#trainerclass

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Trainer Class Tuesday is back! This week we have... the unexpected appearance of a Firebrather in “Twilight Wings”. I guess this makes Firebreather a Galarian Trainer Class, right? Also, cute Charmander.

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[Commission] Newlyweds Amy and Tim and their partners Raichu and Gengar want to celebrate their wedding with a double battle! <3 #Pokemon #BreX #Commission #TrainerClass #PokemonTrainer #Raichu #AlolanRaichu #Gengar

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Here’s something nice that happened in yesterday’s new “Pokemon Journeys” episode. In one of the first scenes of the episode, we see two people exchanging their Pokemon in the Vermillion City Pokemon Center. A Gentleman trades his Farfetch’d (nicknamed Oshou) for a little girl’s Spearow (nicknamed Onichan). Avid Pokemon players have likely recognized the scene as a reference to the memorable Spearow-for-Farfetch’d in-game trade that happens in Vermillion City in the original Gen I games. But there’s apparently more to this...

Oshou is the Japanese name of Dux, the original in-game trade Pokemon from Pokemon Red and Blue that a little girl (named Elyssa in FRLG) trades for the player’s Spearow. Dux reappears in LGPE in the very same house in Vermillion, but this time it’s not traded. His owner, this time a Gentleman, expresses his will to catch a Spearow. You may ask why they changed Dux’s owner from a little girl to a Gentleman. Possible answer is that it’s a reference to the Pokemon Trader TCG card from Gen I times.

Onichan, in turn, is the Japanese name of Speary, the Spearow owned by a little girl and her father in a house in Viridian City. The house serves mainly as a demonstration of the Pokemon nicknaming mechanism and appears in all core games that feature Kanto. In Johto-based games, Speary is joined by a Rattata nicknamed Rattey.

So yeah, we have a reference to two in-game Pokemon and the NPCs who own them (ironically, none of these two are the original in-game trader from Gen I). If you ever wished for these NPCs to appear in the anime, your wish has just been granted.

Now let's hope that the English dub doesn't screw this up and catches the Pokemon nicknames as Dux and Speary. Otherwise, this entire scene loses its sense. Also, I hope that the anime keeps adding such cute and easy-to-miss game references. They’re incredibly nice to spot.

[pokechars]

Trainer Class Tuesday, Harlequin from Unova, as shown in the Pokemon Special (Adventures) manga.

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In this week’s Trainer Class Tuesday, something new. Channeler from the most recent “Miracle Twin” TCG set in Japan. Card illustration by TOKIYA. One of Kanto’s most memorable Trainer Classes, aren’t I right?

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Continuing our special Pocket Monsters series, tying in with our “Trainer Class Tuesday” tradition... Here is a Youngster from the PM manga. Since he appears early into the Johto arc of the manga, at New Bark Town, it is possible that he was inspired by the (in)famous Joey. However, not only is he left nameless (treating his Trainer title as his name) but also his partner Pokemon is Donphan, rather than Joey’s even more infamous Rattata. So, the connection between him and Joey remains purely speculative. Also, turns out that PM is not as dead as we thought. It is only its monthly CoroCoro run that has ended. The future chapters of the manga will now be serialized in CoroCoro Aniki and CoroCoro Special that have less frequent releases. So, the manga isn’t completely discontinued but will release much rarer than it used to, which may be seen as sign of phasing it out... I guess time will tell. Also, this wasn’t a mistranslation or anything. It was really Anakubo trolling the fans. He’s truly the jester of the Pokemon franchise!

[pokechars]

Back to normal posting, Back to Trainer Class Tuesdays. Coach Trainers (AKA “recolored Ace Trainers”), as represented in the recently released “GG End” set in Japan. Card illustrated by Nagimiso.

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Trainer Class... Saturday (yeah, I’m really sorry for being so idle lately). A new artwork promoting the new Robo-Pikachu Pokemon Center toy. It also features two Super Nerds - RGBY and HGSS design. Obviously, the Robo-Pikachu is a part of the latter design. I really like the idea of making it into a toy.