Bruno is a member of the Elite Four. He raises Fighting-type Pokémon, living with them and training with them. He joined the Elite Four out of a desire to challenge the best Trainers. Although he trains Fighting Pokémon, he also uses Onix and its evolution and his strongest Pokémon is always his Machamp.
"I am Bruno of the Elite Four! Through rigorous training, people and Pokémon can become stronger without limit. I've lived and trained with my Fighting Pokémon! And that will never change! <Player>! We will grind you down with our superior power! Hoo hah!"
"I am Bruno of the Elite Four. I always train to the extreme because I believe in our potential. That is how we became strong. Can you withstand our power? Hm? I see no fear in you. You look determined. Perfect for battle! Ready, <player>? You will bow down to our overwhelming power! Hoo hah!"
When defeated
"Why? How could we lose?"
After being defeated
"Having lost, I have no right to say anything...Go face your next challenge!"
"I am Bruno of the Elite Four. I always train to the extreme because I believe in our potential. That is how we became strong. Can you withstand our power? Hm? I see no fear in you. You look determined. Perfect for battle! Ready, <player>? You will bow down to our overwhelming power! Hoo hah!"
After sending out last Pokémon
"Fight as hard as you can 'til you faint!"
During battle
"We're standing firm!"
When defeated
"Why? How could we lose?"
After being defeated
"Having lost, I have no right to say anything...Go face your next challenge!"
While Ash was preparing for the Pokémon League in Kanto, he found out that Bruno was training in the mountains near Pallet Town. Brock was enthusiastic about meeting Bruno, so they took Misty and headed towards the mountains. In the local mountains, it was known that Onix grew much larger than usual.
After Bruno saved them from one of the giant Onix, Ash and Brock begged for Bruno to take them on as students. Bruno agreed, as long as Ash and Brock would do anything he said. Bruno had them chop wood, carry water, and carve chopsticks - amongst other chores. Misty began to suspect that Bruno was a phony.
Brock decided to prove how amazing Bruno was by surprising him with a sneak attack. He assumed that Bruno's reflexes would be so amazing, he'd stop Brock with ease. Brock nearly ended up knocking Bruno unconscious. Bruno admitted that he didn't know any secret techniques on how to train Pokémon and just wanted to have someone to do chores for him.
Later, the kids were again chased by a giant Onix. The giant Pokémon was upset because a Sandslash was stuck between two of its boulders. Bruno removed Sandslash, calmed Onix, and it decided to join his team. Bruno then said that the only true secret behind Pokémon training is that Trainers and their Pokémon should care for each other.
Bruno has amazing physical power and agility in the anime, and appears capable of using them with almost superhuman expertise.
Pokémon
This listing is of Bruno's Pokémon in the Pokémon anime:
Hitmonchan ♂
Not much is known about Bruno's Hitmonchan, as it has only been seen briefly in a video watched by Brock and Ash.
Bruno went to Mt. Hideaway in order to find and capture this giantOnix. At Mt. Hideaway Onix grew much bigger and stronger than elsewhere. This certain Onix was rampaging around the mountain in agony. Ash and friends tried to stop it, but didn't succeed. Bruno then appeared and was ready to catch Onix. When Ash and the others asked what Pokémon he was going to use, Bruno shocked them by telling that he wasn't going to use any Pokémon. Bruno soon found the reason for Onix's agony: a Sandslash had been stuck inside of it. After Sandslash was removed, Onix became very thankful for Bruno and accepted to come with him, so Bruno threw his Poké Ball at Onix and captured it. It hasn't been seen since.
Bruno was primarily a villain. He challenged Red to a Pokémon battle in a remote area and fought him evenly, defeating Poli and injuring his Pikachu and Gyarados. Afterwards, his comrades Agatha and Lorelei then offered a position on the Elite Four to Red for his battling prowess, but Red refused so Lorelei froze him using her expanding ice cuffs. Many of his Machop were seen to decoy Pewter City and keep Brock at bay before stealing his badge.
Later, the Elite Four tried to wipe out most of humanity from Cerise Island. Bill and Lt. Surge originally fought Bruno on two wild Onix with a pit of Toxic Mucus under them, which if either of them fell they would die. When Yellow and Blaine came along it was also revealed that he put up a barrier to stop any intruders from entering so a fair battle could be fought. Bill and Lt. Surge eventually gained the upper hand by combining Exeggcutes' Egg Bomb with Electrode's Explosion to make the Onix collapse and make them all fall except Lt. Surge had his Magneton create a Barrier to keep them elevated. It later was revealed that Bruno really used his Hitmonlee's legs to keep him hanging on, and Agatha's mind-controlling armbands then forced him to try and drag Surge down to the acid, only to be saved by a stranger with a Venusaur riding a bike. Red then came, revealed himself, and defeated Bruno using Vee with new found control of its evolutions.
It was later revealed that Bruno was an unwilling member, and only strived to be the best fighter there is. Agatha used the mind controlling abilities of her Template:Type2 Pokémon to force Bruno to join. Due to this he was suffering memory loss and questions why he was in the Elite Four, so he couldn't even realize that he was being controlled.
Without any place to go, Bruno formed a new version of the Elite Four in Johto, with three other ex-members of criminal organizations: Will, Karen, and Koga.
Much later, in the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, he appears with the rest of his Johto Elite Four teammates.
Bruno attaches his Poké Balls to the ends of a set of nunchuck. The force of him using the weapon causes his Pokémon to be released at high speeds, giving him the advantage in battles. He also has a unique Hitmonlee with arms as flexible as its legs, something previously thought to be impossible.
Pokémon
This listing is for Bruno's Pokémon in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
Onix was used to battle Red during their battle on Mt. Moon. Despite a type disadvantage against Red's Gyarados, it was able to hold its own and deftly avoid super-effective hits from its Water-type attacks. Afterwards, it used its Bind to keep the Gyarados from attacking at all, only to take damage from the latter's Bite. It then dug underground to launch a surprise attack, and this time faced off against Saur. However, before that fight could conclude, it was interrupted by a pack of Diglett crossing, and later Bruno's Elite Four comrades Lorelei and Agatha. A while later, it fought Bill and Lt. Surge on Cerise Island. He uses it this time to battle Red again. Onix was used to carry Red and the others off of Cerise Islands as it was collapsing.
Hitmonlee is Bruno's main Pokémon that specializes in kicking. He was known to have very strong legs as he was able to destroy Bill's house in one single kick and in other violent activities. He was used in a battle against Red on Mt. Moon. During their battle, Hitmonlee was able to land hefty damage on Red's Pika, who was aiming for its knee but soon found that its elastic, spring-like legs made the feat virtually impossible. Soon afterwards, after Lorelei and Agatha joined the fray (and the latter activated the mind-controlling wristbands that she had Bruno wear), it was used alongside the former's Jynx and the latter's Gastly to defeat Poli, Saur, and Gyara.
Hitmonchan was first seen in Bruno's flashback. In the flashback, Hitmonchan was seen battling with Red's Poli, whom it defeated by cloaking its ThunderPunch moves in the guise of using Fire Punch and taking damage from the Poliwrath's DoubleSlap. Hitmonchan specializes in punching, mostly in its elemental punch moves.
Machamp, specialized in chopping, was known for keeping the belt of Machoke, which stored the excess power that normal Machoke do not keep upon evolution. Those powers came in handy when it was able to defeat Poli with them before being subdued by Vee's Pin Missile. In the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, he used Machamp in the Pokéathlon.
Bruno gave orders to these Machop to attack Kanto. As they were doing it and when they reached Pewter City, Brock tries to stop them by using his Geodude.
Bruno's hair has changed from Generation II to Generation III to a longer, darker style; his skin tone got lighter as well.
Bruno's original sprite in Generation I shows him with remarkably closed eyes (somewhat similar to Brock's), similar to his Pokémon Adventures version, but starting in the next generation, he looks the same way he did in the anime.
Bruno was the first member of the Elite Four who was met in the anime, not counting Koga, who was not a member when he was seen.
He was also the first member of the Elite Four to battle.
After defeating Bruno in the Generation III games, he will turn to his left; he is the only character in the Elite Four that does this.
None of Bruno's sprites have ever shown him standing up.
Bruno recalls his Nidorino after being put to sleep by Gengar's Hypnosis at the start of the first episode in the anime.
However, Bruno doesn't have a Nidorino in the games.
Bruno, Lance, and Koga are the only members of the Elite Four who have appeared in all the generations prior to Generation V. Of the three, Bruno is the only one to always keep his status as Elite Four member.
Despite taking place three years later, Bruno's Pokémon are at a lower level in Generation II than they were in Generation I. The same thing happens to Lance and Blue.
Names
Language
Name
Origin
Japanese
シバ Siba
From Shiba - lawns or shrubs. Similar to shibaku (to strike, to hit).
English, German, Italian, Spanish
Bruno
Means "brown haired". It's similar to brawn, bruiser and to brunt.
French
Aldo
Originates from the Italian short form of Germanic name elements ald, "old," and adal, "noble."