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'''A.J.''' (Japanese: '''アキラ''' ''Akira'') is a {{pkmn|Trainer}} who lives between [[Cerulean City]] and [[Vermilion City]]. His dream is to become a [[Pokémon Master]] with the help of his favorite {{OBP|Pokémon|species}}, {{p|Sandshrew}}. He ran an unofficial [[Gym]] which was not sponsored by the [[Pokémon League]] and therefore did not give out any [[Badge]]s.

==In the anime==
[[File:AJ.png|thumb|250px|A.J. in the anime]]
A.J. was the [[character of the day]] in ''[[EP008|The Path to the Pokémon League]]''.

In this episode, {{Ash}}, {{an|Misty}}, and {{an|Brock}} were on their way to Vermilion City, when they heard about a local Trainer who was undefeated. Ash, eager to challenge this Trainer, went to A.J.'s Gym and saw a sign above it announcing that A.J. had been undefeated through 98 matches. A.J. returned to the Gym after catching some wild Pokémon. Ash challenged him to battle number 99.

Ash began to say how he thought low about a person with 98 victories but without a Gym Badge. A.J. responded by saying that he wasn't planning on challenging a Gym Leader until he had 100 wins in a row. Ash bragged about the two Badges he had at the time just with ten victories, and A.J. insulted him and said he must have gotten them from weak Gym Leaders, which angered both Brock and Misty. A.J. defeated Ash with his {{p|Sandshrew}} without much effort, causing Ash to complain and accuse A.J. of cheating.

As the group was about to leave, they looked inside the Gym, and they saw A.J. using a whip to send his Sandshrew diving into a pool. Ash attacked A.J., thinking that he was abusing his Pokémon. A.J. explained that he was strengthening his Sandshrew's resistance against water. Sandshrew and all of A.J.'s other Pokémon were wearing "strength intensifiers". He also had all of his Pokémon exercise in rigorous routines. Ash complained about A.J. treating his Pokémon too harshly and asked Brock and Misty to back him up. However, Brock instead complimented A.J. on the specialized {{pkmn|food}} he prepares for his Pokémon.

[[Jessie]], [[James]], and {{MTR}} tried to steal [[Ash's Pikachu]], but ended up accidentally taking Sandshrew instead. Not knowing what had happened, Ash guessed that Sandshrew had run away, and offered A.J.'s other Pokémon spots on his [[party|team]], but they ignored him. Sandshrew escaped from {{TRT}} by using {{m|Dig}}, accidentally bringing Meowth along with him. After A.J.'s Sandshrew came back, he challenged Team Rocket to a battle, and his Sandshrew defeated Team Rocket, winning A.J. the final victory needed to set off and collect Gym Badges. 

After A.J. and Sandshrew had been happily reunited, Ash realized that A.J. cared deeply for his Pokémon, despite being tough on them during training.

A.J. made another appearance in a flashback sequence of the [[original series]]' second Japanese opening theme, [[The Rivals]], and its English dub equivalent, {{so|Pokémon World}}. He and his Sandshrew appear with a group of other {{pkmn|Trainer}}s Ash encountered during his [[S01|first trip]] through [[Kanto]].

===Pokémon===
{{MissingInfo|2|enva|java}}
This listing is of A.J.'s Pokémon in the {{pkmn|anime}}.
{{TrainerPoké
|trainer=A.J.
|pkmn=Sandshrew
|type1=Ground
|img=AJ Sandshrew.png
|epnum=EP008
|epname=The Path to the Pokémon League
|desc={{p|Sandshrew}} first appeared in ''[[EP008|The Path to the Pokémon League]]'', during {{Ash}}'s battle with A.J. During the battle, his {{AP|Pidgeotto}} was easily defeated by Sandshrew. Next, Ash called out his {{AP|Butterfree}} and went for a {{m|Stun Spore}}. A.J. whipped Sandshrew and told it to use {{m|Dig}}, allowing it to avoid the Stun Spore. It jumped out and defeated Butterfree. Ash wanted {{AP|Pikachu}} to battle, but it refused, giving A.J. the win.

It was seen training in A.J.'s Gym, wearing what A.J. called a "strength intensifier" and using the pool. It was accidentally captured by {{TRT}}, but it was able to make its way back using Dig. It had a battle against [[James's Koffing]] and [[Jessie's Ekans]]. It was able to dodge Koffing and entangle Ekans, then finished them off by using {{m|Fissure}}.

Sandshrew made a cameo with A.J. in the [[original series]]' second Japanese opening theme, [[The Rivals]], and its English dub equivalent, {{so|Pokémon World}}.

Sandshrew's known moves are {{m|Dig}}, {{m|Defense Curl}}{{tt|*|Sandshrew couldn't legitimately learn Defense Curl in Generation I}}, and {{m|Fissure}}.}}

{{TrainerPoké
|trainer=A.J.
|pkmn=Butterfree
|type1=Bug
|type2=Flying
|img=AJ Beedrill Butterfree.png
|epnum=EP008
|epname=The Path to the Pokémon League
|vajp=Rikako Aikawa
|vaen=Rikako Aikawa
|desc={{p|Butterfree}} appeared in ''[[EP008|The Path to the Pokémon League]]'', where it was first seen carrying A.J.'s bag into the [[Gym]]. It was seen in A.J.'s Gym training with his {{p|Beedrill}}.

None of Butterfree's moves are known.}}

{{TrainerPoké
|trainer=A.J.
|pkmn=Beedrill
|type1=Bug
|type2=Poison
|img=AJ Beedrill Butterfree.png
|epnum=EP008
|epname=The Path to the Pokémon League
|desc={{p|Beedrill}} appeared in ''[[EP008|The Path to the Pokémon League]]'', where it was first seen in A.J.'s Gym, training with his {{p|Butterfree}}.

None of Beedrill's moves are known.}}

{{TrainerPoké
|trainer=A.J.
|pkmn=Rattata (×3)
|type1=Normal
|img=AJ Rattata.png
|epnum=EP008
|epname=The Path to the Pokémon League
|vaen=Michael Haigney
|desc=These three {{p|Rattata}} appeared in ''[[EP008|The Path to the Pokémon League]]'', where they were seen in A.J.'s Gym training with his {{p|Sandshrew}}.

None of Rattata's moves are known.}}

===Voice actors===
{{vatable|color={{ground color}}|bordercolor={{ground color light}}
|ja=檜山修之 ''[[Nobuyuki Hiyama]]''
|en=[[Maddie Blaustein]]<ref group="note" name="blaustein">Credited as "Adam Blaustein"</ref>
|ar=زياد الرفاعي ''Zeyad Errafae'ie''
|he=לירון לב ''Liron Lev''
|cs=Radovan Vaculík
|fi=Arto Nieminen
|fr_eu=Frédéric Meaux
|it=Patrizio Prata (Mediaset dub)<br>Davide Albano (K2 dub)
|no=Erik Skøld
|pt_br=Vágner Fagundes
|es_la=Benjamin Rivera
|es_eu=Juan Logar Jr.
|pl=Mikołaj Klimek}}
{{reflist|group=note}}

==In the manga==
[[File:AJ EToP.png|thumb|250px|A.J. in [[The Electric Tale of Pikachu]]]]
===The Electric Tale of Pikachu===
A.J. made a cameo appearance in ''[[ET07|Pikachu's Excellent Adventure]]''. He, along with [[Samurai]], {{OBP|Ash Ketchum|EToP|Ash}}, and {{an|Brock}}, was making plans to find the [[Hidden Village]], where powerful wild Pokémon supposedly live. A.J. is particularly interested in high-[[level]]ed Pokémon such as {{p|Charizard}} and {{p|Venusaur}}. He and Samurai were separated from Ash and Brock when {{AP|Pikachu|Pikachu (EToP)}} went missing.

A.J. appears to be a little older in the manga compared to his anime appearance.
{{-}}

==In the games==
[[File:AJ Yellow.png|thumb|A.J. in {{game|Yellow}}]]
In {{game|Yellow}}, a game based on the anime, there is a {{tc|Youngster}} on {{rt|9|Kanto}}. This Trainer solely uses a level 24 {{p|Sandshrew}} that has the move {{m|Fissure}}, much like A.J.'s Sandshrew in the anime. After the player wins the battle, he says, "I'll restart my 100-win streak with Sandshrew," a reference to the fact that A.J. won 100 battles. This Trainer may be A.J., or a reference to him. In {{game|Red and Blue|s}}, this Trainer is originally a {{tc|Camper|Jr. Trainer♂}}, has a {{p|Growlithe}} and a {{p|Charmander}}, and says, "Keep walking!" after being defeated.

===Pokémon===
{{Party/Single|color={{ground color}}|bordercolor={{ground color dark}}|headcolor={{ground color light}}
|sprite=Spr Y Youngster.png
|prize={{Pdollar}}360
|name=Youngster
|game=Y
|location=Kanto Route 9
|locationname=Route 9
|pokemon=1}}
|style="margin:auto"|{{Pokémon/1|game=Yellow|ndex=027|pokemon=Sandshrew
|level=24|type1=Ground
|move1=Scratch|move1type=Normal
|move2=Sand-Attack|move2type=Normal
|move3=Slash|move3type=Normal
|move4=Fissure|move4type=Ground}}
{{Party/Footer}}

===Quotes===
* Before battle
:''"I aim to be the ultimate trainer!"''

* Being defeated
:''"My <sc>Sandshrew</sc> lost?"''

* After being defeated
:''"I'll restart my 100-win streak with <sc>Sandshrew</sc>."''

==Trivia==
* A.J.'s Sandshrew used Defense Curl, despite the fact that Sandshrew [[Anime move errors|couldn't learn it]] until [[Generation II|the next generation]] in the games.
* A.J.'s character could be based on a comedy by William Shakespeare, {{wp|The Taming of the Shrew}}.
{{-}}
{{Electric Tale of Pikachu characters}}<br>
{{Project COD notice}}

[[Category:Kanto characters of the day]]
[[Category:Anime characters]]
[[Category:Red, Blue and Yellow characters]]
[[Category:Electric Tale of Pikachu characters]]
[[Category:Male characters]]

[[de:A.J.]]
[[es:A.J.]]
[[fr:Albert (épisode 8)]]
[[it:A.J.]]
[[ja:アキラ]]
[[zh:小明（关都）]]