the region of Johto. During the second season, Brock decides to stay with Ivy to study Pokémon breeding, but later arrives in Pallet Town. He now reacts intensely to Ivy's name "Don't mention that name!" She also appears in the animated film Pokémon: The Movie 2000.

Professor Rowan

Professor Rowan (ナナカマド博士 Nanakamado-hakase^?, Doctor Nanakamado) in original Japanese language versions, is the authority on Pokémon in the region of Sinnoh, the setting of the Pokémon video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Professor Rowan's name derives from the rowan tree, continuing the trend of the names of Pokémon professors deriving from the names of trees.

Rowan's laboratory is located in Sandgem Town, making him the first professor in the Pokémon series not to live in the protagonist's town. Specializing in the research of Pokémon evolution, Rowan is an expert on the Pokémon of Sinnoh. He gives the player a Pokédex, and allows him or her and the rival to keep one of the three Sinnoh Starter Pokémon (Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup) each after they are attacked by Starly while searching for a rare Pokémon, having seen a red Gyarados on TV appearing at the Lake of Rage (a reference to Pokémon Gold and Silver).

Professor Rowan appears in the first episode of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, "Following a Maiden's Voyage!" He meets Dawn and later gives her Piplup.

Ritchie

Ritchie (ヒロシ Hiroshi Kariama Nagashi^?) first appears during the Kanto League Saga, where he meets and forms a friendship with Ash. He dresses mostly in green, with a blue hat. Ash Ketchum and him develop a rivalry as the series progresses. After the Kanto League tournament, Ritchie is ranked top eight of the Kanto League Tournament after defeating Ash, but later losing. Afterward, Ash and him part ways but pledge an oath to become Pokémon Masters.

References

^ "Enter the Contest Master — Wallace!". Kunihiko Yuyama (Director). Pokémon Diamond Pearl: Battle Dimension. TV Tokyo.
^ Pokémon Advanced, Vol. 1 - A Ruin with a View Viz Video., July 2004. ASIN B0001Z35JW.
^ "Arrival of a New Rival" Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl Series. Norihiko Sudou (Director). Cartoon Network. Aired on July 21, 2007.
^ Professor Oak’s first name was revealed in "The Power of One", the main Feature of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.

Contents

Main characters

Ash Ketchum

Pikachu

Brock

Misty

Tracey Sketchit

May

Max

Dawn

Team Rocket

Supporting characters

Delia Ketchum

Gary Oak

Giovanni

Nurse Joy

Officer Jenny

Paul

Professor Oak

Team Rocket

Zoey

Minor characters

Butch and Cassidy

Orange Crew

Professor Birch

Professor Elm

Professor Ivy

Professor Rowan

Ritchie

References