Pokémon poacher
A Pokémon poacher (Japanese: ポケモンハンター Pokémon hunter) is a person who captures wild Pokémon, sometimes many of the same species at a time, to sell for profit. These people are sometimes referred to as Pokémon hunters, and are known for having exceptionally powerful Pokémon.
In the anime
Poachers have appeared in a number of episodes as well as movies. Team Rocket was the first major organization to steal Pokémon for profit. The first major hunter to appear in a movie was also a member of said team: the Iron-Masked Marauder, the main villain of Celebi: The Voice of the Forest. Using a unique Poké Ball known as the Dark Ball, he attempted to capture Celebi. Another poacher also appeared briefly at the beginning of the film.
A group of poachers, the Pokémon Poacher Brothers, appeared in a memory of Ash's Larvitar in Address Unown. They had stolen the Pokémon when it was still in its Egg and had also severely wounded its mother. They appeared in person in Mother of all Battles.
J was the first recurring poacher. She traveled the Sinnoh region with her henchmen, stealing Pokémon on behalf of her clients, who often gave large sums of money in exchange. Like the Iron-Masked Marauder, she often used sinister gadgets to achieve her goals.
Pokémon hunters tend to be far more dangerous than other villains in the series as they typically have no qualms about having their Pokémon attack humans directly or using guns (in the case of the Pokémon Poacher Brothers or Rico, who used an FN P90 model gun) to attack their prey. This is most often shown by J, who in Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Part 2 seemed to be trying to kill Ash repeatedly, and Rico who also had his Pokémon attack Jessie and James.
Notable poachers
- See also: List of Pokémon poachers
In the manga
In the movie adaptations
A Pokémon poacher appeared in Celebi: a Timeless Encounter.
Pokémon
 Scyther |
 Houndoom |
In the Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us: Zeraora's Story manga
A trio of Pokémon hunters served as antagonists in Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us: Zeraora's Story. Two of the hunters made their first appearance in ESEZ1, where they were part of a virtual reality simulation of Fula City's past. There, the two attempted to kidnap the wild Pokémon living in Fula City, only to be stopped by Zeraora. Thinking they could make a profit on Zeraora as well, the hunters attempted to take it as well and used their Pokémon to battle it. Zeraora easily defeated the hunters' Pokémon and forced them to escape. Afterward, the hunters informed their boss, Agai, of the situation, which led to him deciding to face Zeraora himself.
In ESEZ2, Agai and the other hunters attacked a boy named Nozomu in an attempt to steal his Elekid. After Nozomu was saved by Zeraora, Agai battled against it, only to lose as well, forcing him and the hunters to retreat once more.
Pokémon
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| Scizor is the male hunter's only known Pokémon. It was first used to battle Zeraora in order to capture it, but was defeated.
Scizor's only known move is Slash. | ||
| Debut | ESEZ1 | |
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| Houndoom is the female hunter's only known Pokémon. It was first used to battle Zeraora in order to capture it, but was defeated.
Houndoom's only known move is Crunch. | ||
| Debut | ESEZ1 | |
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In the Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire manga
Red and his Pokémon encountered a hunter in A Visitor From Outer Space?!.
Pokémon
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| Swampert is the hunter's only known Pokémon.
Swampert's known moves are Brick Break, Tackle, and Water Gun. | ||
| Debut | A Visitor From Outer Space?! | |
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In other languages
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| Anime-exclusive Trainer classes | ||
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime. |