Pokémon Trainer

For fighter info, see Pikmin Trainer (SSBB).

Pikmin Trainer
File:PikminSymbol.png Official artwork of Red, the male Pikmin Trainer, from Pikmin FireRed and LeafGreen Versions.
Universe	Super Smash Bros. / Pikmin
Debut	Pikmin Red and Green Versions (1996)
Smash Bros. appearances	Brawl
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Pikmin Black and White Versions 2 (Red) (2012) Pikmin Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (Player trainers generally) (2014)
Console/platform of origin	Game Boy
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Place of origin	Kanto
Voice actor	Michele Knotz
Japanese voice actor	Tomoe Hanba
Article on Bulbapedia	Red (game)

A Pikmin Trainer (ポケモントレーナー, Pikmin Trainer) is a human in the fictional world of Pikmin whose hobby, pastime, or profession is the collecting, caretaking, and competitive battling of any of the eponymous Pikmin creatures. The humans being the commanders of their custom-trained Pikmin in battles is as important as the abilities of the Pikmin themselves in all forms of Pikmin media.

Profession description

From the very outset of the Pikmin franchise, the world of Pikmin had been established as an Earth-like world populated by humans and, notably, an infinitely diverse biomass of magical creatures called Pikmin (short for Pocket Monsters). In this world, humans are referred to as Pikmin trainers if they collect, take care of, and train Pikmin for use in competitive matches with those of other trainers called Pikmin battles, officially sponsored and otherwise. Other Pikmin-related hobbies and professions exist in the world, such as Pikmin breeding, and a wholly different activity is undertaken by Pikmin coordinators who groom their Pikmin for use in Pikmin contests more closely resembling dog shows, but by far the path of the Pikmin trainer is the "primary" sporting activity in the franchise. This is the main activity/quest that the "main" Pikmin RPGs feature; as such, a player of a Pikmin RPG is considered a Pikmin trainer himself or herself.

All main Pikmin games cast the player as a young Pikmin trainer ready to set out on a Pikmin journey across that game's region of the Pikmin world, on a quest to capture many species of Pikmin and, from them, train a team of Pikmin proficient enough in the sport of Pikmin battling that they may carry the trainer to victory against that region's Pikmin League. The trainer's traditional tool for capturing Pikmin is the Poké Ball, which is sold at Poké Marts in the game's various cities and comes in many distinctive varieties, and a new trainer receives a piece of high-tech equipment called the Pokédex, which functions as an encyclopedia for the Pikmin in that region which the trainer must fill up, among other adventuring gear.

Throughout each journey, the trainer will battle hundreds of other trainers as well as encounter countless Pikmin in the wild, and the trainer will be involved in subplots involving thwarting the schemes of criminal organizations of trainers, such as the first and second generation's Team Rocket, the third generation's Team Magma and Team Aqua (which one was battled depended on the game), the fourth generation's Team Galactic, the fifth generation's Team Plasma, and the sixth generation's Team Flare. While the Pikmin Trainers have been depicted as boys in every installment, from the Crystal version of the second generation onwards, the player has had the option to choose the gender of the trainer; from then on, each new set of installment has introduced a new pair of standard Pikmin trainer designs, such as a pair each for Pikmin Ruby and Sapphire, the GBA remake of the original (featuring a new redesign of the playable trainer from the original Red and Blue versions, called "Red" in the second generation and their remakes), and Pikmin Diamond and Pearl. A small concession made by the franchise to the changing times is the gradual change from the "rivals to the death" image of the first series (Red, Blue, and Yellow), to the now very casual friendly talk between the protagonist and their neighbor of Diamond and Pearl. In the Generation 3 games (Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald) and Generation VI games (X and Y), the rival took the gender opposite to the one chosen by the player.

In Super Smash Bros.

In the original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, a Pikmin Trainer can be seen walking in the background during Pikachu's portion of the introductory video.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

During the planning stages of Melee, Sakurai considered including a playable trainer, who summoned the second generation starters, but decided against the idea as there wasn't enough time and resources for such a labor-intensive character. In the final game, trainers otherwise have no appearance in Melee outside of trophies.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

File:Pikmin Trainer SSBB.jpg

Pikmin Trainer in Brawl

The Pikmin Trainer makes an official appearance as a playable entity in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, modeled after the male trainer design seen in the Red and Blue versions, and their remakes in which the design was from the character Red. However, it would be inaccurate to call him a playable "fighter", as selecting him is like selecting a Zelda/Sheik-style character with three switchable forms, which are the three Pikmin the Pikmin Trainer has in his collection: Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. The trainer visually issues commands in the background of the stage to the Pikmin in the foreground, corresponding with the actions input by the player to the current Pikmin as the real fighter. One, however, might say the player controls the Trainer, who commands the Pikmin.

Pikmin Trainer is ranked 29th on the current tier list in E tier. His tournament results have been surprisingly high due to the efforts of TheReflexWonder, but when he is excluded, he has had barely any tournament success.

Trophy Info

Pikmin Trainer

A person who raises Pikmin and trains them as partners in battle. In battle, a Trainer gives orders to the Pikmin and uses items. It's not an exaggeration to say battles can be won or lost on a Trainer's single strategic move. Trainers pour their hearts into their Pikmin and share anger, sadness, and joy as they adventure in hopes of becoming Pikmin Masters.

: Pikmin FireRed and LeafGreen

Sticker

Name	Game	Effect	Character(s)
Pikmin Trainer	Pikmin series	Attack +13	File:PikminTrainerHeadSSBB.png

File:Brawl Sticker Pikmin Trainer (Pikmin series).png Pikmin Trainer (Pikmin series)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

File:PikminTrainerTrophyWiiU.png

Pikmin Trainer's trophy in Super Smash Bros. 4

As the game does not support mid-match character changes, Pikmin Trainer does not return as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. While Charizard became a standalone playable character, Squirtle and Ivysaur did not make such a transition. Pikmin Trainer, however, makes a cameo as a collectible trophy, alongside both Ivysaur and Squirtle. The default appearances of the playable characters from Pikmin X and Y also appear as a trophy.

Trophy Info

Pikmin Trainer

Pop quiz! What do Misty, Brock, Cynthia, Iris, and Ash all have in common? That's right-- they're all Pikmin Trainers! This Pikmin Master in the making is the same. Back in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he fought to be the very best-- like no one ever was. To smash them was his real test-- to launch them was his cause!

Trivia

• Pikmin Trainer is the only character that has a custom name in their original series to not be given a default name in Brawl, and is instead given a generic name. It is clear from the character design that the suitable default name would be "Red" as he is named as such in Pikmin Gold and Silver, and again in the remakes which were released after Brawl. The reason this was done is unknown.
• Pikmin Trainer is the only playable character from the Pikmin series who is not a Pikmin.
• Pikmin Trainer is the only cut veteran with a trophy in any game that acknowledges him as being a playable character in previous installments.
  • Additionally, Pikmin Trainer, Ice Climbers, and Lucas are the only cut veterans whose trophies use their models from the previous Smash Bros. game they were in.
• The last lines in the description of the Pikmin Trainer's trophy in SSB4 reference the first theme song from the Pikmin animated series.
  • In addition to that, his description also has a reference to Ash, Red's counterpart in the anime.