Cheren
チェレン Cheren
"The Person who Seeks Truth"
Black 2 White 2 Cheren.png
Art from Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
Age 10+Wrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.
12+Wrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.
Gender Male
Eye color Blue
Hair color Black
Hometown Nuvema Town
Region Unova
Trainer class Pokémon TrainerWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.Wrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.
Gym LeaderWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.
Generation V
Games Black and White
Black 2 and White 2
Leader of Aspertia Gym
Badge Basic Badge
Specializes in Normal typesWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.
Game animation debut Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 Special Introduction Movie
English voice actor N/A
Japanese voice actor Ryōhei Kimura

Cheren (Japanese: チェレン Cheren) is a rival character in Pokémon Black and White, and a Gym Leader of Aspertia City's Gym, known officially as the Aspertia Gym in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. He specializes in Normal-type Pokémon. He gives the Basic Badge to Trainers who defeat him.

In the games

Role

Cheren is a childhood friend of the player who, like the player, lives in the starting town of Nuvema Town. While he holds a greater knowledge in Pokémon than his friends and tends to offer the player advice during the course of their journey, his comments are often witty and intellectual. He also misunderstands Bianca's humor often, to her dismay. Whilst Professor Juniper describes him as being very honest, she also remarks that he can be 'a little difficult'; his impatience in particular is often seen throughout the earlier stages of his journey. He is also described as being quite judgmental by Alder.

In keeping with the theme of truth and ideals often seen in Black and White, Cheren represents those who pursue ideals—more precisely, as N pointed out in Chargestone Cave, the ideal of strength. His goal is to become the Champion and always strives to become stronger- yet the first time that Alder asked him why he strives to become stronger, he was quite unsure of his reasons. He then starts to ponder to himself how to do so—something that Alder said he used to do with his partner Pokémon as well—and what exactly it means to be strong. Alder also remarked that Cheren is a lot like Marshal.

Like the player and Bianca, Cheren receives a starter Pokémon as a gift from Professor Juniper at the start of the game. He always chooses the starter with a type advantage over the player's starter. The player will encounter and battle him several times throughout the game. After the main storyline, Cheren can be found inside Victory Road where he can be battled once a day.

In Black 2 and White 2, Cheren is the new Normal-type Gym Leader. He gives away the Basic Badge, replacing Lenora. Trainers who defeat Cheren will receive the Basic Badge, along with TM83 (Work Up).

Artwork

 
Official artwork from
Black and White

Sprites

         
Cheren's Trainer sprite from
Black and White
Cheren's back sprite from
Black and White
Cheren's VS sprite from
Black and White
Cheren's Xtransceiver sprite from
Black and White
Cheren's overworld sprite from
Black and White
         
Cheren's Trainer sprite from
Black 2 and White 2
Cheren's back sprite from
Black 2 and White 2
Cheren's VS sprite from
Black 2 and White 2
Cheren's Xtransceiver sprite from
Black 2 and White 2
Cheren's overworld sprite from
Black 2 and White 2

Pokémon

In Pokémon Black and White

For all of Cheren's teams in Pokémon Black and White, see here
Rematches

  If the player chose Snivy:



  If the player chose Tepig:



  If the player chose Oshawott:



In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

Gym battle
Normal Mode



Challenge Mode



Second battle

Pokémon can be either male or female.



Tag partner (first)



Tag partner (second)



Pokémon World Tournament
Driftveil Tournament

Pokémon can be either male or female. These Pokémon are not used when battling here as part of the storyline.



Unova Leaders Tournament

Pokémon can be either male or female.



Type Expert/World Leaders Tournament

Pokémon can be either male or female.



Memory Link (one time only)
Normal Mode

  If the player chose SnivyWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.:



  If the player chose TepigWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.:



  If the player chose OshawottWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.:



Challenge Mode

  If the player chose SnivyWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.:



  If the player chose TepigWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.:



  If the player chose OshawottWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc.:



Quotes

Pokémon Black and White

At Nuvema Town

  • After first move
"I've finally become a Trainer... Everything starts from here!"
  • After defeat
"Ah! So that's a Pokémon battle!"
  • After losing
"I made a strange blunder in my first battle, but this feeling I have... I'm finally a Trainer. But first, we'd better go apologize to your mother about this messed-up room."
  • After winning
"This feeling... Finally, I'm a Trainer. On top of that, we'd better go apologize to your mother about this room."

At Striaton City

  • After first move
"Moves that never miss and moves that can attack first... There sure are a lot of different moves."
  • Sending out last Pokémon
"It's important to choose which item your Pokémon holds..."
  • After defeat
"I see! Losing to you means that I still have a lot to learn."

At Route 3

  • After first move
"Ugh! You choose a good move, as usual."'
  • Last Pokémon with low health:
"With my knowledge, I can bring out the strength of my Pokémon!"
  • After defeat:
"Why do you keep beating me? We have the same number of Gym Badges. We should be equals in strength..."

At Route 4

  • After first move
"You seem to understand the importance of the first attack very well."
  • Last Pokémon low on health
"If I can bring out the power of my Pokémon, I can still pull this off and win."
  • After defeat
"Impressive. But why can't I win?!"

At Route 5

  • After first move
"I see. I'm surprised you chose that move."
  • Last Pokémon low on health
"Mind you... It's not over yet!"
  • After defeat
"Well! You are strong, as usual!"

At Twist Mountain

  • After first move
"Your strength... And my strength... Right. Let's test them."
  • Sending out last Pokémon
"Can you be strong even if you lose? Is winning everything?"
  • After defeat
"Pokémon battles are fun. But what is it to be truly strong?"

At Route 10

  • After first move
"I will use everything that I've learned on this journey!"
  • Sending out last Pokémon
"My Pokémon and I will put all our energy into this battle!"
  • After defeat
"Thank you. You are really great."

At Victory Road

  • After first move
"I know all my strengths and weaknesses now. Soon, I will also know all yours!"
  • Sending out last Pokémon
"It's not over yet. My Pokémon are with me!"
  • Last Pokémon on low health
"I believe in my Pokémon's strength, so I don't lose my calm."
  • After defeat
"Thank you! I saw what was missing in me."

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Main article: Cheren (Adventures)

Cheren appears as a supporting character in Pokémon Adventures.

In the Be a Master!! Pokémon BW manga

Cheren is friends with both Monta and Bianca, he is very knowledgable about Pokémon, which Monta dislikes. Anywhere Monta slips up he won't hesitate to tell him the right way. He first appears with Bianca when Monta is attempting to capture a wild Patrat and Watchog. Monta is just about to capture the Watchog which Cheren tells him that it is not the right way. He explains to Monta to remember that when two Pokémon come out at the same time, one should knock out the one they don't want before they can get the one that they do want. Cheren suddenly decides for all of them to take their Pokémon journey together, which a man on his bike overhears. He starts insult them making him and Monta angry.

He uses Tepig in a Double Battle with Monta's Snivy against a Bike Gang King's Braviary, it looks like they were about to lose, but they uses a combination attack which Cheren thinks of, fainting Braviary. Cheren battles Monta in PBW02 using his Tepig, Pansage and Basculin against Monta's Snivy, Panpour and Roggenrola. He starts off with a lecture about triple battles. With his great knowledge of triple battles he gives Monta a hard time, but is eventually defeated.

Pokémon

Cheren's Tepig
Tepig
Cheren's Tepig is well trained and has a type advantage over Monta's Snivy. It was first used in a Double Battle with Snivy against the Bike Gang King's Braviary. After Snivy tries a Vine Whip which hardly does any damage, he goes in for a fire attack which hardly does any damage too. Tepig is then sent flying with Peck. It goes in with a Fire Pledge with Grass Pledge creating the combination needed to defeat Braviary.

It battles Monta in PBW02 with Pansage and Basculin against Monta's Snivy, Panpour and Roggenrola. It starts off with an Ember on Snivy, before taking a hit for Basculin by switching places with it, not hurting it much. But seconds later, Panpour uses Surf fainting it.

Tepig's known moves are Fire Pledge and Ember.

Debut PBW01
Pansage
Cheren's Pansage was first seen in a battle against Monta's Snivy, Panpour and Roggenrola with Tepig and Basculin. It gets hurt a tiny bit by Panpour's Surf, but along with Basculin is defeated by a powerful Rock Slide by Roggenrola.

None of Pansage's moves are known.

Debut PBW02
Basculin
Cheren's Basculin was first seen in a battle against Monta's Snivy, Panpour and Roggenrola with Tepig and Pansage. It is about to get hit by Snivy's Vine Whip but switches places with Tepig. It then gets hit by Panpour's Surf which does not do much damage. But along with Pansage is defeated by a powerful Rock Slide from Roggenrola, fainting it.

None of Basculin's moves are known.

Debut PBW02

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga

Cheren makes a brief appearance in the very first chapter of Pocket Monsters BW where he along with Black and Bianca go to Professor Juniper's lab to get their first Pokémon.

Trivia

  • His Japanese Leader title is 真理を 求める 者.
  • Cheren, Bianca, and N are the only Trainers in Pokémon Black and White with animated battle sprites.
  • Cheren is the only named rival who keeps his Japanese name.
  • Cheren is the first rival to become a Gym Leader within a generation. Blue was the player's rival in Generation I and III and was a Gym Leader in Generation II and IV.
  • Cheren is the only Gym Leader who gives out a badge previously given out by another Gym Leader, who doesn't give the badge away in the same Gym as the previous leader.

Names

Language Name Origin
Japanese チェレン Cheren черен čéren, Bulgarian for black.
English, German, Spanish Cheren Same as Japanese name.
French Tcheren Same as Japanese name.
Italian Komor Possibly komor, Hungarian for gloomy.
Korean 체렌 Cheren Same as Japanese name.




Rival characters
Core series BlueSilverBrendan/MayWallyBarryCherenBiancaNHugh
Calem/SerenaShaunaTiernoHauGladionTrace
HopBedeMarnieKlaraAveryNemonaKieran
Spin-off games RonaldPauloLear



Non-player characters in the core series games
Unova Professor JuniperMom (BW)Mom (B2W2)CherenBiancaBianca's fatherHughHugh's sisterCedric JuniperFennelAmanita
CilanChiliCressLenoraHawesLoblollyCharlesIrisDraydenAlderBengaCurtisYancyBrycenSabrinaPop Roxie
HilbertHildaNateRosaIngoEmmetCynthiaLookerNColressMorimotoNishinoPokémon Fan Club Chairman
CyranoBriarCarmineKieranKoraidonMiraidonGeetaRikaClavellPerrinSnacksworthSynclaire
Team PlasmaClydeGym Leaders • Elite Four (Unova · BB) • PWT participantsName RaterDay-Care CoupleJudgeMagikarp salesmanSpecial CoachesGuidance counselors


Gym Leaders of the Unova region
Striaton Gym  
     
Cilan Chili Cress
Nacrene Gym  
 
Lenora
Castelia Gym  
 
Burgh
Nimbasa Gym  
 
Elesa
Driftveil Gym  
 
Clay
Mistralton Gym  
 
Skyla
Icirrus Gym  
 
Brycen
Opelucid Gym  
   
Drayden Iris
Aspertia Gym  
 
Cheren
Virbank Gym  
 
Roxie
Humilau Gym  
 
Marlon


  This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.