Paul
- This article is about the character from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. For the English voice actor credited as Ed Paul, see Ted Lewis.
| Paul シンジ Shinji | |
 Paul | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair color | Purple |
| Hometown | Veilstone City |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Relatives | Reggie (brother) |
| Trainer class | Trainer |
| Animated debut | Two Degrees of Separation! |
| English voice actor | Julián Rebolledo |
| Japanese voice actor | Kiyotaka Furushima |
Paul (Japanese: シンジ Shinji) is a recurring character who appeared in the Pokémon anime. He is a Pokémon Trainer from Veilstone City who was first seen at the end of Two Degrees of Separation!, though his full introduction was in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!. He is Ash's main rival in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl.
History
Pre-series
Paul started his journey with his Turtwig throughout Sinnoh, having been inspired by his older brother Reggie's own travels.
In A Pyramiding Rage!, it was revealed that, while Paul was still a beginning Trainer, he watched Reggie lose to Pyramid King Brandon, thus costing him a victory of the Kanto Battle Frontier. Afterwards, Paul became determined to become more powerful. Like his brother, Paul traveled through Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto, participating in their respective League Conferences, but failing to win any of them, before returning to Sinnoh.
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
Paul debuted briefly in Two Degrees of Separation!, although he was formally introduced in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!, where he challenged Ash to a three-on-three battle. After the battle resulted in a tie, Paul released one of the three Starly he caught, writing it off as weak, and walked off.
In Different Strokes for Different Blokes, he defeated Ash in a Single Battle after meeting him along the way when exploring Bewilder Forest. He caught his Ursaring in the forest. During the episode, he insulted Ash and especially his Turtwig by calling it pathetic, sparking their rivalry. At this point, Ash realized Paul's strategy of disregarding Pokémon and then releasing them if they did not meet his expectations. He also commented that he would not lose to Paul again.
In Shapes of Things to Come!, Paul then battled the Oreburgh Gym Leader Roark and managed to win the Coal Badge. Although he stayed to watch Ash's first battle against Roark in the next episode, he walked off. His style of indiscriminately releasing weak Pokémon was shown again as he gave the Azumarill he used against Roark to a kid in the Pokémon Center after it failed to help him in the battle.
In Top-Down Training!, Paul challenged the Sinnoh League Champion Cynthia to a Full Battle. After his first four Pokémon were easily defeated by Cynthia's Garchomp, he surrendered.
In Tag! We're It...!, he was a participant in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition, where he was partnered with Ash. Despite winning the quarterfinal match, he was disappointed with his Chimchar and released him, which Ash quickly caught. Eventually, Paul and Ash managed to win the tournament. Paul then revealed how he captured Chimchar: one day, he ran across him and saw him activating his Blaze Ability to ward off a horde of Zangoose that were violently attacking him. Paul was impressed and decided to catch Chimchar, but he never managed to recreate that powerful Blaze while under his ownership. After winning the tournament, he wrote off the tournament as nothing more than an opportunity to boost his battling skills, giving his Soothe Bell prize to Ash.
In Riding the Winds of Change!, Paul caught his Gliscor.
In Pika and Goliath!, he watched Ash's Pikachu battle Sho's Raichu. After watching Pikachu lose to Raichu, he approached Ash and said Pikachu needed to evolve to even come close to being an equal to Raichu. Later on, he witnessed Pikachu defeat Raichu in Ash's rematch against Sho.
Prior to Lost Leader Strategy!, Paul returned to his hometown Veilstone City, where he challenged the new Gym Leader Maylene to a Gym battle. His Pokémon had a type advantage over Maylene's Fighting-type team. This, coupled with the fact that Maylene was feeling out of sync with her Pokémon, resulted in an embarrassing match in which she failed to knock out a single one of his Pokémon. As Maylene awarded him with the Cobble Badge, Paul noted that she was the weakest Gym Leader he had ever battled, which greatly upset her.
In Chim - Charred!, Paul battled Ash after arguing with him over Ash's true skills as a Trainer. After using his Gliscor to defeat Gligar with relative ease, he then pitted his Ursaring against Chimchar. Chimchar struggled for much of the battle, but ended up making a comeback and defeating Ursaring after finally activating Blaze. The battle ended prematurely when Chimchar's Blaze couldn't be controlled since it was activated out of resentment and a determination to defeat Paul. Paul was impressed as this version of Blaze appeared much more powerful than the one that initially drove him to catch Chimchar in the first place.
In Aiding the Enemy!, Paul used his Honchkrow in a Single Battle against Ash and his newly evolved Grotle, defeating Ash with ease partly due to Grotle being unable to adapt to its loss of speed. This was seen by his Torterra, who later helped Ash's Grotle handle the changes in its evolution.
In Pursuing a Lofty Goal!, he participated in the Squallville PokéRinger with his Honchkrow, and made it to the finals but lost to Ash's Staraptor, which was newly evolved.
In A Pyramiding Rage!, Paul challenged Brandon to a Full Battle, hoping that he would be able to do what his brother failed to. However, he lost to Brandon without defeating any of his Pokémon. Brandon informed him that this loss was because he could not control his emotions.
Following Reggie's suggestion in A Pyramiding Rage!, Paul battled Ash in a Full Battle in Pedal to the Mettle! and Evolving Strategies!. It was revealed that Paul had evolved his Magmar into Magmortar since his battle with Brandon. Despite Ash's Chimchar evolving into Monferno and three of Ash's Pokémon using the Counter Shield strategy, Paul won the match easily with only two of his Pokémon fainting, one of which, Ursaring, having defeated half of Ash's team nearly single-handedly.
In Double-Time Battle Training!, it was revealed that Paul had earned the Mine Badge from Canalave Gym and, by doing so, had collected the eight Badges required to enter the Sinnoh League.
In Fighting Ire with Fire!, Paul encountered Ash for the first time since their Full Battle. He also met his admirer Barry for the first time; however, Paul wasn't impressed by him and refused his offer for a battle, suggesting he battle Ash instead since he was denying all challenges to go into serious training. He later watched the battle between Ash's Monferno and Barry's Empoleon and when Pikachu, Piplup and Empoleon were nearly crushed by one of Team Rocket's damaged mechas, he saved the three with the help of his Electabuzz. He then witnessed Monferno evolving into Infernape, who then saved Electabuzz and the other Pokémon from getting crushed. Paul was impressed by Infernape, and gained a little respect for Ash at how well he had raised him. When asked by Ash if they could have another Full Battle, Paul confirmed they would in the Sinnoh League, and that Reggie was looking forward to seeing it.
Paul entered the Lily of the Valley Conference in An Old Family Blend!, where he was shown in the stadium along with all of the other competitors. He passed the preliminary round in League Unleashed! and defeated Barry in the third round in Casting a Paul on Barry! with his superior tactics and the superior power of his Pokémon.
His next battle was against his rival Ash in Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, continuing into A Real Rival Rouser! and Battling a Thaw in Relations!. After a fierce battle, Paul was finally defeated, and he and Ash parted on good terms, Ash having earned Paul's full respect. It also seemed Paul had decided to change himself somewhat, as when Electivire was defeated, he thanked it for a job well done; up to this point, this was something Paul practically never did, even if his Pokémon won. Afterwards, Paul stated that his next intention was to return to Snowpoint City and re-challenge Brandon.
He briefly appeared in The Semi-Final Frontier!, where he watched Ash as he lost to Tobias.
Privately commenting to Dawn and Brock on the battle between Ash and Paul, Cynthia predicted that they would both be entering the Champion League soon.
Paul made a cameo appearance during the ending credits of Zoroark: Master of Illusions, in which he was seen visiting ancient ruins with statues of Dialga and Palkia.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Paul made a cameo appearance in a flashback in Advice to Goh!.
In Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!, Paul appeared at Professor Oak's Laboratory in order to learn more about Pokémon from Professor Oak. During the visit, he reunited with Ash. Knowing that Ash was in the Masters Eight of the World Coronation Series, Paul used his Gyarados, Garchomp, and Metagross (reflecting the Pokémon owned by Lance, Cynthia, and Steven, respectively) to battle against Ash's Lucario, Dragonite, and Gengar, and ultimately lost. As Paul left, Professor Oak revealed that Paul had received an offer to become a Gym Leader.
In The Fiery Road to Mastership!, Paul appeared with Reggie, watching Cynthia's Masters Eight Tournament match against Iris. In the next episode, they watched Ash's match against Steven. Paul expressed a greater interest during Ash's battle against Steven's Metagross, seemingly pleased that his training with Ash had been effective.
Character
Paul had undergone quite a bit of character development throughout Diamond and Pearl. Early in the series, Paul was very reserved and apathetic, and as such, has been shown to display very little emotion, other than an occasional rough smile when dealing with Ash. He was also very callous, especially when battling, seeing Pokémon as tools for combat rather than living beings to make friends with, and his only concern in them was of their strength in battle. He strongly disliked weak Pokémon and had a tendency of releasing them if they continuously underperformed in battles or otherwise not meeting his expectations. To this effect, Paul always checked new captures with his Pokédex to learn what moves they knew, and released them if he deemed them not strong or potent enough. As for the ones he decided to keep, he was shown to be cruel, callous, and rather impatient, training them with very harsh and brutal methods to make them grow stronger as fast as possible, with little regard for their physical or emotional well-being. He felt that bonding with Pokémon would only turn them into slackers, which was proven when, on one occasion, he gave his prize Soothe Bell, an item that raises a Pokémon's happiness, away to Ash.
He also had a habit of scolding his Pokémon for losing to opponents he felt they could have beaten, some examples being his Azumarill, Chimchar, and Honchkrow, once again showing his distaste when expectations weren't met. These beliefs and behaviors were best exemplified in his harsh treatment of Chimchar (which in and of itself was noted to be much worse compared to that of his other Pokémon); he was shown to have fed him straight from tin cans and rushed him so they could get back to training, as well as forcing him to not dodge attacks (even super-effective ones) for the sake of being able to activate his Blaze Ability at will under pressure. He was also shown to have had his other Pokémon relentlessly attack him for this same purpose. This particularly brutal treatment had formed out of Paul's impatient desire to recreate the powerful first impression which led to Chimchar's capture, a result which Paul's training methods ultimately failed to produce. Notably, besides Chimchar, none of Paul's Pokémon expressed any truly overt dislike or dissatisfaction with Paul as a Pokémon Trainer despite his tough methods, and none are known to have ran away of their own volition, with his Electivire and Ursaring in particular becoming more powerful battlers under his training.
However, Paul had a major turning point after his crushing loss to Brandon in A Pyramiding Rage! and underwent a serious attitude adjustment; he maintained his reserved and stoical personality, but he ceased his cruel tendencies and began treating his Pokémon less like tools and more like highly professional partners. While he still doesn't show them open affection like Ash does, he seems to have dropped his habit of scolding them; in fact, he started to do the exact opposite and commend them not only when they won, but even when they lost, which was something he practically never did prior. For example, in Battling a Thaw in Relations!, he praised his Electivire after it defeated Ash's Gliscor, and thanked it for its efforts after it lost to Ash's Infernape. It is unknown if he continues to practice his selective catching methods after this point as he has never been seen catching or releasing Pokémon again. He had also seemingly become less apathetic and more caring of others, which was best exemplified in Fighting Ire with Fire! when he helped save Ash's Pikachu, Dawn's Piplup, and Barry's Empoleon from Team Rocket's destroyed mecha.
Paul originally felt that Ash was a weak Trainer when they first met, as shown when Ash captured Starly and he questioned him about how strong this Starly was. Ash's very different attitude towards Pokémon also provided much fuel to their rivalry. Despite that, Paul barely recognized Ash as a serious Trainer or a rival, often disregarding his speeches about friendship and love, and taunting and belittling him basically every time they met up with each other, with Ash's Pikachu's usage of Volt Tackle seemingly being the only initial point of Paul's interest. There were also a few points during their rivalry where Paul accused Ash of hypocrisy, for using training methods that he believed were similar to his own (which Ash had criticized him for), such as entering the Wallace Cup and having his own Pokémon attack each other. However, Paul's first hint of respect for Ash was shown in A Pyramiding Rage!, when he was very surprised to hear that he had won his own Brave Symbol from Brandon, something both his brother and later Paul himself failed at. Notably, after this discovery and his subsequent defeat at the hands of Brandon, Paul would become more subdued and much less caustic in his interactions with Ash. Though they remained at clear odds for the time being, he started regarding Ash more seriously and would no longer mock his abilities as a Trainer. His change in attitude was shown after his victories against Ash and Barry, where, despite their losses, he would not dismiss their efforts like before and would even be complimentary after a hard-fought battle. After a long, tough battle in Sinnoh's Pokémon League Conference, Paul ended up losing to Ash, and in doing so, gained respect for him and ended their bitter rivalry on civil terms.
Paul has also been shown to have a certain degree of athleticism, as seen in Different Strokes for Different Blokes when he and Chimchar were able to downwardly scale a cliff of a waterfall near Bewilder Forest by swinging and leaping from rocks and branches. His catchphrase when calling out Pokémon is "<Pokémon>, standby for battle!" (Japanese: ○○！ バトルスタンバイ！ <Pokémon>, Battle Standby!).
As revealed in Lost Leader Strategy!, Paul occasionally gives some of his Pokémon to his brother Reggie for temporary training and caretaking. He disagrees with his brother's decision to give up on being a Pokémon Trainer after failing to get the Brave Symbol from Brandon, and often harbored contempt towards him for having similar views and beliefs about Pokémon to Ash. Nevertheless, it seems that their brotherly relationship has been reanimated. As shown in Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, during their video conversation, Paul seemed disappointed that Reggie would not be able to come to the match because of his work, but was glad to hear that his older brother was supporting him in the battle with Ash.
Paul appears to feel complete indifference to Dawn, shown most tellingly in A Gruff Act to Follow where he is revealed to have not remembered her name. However, he talks to her about Ash much later in Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, confessing his main problem with Ash is how his talk about bringing out a Pokémon's inner strength through his bond with them and that any Pokémon has the potential to be strong reminds him a lot of his brother. Paul shows a mix of mild respect and distaste towards Brock in their few interactions. While usually keeping his distance due to his association with Ash, Paul willingly opened up about Chimchar's history when questioned by Brock in Glory Blaze!, and later explained his frustrations with Reggie to Brock in Aiding the Enemy!. Paul does show respect for his elders, such as Professor Rowan, Cynthia, Nurse Joy, Professor Oak, and Brandon. He also shows respect to Gym Leaders, but not ones who he feels are weak. For example, he was shown to respect Roark whom he judged to have been a worthwhile opponent, but he was openly rude and mean to Maylene after defeating her with ease.
During Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Paul was shown to have developed a lighter side, allowing Electivire to go play with Pikachu and Grookey. He appeared to be strict, yet more calm-headed, scolding Ash for seemingly ignoring his Pokémon's well-being. He also complimented his Pokémon on their performance, regardless of result, and was shown to talk to others with his usual coolness, yet openly smiling at them, seen when Paul bid Infernape farewell. Paul's change was attributed to the fact that he was asked to become a Gym Leader, making him want to learn more about Pokémon and their nature.
Pokémon
| の | This article is missing information on this character's Japanese voice actor. You can help by adding this information. |
As a result of Paul's selective team creation, his active team is composed of Pokémon that he deems to be powerful. Whilst the captures of Ursaring and Gliscor were shown in Different Strokes for Different Blokes and Riding the Winds of Change!, respectively, and Ninjask's was revealed in a flashback during Glory Blaze!, his team has for the most part been caught off-screen. Several other Pokémon in his possession were caught onscreen but later released.
On hand
This listing is of Paul's Pokémon as of the most recent Japanese episode:
| Debut | Two Degrees of Separation! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Kenta Miyake |
| English | Bill Rogers |
- Main article: Paul's Electivire
Electivire was the first of Paul's revealed Pokémon. Paul used it as an Elekid during his first appearance in When Pokémon Worlds Collide! in a battle against Ash and his Pikachu. In Smells Like Team Spirit!, Elekid evolved into Electabuzz during a tag battle in which it was fighting alongside Ash's Chimchar. It reappeared as an Electivire in Casting a Paul on Barry!, having evolved off screen at a prior point. It was used by Paul to battle Barry and Ash in his League matches. It was the last Pokémon used against Ash in their Full Battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference.
Paul used Gyarados as his first Pokémon against Ash when battling at Professor Oak's Laboratory. It went up against Lucario, only to be defeated.
Gyarados's known moves are Ice Fang and Hyper Beam.
Paul used Garchomp as his second Pokémon against Ash when battling at Professor Oak's Laboratory. He went up against Dragonite and won.
Garchomp's known moves are Dragon Claw, Stone Edge, and Draco Meteor.
Paul used Metagross as his third Pokémon against Ash when battling at Professor Oak's Laboratory. It went up against Gengar, only to be defeated. It reappeared in a flashback in Battling as Hard as Stone!.
Metagross's known moves are Agility, Psychic, and Meteor Mash.
With Reggie
In Veilstone City, Reggie told Ash that Paul's "other Pokémon are here too" which may include his reserves. In Glory Blaze!, Paul mentions that he wanted Chimchar to become the most powerful out of all his Fire-type Pokémon. This could mean he has other Fire Pokémon besides Magmortar.
| Debut | Different Strokes for Different Blokes |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Unshō Ishizuka |
| English | Unshō Ishizuka |
- Main article: Paul's Ursaring
Paul caught Ursaring in Different Strokes for Different Blokes with the help of his Chimchar. Ursaring was seen several times since, often battling with Chimchar.
| Debut | Top-Down Training! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Chinami Nishimura |
| English | Bill Rogers |
Paul caught Weavile while he journeyed through Hoenn, Johto, or Kanto. Weavile made its first appearance in a battle against Cynthia's Garchomp where it lost, despite the double type-advantage of Ice.
Paul sent Weavile out in Riding the Winds of Change! where it worked with Electabuzz to capture Gliscor.
Weavile briefly appeared in Aiding the Enemy as Torterra's sparring partner.
Weavile appeared again in Pedal to the Mettle! where it went up against Ash's Staraptor in Ash and Paul's Full Battle and lost, despite the type-advantage.
In Battling a Thaw in Relations!, it was with Reggie along with Paul's Torterra, Ursaring, and Honchkrow, disappointed to find out its Trainer had lost.
Weavile's known moves are Blizzard, Ice Beam, Ice Shard, Swords Dance, and Metal Claw.
| Debut | Top-Down Training! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Daisuke Sakaguchi |
| English | Tim Werenko |
- Main article: Paul's Honchkrow
Honchkrow's first official appearance was as a Murkrow in Top-Down Training!, in which Paul used it in battle against Cynthia's Garchomp. It evolved off-screen between Riding the Winds of Change! and Lost Leader Strategy!.
| Debut | Top-Down Training! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Unshō Ishizuka |
| English | Billy Beach |
- Main article: Paul's Torterra
Torterra is one of Paul's strongest Pokémon and his starter as well. It made its first appearance in Top-Down Training!, in which it was used in a battle against Cynthia's Garchomp.
Torterra helped Ash's Grotle cope with its lack of speed after evolution.
| Debut | Glory Blaze! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | |
| English | Billy Beach |
Paul's Ninjask was caught shortly before Paul met Chimchar, as shown in a flashback in Glory Blaze!. It did not appear again until it was used as Paul's fourth Pokémon against Ash in the Lily of the Valley Conference, where it went up against Gliscor. Taking advantage of its superior speed, it managed to cause substantial damage, while not taking in a single hit. Gliscor was then recalled in favor of Infernape, who eliminated Ninjask with the blast wave from an Underground Flare Blitz and a successful Mach Punch.
Ninjask's known moves are Agility, Fury Cutter, and Giga Drain, and its Ability is Speed Boost.
| Debut | Riding the Winds of Change! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Yūji Ueda |
| English | Marc Thompson |
Paul caught Gliscor in Riding the Winds of Change! after hearing of its reputation as a powerful Pokémon, causing a lot of trouble along with its pack of Gligar. While easily standing up against Electabuzz and Weavile, it was finally caught by Paul, while Ash was trying to talk with it.
Gliscor appeared again in Chim - Charred!, in which it was used to battle Ash's Gligar and won the battle rather easily.
Gliscor made a brief appearance in Aiding the Enemy! along with Paul's other Pokémon outside of the Pokémon Center while the Team Rocket trio took care of Paul's Torterra. Gliscor was not seen again after this.
Gliscor's known moves are X-Scissor, Sandstorm, Knock Off, and Guillotine.
| Debut | Lost Leader Strategy! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Yūji Ueda |
| English | Tom Wayland |
- Main article: Paul's Magmortar
Paul chose Magmortar to replace his Chimchar after he released it. It first debuted as a Magmar in Lost Leader Strategy!, in which it appeared in a flashback. Magmar made its first real appearance in Aiding the Enemy!, sleeping with Paul's other Pokémon.
Magmar's evolution was revealed in Pedal to the Mettle! when Paul chose Magmortar to battle Ash's Pikachu.
| Debut | A Pyramiding Rage! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Unshō Ishizuka |
| English | Bill Rogers |
Hariyama fought against Brandon's Regirock, with Paul bringing it out to utilize its type advantage. It appeared to be very powerful, managing to block Regirock's otherwise deadly Stone Edge with its hands and strike with multiple Arm Thrusts. However, it was caught at close range, stunned with Shock Wave and subsequently taken out by Focus Punch.
Hariyama's known moves are Arm Thrust and Force Palm.
| Debut | A Pyramiding Rage! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Katsuyuki Konishi |
| English | Katsuyuki Konishi |
Paul's Nidoking fought against Brandon's Registeel. Nidoking also proved to be powerful, and unlike Paul's other Pokémon in the battle, actually put up something of a fight. He even surprised Brandon with his ability to recover so quickly from a Flash Cannon to the face. He hit Registeel directly with all of his attacks, but the Drill Pokémon ultimately didn't manage to cause much damage to the Iron Pokémon and was defeated with a powerful Iron Head.
Nidoking's known moves are Earth Power, Double Kick, and Thunderbolt.
| Debut | A Pyramiding Rage! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Kenta Miyake |
| English | Billy Beach |
Paul's Aggron first appeared as a Lairon in A Pyramiding Rage!, in which it fought against Brandon's Regice. Despite having a significant type advantage, it lost in a matter of seconds after only managing to use Iron Defense; Regice froze it solid with Ice Beam and then knocked it out with a single Zap Cannon.
In Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, it was shown to have evolved into Aggron. As Paul's first Pokémon, it went up against Pikachu in the Lily of the Valley Conference match against Ash. With about even strength, Ash made the decision to switch to Infernape. After being successfully burned by Flare Blitz, it was knocked out by an exceedingly powerful Mach Punch. It was one of the two Pokémon used by Paul to uncover Ash's strategy, the other being Gastrodon.
Aggron's known moves are Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Flash Cannon, and Double-Edge, and its Ability is Rock Head.
| Debut | Familiarity Breeds Strategy! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | |
| English | Tom Wayland |
Paul's Gastrodon was the second Pokémon used against Ash in the Lily of the Valley Conference, going up against Staraptor. Adapting Ash's tactics from their previous Full Battle, Gastrodon was shown to be able to easily keep Staraptor off by creating a Counter Shield using Muddy Water. Ash then ordered Staraptor to attack, flying just above the ground, only to be caught by Gastrodon's Body Slam. It then fired Water Pulse directly into the air, planning to dodge the attack descending at an increased speed at the last second. Breaking free by using Close Combat on the ground, Staraptor was then hit by a direct Ice Beam and subsequently substituted with Buizel. It was at this point Paul realized Ash was using the same Pokémon as last time, much to his amused disbelief. As Gastrodon started off with an Ice Beam, Buizel again used his improvised Ice Aqua Jet, sending Gastrodon flying. Going for another Body Slam from the blast, Buizel countered with an Ice Punch, effectively eliminating Gastrodon.
Gastrodon was one of the two Pokémon used by Paul to uncover Ash's strategy, the other being Aggron.
Gastrodon's known moves are Muddy Water, Body Slam, Water Pulse, and Ice Beam.
| Debut | Familiarity Breeds Strategy! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Unshō Ishizuka |
| English | Unshō Ishizuka |
Drapion was the third Pokémon used in the Lily of the Valley Conference match against Ash where it was sent out after Paul had uncovered his strategy. As a result, Drapion was able to successfully eliminate half of Ash's team (Buizel, Staraptor, and Torterra). After defeating Torterra, it was recalled, making Drapion the only Pokémon Paul recalled during the entire battle. Throughout the battle, Drapion's Toxic Spikes poisoned most of Ash's team, until Infernape's improvised Underground Flare Blitz completely burned them off. Later, Drapion went up against Gliscor and, after a fierce battle, was finally knocked out after being successfully burned by Fire Fang.
Drapion's known moves are Pin Missile, Cross Poison, Toxic Spikes, and Poison Fang.
| Debut | A Real Rival Rouser! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Satsuki Yukino |
| English | Bella Hudson |
Froslass was the fifth Pokémon used by Paul in his battle against Ash in the Lily of the Valley Conference. Going up against Ash's Pikachu, she successfully contained his Thunderbolt with Hail, while also activating her Snow Cloak ability, allowing her to constantly disappear and reappear during the battle. Frustrated with the single-sided attacks, Ash ordered Pikachu to use Volt Tackle. As Pikachu went charging towards the oncoming Froslass and ended up going through causing no damage, it seemed Ash was in trouble. Froslass then fired Ice Shard to finish the battle, which Pikachu dodged for a successful Iron Tail, also breaking up the Hail. Pikachu was then frozen by a subsequent Ice Beam, while Froslass was preparing another Ice Shard. Breaking free with Volt Tackle, Pikachu finally took Froslass out of the match.
Froslass's known moves are Hail, Ice Shard, and Ice Beam, and her Ability is Snow Cloak.
Released
It is implied that Paul has caught and released many more Pokémon than what has been shown onscreen.
| Debut | When Pokémon Worlds Collide! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Kiyotaka Furushima |
| English | Sarah Natochenny |
Paul caught these two Starly the same time he caught the final one. Paul released the two once he scanned them on his Pokédex, deeming them too weak for his team, and the fact that they only knew Tackle and Sand-Attack.
Both Starly's known moves are Tackle* and Sand Attack*.
| Debut | When Pokémon Worlds Collide! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Kiyotaka Furushima |
| English | Sarah Natochenny |
Paul caught the final Starly the same time he caught the other two. He decided to keep it once he scanned it on his Pokédex, due to its knowledge of Aerial Ace. It was used against Ash's Starly in their first battle. Despite Paul's Starly winning, Paul decided it was not up to his standards and so it was also released after their battle.
Starly's known moves were Aerial Ace and Double Team.
| Debut | Different Strokes for Different Blokes |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Katsuyuki Konishi |
| English | Katsuyuki Konishi |
Paul caught Stantler while in Bewilder Forest, but released it as soon as he scanned it on his Pokédex, due to the fact that its only move was Tackle.
Stantler's only known move is Tackle*.
| Debut | When Pokémon Worlds Collide! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English | Bill Rogers |
- Main article: Paul's Chimchar
When Paul first saw Chimchar, he was being chased by a group of Zangoose. Paul was impressed with him and added him to his regular team. However, this first impression did not match up to Chimchar's normal abilities and so Paul regularly criticized him for being weak. After losing to Cynthia's Garchomp in Top-Down Training, Paul realized that Chimchar was not fulfilling his expectations. This culminated in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition, in which he was forced to battle alongside Ash. During a battle against a Zangoose and a Metagross, Chimchar was too scared to make any attacks when caught in Zangoose's claws. After the battle, Paul released Chimchar in front of Ash, who then invited him to join his team.
Given away
| Debut | Shapes of Things to Come! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Tomoko Kawakami |
| English | Kayzie Rogers |
Paul was first seen using Azumarill for his battle with Roark in Shapes of Things to Come!, attempting to use the type advantage over the Rock-type Pokémon. However, Roark's Geodude had little trouble in defeating the Water Pokémon, deflecting Hydro Pump with Hidden Power and knocking it out with Rollout.
Unsatisfied with its loss, Paul gave Azumarill away to a little boy during A Gruff Act to Follow!, claiming it had no potential to improve and there was no point wasting his time on it. This infuriated Ash, pushing their rivalry even further.
Azumarill's known moves were Hydro Pump and Water Gun*.
Achievements
Badges obtained
It can be assumed that Paul has at least eight Gym Badges each from Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto, as he has entered all three of their championship competitions.
Sinnoh Badges
This listing is of the Badges Paul has obtained in the Sinnoh region:
- Coal Badge (Shapes of Things to Come!)
- Cobble Badge (prior to Lost Leader Strategy!)
- Relic Badge (prior to Aiding the Enemy)
- Four unknown Badges* (prior to Double-Time Battle Training!)
- Mine Badge (prior to Double-Time Battle Training!)
Pokémon League
Paul has competed in the following Pokémon League Conferences:
- Ever Grande Conference - Unknown (prior to Two Degrees of Separation!)
- Silver Conference - Unknown (prior to Two Degrees of Separation!)
- Indigo Plateau Conference - Unknown (prior to Two Degrees of Separation!)
- Lily of the Valley Conference - Top 8 (Battling a Thaw in Relations!)
Pokémon competitions
Paul has competed in the following Pokémon competitions:
- Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition - Winner (with Ash; Smells Like Team Spirit!)
- Squallville PokéRinger - Runner-Up (Pursuing a Lofty Goal!)
Gallery
Paul after winning the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition
Voice actors
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Artwork
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| Concept artwork from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl | Artwork from "After the story"[1] | ||
Trivia
- Paul was first revealed to the public through a CoroCoro scan that showed him alongside Ash and Dawn commanding a Chimchar. However, his name and role were not revealed until the following week, and so, he received the fan name "Nugai" (a pun derived from "new guy") during that time.
- Three of Ash's Pokémon have evolved while battling Paul: Turtwig into Grotle, Staravia into Staraptor, and Chimchar into Monferno. Both Turtwig and Staravia evolved while battling Honchkrow. Paul also witnessed Monferno's later evolution into Infernape.
- Paul is the first regular rival seen catching a Pokémon and receiving a Gym Badge on screen.
- If one does not count the Squallville PokéRinger, Paul has been defeated onscreen four times, with three of his Pokémon debuting each time.
- Paul has battled Ash more times than any other rival.
- Paul shares his Japanese name with that of Lake Verity.
- Paul is the only Trainer to abandon one of Ash's Pokémon that has been seen more than once outside of flashbacks.
- Paul is the only character to have participated in a Full Battle against Ash more than once.
- During his battle with Ash at Lake Acuity, Paul recalled his Pokémon a total of seven times, the most out of any Trainer in the anime within a single battle.
- Paul is the first regular recurring character to battle the Champion of a core series region.
- Paul owns a Pokémon of every type except for Fairy.
- Paul makes a cameo appearance alongside his Pokémon in the ending Let's Join Hands.
- In the English dub, Paul has a habit of referring to things he dislikes as "pathetic". No equivalent phrase exists in the Japanese version.
- During the tenth season, Paul's catchphrase was "Stand by!" instead of "Stand by for battle!"
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | シンジ Shinji | Possibly from 真珠 shinju (pearl), a reference to Pokémon Pearl. Could also be named after 宮崎慎二 Shinji Miyazaki. |
| English, French, German, Italian, Spanish |
Paul | Possibly from pearl |
| Spanish | Polo | Spanish adaptation of Paul |
| Korean | 진철 Jincheol | Possibly from 진주 jinju (pearl) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 真司 Zhēnsī | From the name 真司 Shinji. Also similar to 真珠 zhēnzhū (pearl) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 真司 Jānsī | Same as Mandarin name |
| Russian | Пол Pol | Transcription of English name |
Related articles
References
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
