Riley
- If you were looking for the character of the same name from Pokémon Adventures, see Riley (Adventures).
| Riley ゲン Gen | |
 Art from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Eye color | Blue |
| Hair color | Dark Blue |
| Hometown | Unknown |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Trainer class | Pokémon Trainer |
| Generation | IV, VIII |
| Games | Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl Masters EX |
| Animated debut | Steeling Peace of Mind! |
| English voice actor | Marc Diraison |
| Japanese voice actor | Yū Mizushima |
Riley (Japanese: ゲン Gen) is a Pokémon Trainer from Sinnoh. He specializes in Pokémon with high Attack.
In the core series games
Riley is one of the five Trainers who can join with the main character during an event in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Later, he can join the player in competition at Sinnoh's Battle Tower and, in Pokémon Platinum, can be battled at the Battleground after the Stark Mountain subquest. All of his Pokémon excel in the Attack stat. He also appears in HeartGold and SoulSilver in a similar capacity.
Riley's first appearance in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum is at Iron Island. He helps the player to get through the deep mines on the island, and assists in the defeat of some Team Galactic Grunts. After the Grunts have been defeated, Riley offers the player a Pokémon Egg that eventually hatches into a Riolu. In Platinum, he will give the player HM04 (Strength) before the player enters Iron Island's cave.
Apparently, Byron had previously asked Riley to become a Gym Leader, though Riley politely refused, saying that Byron's son Roark should be considered first.
Riley mentioned to the Team Galactic members that Iron Island belonged to him, suggesting he may be the owner of the mines and someone else reopened the island as a place for wild Pokémon to live as well as a place for people to train.
Pokémon
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
Given away as an Egg
Pokémon Platinum
Iron Island
Given away as an Egg
Battleground
Battle Tower
As the player's Multi Battle Partner, Riley uses Pokémon that excel in the Attack stat.
Diamond and Pearl
Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Iron Island
Given away as an Egg
Battle Tower
Master Class Double Battles (Rank 6)
In each team, Marley uses the first and second Pokémon on the list, and Riley uses the third and fourth.
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Masters EX
- Main article: Riley (Masters)
Riley forms a sync pair with Lucario in Pokémon Masters EX. His Lucario is capable of Dynamaxing. Riley became a playable sync pair on February 19, 2024.
| Dex | Trainer | NDex | Pokémon | Type | Weakness | Role | EX role | Base potential | Availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #195 | 
|
Riley | #0448 | 
|
Lucario♂  |
Fighting
|
Fire
|
|
|
★★★★★☆EX | Special Sync Pair Event |
Gallery
Artwork
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| Official artwork from Diamond and Pearl by Ken Sugimori[1] |
Sticker Template background from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl |
Sprites and models
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| Sprite from Platinum |
Overworld sprite from Generation IV |
Back sprite from Generation IV |
VS model from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl |
Battle Tower VS model from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl |
Overworld model from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl |
Back model from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl |
Quotes
- Main article: Riley/Quotes
In animation
Pokémon the Series
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
Riley debuted in Steeling Peace of Mind!. He is an Aura Guardian in-training alongside his Lucario. Riley is also a Trainer specializing in Steel-type Pokémon and is currently staying on Iron Island for the study of the said type.
He encountered Ash and his friends while they were responding to a call for help from friend Barry. Riley stopped a rampaging Aggron from attacking the group with his mastery of aura. He ordered them to return to town and wait while he continued his investigation into why Iron Island's Steel Pokémon were behaving hostile. Though he allowed them to come along after seeing Ash's determination.
With the help of his Lucario, Riley and the others discovered that Team Galactic were behind the low frequency energy that irritated the Steel Pokémon. After Commander Mars activated the Iron Ruins using the Spear Key, Lucario quickly became affected by the frequency as well.
In Saving the World From Ruins!, Riley led the group to disrupt Team Galactic scheme. Ash and Brock fought through Mars's defences while Riley held off an angry Steelix from injuring Dawn, Barry and Team Rocket, who were all trapped in a crevasse. Ash's Pikachu eventually destroyed Team Galactic's machine, which restored the Steel Pokémon to their normal selves.
However, in their tactical retreat Mars and her crew planted bombs throughout the Iron Ruins. Riley and his Lucario managed to trap the explosion using their aura and sent it away from the island, foiling Team Galactic's plan. Later he decided to help Professor Carolina study of the island's connections to Veilstone City's meteorites and Spear Pillar.
Character
Riley remains level-headed and fearless in his approach to challenging situations. He is selfless and will always act to protect others from harm like he did on several occasions in Saving the World From Ruins!. His aura abilities are astoundingly powerful and allows him to create defensive shields, it also makes him quite perceptive of others.
Pokémon
This listing is of Riley's known Pokémon in Pokémon the Series:
 Lucario |
Voice actors
| Language | Voice actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 水島裕 Yū Mizushima | |
| English | Marc Diraison | |
| Czech | Pavel Tesař | |
| Finnish | Aku Laitinen | |
| Italian | Renato Novara | |
| Korean | 신용우 Shin Yongwoo | |
| Norwegian | Trond Teigen | |
| Polish | Karol Wróblewski | |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Sílvio Giraldi | |
| Spanish | Latin America | Igor Cruz |
| Spain | Juan Amador Pulido | |
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
History
Emerald arc
Riley makes a cameo appearance in Epilogue, where he is on a boat heading to the Battle Frontier.
Diamond & Pearl arc
Riley later appears in Grumpy Gliscor where he saves Diamond and Sailor Eldritch from crashing into a large boulder with his Lucario. He reveals that he is there to train Diamond in increasing his battling skills on Byron's request. Once they arrive on Iron Island, they have a test battle to see just where Diamond's skills are lacking in. After defeating Diamond, Riley deduces that his weakness is the lack of speed and takes him to cave in order to train.
After three days of training, Riley reveals Diamond's next task: to retrieve a Pokémon Egg. After finding the boss of the cave, a Steelix, injured from a battle, they realize that someone must have attacked it and go searching for them. As they search, Riley is attacked by a Pokémon and has his and Lucario's face covered with honey, blinding them. The attackers are revealed to be two Roughnecks who were hired by Team Galactic to make a mess on the island and have stolen the Egg. With their technique that can prevent Aura users from finding them, Riley and Lucario are helpless to stop them but Diamond steps in their place. Diamond manages to defeat them without harming the Egg and with the ability to sense Aura again, Riley and Lucario finish the two off. The Egg hatches into a Riolu and Riley decides that Diamond has finally passed his test. After Diamond reveals that someone was targeting him, Riley realizes someone is spying on them. After knocking down a flying camera machine, Riley checks the machine and feels a malicious Aura emanating from it. Riley and Diamond then say their goodbyes.
Later, Riley appears at the Spear Pillar, having tracked the Aura on the camera machine to this location. Although the Aura he saw was that of the Advanced level Grunt, it turns out there was an even darker one coming from deeper inside: the Aura belonging to Sird. Riley attacks Sird and the other Commanders but they manage to escape.
Platinum arc
Riley later appears at the Battle Frontier where he presents the machine to Palmer in hopes of being able to track Sird since the Aura he used to track her before had disappeared. Palmer then gives the machine to Thorton in hopes of his technological expertise will be of some help.
After Thorton finishes fixing the machine, Riley uses his Aura to lead everyone to where the owner is. He—along with Palmer, Platinum, Cheryl, and Mira—all set off to the Distortion World. Eventually, they manage to track the owner of the machine, the Advanced level Grunt. The Grunt, who had escaped from Team Galactic out of fear, takes them to the Distortion World, under Platinum's request.
Upon entering the Distortion World, everyone is separated due to the dimension's strange gravity. While the others land safely, Riley lands onto a floating island and is left alone. Later, he manages to meet up again with the others after the Legendary Pokémon get into a huge brawl.
He rescues Marley from getting crushed by a falling Regigigas that was put to sleep by Darkrai. When Charon tries to escape after getting his flying machine broken, Riley is left behind along with the others while Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum chase after Charon.
After Charon's defeat, Riley and everyone else who was left behind manages to escape unharmed. When Riley ponders where Darkrai went off to when the legendary Pokémon all begin to leave, the Advanced level Grunt shows it is flying to parts unknown.
Pokémon
| Debut | Grumpy Gliscor |
|---|
- Main article: Riley's Lucario
Lucario is Riley's main Pokémon which he uses in battles. He has a variety of powerful moves and the ability to sense Aura, an ability that Riley shares.
Riolu is a Pokémon that was stolen by two Roughnecks while it was an Egg but was retrieved by the combined efforts of Diamond and Riley.
None of Riolu's moves are known.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!
Riley appears in Serious Training on Iron Island!! along with his Lucario where he rescues Hareta from B-2's Graveler. Later, he gives Hareta a Pokémon Egg containing a Riolu.
Pokémon
On hand
 Lucario |
Given away
 Egg |
In the TCG
- Main article: Riley (Lost Origin 166)
Riley was introduced as a Supporter card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the English Sword & Shield Series (the Japanese Sword & Shield Era). It was first released in the Japanese S-P Promotional cards and the English Lost Origin expansion, with artwork by Ken Sugimori. It allows the player to reveal the top five cards of their deck. Two cards of their opponent's choice are discarded and the remaining three are put into the player's hand.
Trivia
- Of all the potential partners in the Battle Tower, Riley has the largest pool of Pokémon to choose from.
- Riley is the only human in the games confirmed to be able to use Aura, as displayed in his intro animation and through a line of in-battle speech where he mentions feeling the player's Aura. In Pokémon the Series, he is one of two known and currently living human users of Aura, the other being Ash.
- In Pokémon Masters EX, Riley's profile directly states that he can use aura.
- Riley has many similarities with Sir Aaron from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. In addition to design similarities, both Trainers have a Lucario and can use Aura.
- The design of the necklace Riley wears is the same as the pattern on Sir Aaron's gloves. It is also the same as the pattern on Groudon's arm.
- In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Riley's hat can be bought at the Clothier in Jubilife Village.
- In a prior version of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, if the gift Riolu hatched from the Egg from Riley is transferred from Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl to Pokémon Scarlet or Violet, the game will state it was received from Jacq.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ゲン Gen | From 玄米 genmai (brown rice) |
| English, Latin American Spanish, Indonesian, Brazilian Portuguese |
Riley | From Riley (English name that means rye clearing) and Riolu |
| German | Urs* Hordeo* |
From Urhirse (red millet) From Hordeum (barley genus) |
| European Spanish | Quinoa | From quinoa |
| French | Armand* Bernard* |
From Sir Aaron and amarante (amaranth) Possibly from amarante queue-de-renard (foxtail amaranth) |
| Italian | Marisio* Fabiolo* |
From mais (maize) From faba (Latin for bean) |
| Korean | 현이 Hyeon'i | From 현미 (玄米) hyeonmi (brown rice) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 亞玄 / 亚玄 Yǎxuán / Yàxuán |
From 亞朗 Yǎlǎng / Alóhng (Sir Aaron) and the Japanese 玄米 genmai |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 亞玄 Ayùhn | |
| Thai | เก็น Ken | Transcription of his Japanese name |
| Vietnamese | Gen | Transcription of his Japanese name |
References
Related articles
|
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
- Game characters
- Diamond and Pearl characters
- Platinum characters
- HeartGold and SoulSilver characters
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl characters
- Multi Battle partners
- Animation characters
- Pokémon DP Adventure characters
- Pokémon Adventures characters
- Trainers with Legendary Pokémon
