Pokémon Trainer (SSBU)
| Pokémon Trainer in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | |
|---|---|
_SSBU.png) -Alt1_SSBU.png)   
| |
| Universe | Pokémon |
| Shares character slot with | Charizard Ivysaur Squirtle |
| Other playable appearance | in Brawl |
| Availability | Unlockable |
| Final Smash | Triple Finish |
| Tier | A+ (23) |
Pokémon Trainer (ポケモントレーナー, Pokémon Trainer) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside his team of Pokémon: Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard, the latter of whom returns to the team after appearing by itself in Super Smash Bros. 4. Although Pokémon Trainer lacks a fighter number compared to the rest of the cast, his Pokémon have fighter numbers in his stead: Squirtle is classified as Fighter #33, Ivysaur is classified as Fighter #34, and Charizard is classified as Fighter #35.
The male Pokémon Trainer has new voice clips in all languages he is voiced in, with all of his voice actors from Super Smash Bros. Brawl being replaced (except for his Japanese voice actor, who reprises her role). Respectively, the voice actors for the male and female Pokémon Trainers are:
- Tomoe Hanba (male) and Wakana Minami (female) in Japanese.
- Billy Bob Thompson (male, replacing Michele Knotz) and Kate Bristol (female) in English.
- Emilie Guillaume (male, replacing Virginie Demians) and Elisabeth Guinand (female) in French.
- Maximilian Belle (male, replacing Dina Kuerten) and Lea Kalbhenn (female) in German.
- Tania de Domenico (male, replacing Francesca Guidice) and Giada Bonanomi (female) in Italian.
- Rodri Martín (male, replacing Isabel Navarro) and Tania Ugía (female) in Spanish.
Unlike Brawl, Ultimate does not have a Korean dub, with Pokémon Trainer instead using his Japanese voice in the Korean versions.
Pokémon Trainer is ranked 23rd out of 82 on the current tier list, placing him in the A+ tier. This is a drastic improvement over his 29th out of 38 placement in Brawl, and a significant improvement over Charizard's placement in Smash 4, where it was ranked 42nd out of 54. This improvement is thanks to the faster Pokémon Change, the ability to use Pokémon Change in mid-air, and the removal of the Stamina and Type effectiveness mechanics.
How to unlock
Complete one of the following:
- Play VS. matches, with the Pokémon Trainer being the 26th character to be unlocked.
- Clear Classic Mode with Donkey Kong or any character in his unlock tree, being the 2nd character unlocked after Bowser.
- Have the Pokémon Trainer join the player's party in World of Light.
With the exception of the third method, Pokémon Trainer must then be defeated on Pokémon Stadium. In World of Light, he is fought on the Ω form of Battlefield.
Attributes
As one of only three fighters in Ultimate to use the character-swap mechanic (with the other two being with Pyra and Mythra), Pokémon Trainer is arguably the most dynamic fighter in the game, yet also one of the most demanding. Unlike other tag team-oriented fighters, such as Rosalina & Luma and Banjo & Kazooie, the Trainer does not fight directly and instead acts as a commander for his three Pokémon: Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard. Although only one of these Pokémon can be present in battle at any given time, they can be swapped out using Pokémon Change in that order. In the absence of a stamina mechanic, players may use any or all of the three Pokémon freely without fear of becoming less effective. However, forced switching remains, with the player automatically switching to the next Pokémon upon losing a stock.
Each of the three Pokémon covers a different archetype: Squirtle is a fast combo-oriented lightweight, Ivysaur is a middleweight zoner, and Charizard is a super heavyweight with raw KO power and atypically fast mobility despite its slow moves. Typically, the most basic game plan is to build damage with Squirtle at low percents, use Ivysaur to outrange opponents and secure advantage state at medium percents, and score KOs and recover more easily with Charizard.
However, the Pokémon Trainer's versatility allows for a multitude of different game plans depending on the player's preference and the matchup. Pokémon Change has been significantly streamlined from Brawl and has been made significantly faster and can be used in the air. This allows for more effective switching in the heat of the moment so that the current Pokémon can be easily removed from the battle and replaced if it is in a situation where its weaknesses can be easily exploited. This also allows for recovery to be extended further; for example, using Ivysaur's Vine Whip to gain a small amount of vertical height, then switching and using Charizard's Flare Blitz and Fly to provide a very extensive recovery. As such, the Pokémon Trainer can adapt to any situation simply by choosing the right creature for the job, providing for a fighting style similar to 3-on-3 fighting games where the player chooses a team of interchangeable fighters that can be exchanged in an instant.
Despite the advantages provided by the Pokémon Trainer's central mechanic, they do not provide for an infallible fighter. Most notable is the very high learning curve required to master the whole party; all three Pokémon have their own matchups and optimal reactions to different situations, requiring a very high level of commitment to become familiar with each of the three, when to switch Pokémon, and what new situations can arise from switching, requiring commitment akin to having three mains at once in a game where even handling two mains can be overwhelming.
Furthermore, each of the three Pokémon is slightly more specialized in their role than other fighters of their class, and therefore has more pronounced weaknesses. Squirtle's KO power and endurance are lacking, Ivysaur's recovery and disadvantage state are both very poor, and Charizard is susceptible to combos and has mostly unsafe moves. Because Pokémon Change operates in a set order (unlike with Monado Arts) and cannot be continuously spammed due to its cooldown, players cannot always choose which Pokémon to use in which situation and can sometimes be rendered helpless in preventing the current Pokémon's weaknesses from being exploited. This is especially notable in matchups such as Pikachu and Mr. Game & Watch, where two of the three Pokémon are at a disadvantage, resulting in strained efforts to use the one optimal Pokémon as much as possible while keeping the other two on standby.
While attempting to "solo main" one of the three Pokémon is possible, it is not recommended in most cases (outside of single-stock modes such as Squad Strike itself, ironically) as players are nonetheless forced to use all three during battle, even while waiting for the cooldown on Pokémon Change. For instance, attempting to "main" Charizard while having little knowledge of Squirtle and Ivysaur will allow opponents to exploit the brief windows where using Charizard is not possible. However, it is entirely possible to centralize a playstyle around one or two preferred Pokémon and to use the remaining teammate(s) to complement them, such as with Tweek (who prioritizes Squirtle) and Puppeh (who prioritizes Charizard).
Overall, the Pokémon Trainer is simultaneously one of the most adaptable, most unpredictable, and most challenging fighters to play in Ultimate. As the only fighter that allows the player to bring three completely different characters into battle outside of modes like Squad Strike, the Trainer can enable many different playstyles depending on the player's familiarity and comfort with each of his Pokémon and its matchups. Thanks to the Pokémon Trainer's reworked mechanics and his Pokémon being buffed to varying degrees (with the most notable buffs being the removal of both the Pokémon's stamina and type effectiveness mechanics), he is universally considered to be far superior than he was in Brawl. This has been reflected by his playerbase achieving very notable results in competitive play, with the unique Pokémon Change mechanic and comparative lack of restrictions allowing for a very open-ended game plan.
Changes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- The list below covers the general changes of the Pokémon Trainer and his party as a whole. For information about each individual Pokémon's moveset changes, see Squirtle (SSBU), Ivysaur (SSBU), and Charizard (SSBU).
Pokémon Trainer was considered a lower-ranking character in Brawl, as despite many of the Pokémon's unique strengths, the team's polarized balance and mechanics that adversely worked against the team counterbalanced said traits. Most likely following this status, Pokémon Trainer has been buffed significantly in the transition to Ultimate.
Notably, both the stamina mechanic and type effectiveness have been completely removed, and Pokémon Change has been granted high utility due to the addition of aerial switching and significantly faster Pokémon switches. As such, switches between the three Pokémon have now become a unique advantage for the Pokémon Trainer alone instead of being a major mandatory commitment, and the Pokémon are now free to fight indefinitely without being limited by Stamina during battle. In addition, Ivysaur, who was previously the worst Pokémon in the party, has been greatly buffed, and the general changes to Ultimate's mechanics greatly benefit Ivysaur and Squirtle.
Despite some noteworthy buffs, Pokémon Trainer has also received some nerfs. The removal of type effectiveness slightly benefits Charizard and greatly benefits Ivysaur due to the latter's weakness to the near omniprescent flame effect, it also greatly hinders Squirtle due to its resistance to said effect. Additionally, while Pokémon Change has been greatly improved, it has also received a few new disadvantages, as there is now a timer which prevents switching for a couple of seconds (although there are ways to work around this) and it no longer resets stale move negation, effectively weakening the next Pokémon. Squirtle has also been objectively nerfed overall, and Ivysaur and Charizard have received a few nerfs as well.
Nevertheless, Pokémon Trainer has become a significantly more effective character than in Brawl. Despite retaining a high learning curve, all three Pokémon now boast their own degree of effectiveness for certain matchups, making the character more dynamic overall. Still, while each of the Trainer's Pokémon is usable as its own character, as in Brawl, usage of all three for different situations is optimal.
Aesthetics
The male Pokémon Trainer's model is significantly more detailed than it was in Brawl, having stylized body proportions and sharper, slimmer eyes. Additionally, the Trainer's Poké Balls have been resized to fit in his palm. Both of these changes make his design similar to the style of recent Pokémon titles.- The Pokémon Trainer has completely new alternate costumes based on protagonists in the Pokémon series. Half of them are based on the female Pokémon Trainer from FireRed and LeafGreen. In addition to distinct voice clips, the majority of her animations are unique.
- The Pokémon Trainer now turns in a battle to face the position of the Pokémon.
- The announcer no longer calls out Squirtle, Ivysaur, or Charizard on the character selection screen; instead, when selecting a Pokémon manually, a small portrait of Squirtle, Ivysaur, or Charizard appears in the upper right portion of Pokémon Trainer's portrait.
- Triple Finish has a different text box and animations; the text box is now identical to how they appear in the Generation VII games.
- The Pokémon Trainer now says "All right!" when performing an up taunt and "Yeah!" when performing a down taunt.
- On the results screen, the Pokémon Trainer is shown and announced as the winner of the fight rather than the Pokémon that was in battle.
- The Trainer's face is also used as the stock icon for all three Pokémon, although the Pokémon also have their own stock icons used for other modes.
- The Trainer now claps on the results screen, instead of looking down in disappointment like in Brawl.
- Pokémon Trainer's crowd cheer is now "I choose you!"
- Both genders of the Pokémon Trainer have unique reactions to the situation of their Pokémon, such as when it lands a hit, takes a hit, scores a KO or is KO'd.
- If the Trainer's Pokémon is moved horizontally when he is standing on the main platform of large stages (such as the Training stage), he will chase his Pokémon by dashing into them instead of a space jump.
- As with all previously cut veterans returning from Melee and Brawl, Pokémon Trainer now has a Boxing Ring title and a Palutena's Guidance conversation.
- Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard, as well as both Trainers now each have an individual Sound Test section, rather than being grouped together.
- In matches with five or more players, the Pokémon Trainer will not appear on-screen - instead Poké Balls will be thrown and recalled from behind the screen.
Attributes
The Stamina mechanic has been removed, eliminating the need to switch out Pokémon to restore their power.- Type effectiveness has been removed, which affects the three Pokémon in different ways:
Loss of type effectiveness greatly nerfs Squirtle, who no longer takes less knockback from flame damage.- Loss of type effectiveness greatly benefits Ivysaur, who no longer takes extra knockback from flame damage.
- Loss of type effectiveness also slightly buffs Charizard, who no longer takes extra knockback from water damage, which is more prevalent than in Brawl.
- Squirtle is now selected as the starting Pokémon by default when the player chooses Pokémon Trainer on the character select screen. This selection can still be changed before starting the match by pressing
or 
, or highlighting the Pokémon. In Brawl, a random starting Pokémon would be chosen by default if the player did not choose a Pokémon on the character select. If an amiibo of the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon is used, the default starting Pokémon will be locked into this Pokémon.
Special moves
- Pokémon Change:
- Pokémon Change executes much faster, and no longer requires the game to load the next Pokémon with every switch. This significantly increases its safety, and allows it to potentially string into another Pokémon's moves.
- It can now be used in the air. This allows the player to mix up their recovery between different Pokémon, and to utilize its intangibility frames as a pseudo-air dodge, with the notable advantage of coming out on frame 1. As a result, it poses much less of a risk than in Brawl as a defensive option.
- It has a cooldown of around two seconds after the Pokémon switch is executed. However, it can be skipped by using another special move.
- It no longer resets stale-move negation, effectively weakening the next Pokémon when the current Pokémon switches.
- It can no longer skip the ending lag of the switch if performed near the edge of a moving platform, although it still grants Ivysaur an extra midair jump.
- Triple Finish:
- Triple Finish deals less total damage (58% → 44.3%).
Update history
Unlike his Pokémon, Pokémon Trainer did not receive any buffs or nerfs via game updates due to not being a directly playable character. Instead, he received only a number of fixes to both minor and major glitches.
Fixed a glitch where button mashing Pokémon Change canceled Monkey Flip's knockback.[1]
- Fixed a glitch where Pokémon Change would not properly switch Pokémon during Special Smash.
- Fixed a Ditto-related glitch where Pokémon Trainer would enter on-stage in Training Mode.
- The duration of ledge invincibility is no longer shortened when using Pokémon Change in the air before grabbing the ledge.
- The Unlimited Rebellion Gauge glitch has been fixed.
- Fixed a bug in Garden of Hope that caused the Pokémon to remain tiny after escaping the fully constructed pot if they used Pokémon Change at the top of the pot.
Moveset
Although Pokémon Trainer is technically a fighter, he stays in the background and does not directly participate in a battle. Instead, he has a team of three Pokémon (Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard) that he instructs to fight in a battle. Only one Pokémon is active at once, and all three of them have different movesets and abilities.
It is possible to change which Pokémon the Pokémon Trainer starts with at the beginning of a battle. On the character select screen, Pokémon Trainer has the starting Pokémon's portrait to the upper-right of the portrait. If the Y button is pressed, or if the Pokémon's portrait is hovered over and selected, the starting Pokémon is toggled to the next one. The default Pokémon is Squirtle, who can be toggled to Ivysaur, then Charizard, and then back to Squirtle.
The three Pokémon have separate movesets and attributes. The only moves shared by the Pokémon are their down special move (Pokémon Change) and their Final Smash (Triple Finish). Pokémon Change involves the Pokémon Trainer recalling the currently active Pokémon and sending out the next one to replace it. The order that the Pokémon are changed in is the same as toggling on the character select screen: Squirtle switches to Ivysaur, Ivysaur to Charizard, and Charizard to Squirtle. Triple Finish is a combination attack in which the Pokémon Trainer temporarily brings out all three of his Pokémon to attack simultaneously. The attack boasts a large range and inflicts damage to any opponents caught in it. Once it concludes, the two inactive Pokémon are recalled.
Although he is not directly controllable, the Pokémon Trainer can be seen standing in the background of the stage, commanding the Pokémon and reacting to the Pokémon's situation. Various animations and voice lines differ for the Pokémon Trainer and his female counterpart. The Pokémon Trainer is able to move around somewhat on most stages, running toward his current Pokémon if it is far enough away, and will also turn to face the position of his Pokémon at most times. On some stages, the Pokémon Trainer stands on a special platform in the background instead of standing on a portion of the stage's background. On these stages, the Pokémon Trainer can not move around, but will still turn to face his Pokémon.
Pokémon Trainer does not appear in the background during battles with five or more players, in Squad Strike's Tag Team mode, or on Custom Stages. However, he can still be heard giving commands and the Poké Ball and its energy effects can be seen traveling towards the foreground, implying that the Pokémon Trainer is in the foreground and outside of the camera's view. This also happens in certain single player and co-op modes.
The Pokémon Trainer reacts to various situations and inputs:
- When the active Pokémon performs a special move, the Pokémon Trainer gestures with one arm, pointing in a specific direction based on the input or direction the Pokémon is facing:
- Neutral special move: Points left or right, based on the direction the Pokémon is facing.
- Side special move: Points left or right, based on the direction the move was used in.
- Up special move: Points towards the direction the Pokémon is facing, or upwards if the Pokémon is above.
- When using the Pokémon's down special move, Pokémon Change, the Pokémon Trainer throws the next Pokémon's Poké Ball toward the Pokémon's position, then holds up the previous Pokémon's Poké Ball as it is recalled in energy form. The Pokémon Trainer then puts the Poké Ball away in his backpack (male) or her purse (female) and pulls out the next Pokémon's Poké Ball. The Pokémon Trainer also says a voice line, either encouraging the next Pokémon or praising the previous Pokémon.
- Pokémon Change cannot be used again until this animation completes or is interrupted by using another special move.
- When using the Final Smash, Triple Finish, the Pokémon Trainer throws the other two Pokémon's Poké Balls out and points toward the direction the move was used in for the duration of the attack while saying a voice line including the name of the move. Once the attack is over, the Pokémon Trainer recalls the other two Pokémon and puts the Poké Ball away in his backpack or her purse.
- Pokémon Change cannot be used until this animation completes or is interrupted by using another special move.
- When the active Pokémon lands a hit, the Pokémon Trainer does a small fist pump with a happy expression.
- When the active Pokémon scores a KO:
- The male Trainer raises his left fist and fist pumps, while nodding and winking, with a happy expression.
- The female Trainer jumps into the air with her right arm raised, doing a full spin mid-jump, and does a double fist pump as she lands.
- When the active Pokémon is hit:
- The male Trainer throws his left fist downwards with a distressed expression.
- The female Trainer winces with a distressed expression.
- When the active Pokémon has changed into a different active Pokémon type:
- The male Trainer might say "Come back!" during a fight.
- The female Trainer might say "Return!" during a fight.
- When the active Pokémon is KO'd:
- Both Trainers shake their heads while covering their faces with their left hand. They may say "Ah!" or "Dang it!" (the latter for their alternate KO line)
- When the active Pokémon is stunned (including from a shield break) or buried:
- The male Trainer puts his left hand on the back of his head (or in the female Trainer's case, on the side of her head) and looks downward with a distressed expression. He will say one of three lines: the Pokémon's name in a distressed tone, "Wake up!", or "Get a hold of yourself...!" (male) and "You got this." (female)
Announcer call
|
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Unlike in Brawl, Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard do not have unique announcer calls.
English/Japanese/Chinese
French
On-screen appearance
Pokémon Trainer sends out the starting Pokémon from its Poké Ball while saying "Go!" and the Pokémon's name; the female Trainer winks and smiles while doing so.
Squirtle's on-screen appearance
Ivysaur's on-screen appearance
Charizard's on-screen appearance
Taunts
Male
- Up taunt: Triumphantly raises his Poké Ball into the air.
- Side taunt: Fist pumps with his left hand.
- Down taunt: Fist pumps with his left hand while posing triumphantly.
Male Pokémon Trainer's up taunt.
Male Pokémon Trainer's side taunt.
Male Pokémon Trainer's down taunt.
Female
- Up taunt: Fist pumps with her left hand while triumphantly raising her Poké Ball into the air.
- Side taunt: Fist pumps with her left hand.
- Down taunt: Jumps slightly off the ground while doing a double fist pump.
Female Pokémon Trainer's up taunt.
Female Pokémon Trainer's side taunt.
Female Pokémon Trainer's down taunt.
Pokémon Trainer's taunt quotes in each language are:
| Up | Down | |
|---|---|---|
| English | "All right!" | "Yay!" |
| Japanese | "よし。" (Alright.) |
うん！" (Yeah!) |
| Spanish | "¡Ja!" | "¡Tu puedes!" |
Idle poses
Male
- Rubs his left leg with his left hand.
- Jumps gently on the spot twice.
Male Pokémon Trainer's first idle pose.
Male Pokémon Trainer's second idle pose.
Female
- Wipes her brow with her left hand.
- Stretches her right arm, holding her elbow with her left hand.
Female Pokémon Trainer's first idle pose.
Female Pokémon Trainer's second idle pose.
Crowd cheer
| Cheer (English) | Cheer (Japanese/Chinese) | Cheer (Italian) | Cheer (Dutch) | Cheer (French) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheer |   |
(♂) (♀) |
(♂) (♂) (♀) (♀) | ||
| Description | I choose you! | Pokémon Trai - ner! | A - llena - to - re di Po - ké - mon! (♂) A - llena - tri - ce di Po - ké - mon! (♀) |
Pokémon Trai - ner! | Dre - sseur de Poké - mon! (♂) Dre - sseuse de Poké - mon! (♀) |
| Cheer (German) | Cheer (Spanish) | Cheer (Russian) | Cheer (Korean) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheer | (♂) (♀) |
(♂) (♂) (♀) (♀) |
||
| Description | Po - ké - mon Trai - ner! (♂) Po - ké - mon Trai - ner - in! (♀) |
En - trenador! Po - ké - mon! (♂) En - trenadora! Po - ké - mon! (♀) |
Trener! Pokemonov! | Pokémon Trai - ner! |
Victory poses
The male Trainer can say "You all did great!" (よくやったな、みんな！, Good job, everyone!), while the female Trainer can say "Everyone did great!" (みなさんは素晴らしい！, All of you did great!). They will either say a non-specific line, or a Pokemon-specific line. In Team Battles, if there are more than two players on the winning team, the Pokémon will not be present, but this does not affect the Trainer's lines. The male and female Trainers also have variations in their own pose depending on the gender of the Trainer, similarly to the Inklings.
- Left: The Trainer throws a Poké Ball up. The male Trainer poses before catching the Poké Ball and holding it in front of him, while the female Trainer performs a twirl, catches it, and holds it out in front of her. The only animation the Pokémon Trainers use during team victories.
- Up: The Pokémon does one of its moves, and the Trainer cheers it on. The male trainer ends his pose by raising his left arm high in the air with a fist pump. The female trainer ends her pose by bending her left elbow with a fist pump.
- Right: The Trainer pets the Pokémon.
Squirtle
During Squirtle's victory poses, the male Trainer might say "Good job, Squirtle!" (よくやったな、ゼニガメ！ This translates to "Good job, Squirtle!"), while the female Trainer can say "We did it, Squirtle!" (やったね、ゼニガメ！ This translates to "We did it, Squirtle!").
- Left: Jumps and spins around on its shell in a breakdance move, and then lands and poses.
- Up: Spits water quickly in three directions, does a backflip, then poses with its arm in the air.
- Right: The Pokémon Trainer holds Squirtle, then kneels down and puts it on the ground, and rubs its chin and head.
Ivysaur
During Ivysaur's victory poses, both Trainers can say "Way to go, Ivysaur!" In Japanese, the male Trainer says がんばったな、フシギソウ！, while the female Trainer says がんばったね、フシギソウ！, both of which translate to "You did great, Ivysaur!"
- Left: Runs forward, does a backflip, then strikes a pose.
- Up: Whips two vines forward, then poses with its vines extended.
- Right: The Pokémon Trainer pets Ivysaur, who then jumps on the Trainer, but the Trainer puts it back down and continues to pet it.
Charizard
During Charizard's victory poses, the Pokémon Trainer might say "You did it, Charizard!" (リザードン, あなたは最高です！, This translates to "Charizard, you're the best!"), while the female Trainer can say "You're amazing, Charizard!" (すごいね、リザードン！, This translates to "Amazing, Charizard!").
- Left: Stomps and rears its head back to roar upward, then strikes a pose.
- Up: Uses Flare Blitz downwards to descend from the sky and crash into the ground, bounces out of it and lands on its feet, then strikes a pose.
- Right: The Pokémon Trainer pets its head and neck.
In competitive play
Most historically significant players
See also: Category:Pokémon Trainer players (SSBU)
Atelier - Used Pokémon Trainer as a main during the pandemic, and was considered the best Pokémon Trainer in Japan during this time, winning the regional Maesuma TOP 3, placing 2nd at the major Kagaribi 3, and placing 4th at the supermajor Kagaribi 5. He has since relegated Pokémon Trainer as a co-main, mainly using Wolf in tournament.- HIKARU - Although known for playing a variety of characters, he mainly played Pokémon Trainer from mid-2019 up until early-2020, and was considered the best Pokémon Trainer player in Japan. With Pokémon Trainer, he notably placed 17th at the supermajors Umebura Japan Major 2019, EVO 2019, and EVO Japan 2020 and was ranked 41st on the Fall 2019 PGRU.
Leffen - The best Pokémon Trainer player in Europe in the early metagame, although the majority of his tournament activity was in the United States. He notably won the superregional DreamHack Winter 2019 and has also placed 9th at the major Smash Ultimate Summit 2 defeating Tweek and 17th at the supermajor Super Smash Con 2019 defeating Maister. He was also ranked in the Area 51 position on the Fall 2019 PGRU.
moxi - One of the best Pokémon Trainer players in the world in the early metagame, ranking 33rd on the Fall 2019 PGRU. She placed top 64 at almost every major she attended while using the character, including placing 13th at Mainstage and 17th at EVO 2019. However, since late-2021 she has dropped Pokémon Trainer in favor of Wolf.- Ned - Mained Pokémon Trainer in 2019, and was considered one of the best Pokémon Trainer players in the United States, ranking 37th on the Fall 2019 PGRU and placing 9th at DreamHack Atlanta 2019 and 13th at The Big House 9. Since then, he has picked up other characters to play alongside Pokémon Trainer.
- Puppeh - One of the best Pokémon Trainer players in the United States and one of the few notable Pokémon Trainer players who continued to solo-main the character in the post-online metagame. His breakout tournament was placing 5th at the major CEO 2019 defeating Nairo, ESAM, and Samsora, and he has since consistently placed in the top 48 at almost every major he has attended. His best ranking was 28th on the Spring 2019 PGRU.
- Quidd - The best Pokémon Trainer player in the world in the post-online metagame, although he seldom travels outside his region. Aside from winning several large events in his region, he is also the second Pokémon Trainer player to win a major, doing so at Let's Make Big Moves 2022.
- Tweek - Although he only played Pokémon Trainer for several months in the second half of 2019, he is considered the best Pokémon Trainer of all-time and was a top 3 player in the world when he played the character. He is the first Pokémon Trainer to win a major, doing so at Low Tier City 7, and has also placed 2nd at the supermajor EVO 2019 and 3rd at the supermajor Super Smash Con 2019.
- Wishes - The best Pokémon Trainer in the first few month of the game's lifespan, ranking 21st on the Spring 2019 PGRU and placing 9th at the supermajor Frostbite 2019 and the major Collision 2019. However, he began slowly picking up Joker as time went on before retiring by 2020.
Tier placement and history
Thanks to the various buffs given to his three Pokémon, especially the removal of the infamously counter-intuitive mechanics stamina and type effectiveness, Pokémon Trainer received a strong positive reception in the early metagame. This reception correlated with a large playerbase in the early metagame which was initially spearheaded by players such as Wishes and Puppeh. This playerbase only grew as 2019 went on after many other players began placing well with the character, including moxi, Ned, and -- most notably -- Tweek, who notably won the major Low Tier City 7 with solo-Pokémon Trainer. By the end of the year, all three superregions had a Pokémon Trainer player ranked on the PGRU or its Area 51: the aforementioned players in North America, HIKARU in Japan, and Leffen in Europe. This resulted in Pokémon Trainer having one of the best representation in the early metagame, peaking at 5th for the second half of 2019, and leading many to believe the character was top 10.
During and following the COVID-19 pandemic, Pokémon Trainer saw a decline in tourney success, due to multiple factors such as buffs to other characters, a lack of viability online, downloadable content bringing forth a number of stronger characters, and new weaknesses growing more apparent such as mediocre ground mobility, limited landing options, linear gameplans, poor ledge options, weak recoveries, and an over-reliance on Pokémon Change to cover one another's weaknesses. In addition, Ivysaur, who was initially considered the best Pokemon of the three, received nerfs in Patch 4.0.0 such as increased startup lag on Razor Leaf, reduced knockback on Vine Whip, and down aerial's smaller sweetspot.
Most likely as a result of this, almost all of Pokémon Trainer's best players from the early metagame either dropped the character (most notably HIKARU and Tweek), relegated the character to a secondary (most notably Ned), or stopped competing altogether (most notably Leffen and Wishes). Although this led to a decline in representation, several new Pokémon Trainer players stepped into the limelight, including Atelier and DDee. Most notable among these new players was Quidd, who won the major Let's Make Big Moves 2022 and has since been a consistent top 50 player despite limited appearances outside of his region. The efforts of these players has kept Pokémon Trainer's reputation afloat, and he is still considered a strong character in the current metagame. This is reflected in the character's current placement on the tier list, where he is ranked 23rd out of 82 characters as a high-tier.
Classic Mode: The Future Champion
Pokémon Trainer's route refers to becoming the Pokémon Champion, which is one of the primary goals in the Pokémon games. Like in Pikachu's route, the opponents are all Pokémon and all Rounds are fought on Pokémon stages. Each Round will start with the Pokémon chosen on the character select screen, regardless of which one was active at the end of the previous round.
| Round | Opponent | Stage | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Pikachu |
Pokémon Stadium | Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Melee) |
| 2 |  Jigglypuff |
Pokémon Stadium | Battle! (Trainer Battle) - Pokémon X / Pokémon Y |
| 3 |  Lucario |
Unova Pokémon League | Battle! (Trainer) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon |
| 4 |  Incineroar |
Kalos Pokémon League | Battle! (Elite Four) / Battle! (Solgaleo/Lunala) |
| 5 |  Greninja |
Pokémon Stadium 2 | Battle! (Champion) - Pokémon X / Pokémon Y |
| 6 |  ( ) Opposite-gender Pokémon Trainer |
Pokémon Stadium 2 | The Battle at the Summit! |
| Bonus Stage | |||
| Final |  Mewtwo, then Master Hand |
Final Destination | Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley (Mewtwo) Master Hand (Master Hand) |
Note: Items are disabled in every round.
Completing Classic Mode as Pokémon Trainer has Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl) accompanying the credits that roll every time the player finishes a Classic route, with the selected Pokémon playable during the credits minigame rather than the actual Trainer.
Role in World of Light
The male Pokémon Trainer was among the fighters summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.
During the opening cutscene, the Pokémon Trainer was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed its beams of light. Working together with Bowser and his Fire Breath, he sent out Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard in an attempt to fight back against the beams with Triple Finish, but to no avail. All four were vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the rest of the fighters (excluding Kirby).
The male Pokémon Trainer can be found at the southeast near the maze that resembles Pac-Maze. Defeating him also grants access to all of his Pokémon, as well as his female counterpart. Uniquely, the player controls the Trainer instead of his Pokémon on the overworld during World of Light.
Fighter Battle
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Power | Stage | Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33-35 | |
Pokémon Trainer |  |
7,500 | Battlefield (Ω form) | Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl) |
Spirits
While Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard's fighter spirits are obtained by completing Classic Mode as Pokémon Trainer, the spirits for the Trainers themselves are only available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Pokémon Trainer has been unlocked. Unlocking Pokémon Trainer in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As fighter spirits, they cannot be used in Spirit Battles and are purely aesthetic. Unlike most fighters, the spirits for Pokémon Trainer only use their artwork from Ultimate, rather than also having alternative artwork from a previous appearance.
412. Pokémon Trainer (Male)
413. Pokémon Trainer (Female)
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Alternate costumes
Only the starting Pokémon is shown on the character selection screen; it can be changed by pressing Y or by hovering the cursor over it and selecting it. Each of Pokémon Trainer's alternate costumes references a protagonist from the first seven generations of the Pokémon games.
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Gallery
Pokémon Trainer's amiibo.
Pokémon Trainer's fighter card.
Pokémon Trainer's unlock notice.
Artwork of all playable Pokémon characters and Poké Ball Pokémon, as posted by the official Pokémon Twitter account.
Charizard using Flare Blitz on Prism Tower.
Ivysaur taunting on Gaur Plain.
The Pokémon trio dashing from a Burrowing Snagret on The Great Cave Offensive.
Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard on Skyworld.
The female Trainer throwing a Poké Ball on Prism Tower.
Squirtle attacking Inkling with Water Gun on Pokémon Stadium 2.
Squirtle getting splashed by Isabelle's down smash on Delfino Plaza.
Squirtle being hit by Lucario's dash attack on the Bridge of Eldin.
Charizard with Lucina on Skyworld.
Ivysaur using its dash attack against a Leaf Shielding Mega Man on Tortimer Island.
Female Pokémon Trainer with a taunting female Pikachu on Battlefield.
Squirtle, Ivysaur and a giant golden Pikachu on Pokémon Stadium 2.
Ivysaur taunting with Sheik on Tomodachi Life.
Fighter Showcase Video
Trivia
- Pokémon Trainer is the only composite character:
- To have been separated in a sequel and later changed back into a composite character.
- To have male and female alternate costumes.
- Each of the three Pokémon appear as solo CPU characters during Classic Mode, World of Light, and spirit battles without the Trainer. They also use their own stock icons. In World of Light, if the player selects Pokémon Trainer, the selected Pokémon is used on the battle preparation screen as well.
- When freeing Pokémon Trainer from Galeem, the male Trainer's eyes will be normally colored during the match despite his pre-battle render having the red-eye glow that other World of Light spirit fights have. His Pokémon will have red eyes, however.
- The male Pokémon Trainer shares his English voice actor, Billy Thompson, with Greninja. Thompson has confirmed this in a Tweet where he jokingly asserted that the Pokémon Trainer's name is Momo and that Pokémon Trainer is his "most hated role yet".
- The official render of the female Pokémon Trainer uses her Pokémon's default colors, as does her appearance in the promotional image for the "The Ultimate Partnership" Online Tourney. However, in-game, the Pokémon use alternate color schemes with the female Trainer.
- The Trainer's Pokémon do not appear on the victory screen if there are three or more players on the winning team, nor on the "No Contest" screen. Despite this, Ivysaur can still be heard whenever it is the fighter with the highest score/stock count at the end of a game. Additionally, if Pokémon Trainer loses all stocks but still wins in a Team Battle, the next Pokémon will be shown on the victory screen rather than the last one KO'd.
- Prior to launch, there was a glitch where Pokémon Trainer could win a timed match regardless of the score. This would only occur whenever Sudden Death was supposed to happen.
- In Spanish, German, French, and Italian, the voice clip from the announcer on the victory screen is slightly different from the one used on the character select screen, instead featuring a noticeable translation of "the" (respectively, "el Entrenador Pokémon"/"la Entrenadora Pokémon", "der Pokémon-Trainer"/"die Pokémon-Trainerin", "le Dresseur de Pokémon"/"la Dresseuse de Pokémon", and "l'Allenatore di Pokémon"/"la Allenatrice di Pokémon"). This also happens with Wii Fit Trainer, Inkling, Villager, Hero, the Ice Climbers, Zombie, Enderman, and the Mii Fighters.
- If Pokémon Trainer is present in an 8-Player Smash, the sound effects for transitioning to the results screen will be out of sync, with the sound effect playing before the animation.
- The male Pokémon Trainer's official artwork closely resembles his battle sprite from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
- If a game modification is used to enable instant KOs during a result screen, Pokémon Trainer will change animations from their results screen victory/defeated animation to their in-game defeated animation.
- If Ultimate is hacked to be able to select one of the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon individually, the Trainer will function normally aside from multiple of the same costume being able to be selected and using each Pokémon's stock icon (which changes with the Pokémon in play) instead of the Trainer's own, similar to how Pyra and Mythra use interchangeable stock icons.
References
