Gary's cheerleaders
Gary's cheerleaders (Japanese: シゲル応援ギャル Shigeru's cheering gals) were a group of girls, also considered friends, that traveled with Gary during his Pokémon journey. Six of them helped cheer Gary on, much like real-life cheerleaders at sporting events, while a silent seventh member of the entourage chauffeured the group around in a red convertible car.
In animation
History
They debuted in the first episode, where they were seen outside Professor Oak's Laboratory cheering for Gary as he received his first partner Pokémon. Their motto is:
- "Gary, Gary, he's our man. If he can't do it, no one can! Go...Gary!".
The entourage continued to appear alongside Gary; and therefore were seen in Beauty and the Beach, Dig Those Diglett!, Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon, and Riddle Me This.
His cheerleaders watched Gary challenge Giovanni to a Gym battle in The Battle of the Badge. However, they were frightened and later upset when Gary lost to Mewtwo. Later, they watched Ash take on the Team Rocket trio, who served as temporary Gym Leaders while Giovanni had an unrelated business to attend to. Ash went on to earn himself the Earth Badge, despite the trio's attempts to cheat, and Gary's cheerleaders cheered for him:
- "He's our winner, he's our Ash! Let's all have a victory bash! He's our winner, he's our man! No one wins like Ketchum can!".
Afterwards, the cheerleaders supported Gary throughout his Indigo Plateau Conference campaign beginning in All Fired Up!. The group was left distraught after Gary's loss to Melissa in The Fourth Round Rumble, and they all left the Indigo Plateau with Gary soon after.
The cheerleaders were then absent for most of the Johto League. They finally reappeared in The Ties that Bind and Can't Beat the Heat!, where they supported Gary as he competed against Ash in a Full Battle round during the Silver Conference. Unlike the previous battles, they did not start crying when Gary lost to Ash.
The cheerleaders haven't made a present day appearance since Gary decided to become a Pokémon Researcher like his grandfather, only appearing in a flashback in Advice to Goh!.
Character
Gary's cheerleaders are a lively group with exuberant personalities. They enjoy a life of luxury, like in Riddle Me This, where they took a holiday in a private Cinnabar Island hotel suite with Gary prior to the Indigo Plateau Conference.
Their beauty and incredible support for Gary often made Ash jealous. Conversely, their rhyming slogans and pep bolstered Gary's own confidence, which also helped inflame his ego during his Pokémon journey. The girls were shown to cry whenever Gary lost a challenge, like in The Battle of the Badge and The Fourth Round Rumble.
Pokémon competitions
Some of the cheerleaders have competed in the following Pokémon competitions:
Voice actresses
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In the manga
Pokémon Newspaper Strip
Gary's cheerleaders debuted in the Strip 7 of the Pokémon Newspaper Strip. In this strip, one of the cheerleaders asked Gary to show the power of his Rapidash. Gary's Rapidash attacked Ash's Metapod in front of the cheerleaders, but Metapod defeated Rapidash. The cheerleaders then remarked: "Oh, poor Gary!", "That terrible Metapod!"
In the novels
Pocket Monsters: The Animation
In Pocket Monsters: The Animation, Gary's cheerleaders are explained to be hired by the mayor of Pallet Town, who is the older brother of Professor Oak and thus Gary's great-uncle.
Trivia
- In Beauty and the Beach, one of the cheerleaders wore a bathing suit very similar to the one May would later wear in The Lotad Lowdown and Sharpedo Attack!.
- In the Japanese version, they are referred to as his girlfriends.
- Gary’s cheerleaders are the only recurring characters that are present in the first episode to not appear in The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!, the last episode with Ash as a protagonist.
This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |