Drake
ユウジ Yūji
File:Orange-league-drake.jpg
Drake
Gender Male
Hometown Pummelo Island
Region Orange Islands
Trainer class Head Leader
Anime debut Hello, Pummelo!
English voice actor Scottie Ray
Japanese voice actor Kōji Yusa

Drake (Japanese: ユウジ Yūji) is the leader of the Orange League. Trainers who defeat him in a full battle at Pummelo Stadium receive the Winner's Trophy and enter the Orange League Hall of Fame.

Ash Ketchum battled him in Hello, Pummelo! and Enter The Dragonite.

Although the dub implies that Drake is merely a fifth Gym Leader in the Orange League, the Japanese version specifically uses the title Head Leader to denote his importance. Additionally, Drake is not necessarily a Pokémon League Champion either, given that it is not clarified whether or not he ever actually had to defeat a previous Head Leader in order to take the title (though it is suggested). In the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, he is referred to as the Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader. Ash battles him in Surf's Up, Pikachu.

In both the anime and manga, Ash was the first person to defeat Drake in Orange League history. Many trainers never even got past Drake's first Pokémon, Ditto, apparently losing their cool seeing a copycat defeat their own Pokémon. Before Ash's challenge, Drake seemed bored and wondered if anyone would ever defeat him. He keeps his prized Dragonite's Poké Ball around his neck. Though no one (before Ash battles him, that is) has ever knocked out four of his Pokémon in a row, it is implied that some trainers did get past his five other Pokémon only to be defeated by Dragonite, as the announcer says that he has saved Dragonite for last many times before.

Regardless of his English name and his affinity for Template:Type2 Pokémon, Drake apparently has no relation to either Drake of the Hoenn League nor Lance of the Indigo League, though a resemblance to the latter is evident.

Pokémon

This listing is of Drake's known Pokémon in the anime:

 
Ditto
Ditto was Drake's first Pokémon used against Ash. With its Transform, it was able to completely mimic Pikachu and match all of its attacks. However, in the end Pikachu was able to outpace Ditto due to Ditto's physical condition remaining the same despite its transformation. It was defeated after Pikachu managed to stand up and knock Ditto to the ground with its tail after a prolonged race using Agility.

Ditto's only known move is Transform.

Debut Hello, Pummelo!
Voice actors
Japanese Kotono Mitsuishi
English Rachael Lillis
 
Onix
Onix was Ash's second opponent. Squirtle started the battle with a Water Gun, but Onix dodged it using Dig. Ash then decided to send Squirtle into the water only to be stopped a couple feet shy by Onix emerging from underground which knocked Squirtle into the air before using Bind. Squirtle escaped Bind by using Hydro Pump. After using a Skull Bash on the now weak Onix, Ash's Squirtle won the battle.

Onix's known moves are Dig and Bind.

Debut Hello, Pummelo!
Voice actors
Japanese Unshō Ishizuka
English Unshō Ishizuka
 
Gengar
Drake's third Pokémon against Ash was Gengar. Ash initially sent out Tauros, but after a failed attempt at Fissure which allowed Gengar to counter with Confuse Ray. Ash then switched for Lapras. Lapras avoided a Hypnosis attack by diving underwater where upon surfacing both Lapras and Gengar launched their respective Ice Beam and Night Shade attacks simultaneously which resulted in a massive explosion knocking out both Pokémon.

Gengar's known moves are Confuse Ray, Hypnosis and Night Shade.

Debut Hello, Pummelo!
Voice actors
Japanese Kōichi Sakaguchi
English Ted Lewis
 
Venusaur
Drake's fourth Pokémon faced off against Ash's Tauros. Tauros's Fissure didn't work due to the sand field's cushioning effect. But after surviving Venusaur's SolarBeam, Tauros was able to defeat Venusaur with a Take Down attack.

Venusaur's known moves are SolarBeam and Vine Whip.

Debut Enter The Dragonite
Voice actors
Japanese Kenta Miyake
English Eric Stuart
 
Electabuzz
This was Drake's 5th and final Pokémon before he used the much anticipated (and feared) Dragonite. Initially defeating Bulbasaur with ease, Charizard was able to withstand a ThunderPunch and a Thunderbolt before defeating Electabuzz with Seismic Toss.

Electabuzz's known moves are ThunderShock, Thunderbolt, ThunderPunch and Thunder.

Debut Enter The Dragonite
Voice actors
Japanese Kōichi Sakaguchi
English N/A
 
Dragonite
Main article: Drake's Dragonite

Knowing a variety of attacks including Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, and Dragon Rage along with 7 more, Dragonite was Drake's powerhouse and Drake's sixth and final Pokémon to be used in battle. Dragonite was used to battle against four of Ash's Pokémon - defeating his Charizard, Squirtle, Tauros, and even breaking from battle to send Team Rocket blasting off, before finally being defeated by a close-range Thunder from Ash's Pikachu.

Debut Hello, Pummelo!
Voice actors
Japanese Katsuyuki Konishi
English Katsuyuki Konishi

Voice actors

Language Voice actor
Japanese 遊佐浩二 Kōji Yusa
English Scottie Ray
European Spanish Alejandro García


Trivia

 
Drake in the manga
  • Drake was bored because he was not being challenged by any tough Trainers. His actions and feelings very closely resemble those of Volkner, the Gym Leader of Sunyshore City.
    • Coincidentally, they both own a Pokémon from the Elekid evolutionary line.
  • Drake's Electabuzz exhibited all of the Template:Type2 attacks introduced in Generation I except for Thunder Wave.
  • The name Drake also sounds like the woud Draco, meaning dragon, possibly referring to his Dragonite.

In other languages

Language Name Origin
Japanese ユウジ Yūji
English, German, Spanish Drake
French Didier
Korean 강산 Gangsan
Chinese 勇次 Yǒng​cì​ From 勇次 Yūji. Also, 勇 means brave.

External links


Pokémon Champions
Core series BlueLanceRedStevenWallaceCynthiaAlderIrisDianthaTraceLeonMustardPeonyNemonaGeetaKieranDraytonMost player characters
Masters EX BlueLanceRedStevenCynthiaAlderIrisDianthaLeonScottieBettieAshNemonaGeetaCalemSerenaMarnieBedeHopLeafNateRosaSilver
Other
spin-offs
Ronald (TCG GB)Mark (TCG GB)Mint (TCG GB)Glenn (Pokkén)
Anime LanceCynthiaWallaceAlderDianthaStevenAsh KetchumLeonIrisNemona
Other animation Blue (Origins)Red (Origins)Calem (Generations)Edgar Troy (PttP)Ava (PttP)
Adventures Professor OakRedSidneyPhoebeGlaciaDrakeStevenWallaceCynthiaAlderIrisDianthaLeonMustardPeonyNemona
Other manga Shigeru (Zensho)Satoshi (Zensho)Rald (Battle Frontier)


Main characters
Ash KetchumPikachuGary OakRitchieMay OakProfessor OakDelia KetchumJessieJamesMeowth
Gym Leaders
BrockMistyKogaSabrinaGiovanniRudyDrake
Other
A.J.AyaBillDamianDarioDuplicaEevee brothersGiselleJeanette FisherOfficer JennyJoeNurse Joy
Lara LaramieMahriMelanieMikeyMimiProfessor OrvillePotterFlorinda ShowersRubySamuraiTommy


Orange League
Mikan Gym  
 
Gym Leader
Cissy
Navel Gym  
 
Gym Leader
Danny
Trovita Gym  
 
Gym Leader
Rudy
Kumquat Gym  
 
Gym Leader
Luana
Pummelo Stadium  
 
Supreme Gym Leader
Drake


  This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.