Paul

This article is about the character from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. For the English voice actor credited as Ed Paul, see Ted Lewis.

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Paul シンジ Shinji
Paul
Gender	Male
Eye color	Black
Hair color	Purple
Hometown	Veilstone City
Region	Sinnoh
Relatives	Reggie (brother)
Trainer class	Trainer
Animated debut	Two Degrees of Separation!
English voice actor	Julián Rebolledo
Japanese voice actor	Kiyotaka Furushima

Paul (Japanese: シンジ Shinji) is a major recurring character in Pokémon the Series. He is a Pokémon Trainer from Veilstone City who was first seen at the end of Two Degrees of Separation!, though his full introduction was in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!. He is Ash's main rival in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl.

History

Pre-series

Paul started his journey with his Turtwig throughout Sinnoh, having been inspired by his older brother Reggie's own travels.

In A Pyramiding Rage!, it was revealed that, while Paul was still a beginning Trainer, he watched Reggie lose to Pyramid King Brandon, thus costing him a victory of the Kanto Battle Frontier. Afterwards, Paul became determined to become more powerful. Like his brother, Paul traveled through Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto, participating in their respective League Conferences, but failing to win any of them, before returning to Sinnoh.

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

Paul debuted briefly in Two Degrees of Separation!, although he was formally introduced in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!, where he captured three Starly but released two of them after finding out they didn't know Aerial Ace. He challenged Ash to a three-on-three battle. After the battle resulted in a tie, Paul released the third Starly he caught, writing it off as weak, and walked off.

In Different Strokes for Different Blokes, he defeated Ash in a Single Battle after meeting him along the way when exploring Bewilder Forest. He caught his Ursaring in the forest. During the episode, he insulted Ash and especially his Turtwig by calling it pathetic, sparking their rivalry. At this point, Ash realized Paul's strategy of disregarding Pokémon and then releasing them if they did not meet his expectations. He also commented that he would not lose to Paul again.

In Shapes of Things to Come!, Paul then battled the Oreburgh Gym Leader Roark and managed to win the Coal Badge. Although he stayed to watch Ash's first battle against Roark in the next episode, he walked off. His style of indiscriminately releasing weak Pokémon was shown again as he gave the Azumarill he used against Roark to a kid in the Pokémon Center after it easily lost to Roark's Geodude despite the 4x type advantage.

In Top-Down Training!, Paul challenged the Sinnoh League Champion Cynthia to a Full Battle. After his first four Pokémon were easily defeated by Cynthia's Garchomp, he surrendered.

In Tag! We're It...!, he was a participant in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition, where he was partnered with Ash. Despite winning the quarterfinal match, he was disappointed with his Chimchar and released him, which Ash quickly caught. Eventually, Paul and Ash managed to win the tournament. Paul then revealed how he captured Chimchar: one day, he ran across him and saw him activating his Blaze Ability to ward off a horde of Zangoose that were violently attacking him. Paul was impressed and decided to catch Chimchar, but he never managed to recreate that powerful Blaze while under his ownership. After winning the tournament, he wrote off the tournament as nothing more than an opportunity to boost his battling skills, giving his Soothe Bell prize to Ash.

Paul and Ash

In Riding the Winds of Change!, Paul caught his Gliscor.

In Pika and Goliath!, he watched Ash's Pikachu battle Sho's Raichu. After watching Pikachu lose to Raichu, he approached Ash and said Pikachu needed to evolve to even come close to being an equal to Raichu. Later on, he witnessed Pikachu defeat Raichu in Ash's rematch against Sho.

Prior to Lost Leader Strategy!, Paul returned to his hometown Veilstone City, where he challenged the new Gym Leader Maylene to a Gym battle. His Pokémon had a type advantage over Maylene's Fighting-type team. This, coupled with the fact that Maylene was feeling out of sync with her Pokémon, resulted in an embarrassing match in which she failed to knock out a single one of his Pokémon. As Maylene awarded him with the Cobble Badge, Paul noted that she was the weakest Gym Leader he had ever battled, which greatly upset her.

In Chim - Charred!, Paul battled Ash after arguing with him over Ash's true skills as a Trainer. After using his Gliscor to defeat Gligar with relative ease, he then pitted his Ursaring against Chimchar. Chimchar struggled for much of the battle, but ended up making a comeback and defeating Ursaring after finally activating Blaze. The battle ended prematurely when Chimchar's Blaze couldn't be controlled since it was activated out of resentment and a determination to defeat Paul. Paul was impressed as this version of Blaze appeared much more powerful than the one that initially drove him to catch Chimchar in the first place.

In Aiding the Enemy!, Paul used his Honchkrow in a Single Battle against Ash and his newly evolved Grotle, defeating Ash with ease partly due to Grotle being unable to adapt to its loss of speed. This was seen by his Torterra, who later helped Ash's Grotle handle the changes in its evolution.

In Pursuing a Lofty Goal!, he participated in the Squallville PokéRinger with his Honchkrow, and made it to the finals but lost to Ash's Staraptor, which was newly evolved.

In A Pyramiding Rage!, Paul challenged Brandon to a Full Battle, hoping that he would be able to do what his brother failed to. However, he lost to Brandon without defeating any of his Pokémon. Brandon informed him that this loss was because he could not control his emotions.

Scolding Chimchar

Following Reggie's suggestion in A Pyramiding Rage!, Paul battled Ash in a Full Battle in Pedal to the Mettle! and Evolving Strategies!. It was revealed that Paul had evolved his Magmar into Magmortar since his battle with Brandon. Despite Ash's Chimchar evolving into Monferno and three of Ash's Pokémon using the Counter Shield strategy, Paul won the match easily with only two of his Pokémon fainting, one of which, Ursaring, having defeated half of Ash's team nearly single-handedly.

In Double-Time Battle Training!, it was revealed that Paul had earned the Mine Badge from Canalave Gym and, by doing so, had collected the eight Badges required to enter the Sinnoh League.

In Fighting Ire with Fire!, Paul encountered Ash for the first time since their Full Battle. He also met his admirer Barry for the first time; however, Paul wasn't impressed by him and refused his offer for a battle, suggesting he battle Ash instead since he was denying all challenges to go into serious training. He later watched the battle between Ash's Monferno and Barry's Empoleon and when Pikachu, Piplup and Empoleon were nearly crushed by one of Team Rocket's damaged mechas, he saved the three with the help of his Electabuzz. He then witnessed Monferno evolving into Infernape, who then saved Electabuzz and the other Pokémon from getting crushed. Paul was impressed by Infernape, and gained a little respect for Ash at how well he had raised him. When asked by Ash if they could have another Full Battle, Paul confirmed they would in the Sinnoh League, and that Reggie was looking forward to seeing it.

Paul and Infernape

Paul entered the Lily of the Valley Conference in An Old Family Blend!, where he was shown in the stadium along with all of the other competitors. He passed the preliminary round in League Unleashed! and defeated Barry in the third round in Casting a Paul on Barry! with his superior tactics and the superior power of his Pokémon.

His next battle was against his rival Ash in Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, continuing into A Real Rival Rouser! and Battling a Thaw in Relations!. After a fierce battle, Paul was finally defeated, and he and Ash parted on good terms, Ash having earned Paul's full respect. It also seemed Paul had decided to change himself somewhat, as when Electivire was defeated, he thanked it for a job well done; up to this point, this was something Paul practically never did, even if his Pokémon won. Afterwards, Paul stated that his next intention was to return to Snowpoint City and re-challenge Brandon.

He briefly appeared in The Semi-Final Frontier!, where he watched Ash as he lost to Tobias.

Privately commenting to Dawn and Brock on the battle between Ash and Paul, Cynthia predicted that they would both be entering the Champion League soon.

Paul made a cameo appearance during the ending credits of Zoroark: Master of Illusions, in which he was seen visiting ancient ruins with statues of Dialga and Palkia.

Paul in Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Paul made a cameo appearance in a flashback in Advice to Goh!.

In Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!, Paul appeared at Professor Oak's Laboratory in order to learn more about Pokémon from Professor Oak. During the visit, he reunited with Ash. Knowing that Ash was in the Masters Eight of the World Coronation Series, Paul used his Gyarados, Garchomp, and Metagross (reflecting the Pokémon owned by Lance, Cynthia, and Steven, respectively) to battle against Ash's Lucario, Dragonite, and Gengar, and ultimately lost. As Paul left, Professor Oak revealed that Paul had received an offer to become a Gym Leader.

In The Fiery Road to Mastership!, Paul appeared with Reggie, watching Cynthia's Masters Eight Tournament match against Iris. In the next episode, they watched Ash's match against Steven. Paul expressed a greater interest during Ash's battle against Steven's Metagross, seemingly pleased that his training with Ash had been effective.

Character

Paul and Reggie

Paul underwent quite a bit of character development throughout Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. Early in the series, Paul was very reserved and apathetic. As such, he displayed very little emotion when interacting with others, other than an occasional rough smirk when dealing with Ash. He was also very callous, seeing Pokémon as tools for combat rather than living beings to make friends with, and his only concern in them being their strength in battle. He strongly disliked weak Pokémon and had a tendency of releasing them if they continuously underperformed in battles or otherwise failed to meet his expectations. To this effect, Paul always checked new captures with his Pokédex to learn what moves they knew, and released them if he deemed them not strong or potent enough. As for the ones he decided to keep, he was shown to be cold, stern, and demanding, willing to engage in ruthless strategies in battle if he felt they would ensure a victory or make his Pokémon stronger, even if it risked injuring them in the process. He felt that bonding with Pokémon would only turn them into slackers, which was proven on one occasion when he gave his prize Soothe Bell, an item that raises a Pokémon's happiness, away to Ash.

Paul's harsh training regime with Chimchar

He also had a habit of scolding his Pokémon for losing to opponents he felt they could have beaten, some examples being his Azumarill, Chimchar, and Honchkrow, once again showing his distaste when expectations weren't met. These beliefs and behaviors were best exemplified in his harsh treatment of Chimchar (which in and of itself was noted to be much worse compared to that of his other Pokémon); he was shown to have fed him straight from tin cans and rushed him so they could get back to training, as well as forcing him to not dodge attacks (even super-effective ones) for the sake of being able to activate his Blaze Ability at will under pressure. He was also shown to have had his other Pokémon relentlessly attack him for this same purpose. This particularly brutal treatment had formed out of Paul's impatient desire to recreate the powerful first impression which led to Chimchar's capture, a result which Paul's training methods ultimately failed to produce. Notably, besides Chimchar, none of Paul's Pokémon expressed any truly overt dislike or dissatisfaction with Paul as a Pokémon Trainer despite his tough methods, and none are known to have ran away of their own volition, with his Electivire and Ursaring in particular becoming more powerful battlers under his training.

However, Paul had a major turning point after his crushing loss to Brandon in A Pyramiding Rage! and underwent a serious attitude adjustment; he maintained his reserved and stoical personality, but he ceased his cruel tendencies and began treating his Pokémon less like tools and more like highly professional partners. While he still doesn't show them open affection like Ash does, he seems to have dropped his habit of scolding them; in fact, he started to do the exact opposite and commend them not only when they won, but even when they lost, which was something he practically never did prior. For example, in Battling a Thaw in Relations!, he praised his Electivire after it defeated Ash's Gliscor, and thanked it for its efforts after it lost to Ash's Infernape. It is unknown if he continues to practice his selective catching methods after this point as he has never been seen catching or releasing Pokémon again. He had also seemingly become less apathetic and more caring of others, which was best exemplified in Fighting Ire with Fire! when he helped save Ash's Pikachu, Dawn's Piplup, and Barry's Empoleon from Team Rocket's destroyed mecha.

Paul preparing for battle

Paul originally felt that Ash was a weak Trainer when they first met, as shown when Ash captured Starly and he questioned him about how strong this Starly was. Ash's very different attitude towards Pokémon provided much fuel to their rivalry. Despite this, Paul barely recognized Ash as a serious Trainer or a rival; Paul regularly disregarded Ash's speeches about friendship and love, taunting and belittling him almost every time they encountered each other, with Ash's Pikachu's usage of Volt Tackle seemingly being the only initial point of Paul's interest. Paul also occasionally found Ash's training style to be hypocritical, accusing him at a few points of using methods similar to his own, specifically ones that Ash had criticized him for; these include Ash's decision to enter the Wallace Cup and his method of having his own Pokémon attack each other. Their radically different beliefs often led to intense arguments, with Ash's friends once noting that their attitudes made it impossible for the two to ignore each other.

However, Paul's first hint of respect for Ash was shown in A Pyramiding Rage!, when he was very surprised to hear that he had won his own Brave Symbol from Brandon, something both his brother and later Paul himself failed at. Notably, after this discovery and his subsequent defeat at the hands of Brandon, Paul would become more subdued and much less caustic in his interactions with Ash. Though they remained at clear odds for the time being, he started regarding Ash more seriously and would no longer mock his abilities as a Trainer. His change in attitude was shown after his victories against Ash and Barry, where, despite their losses, he would not dismiss their efforts like before and would even be complimentary after a hard-fought battle. After a long, tough battle in Sinnoh's Pokémon League Conference, Paul ended up losing to Ash, and in doing so, gained respect for him and ended their bitter rivalry on civil terms.

Paul and Brandon

Paul has also been shown to have a certain degree of athleticism, as seen in Different Strokes for Different Blokes when he and Chimchar were able to downwardly scale a cliff of a waterfall near Bewilder Forest by swinging and leaping from rocks and branches. His catchphrase when calling out Pokémon is "<Pokémon>, standby for battle!" (Japanese: ○○！ バトルスタンバイ！ <Pokémon>, Battle Standby!).

As revealed in Lost Leader Strategy!, Paul occasionally gives some of his Pokémon to his brother Reggie for temporary training and caretaking. He disagrees with his brother's decision to give up on being a Pokémon Trainer after failing to get the Brave Symbol from Brandon, and often harbored contempt towards him for having similar views and beliefs about Pokémon to Ash. Nevertheless, it seems that their brotherly relationship has been reanimated. As shown in Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, during their video conversation, Paul seemed disappointed that Reggie would not be able to come to the match because of his work, but was glad to hear that his older brother was supporting him in the battle with Ash.

Paul appears to feel complete indifference to Dawn, shown most tellingly in A Gruff Act to Follow where he is revealed to have not remembered her name. However, he talks to her about Ash much later in Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, confessing his main problem with Ash is how his talk about bringing out a Pokémon's inner strength through his bond with them and that any Pokémon has the potential to be strong reminds him a lot of his brother. Paul shows a mix of mild respect and distaste towards Brock in their few interactions. While usually keeping his distance due to his association with Ash, Paul willingly opened up about Chimchar's history when questioned by Brock in Glory Blaze!, and later explained his frustrations with Reggie to Brock in Aiding the Enemy!. Paul does show respect for his elders, such as Professor Rowan, Cynthia, Nurse Joy, Professor Oak, and Brandon. He also shows respect to Gym Leaders, but not ones who he feels are weak. For example, he was shown to respect Roark whom he judged to have been a worthwhile opponent, but he was openly rude and mean to Maylene after defeating her with ease.

During Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Paul was shown to have developed a lighter side, allowing Electivire to go play with Pikachu and Grookey. He appeared to be strict, yet more calm-headed, scolding Ash for seemingly ignoring his Pokémon's well-being. He also complimented his Pokémon on their performance, regardless of result, and was shown to talk to others with his usual coolness, yet openly smiling at them, seen when Paul bid Infernape farewell. Paul's change was attributed to the fact that he was asked to become a Gym Leader, making him want to learn more about Pokémon and their nature.

Pokémon

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The rivalry between Ash and Paul's Pokémon

As a result of Paul's selective team creation, his active team is composed of Pokémon that he deems to be powerful. As shown many times throughout the series, Paul regularly rotates the Pokémon in his possession, basing his choices on his knowledge of the opponents he prepares to battle. This can be most prominently seen in his Full Battle with Ash at Lake Acuity, where he prepares many specific moves and strategies for Ash's Sinnoh party based on all of their previous encounters.

Paul is a highly skilled battler, able to observe the battling styles of others and incorporate them into his own. This was shown in his Lily of the Valley Conference battle with Ash, where he adopted several of Ash's unorthodox strategies and quickly used them to his advantage. It was shown again in Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!, where Paul was able to imitate the battling styles of Lance, Cynthia, and Steven in order to prepare Ash for the Masters Eight Tournament.

Whilst the captures of Ursaring and Gliscor were shown in Different Strokes for Different Blokes and Riding the Winds of Change!, respectively, and Ninjask's was revealed in a flashback during Glory Blaze!, his team has for the most part been caught off-screen. Several other Pokémon in his possession were caught onscreen but later released, as they were deemed not strong enough to remain on his active roster.

The Pokémon Paul does not carry with him on hand are left with Reggie at his home in Veilstone City. This list is from Paul's Pokémon up to Pokemon Journeys: The Series:

On hand

Elekid → Electabuzz → Electivire

Debut	Two Degrees of Separation!
Voice actors
Japanese	Kenta Miyake
English	Bill Rogers

Main article: Paul's Electivire

Electivire was the first of Paul's revealed Pokémon. Paul used it as an Elekid during his first appearance in When Pokémon Worlds Collide! in a battle against Ash and his Pikachu. In Smells Like Team Spirit!, Elekid evolved into Electabuzz during a tag battle in which it was fighting alongside Ash's Chimchar. It reappeared as an Electivire in Casting a Paul on Barry!, having evolved off screen at a prior point. It was used by Paul to battle Barry and Ash in his League matches. It was the last Pokémon used against Ash in their Full Battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference.

Gyarados

Debut	Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!

Paul used Gyarados as his first Pokémon against Ash when battling at Professor Oak's Laboratory. It went up against Lucario, only to be defeated.

Gyarados's known moves are Ice Fang and Hyper Beam.

Garchomp ♂

Debut	Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Marc Thompson

Paul used Garchomp as his second Pokémon against Ash when battling at Professor Oak's Laboratory. He went up against Dragonite and won.

Garchomp's known moves are Dragon Claw, Stone Edge, and Draco Meteor.

Metagross

Debut	Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit!

Paul used Metagross as his third Pokémon against Ash when battling at Professor Oak's Laboratory. It went up against Gengar, only to be defeated. It reappeared in a flashback in Battling as Hard as Stone!.

Metagross's known moves are Agility, Psychic, and Meteor Mash.

With Reggie

Ursaring

Debut	Different Strokes for Different Blokes
Voice actors
Japanese	Unshō Ishizuka
English	Unshō Ishizuka

Main article: Paul's Ursaring

Paul caught Ursaring with the help of his Chimchar. Ursaring was seen several times since, often battling against Chimchar.

Weavile

Debut	Top-Down Training!
Voice actors
Japanese	Chinami Nishimura
English	Bill Rogers

Paul caught Weavile while he journeyed through Hoenn, Johto, or Kanto. Weavile made its first appearance in a battle against Cynthia's Garchomp where it lost, despite the double type-advantage of Ice.

Paul sent Weavile out in Riding the Winds of Change! where it worked with Electabuzz to capture Gliscor.

Weavile briefly appeared in Aiding the Enemy as Torterra's sparring partner.

Weavile appeared again in Pedal to the Mettle! where it went up against Ash's Staraptor in Ash and Paul's Full Battle and lost, despite the type-advantage.

In Battling a Thaw in Relations!, it was with Reggie along with Paul's Torterra, Ursaring, and Honchkrow, disappointed to find out its Trainer had lost.

Weavile's known moves are Blizzard, Ice Beam, Ice Shard, Swords Dance, and Metal Claw.

Murkrow → Honchkrow

Debut	Top-Down Training!
Voice actors
Japanese	Daisuke Sakaguchi
English	Tim Werenko

Main article: Paul's Honchkrow

Honchkrow's first official appearance was as a Murkrow in Top-Down Training!, in which Paul used it in battle against Cynthia's Garchomp. It evolved off-screen between Riding the Winds of Change! and Lost Leader Strategy!.

Turtwig → Grotle → Torterra

Debut	Top-Down Training!
Voice actors
Japanese	Unshō Ishizuka
English	Billy Beach

Main article: Paul's Torterra

Torterra is one of Paul's strongest Pokémon and his first partner Pokémon as well. It made its first appearance in Top-Down Training!, in which it was used in a battle against Cynthia's Garchomp.

Ninjask

Debut	Glory Blaze!
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Billy Beach

Paul's Ninjask was caught shortly before Paul met Chimchar, as shown in a flashback in Glory Blaze!. It did not appear again until it was used as Paul's fourth Pokémon against Ash in the Lily of the Valley Conference, where it went up against Gliscor. Taking advantage of its superior speed, it managed to cause substantial damage while not taking a single hit in return. Gliscor was then recalled in favor of Infernape, who eliminated Ninjask with the blast wave from an Underground Flare Blitz and a successful Mach Punch.

Ninjask's known moves are Agility, Fury Cutter, and Giga Drain, and its Ability is Speed Boost.

Gliscor

Debut	Riding the Winds of Change!
Voice actors
Japanese	Yūji Ueda
English	Marc Thompson

Paul caught Gliscor in Riding the Winds of Change! after hearing of its reputation as a powerful Pokémon, causing a lot of trouble along with its pack of Gligar. While easily standing up against Electabuzz and Weavile, it was finally caught by Paul, while Ash was trying to talk with it.

Gliscor appeared again in Chim - Charred!, in which it was used to battle Ash's Gligar and won the battle rather easily.

Gliscor made a brief appearance in Aiding the Enemy! along with Paul's other Pokémon outside of the Pokémon Center while the Team Rocket trio took care of Paul's Torterra. Gliscor was not seen again after this.

Gliscor's known moves are X-Scissor, Sandstorm, Knock Off, and Guillotine.

Magmar → Magmortar

Debut	Lost Leader Strategy!
Voice actors
Japanese	Yūji Ueda
English	Tom Wayland

Main article: Paul's Magmortar

Paul chose Magmortar to replace his Chimchar after he released it. It first debuted as a Magmar in Lost Leader Strategy!, in which it appeared in a flashback. Magmar made its first real appearance in Aiding the Enemy!, sleeping with Paul's other Pokémon.

Magmar's evolution was revealed in Pedal to the Mettle! when Paul chose Magmortar to battle Ash's Pikachu.

Hariyama

Debut	A Pyramiding Rage!
Voice actors
Japanese	Unshō Ishizuka
English	Bill Rogers

Hariyama fought against Brandon's Regirock, with Paul bringing it out to utilize its type advantage. However, it was eventually taken out by a Focus Punch.

Hariyama's known moves are Arm Thrust and Force Palm.

Nidoking ♂

Debut	A Pyramiding Rage!
Voice actors
Japanese	Katsuyuki Konishi
English	Katsuyuki Konishi

Nidoking was used to fight against Brandon's Registeel. Despite landing super effective hits on Registeel, Nidoking was unable to take it down and was knocked out by a powerful Iron Head.

Nidoking's known moves are Earth Power, Double Kick, and Thunderbolt.

Lairon → Aggron

Debut	A Pyramiding Rage!
Voice actors
Japanese	Daisuke Sakaguchi (as Lairon) Kenta Miyake (as Aggron)
English	Billy Beach

Aggron first appeared as a Lairon in A Pyramiding Rage!, in which it fought against Brandon's Regice. However, it was defeated before it could attack even once.

In Familiarity Breeds Strategy!, Lairon was shown to have evolved into Aggron. It was the first Pokémon he used in his Lily of the Valley Conference battle with Ash, going up against Pikachu first. Ash eventually withdrew Pikachu in favor of Infernape, who managed to burn Aggron with Flare Blitz and subsequently defeat it with a Mach Punch. Later, though, it was revealed that Aggron's defeat had been a part of Paul's strategy all along.

Aggron's known moves are Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Flash Cannon, and Double-Edge, and its Ability is Rock Head.

Gastrodon

Debut	Familiarity Breeds Strategy!
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Tom Wayland

Gastrodon was the second Pokémon used against Ash in the Lily of the Valley Conference, going up against Staraptor. Copying Ash's Counter Shield and using its squishy body to its advantage, Gastrodon quickly had Staraptor on the ropes, promoting Ash to recall it and use Buizel instead. Buizel ultimately succeeded in defeating Gastrodon, although this defeat turned out to have been a part of Paul's plan.

Gastrodon's known moves are Muddy Water, Body Slam, Water Pulse, and Ice Beam.

Drapion

Debut	Familiarity Breeds Strategy!
Voice actors
Japanese	Unshō Ishizuka
English	Unshō Ishizuka

Drapion was the third Pokémon used in Paul's Lily of the Valley Conference match against Ash. Having used his first two Pokémon to make Ash reveal his strategy, Paul used Drapion to more than level out the numbers, defeating Buizel, Staraptor, and Torterra in rapid succession before being recalled, not in small part thanks to its Toxic Spikes. It later returned to the battlefield to face Gliscor, who eventually defeated Drapion after a prolonged skirmish.

Drapion's known moves are Pin Missile, Cross Poison, Toxic Spikes, and Poison Fang.

Froslass ♀

Debut	A Real Rival Rouser!
Voice actors
Japanese	Satsuki Yukino
English	Bella Hudson

Froslass was the fifth Pokémon used by Paul in his battle against Ash in the Lily of the Valley Conference. Going up against Ash's Pikachu, she used Hail to change the battle conditions in her favor. Pikachu was able to survive Froslass's assault, though, and struck back with Iron Tail before finishing Froslass off with Volt Tackle.

Froslass's known moves are Hail, Ice Shard, and Ice Beam, and her Ability is Snow Cloak.

Released

It is implied that Paul has caught and released many more Pokémon than what has been shown onscreen.

Starly (×2)

Debut	When Pokémon Worlds Collide!
Voice actors
Japanese	Kiyotaka Furushima
English	Sarah Natochenny

Paul caught these two Starly the same time he caught the final one. Paul released the two once he scanned them on his Pokédex, deeming them too weak for his team, and the fact that they only knew Tackle and Sand-Attack.

Both Starly's known moves are Tackle* and Sand Attack*.

Starly

Debut	When Pokémon Worlds Collide!
Voice actors
Japanese	Kiyotaka Furushima
English	Sarah Natochenny

Paul caught the final Starly the same time he caught the other two. He decided to keep it once he scanned it on his Pokédex, due to its knowledge of Aerial Ace. It was used against Ash's Starly in their first battle. Despite Paul's Starly winning, Paul decided it was not up to his standards and so it was also released after their battle.

Starly's known moves were Aerial Ace and Double Team.

Stantler

Debut	Different Strokes for Different Blokes
Voice actors
Japanese	Katsuyuki Konishi
English	Katsuyuki Konishi

Paul caught Stantler while in Bewilder Forest, but released it as soon as he scanned it on his Pokédex, due to the fact that its only move was Tackle.

Stantler's only known move is Tackle*.

Chimchar ♂

Debut	When Pokémon Worlds Collide!
Voice actors
Japanese	Megumi Hayashibara
English	Bill Rogers

Main article: Ash's Infernape

When Paul first saw Chimchar, he was being chased by a group of Zangoose. Paul was impressed with him and added him to his regular team. However, this first impression did not match up to Chimchar's normal abilities and so Paul regularly criticized him for being weak. After losing to Cynthia's Garchomp in Top-Down Training, Paul realized that Chimchar was not fulfilling his expectations. This culminated in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition, in which he was forced to battle alongside Ash. During a battle against a Zangoose and a Metagross, Chimchar was too scared to make any attacks when caught in Zangoose's claws. After the battle, Paul released Chimchar in front of Ash, who then invited him to join his team.

Given away

Azumarill

Debut	Shapes of Things to Come!
Voice actors
Japanese	Tomoko Kawakami
English	Kayzie Rogers

Paul was first seen using Azumarill for his battle with Roark in Shapes of Things to Come!, attempting to use the type advantage over the Rock-type Pokémon. However, Roark's Geodude had little trouble in defeating the Water Pokémon, deflecting Hydro Pump with Hidden Power and knocking it out with Rollout.

Unsatisfied with its loss, Paul gave Azumarill away to a little boy during A Gruff Act to Follow!, claiming it had no potential to improve and there was no point wasting his time on it. This infuriated Ash, pushing their rivalry even further.

Azumarill's known moves were Hydro Pump and Water Gun*.

Achievements

Badges obtained

It can be assumed that Paul has at least eight Gym Badges each from Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto, as he has entered all three of their championship competitions.

Paul's Relic Badge

Sinnoh Badges

This listing is of the Badges Paul has obtained in the Sinnoh region:

• Coal Badge (Shapes of Things to Come!)
• Cobble Badge (prior to Lost Leader Strategy!)
• Relic Badge (prior to Aiding the Enemy)
• Four unknown Badges* (prior to Double-Time Battle Training!)
• Mine Badge (prior to Double-Time Battle Training!)

Pokémon League

Paul has competed in the following Pokémon League Conferences:

• Ever Grande Conference - Unknown (prior to Two Degrees of Separation!)
• Silver Conference - Unknown (prior to Two Degrees of Separation!)
• Indigo Plateau Conference - Unknown (prior to Two Degrees of Separation!)
• Lily of the Valley Conference - Top 8 (Battling a Thaw in Relations!)

Pokémon competitions

Paul has competed in the following Pokémon competitions:

• Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition - Winner (with Ash; Smells Like Team Spirit!)
• Squallville PokéRinger - Runner-Up (Pursuing a Lofty Goal!)

Gallery

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  Paul after winning the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition

Voice actors

Language Voice actor Japanese 古島清孝 Kiyotaka Furushima English Julián Rebolledo Mandarin Chinese 李世揚 Li Shìyáng Czech Michal Holan Zdeněk Hruška Danish Mathias Klenske (DP002) Peter Holst Beck (DP003-present) Dutch Tony Neef Finnish Antti Jaakola (DP002-DP052) Aku Laitinen (DP053-present) European French Alessandro Bevilacqua Gauthier De Fauconval (DP053-DP104) German Johannes Wolko Hebrew מירון אהרונוביץ Meron Aharonovich Indonesian Kamal Nasuti (DP182-present) Italian Massimo di Benedetto (DP002-DP052) Maurizio Merluzzo (DP053-DP188) Marco Benedetti (JN114) Korean 문남숙 Mun Nam-Suk Norwegian Tommy Karlsen Polish Artur Pontek Portuguese Brazil Gabriel Noya Thiago Longo (DP155) Portugal Pedro Cardoso (DP002-DP052) Mário Santos (DP053-present) Romanian Cătălin Rotaru Spanish Latin America Gerardo García (DP002-DP100, DP163-present) Gabriel Ortiz (DP118) Eduardo Ramírez (DP127-DP132) Ricardo Bautista (DP155) Spain Pablo Sevilla Turkish Rüzgar Aksoy Vietnamese Huỳnh Phương Hoàng Trí

Artwork

Concept artwork from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl			Artwork from "After the story"

Trivia

Early artwork

• Paul was first revealed to the public through a CoroCoro scan that showed him alongside Ash and Dawn commanding a Chimchar. However, his name and role were not revealed until the following week, and so, he received the fan name "Nugai" (a pun derived from "new guy") during that time.
• Three of Ash's Pokémon have evolved while battling Paul: Turtwig into Grotle, Staravia into Staraptor, and Chimchar into Monferno. Both Turtwig and Staravia evolved while battling Honchkrow. Paul also witnessed Monferno's later evolution into Infernape.
• Paul is the first regular rival seen catching a Pokémon and receiving a Gym Badge on screen.
• If one does not count the Squallville PokéRinger, Paul has been defeated onscreen four times, with three of his Pokémon debuting each time.
• Paul has battled Ash more times than any other rival.
• Paul shares his Japanese name with that of Lake Verity.
• Paul is the only Trainer to abandon one of Ash's Pokémon that has been seen more than once outside of flashbacks.
• Paul is the only character to have participated in a Full Battle against Ash more than once.
• During his battle with Ash at Lake Acuity, Paul recalled his Pokémon a total of seven times, the most out of any Trainer in the anime within a single battle.
• Paul has participated in four Full Battles on-screen, the most of any Trainer in the anime other than Ash.
• Paul is the first regular recurring character to battle the Champion of a core series region.
• Paul owns a Pokémon of every type except for Fairy. While he used to own an Azumarill, it was not a Fairy type at the time when he owned it.
• Paul makes a cameo appearance alongside his Pokémon in the ending Let's Join Hands.
• In the English dub, Paul has a habit of referring to things he dislikes as "pathetic". No equivalent phrase exists in the Japanese version.
• During the tenth season, Paul's catchphrase was "Stand by!" instead of "Stand by for battle!".

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	シンジ Shinji	Possibly from 真珠 shinju (pearl), a reference to Pokémon Pearl. Could also be named after 宮崎慎二 Shinji Miyazaki.
English, French, German, Italian, Spanish	Paul	Possibly from pearl
Spanish	Polo	Spanish adaptation of Paul
Korean	진철 Jincheol	Possibly from 진주 jinju (pearl)
Chinese (Mandarin)	真司 Zhēnsī	From the name 真司 Shinji. Also similar to 真珠 zhēnzhū (pearl)
Chinese (Cantonese)	真司 Jānsī	Same as Mandarin name
Russian	Пол Pol	Transcription of English name

Related articles

• Episodes focusing on Paul
• Images on the Bulbagarden Archives

Paul's Pokémon
On hand:	Electivire	Gyarados	Garchomp	Metagross
At home:	Ursaring	Weavile	Honchkrow	Torterra	Ninjask	Gliscor
	Magmortar	Hariyama	Nidoking	Aggron	Gastrodon	Drapion
	Froslass
Released:	Starly (×3)	Stantler	Chimchar
Given away:	Azumarill

Pokémon the Series characters
Protagonists Ash Ketchum (Pikachu) • Misty (Togetic) • Brock • Tracey Sketchit • May • Max • Dawn (Piplup) • Iris (Haxorus) • Cilan • Serena • Clemont • Bonnie (Dedenne) • Lana • Kiawe • Lillie • Sophocles • Mallow • Rotom Pokédex • Goh (Grookey) Rivals Gary • Ritchie • Harrison • Drew • Harley • Morrison • Tyson • Solidad • Paul • Nando • Zoey • Kenny • Conway • Barry • Ursula • Trip • Bianca • Burgundy • Stephan • Georgia • Cameron • Aria • Alain • Miette • Tierno • Shauna • Trevor • Nini • Sawyer • Gladion • Horacio • Hau • Leon • Raihan • Horace • Bea • League Conference participants • Coordinators • Performers • World Coronation Series participants Antagonists Jessie (Wobbuffet) • James • Meowth • Giovanni • Butch • Cassidy • Dr. Namba • Matori • Pierce • Dr. Zager • Gozu • Tabitha • Maxie • Shelly • Archie • Hunter J • Saturn • Cyrus • Mars • Jupiter • Charon • Colress • Aldith • Ghetsis • Barret • Malamar • Lysandre • Mable • Celosia • Aliana • Xerosic • Bryony • Tupp • Zipp • Rapp • Plumeria • Guzma • Viren • Rose • Oleana Professors Professor Oak • Professor Ivy • Professor Elm • Professor Birch • Professor Rowan • Professor Carolina • Professor Juniper • Dr. Fennel • Cedric Juniper • Professor Sycamore • Professor Kukui • Professor Burnet • Professor Cerise • Professor Magnolia • Sonia • Professor Amaranth Relatives Delia Ketchum • Daisy • Violet • Lily • James's parents • Flint • Lola • Forrest • Brock's siblings • Norman • Caroline • Johanna • Chili • Cress • Grace • Meyer • Lana's father • Lana's mother • Harper and Sarah • Rango • Sima • Mimo • Kiawe's grandfather • Mohn • Lusamine • Gladion • Sophocles's parents • Molayne • Abe • Mallow's mother • Ulu • Walker • Camille • Halta Supporting Officer Jenny • Nurse Joy • Magikarp salesman • Todd Snap • Charles Goodshow • Casey • Liza • Sakura • Lance • Clair • Raoul Contesta • Mr. Sukizo • Steven Stone • Vivian Meridian • Robert • Scott • Lilian Meridian • Solana • Brandon • Marian • Yuzo • Rhonda • Cynthia • Reggie • Angie • Looker • Izzy and Cara • Lyra • Khoury • Tobias • Don George • Elder • Alder • Luke • Freddy O'Martian • Ingo • Emmet • Jervis • Virgil • N • Anthea and Concordia • Porter • Alexa • Sophie • Cosette • Clembot • Sanpei • Mairin • Astrid • Diantha • Korrina • Gurkinn • Monsieur Pierre • Palermo • Keanan • Malva • Samson Oak • Anela • Hobbes • Nina • Anna • Laki • Dana • Yansu • Wicke • Faba • Ilima • Acerola • Dia • Chloe • Chrysa • Ren • Parker • Talia • Lei • Danika • Quillon • Hop • Gym Leaders • Elite Four • Frontier Brains • Island kahunas • Many temporary characters Supporting Pokémon Fearow • Ho-Oh • Squirtle Squad • Pink Butterfree • Haunter • Jigglypuff • Mewtwo • Mimey • Lapras herd • Granbull • Pichu Brothers • Lugia • Silver • Delibird • Wynaut • Larvitar • Kyogre and Groudon • Articuno • Deoxys • Lake guardians • Forces of nature • Meloetta • Reshiram • Super-ancient Pokémon • Wooper • Florges • Squishy • Z2 • Guardian deities • Bewear • Toucannon's flock • Stoutland • Oranguru • Nebby • Stufful • Ultra Beasts • Grandpa Forest • Necrozma • Lunala • Shaymin • Mew • Rotom Phones • Pelipper • Thievul trio • Eternatus • Drone Rotom • Legendary heroes • Latias • Recurring wild Pokémon
See also: Pokémon Horizons characters

Trainers in League Conferences

Indigo (Kanto) Mandi • Pete • Gary • Jeanette • Melissa • Ash • Ritchie • Assunta Silver (Johto) Darren • Salvador • Jackson • Macy • Gary • Ash • Harrison • Jon Ever Grande (Hoenn) Jump • Vivica • Gilbert • Gavin • Dominick • Clark • Johnny Katie • Morrison • Ash • Tyson Lily of the Valley (Sinnoh) Jeffrey • Nando • Barry • Conway • Paul • Ash • Tobias Vertress (Unova) Radley • Mikael • Ultimo • Kendrick • Trip • Bianca • Emmanuel Geraldo • Stephan • Flora • Kenton • Manning • Ash Katharine • Antonio • Russet • Ramone • Cameron • Dino • Virgil Lumiose (Kalos) Trevor • Titus • Astrid • Tierno • Remo • Sawyer • Ash • Alain Manalo (Alola) Hiroki • Pikala • Mr. Electric • Mad Magmar • Rapp • Zipp Tupp • Plumeria • DJ Leo • Master fisherman • Oluolu • Kahili Faba • Ilima • Samson • Mallow • Mina • "Jessina" • Acerola Lillie • "Jamesio" • Hau • Sophocles • Lana • Kiawe • Guzma Gladion • Ash

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