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Pokémon follows young Trainers who travel with their Pokémon, and the cast changes with each region. For 25 seasons, from 1997 to 2023, the lead was Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, always with his partner Pikachu. Each series gave him new travelling companions: Misty and Brock in Kanto and Johto, May in Hoenn, Dawn in Sinnoh, Serena in Kalos and Goh in Journeys, while Gary Oak was his first rival. Team Rocket's Jessie, James and Meowth chase Pikachu in almost every series. Since April 2023, Pokémon Horizons: The Series has two new leads, Liko and Roy, who sail with Friede's crew, the Rising Volt Tacklers, while the Explorers, Amethio among them, follow their trail. This page covers 17 characters from both eras, with their Japanese voice actors and, where a source confirms it, their Brazilian Portuguese dub voices.
The protagonist of the first 25 seasons. Ash is a boy from Pallet Town in the Kanto region whose dream is to become a Pokémon Master. He moves from region to region, challenging Gyms and leagues and catching new Pokémon, with Pikachu always at his side. He is impulsive, warm and quick to make friends. His run as lead ended in Japan in 2023. Voiced by Rica Matsumoto in Japanese; Fábio Lucindo voiced him in the Brazilian dub from 1999 to 2015.
One of the two leads of Pokémon Horizons. Liko is a shy girl from the Paldea region who starts at Indigo Academy and soon finds herself at the centre of a mystery tied to a pendant she carries. She picks Sprigatito as her first partner and joins Friede's crew. Thoughtful and determined, she gains confidence as the adventure grows. Voiced by Minori Suzuki in Japanese.
The second lead of Pokémon Horizons. Roy is a boy from an island who has always dreamed of setting out on a great adventure. He befriends a Fuecoco, which becomes his partner, and joins Liko aboard Friede's airship. Energetic and straightforward, he balances Liko's caution with his eagerness to try new things. Voiced by Yuka Terasaki in Japanese.
Ash's partner and his very first Pokémon, received from Professor Oak on the day his journey begins. It is the only Pokémon that stays on Ash's team through every series, and the bond between the two is the heart of the show. An Electric-type, it carries many of Ash's battles. Team Rocket tries to catch it in episode after episode. Voiced by Ikue Ōtani, who also voices Captain Pikachu in Horizons.
One of Ash's first travelling companions. Misty is a Gym Leader from Cerulean City and a Trainer who specialises in Water-type Pokémon. She journeys with Ash and Brock across Kanto, the Orange Islands and Johto, and she is not shy about telling Ash when he is wrong. She also appears again in later series. Voiced by Mayumi Iizuka in Japanese and by Márcia Regina in the Brazilian dub.
The oldest member of the original group, a former Gym Leader from Pewter City. Brock joins Ash early in Kanto and travels with him for many seasons, up to Sinnoh. He cooks for the group, looks after everyone's Pokémon and early on wants to become a Pokémon Breeder. He is also known for falling for nearly every young woman he meets. Voiced by Yūji Ueda in Japanese.
Ash's main companion in the Advanced Generation series, set in Hoenn. May is the daughter of the Petalburg City Gym Leader, but she is less interested in Gym battles than in Pokémon Contests, where Trainers show off the style and beauty of their Pokémon's moves. She starts as a beginner and grows into a confident Coordinator. Voiced by Kaori Suzuki in Japanese.
Ash's companion in Diamond and Pearl, set in Sinnoh. Dawn is a 10-year-old Coordinator from Twinleaf Town who picks Piplup as her first Pokémon and wants to become a Top Coordinator, like her mother. Cheerful and a little anxious, she travels with Ash and Brock, entering Contests while Ash battles Gyms. Voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in Japanese.
Ash's companion in the XY series, set in Kalos. Serena is from Vaniville Town and, after some searching, finds her goal in Pokémon Showcases, where Performers present routines with their Pokémon. Her dream is to become Kalos Queen. She joins Ash partly because she has a crush on him, and she grows a lot in confidence over the series. Voiced by Mayuki Makiguchi in Japanese.
Ash's partner in Pokémon Journeys, the series that visits every region. Goh is a 10-year-old who wants to catch every kind of Pokémon, with the Mythical Mew as his ultimate goal. Where Ash focuses on battling, Goh focuses on catching, and he joins a research project built around Mew to get closer to his goal. He is smart, driven and sometimes a bit stubborn. Voiced by Daiki Yamashita in Japanese.
A member of the Rising Volt Tacklers who rarely leaves her room on the airship. Dot gathers information for the crew and is skilled with technology, and she runs an online persona called Gurumin. She is withdrawn and keeps her distance from Liko and Roy at first, so getting her to open up is part of the story. Voiced by Yoshino Aoyama in Japanese.
Professor Oak's grandson and Ash's childhood friend and first rival. In the early seasons Gary starts his journey at the same time as Ash and is usually a step ahead, which drives Ash to train harder. The two meet again several times over the years. He returned in Journeys in May 2021, his first appearance in about 12 years. Voiced by Yūko Kobayashi in Japanese since 1997.
The leader of the Rising Volt Tacklers and a mentor figure for Liko and Roy. Friede is a skilled Trainer with a Charizard; he rescues Liko early on and brings her aboard the airship Brave Olivine. His partner is Captain Pikachu, who acts as the ship's captain. Relaxed but sharp in battle, he guides the new Trainers without doing everything for them. Voiced by Taku Yashiro in Japanese.
One half of the Team Rocket duo that follows Ash from the first episode. Jessie is loud, vain and quick-tempered, and she is usually the one who gives the orders when a scheme to steal Pikachu begins. Her plans rarely work, which makes the trio the show's main comic relief rather than a real threat. Her best-known Pokémon is Wobbuffet. Voiced by Megumi Hayashibara in Japanese.
Jessie's partner in Team Rocket. James comes from a wealthy family and joined the gang partly to get away from that life. He is softer than he looks: he collects odd items, gets attached to his Pokémon and often feels sorry for the people he is supposed to rob. With Jessie and Meowth he keeps trying to capture Pikachu. Voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in Japanese.
The third member of the Team Rocket trio and one of the few Pokémon in the series that can speak human language. Meowth often translates what other Pokémon are saying, builds the machines the trio uses in their schemes and dreams of winning his boss's approval. He works with Jessie and James rather than inside a Poké Ball. Voiced by Inuko Inuyama in Japanese.
An agent of the Explorers, the mysterious organisation that pursues the heroes in Horizons. Amethio is calm, serious and determined to get hold of Liko's pendant, and he leads his subordinates Zirc and Onia in repeated attempts to take it. He is a capable Trainer, which makes each encounter a hard fight for the crew. Voiced by Shun Horie in Japanese.
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