Alder

Alder アデク Adeku
Artwork from Black and White
Gender	Male
Eye color	Purple
Hair color	Red and orange
Hometown	Floccesy Town
Region	Unova
Relatives	Benga (grandson)
Trainer class	ChampionBW Pokémon TrainerB2W2
Generation	V
Games	Black and White, Black 2 and White 2, Masters EX
Champion of	Pokémon League (Unova)
Game animation cameos	GOTCHA!
Anime debut	Ash and Trip's Third Battle!
English voice actor	Scottie Ray
Japanese voice actor	Unshō Ishizuka

Alder (Japanese: アデク Adeku) is the Champion of the Unova region's Pokémon League in Pokémon Black and White.

In the games

In Pokémon Black and White, Alder appears as the wandering Champion of Unova. The player first meets him on Route 5, where he is seen with Cheren. The two are discussing Cheren's ambitions and goals as a Trainer—at this point, Cheren is aiming to be the Champion of Unova. Alder appears at several points in the game to help the player put a stop to the plans of Team Plasma, making appearances at Relic Castle and N's Castle.

Uniquely for a Champion, Alder cannot be battled the first time the player challenges the Pokémon League. By the time the player is ready to challenge him, Alder has already been defeated by N. The player must then battle N, putting each other's beliefs on the line to determine the future of Unova.

In the past, Alder's starter Pokémon died of illness, and in despair over not being able to save it, he began traveling around aimlessly. Before his partner's death, the two of them madly pursued strength, much like Cheren did. The Pokémon's death changed Alder's outlook on life. The identity of this Pokémon is never mentioned in Black and White, but dialogue in Pokémon Black and White 2 reveals that Alder's late partner was Larvesta/Volcarona.

Ghetsis suggests that Alder may not have actually won the title of Champion, instead being requested by the Pokémon League to take the position. It is said that Alder instructed the Elite Four to look after Unova as he traveled around the region.

In Pokémon Black and White 2, former Opelucid City Gym Leader Iris has become the region's Champion. Alder will again assist the player at various points of the game, and he is based in his hometown of Floccesy Town this time. A woman in the Trainers' School notes that Alder had refused to train her because it is the era of young people. After defeating Iris, the player can return to Floccesy Town and accept Alder's request for a battle. If victorious, the player will be able to battle in the Black Tower^B2/White Treehollow^W2. Alder's grandson Benga is known to train there.

As a former Champion, Alder participates in the Champions Tournament at the Pokémon World Tournament.

Pokémon

Pokémon Black and White

Champion Alder Pokémon League Black and White Reward: $15400

Type: Bug Unknown Ability: Hydration Held item: None Accelgor♂ Lv.75 Bug Buzz Bug Special   --       Focus Blast Fighting Special   --       Me First Normal Status   --       Energy Ball Grass Special   --       Type: Normal Unknown Ability: Sap Sipper Held item: None Bouffalant♂ Lv.75 Head Charge Normal Physical   --       Megahorn Bug Physical   --       Stone Edge Rock Physical   --       Earthquake Ground Physical   --       Type: Dragon Unknown Ability: Rough Skin Held item: None Druddigon♂ Lv.75 Night Slash Dark Physical   --       Outrage Dragon Physical   --       Superpower Fighting Physical   --       Payback Dark Physical   --       Type: Ice Unknown Ability: Ice Body Held item: None Vanilluxe♂ Lv.75 Blizzard Ice Special   --       Light Screen Psychic Status   --       Flash Cannon Steel Special   --       Acid Armor Poison Status   --       Types: Bug Steel Ability: Swarm Held item: None Escavalier♂ Lv.75 X-Scissor Bug Physical   --       Giga Impact Normal Physical   --       Iron Head Steel Physical   --       Aerial Ace Flying Physical   --       Types: Bug Fire Ability: Flame Body Held item: None Volcarona♂ Lv.77 Overheat Fire Special   --       Bug Buzz Bug Special   --       Quiver Dance Bug Status   --       Hyper Beam Normal Special   --

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

Floccesy Town

PKMN Trainer Alder Floccesy Town Black 2 and White 2 Reward: $12400

Type: Bug Unknown Ability: Sticky Hold Held item: None Accelgor♂ Lv.60 Focus Blast Fighting Special   --       Acid Spray Poison Special   --       Giga Drain Grass Special   --       Bug Buzz Bug Special   --       Types: Bug Steel Ability: Shell Armor Held item: None Escavalier♂ Lv.60 X-Scissor Bug Physical   --       Swords Dance Normal Status   --       Iron Head Steel Physical   --       Reversal Fighting Physical   --       Type: Normal Unknown Ability: Reckless Held item: None Bouffalant♂ Lv.60 Wild Charge Electric Physical   --       Earthquake Ground Physical   --       Megahorn Bug Physical   --       Head Charge Normal Physical   --       Type: Fighting Unknown Ability: Guts Held item: None Conkeldurr♂ Lv.60 Stone Edge Rock Physical   --       Superpower Fighting Physical   --       Earthquake Ground Physical   --       Poison Jab Poison Physical   --       Types: Normal Flying Ability: Keen Eye Held item: None Braviary♂ Lv.60 Crush Claw Normal Physical   --       Superpower Fighting Physical   --       Rock Slide Rock Physical   --       Aerial Ace Flying Physical   --       Types: Bug Fire Ability: Flame Body Held item: Sitrus Berry Volcarona♂ Lv.62 Quiver Dance Bug Status   --       Silver Wind Bug Special   --       Heat Wave Fire Special   --       Psychic Psychic Special   --

Pokémon World Tournament

Alder uses three of these Pokémon in Single Battles, four in Double and Rotation Battles, and all six in Triple Battles. He will always lead with his signature Pokémon, Volcarona.

PKMN Trainer Alder Pokémon World Tournament Black 2 and White 2 Reward: 1BP

Types: Bug Fire Ability: Flame Body Held item: Charti Berry Volcarona♂/♀ Lv.50 Quiver Dance Bug Status   --       Heat Wave Fire Special   --       Bug Buzz Bug Special   --       Psychic Psychic Special   --       Type: Fighting Unknown Ability: Guts or Sheer Force Held item: Life Orb Conkeldurr♂/♀ Lv.50 Hammer Arm Fighting Physical   --       Mach Punch Fighting Physical   --       Payback Dark Physical   --       Stone Edge Rock Physical   --       Type: Psychic Unknown Ability: Overcoat or Magic Guard Held item: Leftovers Reuniclus♂/♀ Lv.50 Light Screen Psychic Status   --       Reflect Psychic Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --       Psychic Psychic Special   --       Types: Ground Dark Ability: Intimidate or Moxie Held item: Expert Belt Krookodile♂/♀ Lv.50 Earthquake Ground Physical   --       Crunch Dark Physical   --       Stone Edge Rock Physical   --       Outrage Dragon Physical   --       Types: Ghost Fire Ability: Flash Fire or Flame Body Held item: Choice Scarf Chandelure♂/♀ Lv.50 Flamethrower Fire Special   --       Shadow Ball Ghost Special   --       Energy Ball Grass Special   --       Psychic Psychic Special   --       Types: Normal Flying Ability: Keen Eye or Sheer Force Held item: Choice Band Braviary♂ Lv.50 Brave Bird Flying Physical   --       Superpower Fighting Physical   --       Rock Slide Rock Physical   --       U-turn Bug Physical   --

Deceased

Larvesta → Volcarona

In spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

Main article: Alder (Masters)

Artwork

Sprites

Sprite from Black and White	Sprite from Black 2 and White 2	Overworld sprite from Generation V	VS sprite from Generation V

Quotes

Main article: Alder/Quotes

In the anime

Main series

Alder in the anime

Alder debuted in Ash and Trip's Third Battle!, during a flashback of Trip's childhood. He was battling a Trainer in the middle of a town with his Bouffalant as Trip watched in awe. After the battle ended, the Champion approached the child and allowed him to pet and feed Bouffalant. He asked Trip what his goal was, and Trip replied that it was to be Champion. Impressed, Alder inspired Trip to train hard when he got older, and promised that he would be waiting to challenge Trip someday. Trip sealed the promise with a confident handshake.

Alder physically debuted in Ash Versus the Champion!. Ash and Trip met him on Route 5, and upon meeting them, he referred to them as Ashton (Japanese: サンタロ Santaro) and Tristan (Japanese: シュータロ Shootaro), respectively. He wished to battle both of them in a two-on-one battle, but Trip refused to battle alongside Ash, so Alder settled for battling them one at a time. Trip allowed Ash to go first, thinking that being quickly defeated by the Champion would do him good.

During the battle, Alder just stood calmly and allowed his Bouffalant to take multiple attacks from Ash's Pikachu. Ash and his friends then realized Alder was actually sleeping while standing up. Trip woke Alder, while Bouffalant expressed its embarrassment and disappointment in its Trainer. After explaining why he was asleep, Alder commanded Bouffalant to use Head Charge, but Bouffalant was still angry with him and slow to respond. In order to persuade Bouffalant to quit wasting time and attack, Alder slapped its rump, sending it charging. Bouffalant stampeded towards Pikachu, but it stopped quickly, made a U-turn, and attacked Alder instead.

Afterwards, much to Trip's disappointment, and despite his Bouffalant still being fit to battle, Alder conceded defeat to Ash and decided he was finished battling for the day. Trip then questioned Alder about the advice he was given as a child. Alder seemed to be confused by this and then contradicted the original advice he gave to Trip by saying becoming the strongest was not the most important part of battling. Trip immediately left in anger, telling Ash he would continue on the path he believed in.

Alder flirting with Cynthia

Later, Alder stopped a Gigalith that was on a rampage with his bare hands. Afterwards, he removed a nail from its foot that had been causing it pain and fed it some minerals, making it so thankful that it even saved Officer Jenny from being crushed under a falling monument.

He appeared in a flashback in Climbing the Tower of Success!.

Alder awarding Trip the Junior Cup

In Jostling for the Junior Cup!, Alder was one of the hosts of the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup alongside Freddy O'Martian. The winner of the tournament would be given the opportunity to have a battle with him. In Ash, Iris and Trip: Then There Were Three!, Trip won the tournament by defeating Ash, and as such, he got the right the battle Alder. In their battle, although Trip's Serperior was shown to be strong, it was no match to Bouffalant. Then, after talking to Trip and petting his Serperior, he was shown along with Cynthia, Caitlin, and Freddy O'Martian, talking to the competitors and saying their goodbyes.

He made a cameo appearance in the ending credits of Genesect and the Legend Awakened.

Character

Characterized as strong and wise, Alder is respected as the Unova League Champion. He pays particular attention to children, hoping to inspire them to become Trainers. Alder is also reckless, often leaping into action to save the day like in Ash Versus the Champion!, where he approached a rampaging Gigalith.

In his spare time, Alder is typically carefree and relaxed. This extends to the point where he has a habit of sleeping and forgetting things. Much like Brock, he often flirts with women such as Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and Cynthia.

Pokémon

This listing is of Alder's known Pokémon in the anime:

		Bouffalant
		Bouffalant debuted in a flashback of Trip's childhood in Ash and Trip's Third Battle!, where it easily defeated a Herdier by using Head Charge. After the battle, Alder gave some Pokémon food to Trip in order to feed it. In Ash Versus the Champion!, Alder sent Bouffalant out to battle Ash's Pikachu. However, it was given no commands, and Pikachu hit it with all of his attacks. Frustrated, it then turned to Alder, who had fallen asleep. Due to this, when Alder told Bouffalant to attack, it attacked him instead of Pikachu. Alder then offered it an apple as an apology. Later, Alder sent Bouffalant out to face the rampaging Gigalith, but he then decided to handle the situation himself. It reappeared in a fantasy in Climbing the Tower of Success!. In Ash, Iris and Trip: Then There Were Three!, Bouffalant was used in a battle against Trip's Serperior, and continuing that battle in Goodbye, Junior Cup - Hello Adventure!, it was revealed to have the Ability Sap Sipper, rendering Serperior's Solar Beam useless. Although Bouffalant was sent flying by Serperior's Dragon Tail, it recovered quickly and defeated its opponent with Head Charge. Bouffalant's only known move is Head Charge, and its Ability is Sap Sipper.
Debut	Ash and Trip's Third Battle!
Voice actors
Japanese	Kenta Miyake
English	Bill Rogers

Voice actors

GOTCHA!

Alder briefly appeared in GOTCHA!.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Alder in Pokémon Adventures

History

Black & White arc

Alder debuted in A Nickname for Tepig, where he was featured in Black's imagination when he voiced his desired to conquer the Pokémon League.

He physically debuted in Gigi's Choice, where he met Marshal at Nimbasa City. They went to meet the Mayor of Nimbasa City and battled to test the newly-created Battle Subway while waiting for him to arrive. Annoyed the mayor hadn't come even after their battle was finished, Alder went to take a break and play with the wild Pokémon outside. After returning a day later, Alder found out the mayor arrived while he was away, much to his annoyance. When Black and White mocked him for slacking off, Alder claimed he was actually on a spiritual journey.

In The Lesson Ends Here, Alder and Marshal walked together on Route 6, the latter requesting that Alder reconsider stepping down from the position of Pokémon League Champion. They were interrupted by the King of Team Plasma, N, who insulted the League and challenged Alder to a Double Battle. Despite Alder's strength, he was eventually defeated by N, who didn't need to use the power of the Legendary Pokémon Zekrom.

After his defeat, Alder vanished and left the Elite Four to handle the Pokémon League. Team Plasma used N's victory to justify their goal, increasing the amount of released Pokémon and lowering the number of Pokémon League spectators.

Black 2 & White 2 arc

At some point, Iris succeeded Alder as Unova Champion.

In PS545, Alder, Iris and Gorm worked together to break out of the White Treehollow, which had been frozen solid by Team Plasma's flying ship, the Plasma Frigate. The three then set off to join Marlon and launch a counterattack against Team Plasma.

In PS547, Whitley and N encountered Alder on the Plasma Frigate. Alder revealed that he and Looker had been battling Ghetsis, but the latter managed to escape and hide himself. N managed to find Ghetsis, but an explosion tore the Plasma Frigate apart, sending everyone flying. Alder and the others escaped to safety on Black's Reshiram, but the Plasma Frigate ended up crashing into the abandoned N's Castle, setting the building on fire and putting the liberated Pokémon Team Plasma left behind in danger. With a combination of Fire, Grass, and Water Pledge, Black and the others successfully doused the flames.

In PS548, Alder attended the Aspertia City Trainers' School graduation ceremony, where he watched Benga and his classmates graduate.

Pokémon

		Bouffalant
		Bouffalant is Alder's first known Pokémon. It was first seen carrying its Trainer over the water to take him to Nimbasa City. Later, it sparred with Alder while having some fun. It also was used to battle N's Darmanitan and Archeops, where it managed to defeat the former before being defeated later on. Bouffalant's known moves are Head Charge and Megahorn and its Ability is Reckless.
Debut	Gigi's Choice

		Accelgor
		Accelgor is Alder's second known Pokémon. It was used to battle Marshal at the Battle Subway, where it defeated his Mienshao. Later, it fought N on Route 6 but was defeated by the combined power of Zorua's Illusions and Gigi. Accelgor's known moves are Double Team and Acid Spray and its Ability is Sticky Hold.
Debut	Unraveling Mysteries

		Escavalier
		Escavalier is Alder's third known Pokémon. It was used to battle N along with Bouffalant, where it managed to defeat his Darmanitan before being defeated later on. Escavalier's only known move is Twineedle and its Ability is Swarm.
Debut	The Lesson Ends Here

		Vanilluxe
		Vanilluxe is Alder's fourth known Pokémon. It was used to battle N on Route 6 but was defeated. None of Vanilluxe's moves are known.
Debut	The Lesson Ends Here

In PS548, it was revealed that Alder had one other Pokémon that died due to illness.

Pocket Monsters BW

Alder in Pocket Monsters BW

Alder appeared in Pocket Monsters BW.

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Pocket Monsters BW: The Heroes of Fire and Thunder

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Alder in Pocket Monsters BW: The Heroes of Fire and Thunder

Alder appears in Pocket Monsters BW: The Heroes of Fire and Thunder. He is a man with multiple personalities and describes himself as a burning man. He first appears in shadow at the Pokémon League destroyed by Zekrom, as N declares that he is next, having defeated all of the members of the Elite Four. On a news broadcast some time later about N's conquest of Unova, he is reported missing. Calling himself an old man passing by, he throws Shin into a Trubbish dump to ask him to look for a very important thing with a (Japanese: ア) written on it that he has lost.

He declares that Shin cannot beat N and then abandons Shin to watch him battle from a nearby rooftop. While Shin is battling, he randomly finds a Hyper Potion with a written on it hidden in his Emboar's tail, which Alder claims is his present to Shin. After the battle ends, Shin asks who he is, and he reveals he is Champion of Unova, that he has known who Shin is all along, and that Shin should have the legendary Pokémon, Reshiram.

He leads Shin to the Relic Castle in the Desert Resort where he says the Light Stone lies, inside showing him ancient drawings depicting the Hero and his Original Pokémon, and the war between the two brothers. Upon reaching the Light Stone, he attacks Shin with his Volcarona and claims it for himself, saying that he left the Elite Four behind as decoys to take Reshiram for himself, so that he alone will be able to stay in Unova once N cleanses it of people.

Challenging Shin that if he can lay a single finger on the Light Stone he will give it to him, he begins a harsh battle against Shin with his flawless Volcarona. After defeating Shin and trapping him in a cage of fire, he says that Alder is weak for keeping Reshiram all to himself, and breaks through Volcarona's fire cage to grab the Light Stone.

Alder's personality reverts to normal and he says that it was all a trial suggested by N to get the Light Stone to accept him as a hero, and as Shin flies away on Reshiram, Alder suggests that once everything is over they should battle again, claiming that he won't lose again, as he bids farewell to the Hero of Fire.

Pokémon

		Volcarona
		Volcarona is Alder's only known Pokémon. It was used to battle Shin at the Relic Castle, defeating and then being defeated by Shin's Emboar. Alder claims it to be flawless with its perfect attacks and defense, and each of its six wings can separately release and manipulate its own flame to create a cage of fire. Volcarona's known moves are Flamethrower, Quiver Dance, and Fire Spin.
Debut	Get the Legendary Pokémon!

Trivia

• In the Japanese version of Pokémon Black and White, Alder speaks in old-fashioned Japanese.
• Alder is the only regional Champion who is not battled during the main story. This is due to Team Plasma's activities, which are preventing the battle the player would have with Alder after beating the Elite Four for the first time.
• While he does not state that he specializes in any specific type, three of his six Pokémon are Bug-type in the teams he uses outside of the Pokémon World Tournament.
• Alder is the only Champion to exclusively use Pokémon that were introduced in the same generation as himself in all of his in-game appearances.
  • Alder is also the only Champion to not use any Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving in Generation VI.
• Alder is the only Champion in the anime whose signature Pokémon has not been confirmed to be a part of his team.
• In the Pokémon World Tournament, Alder uses one Pokémon representing each of the Unova Elite Four. He has a Chandelure for Shauntal, a Krookodile for Grimsley, a Reuniclus for Caitlin, and a Conkeldurr for Marshal.
• According to Pokémon Dream magazine, Alder was originally going to have a more "Christ-like" design.
• Alder shares his battle theme with three other characters—Ingo, Emmet, and Benga—more than any other Champion.

Names

Related articles

• Images on the Bulbagarden Archives

Unova League
Elite Four Shauntal	Elite Four Marshal	Elite Four Grimsley	Elite Four Caitlin	Champion Alder Iris

This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.