Blue

Blue as seen in the FireRed and LeafGreen versions.
Blue
Species	Human
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Relatives	Professor Oak (grandfather) Daisy Oak (older sister)
Debut	Pokémon: Red Version/Pokemon: Green Version

Blue is the Pokémon trainer who originally appeared as Red's rival in the first generation Pokémon games, being the first rival character to appear in the series. He later appeared in the second generation games as a gym leader and has made several other guest appearances in later generations.

Background

Blue was raised in Pallet Town. Ever since his birth, he and Red were rivals. When they grew older, Professor Oak invited them to his laboratory in order to give them their first Pokémon. In Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, FireRed and LeafGreen, there were three starter Pokémon, and Red was allowed to choose first, after which Blue picked a Pokémon that had a type advantage against Red's. In Pokémon: Yellow Version the only starter was an Eevee, which Blue received after insisting upon it. Oak gave them each a Pokédex to record data on their Pokémon and achieve Oak's dream. Blue immediately engaged Red in battle with his new Pokémon, a battle which Red could either win or lose.

Blue traveled throughout Kanto, collecting various Pokémon and beating all eight gym leaders before Red. He also battled Red whenever they crossed paths in their respective adventures. The first battle between them was an optional one at Route 22. Afterwards, Blue battled Red by Route 24, aboard the S.S. Anne, in the Pokémon Tower, and in Silph Co. After both Red and Blue had collected eight badges, they battled at Route 22 before heading off to challenge the Pokémon League.

Blue in HeartGold/SoulSilver.

Blue beat Red to the Pokémon League headquarters and became the new champion after defeating the Elite Four. But his reign was short-lived, as Red was able to defeat him. Professor Oak told Blue that though his intentions were good, he had lost to Red because Red treated his Pokémon with love. In FireRed and LeafGreen, Oak proceeded to update the Pokédexes of Red and Blue so they could catch the newly-discovered Pokémon in the Sevii Islands. Blue eventually grew tired of this task and returned home to catch and train Pokémon at his own rate. He eventually became Pokémon League champion again, this time with some of the new Pokémon on his team, but he was again defeated by Red.

In the following years, Blue became the Gym Leader of the Viridian City gym (following the disappearance of Giovanni), although he left town so often that he rarely was there to accept challenges from other trainers. In Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal Versions (as well as HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions), Blue was the eighth and final gym leader Ethan/Lyra had to face in their Kanto journey. Blue first met with the trainer at Cinnabar Island, where he was examining the ruins of the island and lamenting the devastation that nature could cause. After returning to the gym, Blue was challenged and defeated by Ethan/Lyra. He was initially annoyed at his defeat, but then admitted that Ethan/Lyra was a genuinely good trainer and wanted to beat them someday. He proceeded to give them the Earthbadge (as well as TM 92: Trick Room in HeartGold and SoulSilver). In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Ethan/Lyra can get his Pokégear number from Daisy and call him on Sunday nights (between the hours of 8PM and 4AM) to get him to come to Saffron City's Fighting Dojo for rematches. He also appeared on Cinnabar Island on Fridays after the player defeated Red, when he would be surprised that they were able to beat Red and offer to take a photograph with them.

Blue appeared again in Black and White 2 as one of the competitors in the Pokémon World Tournament held at Unova, competing as a champion in the Champions Tournament while Giovanni acted as part of the gym leader-related divisions instead of him.

In Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Blue and Red were called to the Alola Islands together to act as bosses of the new Battle Tree once it was instated. When the new Alola champion Sun/Moon arrived at the Battle Tree for the first time, Blue introduced himself and Red to them. He congratulated the trainer for becoming a champion and offered to let the trainer choose which of the two of them to battle. Afterwards, the two of them began their roles as bosses of the Battle Tree. Blue specifically acted as a boss for Double Battles, and for Multi Battles he and Red would fight Sun/Moon together.

Pokémon Roster

Blue's Pokémon team develops throughout the Red/Blue/Yellow/Firered/LeafGreen versions. In all games focuses on getting a team of diverse types that are hard to defeat, and his exact roster is a variable depending not only on the version of the game, but also on the choices made by Red and how well he fares in his battles with Blue.

Red/Blue

In Red, Green, Blue, FireRed and LeafGreen, Blue will pick whichever starter Pokémon has a type advantage over the Pokémon chosen by Red (such as picking Charmander if Red chooses Bulbasaur). The full list of Pokémon he uses during the original game is as follows:

• Bulbasaur/Ivysaur/Venusaur, Charmander/Charmeleon/Charizard or Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise - Blue's starter Pokémon that he uses in every battle. It will evolve into its second form before the Route 24 battle and into its third form by the Silph Co. battle.
• Pidgey/Pidgeotto/Pidgeot - The first Pokémon caught by Blue, and he uses it in every battle starting with the optional Route 22 battle. Evolves into Pidgeotto by the Route 24 battle and evolves into Pidgeot by the Silph Co. battle. Blue no longer uses Pidgeot in the second Indigo Plateau battle of FireRed and LeafGreen.
• Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam - Blue first uses an Abra in the Route 24 battle. It evolves into Kadabra by the S.S. Anne battle and into an Alakazam by the Silph Co. battle. Alakazam is also in Blue's Indigo Plateau line-up for all battles.
• Rattata/Raticate - First used in the Route 24 battle. It evolves into Raticate by the S.S. Anne battle and is not used afterwards.
• Growlithe/Arcanine - First used in the Pokémon Tower battle. It evolves into Arcanine by the Indigo Plateau battle. Arcanine is used in the Indigo Plateau battles, but only if Blue has a Venusaur or Blastoise.
• Exeggcute/Exeggutor - First used in the Pokémon Tower battle. It evolves into Exeggutor by the Indigo Plateau battle. Exeggutor is used in the first Indigo Plateau battle, but only if Blue has a Charizard or Blastoise.
• Rhyhorn/Rhydon - First used in the second Route 22 battle. It evolves into Rhydon by the Indigo Plateau battle. Rhydon is a part of Blue's Indigo Plateau line-up in the first match only.
• Gyarados - Blue uses it in the Indigo Plateau battles, but only if he also has a Venusaur or Charizard.
• Heracross - In FireRed and LeafGreen, he uses a Heracross in the second Indigo Plateau battle, in place of Pidgeot.
• Tyranitar - In FireRed and LeafGreen, he uses a Tyranitar in the second Indigo Plateau battle, in place of Rhydon.

Yellow Version

• 

  Blue with an Eevee, his starter in the Yellow Version
  Eevee/Vaporeon, Jolteon or Flareon - Eevee is Blue's starter Pokémon. He uses it in every battle. It evolves by the Silph Co. battle. Eevee becomes Vaporeon if Red loses his first battle with Blue, Jolteon if Red wins every battle with Blue (including the optional Route 22 battle) or Flareon if Red wins the first battle with Blue but loses the optional Route 22 battle or does not go there at all.
• Spearow/Fearow - Blue's first Pokémon that he uses in the optional Route 22 battle. It evolves into Fearow by the Pokémon Tower battle and is used by Blue in every battle until the Silph Co. battle, after which he no longer uses it.
• Sandshrew/Sandslash - First used in the Route 24 battle. Evolves into Sandslash by the second Route 22 battle. Blue uses it in every battle including the Indigo League battle.
• Rattata - Blue uses a Rattata in the Route 24 and S.S. Anne battles, but does not use it afterwards.
• Shellder/Cloyster - Blue first uses Shellder in the Pokémon Tower battle. It evolves into Cloyster by the Silph Co. battle. Blue uses Cloyster in his Indigo Plateau line-up, but only if Blue has either Jolteon or Flareon.
• Vulpix/Ninetales - First used by Blue in the Pokémon Tower battle. It evolves into Ninetales by the Silph Co. battle. Blue uses it in the Indigo Plateau battle only if he has either Vaporeon or Jolteon.
• Kadabra/Alakazam - Blue first uses Kadabra in the Silph Co. battle. It does not evolve until the Indigo Plateau battle.
• Exeggcute/Exeggutor - First used by Blue in the second Route 22 battle. It evolves into Exeggutor by the Indigo Plateau battle.
• Magneton - Blue uses a Magneton in the Indigo Plateau battle, but only if Blue has either a Vaporeon or Flareon.

Gym Leader Line-up

In Gold, Silver and Crystal (as well as HeartGold/SoulSilver) he has a stable line-up for a change, taken from his roster in the original Red/Green/Blue versions. Specifically, he uses Pidgeot, Alakazam, Rhydon, Exeggutor, Gyarados and Arcanine. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, he uses the following Pokémon in rematches:

• Exeggutor
• Machamp
• Rhyperior
• Arcanine
• Tyranitar
• Pidgeot

Later Appearances

In Black 2 and White 2, depending on the type of battle, Blue can use some number of Pokémon from a roster that consists of Aerodactyl, Exeggutor, Gyarados, Alakazam, Arcanine and Machamp. He uses all of those same Pokémon if Sun/Moon chooses to battle him at the Battle Tree in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

For Battle Tree fights in Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, the Pokémon that he may use includes Pidgeot, Arcanine, Alakazam, Machamp, Exeggutor, Gyarados, Aerodactyl, Tyranitar and Rhyperior.

Other Games

Blue appears as the final boss of the Gym Leader Castle in both modes of Pokémon Stadium. In this game his team is once more a variable, depending on whether or not the player's team is transferred from one of the Gameboy games, and if so which game. If the player uses Rental Pokémon, Blue's team consists of Exeggutor, Slowbro, Ninetales, Clefable, Electabuzz and Pinsir. If Red or Blue versions are used, his team is similar to as seen in the Indigo Plateau battle of those games except he uses Magneton and Dodrio in place of Rhydon and Pidgeot. If Yellow Version is used, his Pokémon are the same as the ones he used in the Indigo Plateau battles of those games.

In Pokémon Stadium 2, Blue was the eighth and last of the Kanto gym leaders battled in the Gym Leader Castle. He had Pidgeot, Arcanine, Alakazam, Exeggutor, Rhydon and Gyarados in the first round. In the second round he instead used Gengar, Scyther, Piloswine, Houndoom, Kingdra and Miltank.

His anime counterpart, Gary Oak, made one video game appearance in Pokémon Puzzle League. He appeared as both the first and fifteenth opponent. Gary was the last boss of Hard Mode. In his first battle he used Krabby, Growlithe and Nidoran♀. By the second battle these Pokémon had evolved into Kingler, Arcanine and Nidoqueen.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• In the Pokémon anime, the character of Gary was based on Blue (which in turn influenced the Yellow version of Blue). Like Blue, Gary was Professor Oak's grandson and the rival of Red's counterpart, Ash. Gary's starter Pokémon was not revealed until the end of the Johto arc, and it was a Squirtle, which had by then evolved into a Blastoise. Prior to that, he had used an Eevee which had been assumed to be his starter due to the Yellow Version; that Eevee later evolved into an Umbreon during a Johto episode. Unlike Red and Blue, Ash and Gary rarely battled. Gary was often too busy showing off, and was accompanied by a group of cheerleaders. They had a handful of battles in the Kanto and Johto episodes, which resulted either in a draw or in Gary winning. Eventually, Ash defeated Gary in the Silver Conference of the Johto arc. Gary has since committed himself to becoming a Pokémon researcher like his grandfather, specializing in fossils, and has made occasional appearances in later series and specials.
• He appears in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, which is based on the anime. Thus, he was named Gary and characterized similarly. During the Pokémon League tournament, he lost to Ritchie, and he was seen traveling with Ash in the end.
• Blue has appeared as a supporting character in the Pokémon Adventures manga, with a more sympathetic portrayal. In the Red/Green/Blue arc he is shown as somewhat arrogant, but genuinely more skilled then Red in training Pokémon. His starter is a Charmander that ultimately evolves into Charizard. He and Green wind up gaining supporting roles in aiding Red against Team Rocket, with Blue ultimately fighting and defeating Koga. After Team Rocket's fall, Blue makes it to the finals of the Pokémon League tournament where he loses to Red. In the Yellow arc, he helps to train Yellow and later on during the final battles on Crescent Island he teams up with Koga to defeat his grandfather's nemesis, Agatha. In the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc he becomes Viridian City's gym leader after Red turns down the position, and Blue later aids in the final battles against the Mask of Ice. Red, Blue and Green are featured again the FireRed/LeafGreen arcs where they explore the Sevii Islands and battle the remnants of Team Rocket while teaching their starter Pokémon their ultimate moves. The Pokédex trainers are turned into statues at the end of the arc, but are restored by Jirachi towards the end of the Emerald arc, at which point all then of the Pokédex trainers aid in the final battle against Archie and his artificial Kyogre. His specialty among the Pokédex owners is shown to be Pokémon training.
• Blue was featured in the Pokémon Origins anime, where his characterization and storyline was based more directly on the first generation games. His starter Pokémon was a Squirtle in this version. After losing the championship, Blue was shown to make a failed attempt to capture Mewtwo which resulted in the destruction of his Pokédex and being badly injured himself.
• One episode of the Pokémon Generations anime was called The Challenger and showed the story of Blue defeating the Elite Four to earn the championship.

Trivia

• In the first generation games and its remakes, his name is chosen by the player, and he was simply called "Rival" in the Pokémon Stadium games. In his appearances outside of the first generation games, starting with his appearance in Gold/Silver, his official name was confirmed as Blue.
• Blue was named after the Blue Version, as Red and Blue were the initial two Pokémon games to be released internationally. In Japan, he is instead known as Green, as Green was one of the first versions released in Japan alongside Red. Green would later be used as a default rival name in the American version of FireRed Version.
• Blue is the only rival to appear in multiple generations (not counting remake games) and is also unique in the number of positions he holds throughout the series: rival, champion, gym leader and now Battle Tree leader.
• He is also the only gym leader throughout the series who does not have a specific type theme.
• His role as the leader of the Viridian City gym doubles as a pun in the Japanese version, as in that version Blue is known as Green, and the Earth Badge is known as the Green Badge.