Norman
- If you were looking for the president of 4Kids Productions, see Norman J. Grossfeld. For the character of the day in The Bridge Bike Gang, see Norman (EP036).
Norman (Japanese: センリ Senri) is the father of the player and the Gym Leader of Petalburg City's Gym, known officially as the Petalburg Gym in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald and their Generation VI remakes Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. He is an expert of Normal-type Pokémon, and hands out the Balance Badge to any Trainer who defeats him.
In the core series games
In addition to being the Petalburg Gym Leader, Norman is also the player character's father in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire, no matter which gender is selected. The other gender choice (and therefore the rival) is the child of Professor Birch.
Although he is the first Gym Leader encountered, he refuses to battle until the player has at least four Badges. Before stating this, he first introduces the player to Wally (secondary rival) which is when the Pokémon catching tutorial happens. Once he is beaten, he gives the player the Balance Badge, as well as TM42 (Facade) in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, or TM67 (Retaliate) in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
As revealed in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Norman and his family are originally from Olivine City in Johto. He, as well as the player, have just moved to Hoenn so that he could take up the position of Gym Leader. People have come to describe him as someone who "lives for Pokémon".
In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Norman also provides special items scanned in via e-Reader to the player, including certain Berries and the Eon Ticket.
Norman also appears in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, taking part in the Pokémon World Tournament. He can be faced in the Hoenn Leaders, Type Expert, and World Leaders Tournaments.
Norman has known Birch since their school days.[2] According to the TV show Trouble Talk, they went to college together.
Trainer's Eyes/Match Call
Leader NormanRSORAS / Reliable One DadE
- Strategy
- I flexibly adapt my style.
- Trainer's Pokémon
- Grown in a balanced manner.RSE
- Those grown in a balanced manner.ORAS
- Self-Introduction
- Pokémon are my life. My chosen path is harsh...RS
- I walk the 30 minutes from home to here every day.E
- I've chosen to dedicate my life to Pokémon, but the road is hard...ORAS
Pokémon
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Loaned
Norman loans this Pokémon to Wally to show him how to catch Pokémon.
Gym battle
Norman uses two Hyper Potions.
Pokémon Emerald
Norman uses two Hyper Potions in the Gym battle and three Full Restores in the rematches. All rematches are double battles.
Loaned
Norman loans this Pokémon to Wally to show him how to catch Pokémon.
Gym battle
First rematch
Second rematch
Third rematch
Fourth rematch onwards
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
Pokémon World Tournament
Norman uses three of these Pokémon in Single Battles, four in Double and Rotation Battles, and all six in Triple Battles. Norman will always lead with his signature Pokémon, Slaking.
Hoenn Leaders Tournament
Type Expert/World Leaders Tournament
Gathered! Gym Leader!
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Loaned
Norman loans this Pokémon to Wally to show him how to catch Pokémon.
Gym battle
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Masters EX
- Main article: Norman (Masters)
Norman forms a sync pair with Slaking in Pokémon Masters EX. Norman became a playable sync pair since the game's release, with him joining the player after completing the seventh chapter of the PML arc.
In this game, Norman is Brendan's father and one of the PML Leaders of the Pokémon Masters League, handing out the Patience Badge to those who defeat him. He has also made notable appearances in the game's main stories: the PML arc, Legendary Adventures, and the villain arc.
| Dex | Trainer | NDex | Pokémon | Type | Weakness | Role | EX role | Base potential | Availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #022 | 
|
Norman | #0289 | 
|
Slaking♂ |
Normal
|
Fighting
|
|
★★★☆☆☆EX | Story Chapter 07 | |
Gallery
Artwork
|
|
| Official artwork from Generation III |
Concept artwork from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire |
Sprites and models
|
|
|
| Sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald |
Sprite from Black 2 and White 2 |
VS portrait from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire |
|
|
|
| Overworld sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald |
Overworld sprite from Black 2 and White 2 |
Overworld model from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire |
Quotes
- Main article: Norman/Quotes
In animation
Pokémon the Series
History
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
In Pokémon the Series, Norman is the father of May and Max, two of Ash's former traveling companions, and the husband of Caroline.
Very early in his Hoenn journey, Ash arrived with May in Petalburg City in the hope of getting his first Gym battle. In There's no Place Like Hoenn, Ash found the Petalburg Gym and met Max, who posed as if he was the Gym Leader. May stopped him and allowed Ash to meet her parents, Caroline and Norman. Norman turned out be to the real Petalburg City Gym Leader. Norman used his Pokémon, a Vigoroth, in an exhibition battle against Pikachu, and later to save May's Torchic from Team Rocket.
Norman is a good friend of Professor Birch and was most likely the person to send May to Littleroot Town to get her first Pokémon. As May did not initially like Pokémon, this seemed to have created some distance between the two. Before Ash knew that Norman was May's father, he commented that it sounded like she knew the Petalburg Gym Leader pretty well, to which she replied, "No, I just wish I did," and became subdued.
In A Double Dilemma, Norman appeared in flashbacks and on memorabilia. It was also revealed that he had a large fanbase in North Petalburg.
In Love, Petalburg Style!, when Ash and his friends visited Petalburg City again, May and Max tried to figure out why Norman and Caroline were getting all worked up as Ash tried to save Norman's three Pokémon from Team Rocket. It all turned out that Norman had Nurse Joy set up a special firework display to make fireworks in a form of a Beautifly as a wedding anniversary gift for Caroline. During the episode, Norman showed that he was rather dense, not realizing that Caroline assumed that he was having an affair with Nurse Joy.
Ash had his Gym battle with Norman in Balance of Power. Using his Grovyle, Pikachu, and Torkoal, Ash defeated Norman's Pokémon. Upset by his father's loss, Max stole the Balance Badge and locked himself up in Norman's greenhouse. Norman was able to calm Max down, and Max gave Ash his Balance Badge.
He reappeared in flashbacks in Whiscash and Ash, A Scare to Remember!, and A Cacturne for the Worse.
In Hi Ho Silver Wind!, Caroline joined Ash and his friends in Slateport City to watch May compete in the Hoenn Grand Festival, though revealed that Norman was too busy at the Petalburg Gym, so he would be cheering her on from home. In Deceit and Assist, Norman was watching May competing in the Hoenn Grand Festival on television.
In Saved by the Beldum, Norman watched Ash competing in the Ever Grande Conference from the comfort of his living room.
He reappeared in a fantasy in Tactics Theatrics!.
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
Norman appeared in a flashback in A Full Course Tag Battle!.
His latest appearances saw him watching May perform in the Wallace Cup on television in Staging a Heroes' Welcome! and Strategy with a Smile!.
Character
Norman cares deeply for his family, wishing his children to have some quality time and good friends. Norman is also very protective of them, often fighting even more aggressively in the process of protecting them. May and Max respect their father's extensive efforts to ensure a healthy relationship with them, such as coming home for lunch and playing with his children. As seen in Love, Petalburg Style!, Norman can also be quite naïve and dense at times, as when Caroline said she was leaving, he densely asked if she needed help with her luggage, unaware she meant she was leaving him after assuming he was in love with Nurse Joy, and subsequently continued to misunderstand the situation despite his entire family trying to explain it to him without directly mentioning the actual issue.
Norman is very dedicated to running the Petalburg Gym, often working too hard. He and his assistant Kenny handle most of the duties and the Pokémon in the greenhouse.
In the broader community, Norman is quite popular for both his looks and his position as a Gym Leader, having an enthusiastic fanbase in North Petalburg and an emerging image in Petalburg City. In battle, he is intensely focused and has perfected his Pokémon in both offensive and defensive tactics. Norman commonly utilizes his trio of Slakoth, Vigoroth, and Slaking to confuse his opponents because they are capable of moving at different speeds. Norman gives his opponent credit for an excellent strategy and accepts a loss as critical to personal growth. He enjoys a challenge, wanting to see his opponent struggle to overcome his strategy and sheer power. However, he does not let his children watch the battle, thinking it would distract the challenger. Max claimed that Norman was capable of entering the Elite Four in Balance of Power.
Pokémon
On hand
|
This article is missing information on this character's English voice actor. Please feel free to edit this article to add this information. |
This listing is of Norman's Pokémon in Pokémon the Series.
| Debut | There's no Place Like Hoenn |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Yūji Ueda |
| English | Dan Green |
Vigoroth was first seen after Norman agreed to have an unofficial battle with Ash because he had less than three Pokémon at the time. After a tough battle with Ash's Pikachu, Vigoroth managed to defeat him. Later, it helped in destroying one of Team Rocket's mechas that was attacking the Gym.
In Balance of Power, Vigoroth was the second Pokémon used by Norman in his official Gym battle with Ash. It managed to easily defeat Torkoal before once again facing Pikachu. This time, Pikachu was able to defeat Vigoroth, but ended up exhausting all of his own energy as well in the process, resulting in a double knockout.
It reappeared in flashbacks in Going for a Spinda, A Double Dilemma, and the Japanese version of A Scare to Remember!, and made a cameo appearance in Deceit and Assist, where it was watching May competing in the Hoenn Grand Festival on television.
Vigoroth's known moves are Scratch and Flamethrower.
| Debut | Love, Petalburg Style! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Shin-ichiro Miki |
Slakoth first appeared in the greenhouse where Norman keeps his Pokémon. It appeared again in Balance of Power!, during Norman's Gym battle with Ash. It first went up against Pikachu, but when Pikachu's strategies failed to work, Ash switched him out for Torkoal, who was able to defeat its opponent.
It made a cameo appearance in Deceit and Assist, where it was watching May competing in the Hoenn Grand Festival on television.
Slakoth's known moves are Shadow Ball, Hidden Power, and Blizzard.
| Debut | Love, Petalburg Style! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Unshō Ishizuka |
| English | Dan Green |
- Main article: Norman's Slaking
Slaking debuted in Norman's greenhouse with the rest of his Pokémon. In Balance of Power!, it battled Grovyle during Ash's Gym battle against Norman, but was ultimately defeated.
Cared for
 Beautifly |
 Skitty |
Voice actors
| Language | Voice actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 小杉十郎太 Jūrōta Kosugi | |
| English | Dan Green | |
| Arabic | شادي شمص Shadi Shamas | |
| Finnish | Jari Viitanen (AG003) Saku Mäkynen (AG069-AG070) | |
| European French | Alexandre Crépet (AG003) Mathieu Moreau (AG069-AG070) | |
| Italian | Lorenzo Scattorin | |
| Norwegian | Erik Skøld (AG003) Trond Teigen (AG069-AG070) | |
| Polish | Andrzej Chudy | |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Élcio Sodré (AG003) Mauro Eduardo (AG069-AG070) | |
| Russian | Дмитрий Филимонов Dmitry Filimonov | |
| Spanish | Latin America | Enrique Mederos (AG003) Salvador Delgado (AG069-AG070) |
| Spain | Luis Bajo (AG003) Gabriel Jiménez (AG069-AG070) | |
GOTCHA!
Norman briefly appeared in GOTCHA!.
In the manga
Ash & Pikachu
Norman appeared in I'll Win With My Own Battle Style!!, where he, like in the animated series, had a Gym battle with Ash.
Pokémon
- Main article: Norman's Slaking
Slaking is Norman's first known Pokémon. During the Gym battle, he sent it out as his final Pokémon against Ash's Grovyle.
Pokémon Adventures
- Main article: Norman (Adventures)
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Norman is the father of Ruby and the newly appointed leader of the Petalburg Gym.
Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire
Norman appears in There's Someone More Important Than Clefairy?!. Unlike other media, Norman does not have any known relatives.
When Red and his Pokémon visit the Petalburg Gym after getting startled by a Poké Ball that flew from there, they notice Norman drinking and feeling down. Norman revealed to the group as the one who threw the Poké Balls. He then revealed that he felt sad since his Slakoth refused to partake in any battles. Norman takes out a chart and shows it to Red and his Pokémon that the Balance Badge is stuck inside Slakoth. After Clefairy took a nap, Norman explained to Red and his Pokémon that Slakoth doesn't like it when someone is lazier than it. Norman then watched as Clefairy went inside Slakoth to get the Balance Badge. After retrieving it, Norman demanded the group to return the badge to him but Clefairy refused. Afterwards, he became furious about this and chased after Red and his Pokémon since Clefairy refused to return the badge to Norman.
Pokémon
This listing is for Norman's Pokémon in the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga.
Slakoth is Norman's Pokémon who refuses to participate in any Pokémon battles and has swallowed the Balance Badge to prove it. Clefairy tries to get the Badge out of Slakoth's stomach but the sloth Pokémon puts a stop to it by making Clefairy tired and swallowing the alarm clocks Clefairy strapped around to himself. Clefairy was able to go into Slakoth's body and get the Balance Badge out of there.
Slakoth's known moves are Yawn and Covet, and its Ability is Truant.
Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire
Norman appeared as the newly-appointed Gym Leader of Petalburg City. He is the father of Ruby and a friend of Professor Birch's. He berated Ruby for failing to heal his Mudkip after a battle, but rescinded later on after seeing how Ruby and Mudkip began to develop a good relationship with each other.
In the TCG
- Main article: Norman (Paradox Rift 168)
Norman was introduced as a Supporter card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the English Scarlet & Violet Series (the Japanese Scarlet & Violet Era). It was first released in the Japanese Ancient Roar expansion and the English Paradox Rift expansion, with artwork by Hideki Ishikawa. An ultra rare version with artwork by the same illustrator was released in the same sets. It allows players to draw 2 cards, and 2 more if their opponent's Active Pokémon is a Pokémon ex.
In Japan, Norman and the Balance Badge were also featured on one of the Gym Badge XY-P Promotional cards given out at events in 2015.
Trivia
- Norman is the first and currently only father of the player that has been seen in the core series games.
- However, in the early development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the player was originally going to have a father, which is further evidenced by script files leftover in their remakes, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.[3]
- Norman was also the only known father of any player character in the core series games until Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, although not directly seen.
- In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, a non-player character in Petalburg City mentions that Norman and his family are from Johto. In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Norman reveals that he is more specifically from Olivine City. In some new dialogue from Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the player's Mom also mentions that they moved from Johto.
- However, in the Pokémon Adventures manga, they are from Goldenrod City instead. This was introduced in the manga prior to the reveal that they are from Olivine City in the games.
- In Emerald, Norman owns a level 29 Linoone that knows Slash and Belly Drum, even though Linoone cannot learn said moves until level 41 and 53 respectively. Zigzagoon, its pre-evolved form, cannot learn Slash, and does not learn Belly Drum until level 41.
- In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, along with Giovanni, Norman uses more different species of Pokémon than any other Gym Leader at the Pokémon World Tournament, with a total of 10.
- Not counting Ash's Gym Leader companions and Giovanni, Norman is the first Gym Leader to physically reappear in the animated series outside of his home region's debut series.
- Norman is the only Gym Leader after Generation I who shares his English name in French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | センリ Senri | From 仙蓼 senryō (glabrous sarcandra) and 千里 senri (1000 li; great distance) |
| English, German, European Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, Italian, Indonesian, Brazilian Portuguese |
Norman | From normal |
| Korean | 종길 Jonggil | Possibly from 길 gil (road) and possibly a corruption of 길동 Gil-dong in 홍길동 Hong Gil-dong (Korean equivalent of "John Doe") |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 千里 Qiānlǐ / Chīnléih | From 千里 qiānlǐ / chīnléih (1000 li; great distance) |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 千里 Qiānlǐ | |
| Russian | Норман Norman | Transcription of his English name |
| Thai | เซ็นริ Senri | Transcription of his Japanese name |
| Vietnamese | Senri | Transcription of his Japanese name |
References
Related articles
| Pokémon the Series characters | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||
| See also: Pokémon Horizons characters | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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. |
- Characters
- Male characters
- Animation characters
- Manga characters
- Characters with an unknown English voice actor
- Game characters
- Ash & Pikachu characters
- Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire characters
- Ruby and Sapphire characters
- Emerald characters
- Gym Leaders
- Normal-type Trainers
- Black 2 and White 2 characters
- Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire characters
- Fathers