The Pokémon franchise is one of the longest running and most well-known anime ever created. Its popularity has sky-rocketed. It seems that everyone, anime fan or not, has at least heard of the series. The latest installment in the franchise is Pokémon XY.
Pokémon XY first premiered in 2013 and is still up and running, with no end foreshadowed. Of course once it does end, there is sure to be another installment to keep pleasing the audience and generating that awesome revenue! With a series as long as this one, there is a guarantee that the show will have a wide variety of main, minor, recurring or even single appearance characters. Fans especially anticipate Satoshi’s (Ash’s) new travel companions with each series because these characters are the ones that are probably going to be in the series for the long haul! Let’s take a look at Satoshi and the latest characters who form his jolly gang, featured in Pokémon XY.
Satoshi (known in the English dubbed version as Ash Ketchum)
Ah Satoshi… We have known this character from the very start. Some of our fondest childhood memories consist of watching him on his seemingly never ending journey to reach his ultimate goal: becoming a Pokémon Master. Satoshi is a ten-year-old boy (who never ages). He appeared in the first ever Pokémon series, Pokémon Indigo League, and has been in every series since. In Pokémon XY, Satoshi travels to the Kalos region along with his partner, Pikachu, in order to reach the next step in his Pokemon quest. It is his goal to defeat all of the Kalos region gym leaders, earn all of his gym badges and hopefully emerge victorious from the Kalos Pokémon league. Along the way, Satoshi soon befriends other characters, who become his brand new travel companions. These characters are Serena, Citron (known as Clemont in the English version,) and his little sister, Eureka (also known as Bonnie). Satoshi is like an electric spark. He is extremely determined to meet his goal and is rarely nervous. He is confident in his abilities, his Pokémons' abilities and his friends' abilities. He is very encouraging to those around him.
Whenever his friends or Pokémon feel down, Satoshi is always there to give them advice, or just lift their spirits a little. Satoshi can be an impatient character at times. When his mind is set on something specific, like a gym battle, he hates it when his friends do something that makes him wait longer than he expected. There are some distractions, however, that he does not mind. They usually involve helping another person or Pokémon, catching a new/unique Pokémon, or like most of us, stopping for some good food. Satoshi is very kind and caring towards others, especially his close friends and Pokémon. He is more than willing to stick his neck out for those he cares about. Sometimes he puts himself, recklessly, in dangerous situations for the sake of his loved ones. Although he cares deeply for his friend’s feelings and needs, he can often be quite oblivious. Take Serena for example. Her crush on Satoshi is so dead obvious it is an absolute wonder how Satoshi has no idea whatsoever. It can be quite a frustrating experience for those who see the pair. Satoshi has proven on many occasions that he can be pretty oblivious in general. However, once you can finally get past that, Satoshi proves to be a kind, caring, fiery, determined and strong character. It has been a long ride with Satoshi so far, and there are sure to be many more of his adventures in the future. Satoshi is one of the most iconic characters in anime. He is certainly one character that diehard fans of the show can be proud to love.
Serena
In each and every Pokémon series, there is a main female character - the sole female in Satoshi's team. Each one expresses her feelings towards Satoshi (romantic or otherwise) uniquely. Serena is the female lead of Pokemon XY. Her Pokémon partner - her first Pokemon - is Fennekin. Serena is a lively girl who lived with her mother until she met Satoshi, Citron and Eureka. Her mother had her heart set on Serena becoming a professional Rhyhorn racer. However, the profession never really spoke to Serena. She cannot wait to go on her journey and explore her own passions. When Serena was young, she attended a Pokémon summer camp. One day, she got lost on a path and was separated from the group. She was quite startled. Satoshi, who at the time was attending the camp as well, helped calm Serena down. Ever since then, Serena has been very interested in Satoshi. When she sees Satoshi on the news, and learns that he is on the Kalos region, she makes it her goal to find Satoshi and reintroduce herself. A few episodes later, she joins the gang, and her journey with Satoshi, Citron and Eureka begins.
Serena is a very polite girl, and is sure to use her manners when meeting new people. She is very kind to the people and Pokémon she cares about. Although she may be kind, Serena is not a pushover. She can be very competitive when her integrity as a Pokémon trainer is challenged. Ever since the day Satoshi helped Serena at their summer camp, Serena has had a big crush on him. I mean a really big and obvious crush. Seriously, it is a true wonder how none of the other characters ever notice. The only characters who do seem to notice are other girls in the series who quickly become Serena’s rivals. When another girl is engaging in a deep conversation with Satoshi (provoking her or otherwise), Serena can get extremely jealous. When confronting Satoshi alone, Serena is very shy. She gets extremely nervous and usually blushes. She wants to be able to express her feelings, but her nerves always get in the way. These small moments between the two are often quite enjoyable, but can also be irritating for some fans of the show. All in all, this puppy love is an entertaining source of tension in the plot.
Serena is one of the first of Satoshi’s travel companions who does not know what she wants to do on her journey. She has a passion for fashion, clothing and performance. She soon decides to pursue her dream of becoming a world class Pokémon performer. She is one of the only characters who has had an outfit and hair change in the series. Besides fashion, Serena enjoys baking sweets and other pastries for her friends and Pokémon. Serena is a strong, kind and confident character. Although it is slow going, we cannot help but root for her to win Satoshi's heart.
Citron (known in the English dubbed version as Clemont)
Citron is one of Satoshi’s travel companions and Eureka’s (Bonnie’s) older brother. He is the gym leader of the Lumiose city gym. His father wanted him to remain in Lumiose city and make a name for himself as the strongest electric type gym leader. Citron wanted to travel with Satoshi and gain amazing new adventures and experiences. Satoshi’s personality and relationship with his Pokémon fascinates Citron. He hopes to learn a new battle style, and strengthen his own Pokemon relationship by watching Satoshi. Citron specializes in electric type Pokémon, although he does have a few other types.
Citron is a huge science enthusiast. He always tries to think of the logical solution or answer to any given problem. “The future is now thanks to science!” is his whole life’s motto. He fears nothing, except things that defy all science and logic. He also has a phobia of being in front of a camera. Citron does not just value and appreciate science. He is also an aspiring inventor. It is a running gag in the show to have Citron come up with some invention, intended to simplify the group’s journey. Satoshi is always impressed and amazed by his inventions, despite how they all turned out in the past. However, the girls, Serena and Eureka, are always skeptical towards Citron’s inventions because they usually end up working for a few seconds and then exploding right before everybody’s eyes. It is also a classic joke in the series to have Eureka try and hook her brother up with any pretty girl she sees. She will ask them if they will ‘take care of her brother.’ She feels that it is her responsibility to find him someone suitable. Of course this always leaves Citron bright red, like a cherry tomato.
One of Citron’s most noticeable, and likable traits is his determination to look after his sister. Whenever Eureka wanders off, or puts herself in potential danger, Citron becomes quite irritated. He will often scold her not to do certain things. Sometimes he is a nag. However the majority of the time, he demonstrates love and affection toward her, hugging her or holding her hand in times of distress. He also makes sure that Eureka always does important things like eating her vegetables and brushing her teeth. Since Eureka is too young to begin her own journey and catch her own Pokémon, if the gang comes across a Pokémon that she likes, he will catch it for her and let her take care of it. Dedenne is a good example.
Overall, Citron is a funny, smart, caring older brother. He has many great attributes and is certainly one entertaining character. He is almost like Takeshi (also known as Brock in the English version) from Pokémon Indigo League (the first installment in the series). Fans of the show truly enjoy his character and all of the laughs he brings with his quirky personality and inventions. He is a good edition to Satoshi’s group of friends, and a character we are all fine with watching for the next few seasons.
Eureka (also known as Bonnie in the English dubbed version)
Eureka is Citron’s younger sister and the fourth member of Satoshi’s Kalos region traveling gang. Eureka is a young, very energetic girl. Although she is too young to begin her own journey and capture her own Pokémon, she has a very deep affection toward the creatures. When the group encounters a Dedenne, she asks her older brother to catch it for her. She develops a strong bond with Dedenne, even though he is not technically her Pokémon. Dedenne tends to ride in Eureka’s yellow purse.
Eureka is legally too young to become a trainer and travel on her own, but she insists that her brother takes her along on his travels. It takes convincing on both her and Citron’s part, but their father agrees to let the two of them go on a journey with Satoshi and Serena. Before leaving on their journey, Eureka would often hang out at her brother’s electric type gym in Lumiose city. She would normally play with Citron’s electric type Pokémon in order to pass the time. When someone came to challenge the gym, she liked to greet the trainers and inform her brother that he had challengers waiting.
Eureka already has many ideas of what she is going to do and be like as a Pokémon trainer. Although she enjoys traveling with her brother, she cannot wait until she is able to go out on her own. Eureka is often quite annoyed by her brother’s constant nagging and lectures, but deep down she knows he loves her. In return she shows affection towards him from time to time. She also puts all of her faith and her trust in him. Whenever she is surprised or frightened, she will reach for her brother’s hand or hide behind him. The two have a very strong sibling bond. Eureka often acts as if she is the older sibling by playing the role of matchmaker. She insists on finding her brother a suitable wife. She thinks it is her responsibility to find someone who will look after him once she goes on her own journey. It is a constant gag in the anime when Eureka approaches a random woman and asks if they want to marry her brother. In a way she is also similar to Takeshi (Brock), both ‘proposing’ to girls and both being turned down or yanked away by someone. Eureka also considers Serena to be like an older sister, especially since they are the only girls in the group, and enjoy doing similar things.
Eureka is the second younger sibling that traveled along with Satoshi throughout the Pokémon franchise. She is brave and somewhat independent. She is sweet, cute, energetic and caring, and is definitely a fun edition to Pokémon XY. It is also fun watching the strong sibling bond between Eureka and Citron grow and develop, as well as the variety of Eureka’s hook-up gags. Overall, Eureka’s character is both an enjoyable and likeable Pokémon XY character.
Pikachu
Pikachu is another important character in the Pokémon franchise. He has been with us since day one, and has developed a very strong fan base. This Pokémon is as iconic as you can get in the world of anime. Pikachu is just as popular with eight-year-olds, as he is with thirty-eight-year-olds! Let us take a look at what makes this Pokémon a fun and likeable character.
Pikachu is Satoshi’s partner and best friend. We meet him first all the way back in 1997. At first, he is reluctant to be Satoshi’s partner, but over time he grows to care deeply about him. Now, several seasons later, Pikachu travels to the Kalos region to help battle with Satoshi.
Pikachu has a very feisty and determined personality. He is willing to do whatever it takes to help his friends, meet his own goals, and help Satoshi accomplish his goals. He is kind to his friends, but he does not hesitate to knock some sense into them when necessary. His signature move is ‘thunderbolt.’ Pikachu refuses to go inside of his Pokéball. As a result, he always rides on Satoshi's shoulder. Also, he chooses not to evolve into better, bigger, and stronger forms. He likes just being Pikachu. Pikachu has been on Satoshi’s side since the very beginning. He has been in every battle, every fight, every region. He shares every friend with Satoshi. He is one of (if not the) most lovable aspects of the Pokémon series.
Team Rocket (Jessie, James and Meowth)
Ah, Team Rocket. This is a team of characters that first appears in Pokémon Indigo League. Team Rocket members serve as the main ‘antagonists.’ I say ‘main antagonists’ with massive air quotes! In every series, it is Team Rocket’s goal to capture Satoshi and his friends' Pokémon - especially Pikachu. However their mission always ends up in a huge and often hilarious failure. They always come up with some sort of elaborate plan to catch the gang’s Pokémon which includes some kind of gadget, like a giant robot. However, they always end up losing in battle to Satoshi's feisty gang of ten-year-olds. They are an effective comic element in the show.
The members include Jessie, James and Meowth. Jessie is a bossy, sassy diva. She often tries to take control of any situation, and tries to boss her partners around. She can also be very easily irritated when it comes to their lack of success in catching Pikachu. However, deep down she is great friends with James and Meowth, and there have been multiple episodes demonstrating the great partnership and friendship this trio has. James is dramatic and often whiny. He is always reluctant to listen to Jessie’s plans but ends up going along anyways. In a way, he is kind of girlish, but there have never been any episodes touching base on that. Although he finds Jessie to be bossy at times, he considers her a great friend and loves being in Team Rocket. He loves attention, and always brings up elaborate stories from his childhood to get it. His parents are very rich, and he was spoiled rotten as a child, but ran away from home to join Team Rocket. He wanted to have freedom and live the way he chose to (he also wanted to escape his cold, arranged fiancée). The final member of the gang is Meowth. Meowth is a cat-like Pokémon. He is the only Pokémon in the series that is capable of forming full sentences. He can talk like any other human in the series and is usually the ‘brains’ behind the operation, usually thinking up some elaborate plan or inventing a gadget to try and catch Pikachu. Jessie and James often irritate him, but he ultimately has a good friendship and work relationship.
In Pokémon XY, this trio of trouble makers often appears to catch the gang's Pokémon. After performing their new and revised theme song, they will often engage in battle with Satoshi and his friends. Their shenanigans are fun for the viewers, and a fun addition to the show.
Professor Sycamore
In every Pokémon series there is a Pokémon professor. This professor is always responsible for giving new trainers from the region - like Serena - their first Pokémon and Pokédex. They also give experienced trainers (like Satoshi) their region’s Pokédex. In Pokémon XY, this is the job of Professor Sycamore. Professor Sycamore is a young, enthusiastic man. He has a deep love and passion for Pokémon and has dedicated his entire life work to helping them, and learning more about them. He is kind and encouraging to new trainers and helps pick the best starter Pokémon for them. Whenever thieves, such as Team Rocket, attempt to steal Pokémon from his lab, Sycamore is willing to risk his life to stop them. He has been assisted on multiple occasions by Satoshi, Serena, Citron and Eureka. Professor Sycamore plays this role in both the anime and in the Pokémon XY video game.
As you can see, Pokémon XY is full of great characters, with both familiar and new faces. The characters are definitely one of the main reasons to check out this show.
