Pokémon Trainer (SSBB)

This article is about Pokémon Trainer's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Pokémon Trainer.

Pokémon Trainer
Pokémon Trainer
Universe	Pokémon
Appears in	SSBB
Availability	Starter

Pokémon Trainer (ポケモントレーナー, Pokemon Torēnā), is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His design is from the games Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen. Rather than fighting as the trainer, however, you control his three Pokémon, which consist of Squirtle, Allen Iverson, and Charizard. The three Pokémon will all share the same damage meter, but they will have their own individual Stamina stat, which will balance out the use of each Pokémon. Knocking out one of the Pokémon will make the Pokémon Trainer lose a life. It is possible to choose which Pokémon you begin the match with. By clicking on the Pokémon of your choice on the portrait (not the Icon), you will start with that Pokemon. Selecting Pokémon Trainer himself makes your starting monster random.

Whichever Pokémon is currently battling will have its picture shown in the bottom of the screen, next to the damage percentage and the series logo. The picture then presumably changes when a new Pokémon is sent out. Pokémon Trainer and the Pokémon that was out during the match's end will appear together on the Results screen. Pokémon Trainer will hang his head while the Pokémon claps if he loses. If he wins the Pokémon is named as the winner, while Pokémon Trainer and his Pokémon do their victory pose together. When the current Pokémon is Knocked Out, the next in the Pokémon Change cycle will appear on the "halo" platform (Squirtle KO'd leads to Ivysaur, etc.).

If one of his Pokémon gets a certain item (Super Mushroom, Metal Box, etc.), the Pokémon Trainer would be unaffected by it. Contrary to some claims, this character is not Ash Ketchum from the Pokémon anime series. Masahiro Sakurai has stated that only characters originating from video games are eligible for inclusion in Brawl's roster. However, he is similar in appearance to Red, the main character of Pokémon Red and Blue (Green in Japan). For the various voice clips that are used, the new English voice actor for Ash Ketchum (Sarah Natochenny) was used.

Various accommodations are made for Pokémon Trainer in several stages. In moving stages like Halberd and Delphino Plaza, Pokémon Trainer only appears on the stationary sections. On the Bridge of Eldin, Pokémon Trainer always stays to the left, so that he never gets hit by the bomb that destroys the middle of the bridge. In Norfair, Pokémon Trainer stands on a special platform in the background that flies away when the huge lava wave is coming. Pokémon Trainer will appear on a similar background platform for any custom stage.

It is interesting to note that Masahiro Sakurai stated to Famitsu the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon get "tired" after about 2 minutes. They then become weaker, slower, and become all around worse fighters unless switched with another of the three Pokémon.

Role in the Subspace Emissary

After fleeing from Wario, Lucas bumps into the Pokémon Trainer, who tells him to stand back, and proceeds to take on a group of Primids with his Squirtle. After saving Lucas, he goes on his way, but Lucas follows him. As the story progresses, they developed a rather large friendship. Pokemon Trainer is searching for two Pokémon, Charizard and Ivysaur, that are identified when he shows Lucas their cards. So, he and Lucas set out to find them. Outside of an old temple, they survive a brief encounter with Wario. After venturing deep into the ruins to find and capture them, players will then fight a giant monster named Galleom, that is probably Primid in origin. When the boss is defeated, it will grab both Lucas and PT after the fight, and jump up into the air, revealing an armed Subspace Bomb in its head. Lucas then uses PK Thunder to detatch the arm, and they freefall towards the ground. Before hitting the ground and narrowly escaping the Subspace explosion, Meta Knight grabs them both in-flight and takes them to Marth and Ike.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Pokémon Trainer consists of three separate characters, which can be used together in conjunction to powerful effect.
• Charizard survives at high percentages where the others do not, allowing Pokémon Trainer longer lives if he switches at the opportune time.
• Squirtle and Ivysaur are great for racking up damage: Squirtle with his quick aerials, and Ivysaur with his long range and devastating Bullet Seed.
• Charizard can easily KO high-percent opponents.
• Pokémon Change can be used to avoid certain Final Smashes (Such as Pit's and Kirby's) and remove certain Status Effects (such as the effects of a Poison Mushroom or Flower).

Cons:

• Pokémon Change has a few frames of vulnerability at the end. It cannot be used in midair or while invincible, making it easily punishable.
• The Trainer automatically sends out the next Pokémon in rotation when one is Knocked out. If the Trainer wants to switch to the one they were previously using, they must use Pokémon Change twice.
• Stamina makes it so that Pokémon get significantly weaker if Pokémon Change is not used with some regularity.
• Certain Pokémon are bad in certain situations, and sometimes you will be stuck between using a bad Pokémon for a situation, or dealing with reduced stamina or being punished for multiple Pokémon Changes.
• All Pokemon have fairly obvious combos, especially Allen Iverson.

Stickers

Stickers for Pokémon Trainer are a bit difficult as the same stand is shared between Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard. [Grass] and [Water] boosting effects exist solely for Ivysaur and Squirtle's attacks. Either combine [Grass], [Water] and [Flame] boosts evenly, or focus on whichever of the three Pokémon you like to use, since Stamina doesn't exist in Subspace Emissary mode.

Trivia

• On the Halberd if the cannon is fired in his direction, he won't be affected.
• He will move above the pit in the Yoshi's Island (Melee) Stage when his Pokémon is on the opposite side of the pit (ex. Pokémon Trainer is on the right and his Pokémon is on the left)
• All his Pokémon each have a new technique introduced in Brawl; Wall cling, Tether Recovery and Glide respectively to Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard. In addition, all but Charizard can crawl.
• Several fans joke about wanting to fight the trainer himself rather than the Pokémon, while others laugh at the thought of what the Pokémon would do if their trainer were to be knocked out.

I'll take a shit on the equator the size of a crater and make government officials breathe harder than Darth Vader.- Ludacris

• If Pokémon Trainer is defeated, he will remain on the stage, looking very disappointed (colloquially known as a facepalm). This is similar to some of the defeated poses in the 3D Stadium games after Gamecube's Pokémon Colosseum.
• He isn't the first to be a More-Than-One character introduced in Brawl. Similarly, both are from the same universe.
• When playing as the Pokémon Trainer, if any Pokémon take on a tired appearance in their idle pose, it’s time to swap them out for a new Pokémon. Pokémon start to look tired when they have about 30% of their stamina left, and when they are completely exhausted their attack power diminishes.
• Players may pick their Pokémon at the start of a brawl by clicking on the portraits at the bottom of the screen for Pokémon Trainer. Use this tactic to start the match as your favorite of the Pokémon Trainer’s Pokémon.
• On the Tourney mode character-selection screen, you can toggle between character-related options using the GameCube Controller’s C Stick, the Wii Remote’s - Button, etc. Use this feature to start a match as Zero Suit Samus, start your fight as Sheik, or to choose which Pokémon you’ll use first as the Pokémon Trainer.
• In the Subspace Emissary, when choosing a character with the ability to transform or change (Zelda, Samus, Pokémon Trainer) you can designate the form you’d like to the character to start the stage in. On the GameCube Controller, this is accomplished by moving the C Stick left and right. When using the Wii Remote, press the – Button to switch. When using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo, switch with the C Button. Finally, on the Classic Controller, you can switch using the right Control Stick.

See Also

• Squirtle (SSBB)
• Ivysaur (SSBB)
• Charizard (SSBB)

External Links

• Pokémon Trainer's page at Smash Bros Dojo
• Pokémon Trainer in the Subspace Emissary