The Pokemon franchise is primarily aimed at kids, but audiences of all ages enjoy it. This has resulted in players deciding which of the characters they find attractive, especially among the Pokemon trainers, as they have the most substantial role in the franchise. But who among them are the hottest trainers of all time?
A character’s hotness isn’t just determined by physical appearance, as many elements are important when finding a character attractive. If the Pokemon trainer has a great fashion sense, is smart, has a great personality, and is actually good at battling, they’ll earn a spot on this list.
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Brycen From Pokemon Black & White
We’ll start off with a celebrity, as Brycen from Pokemon Black & White is a former action movie star who was forced to retire due to an injury. This allowed him to follow his other passion and become a Gym Leader in the Unova region, where he became an Ice-type specialist, though he eventually recovers and becomes a movie star again in Pokemon Black 2 & White 2, stepping down from being a Gym Leader.
Brycen might be in the best physical condition of any of the male trainers on this list, and he’s the only one who puts his muscles to good use. This is because Brycen is one of the few Pokemon trainers who completely threw out the rulebook and decided to throw fists. In the Pokemon Generations animated shorts, when Team Plasma threatened the world, Brycen abandoned the whole “Pokemon battle” thing and beat the hell out of a bunch of Team Plasma grunts, and there’s not much hotter than that.
Rika From Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
A newcomer to the Pokemon franchise, Rika is one of the members of the Paldea Elite Four in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Rika has an androgynous appearance, though she uses female pronouns throughout the game, and it’s this aesthetic that has helped win her fans around the world. Still, her incredible Pokemon battling skills also helped.
Rika’s popularity shouldn’t be understated, especially among female fans. According to Know Your Meme, a poll held in November 2022 among Japanese Yumejoshi (a term often used for female otaku) put Rika as the most popular fictional crush of that year. Bear in mind that Pokemon Scarlet & Violet hadn’t even been out that long, but that was enough time for Rika to destroy the rest of 2022’s fictional waifus and husbands.
Will From Pokemon Gold & Silver
The new members of the Elite Four in Pokemon Gold & Silver are sorely underrepresented in other pieces of Pokemon media, especially when compared to the Elite Fours from the Gen 1 and Gen 4 games. Karen from Pokemon Gold & Silver almost took this spot, thanks to her amazing speech when you beat her, but Will stole the spotlight. Why? Style reasons alone. Will is the Tuxedo Mask of the Pokemon games and is easily the best-dressed NPC in Gen 2. Sorry Clair, but that hair ain’t cutting it.
Plenty of people hate Will due to how brutal he can be. There’s a huge difficulty spike in Gen 2 when you hit the Elite Four, and Will is the herald of that switch, often resulting in tedious level grinding. Still, you may appreciate this masked Pokemon trainer if you can get past his murderous team of Psychic-type Pokemon.
Diantha From Pokemon X & Y
The Pokemon franchise has its very own Audrey Hepburn, in the form of Diantha, the Champion of the Kalos region. Like Brycen, she is an actress and celebrity known for her incredible style and ruthless skill in Pokemon battles. While Pokemon X & Y might seem like a distant memory, especially as they’re not due for a remake for a while, Diantha still holds up the side with an incredible performance in the World Coronation Series in the Pokemon anime, defeating Lance from the Kanto Elite Four and even giving the mighty Leon a run for his money.
Volkner From Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
If the Fourth Hokage from Naruto was born in the Pokemon world, he’d become Volkner, one of the most fearsome Gym Leaders in the series. The brooding and beautiful Electric-type trainer aims to take the top spot from Cynthia, yet he faces the brutal wall of the Sinnoh Elite Four. It’s rare for a character outside of the Rival to have ambitions that match the player in a Pokemon game, with most content in their current spot, and it’s this drive to the top makes Volkner so attractive. It’s just a shame he couldn’t overcome Ash in the anime.
Cynthia From Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
The Pokemon series might frame Leon as the ultimate trainer, but that’s a load of garbage. Cynthia is the true most powerful opponent in all of Pokemon, with even Red in Pokemon Gold & Silver skating by on levels rather than having an impressive team. Cynthia is the best, without a doubt, and the fact that she’s beautiful makes her all the more impressive. She could easily have taken the top spot if it weren’t for those weird Umbreon things in her hair.
Steven Stone From Pokemon Red & Blue
When it came to picking a Gen 3 rep, Steven Stone had to face off against Wallace for the hottest guy spot, but it had to go to the original Champion on Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. Steven Stone is a sharp-dressed man who actually bothers to leave the Pokemon League and go on adventures, occasionally helping the protagonist on their journey. And while Steven might be interested in looking for rare rocks, he never slouches in battle, with his Mega Metagross providing the most satisfying climactic battle moment in Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire.
Nessa From Pokemon Sword & Shield
There are a couple of Pokemon trainers who have multiple careers, some of them even being models on the side. This is true of Nessa from Pokemon Sword & Shield, who balances her Gym Leader duties with her modeling career. An entire episode of the Pokemon: Twilight Wings miniseries was dedicated to Nessa’s struggles as she balances her burgeoning modeling career with Pokemon battles, which is especially difficult in a region with such an overwhelmingly powerful Champion. In the end, Nessa proves that she can have it all, ditching a compromise in favor of being able to live the life she wants because she wants it that bad, and she’s willing to fight for it.
Professor Kukui From Pokemon Sun & Moon
The only Pokemon Professor to appear on the list, yet he’s easily the most deserving (sorry, Professor Juniper, you almost made the cut, but no dice.) The buff, shirtless Pokemon Kukui acts as the player’s guide in Pokemon Sun & Moon, even serving as the final challenge before they can be crowned the first Champion in the Alola region. Professor Kukui also earned many points due to his love life being a key part of the Pokemon anime, with his wedding being part of the series. He also has a sexy masked alter-ego, though this is more Luchadore than Batman.
Lorelei From Pokemon Red & Blue
The Pokemon franchise is known for having some odd moments in its early days, including references to alcohol, Bhuddishm, real-world countries, war, and even death. When the series became an international hit, an effort was made to scrub the series’ content and make it appropriate for a youth audience, meaning it’s rare for a character’s physical attractiveness to be brought up outside of Brock’s appearances.
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The character who has most been portrayed as a figure of desire is Lorelei from the Kanto Elite Four, especially in the anime, where she was referred to (incorrectly) as a Pokemon Master. Physical beauty aside, Lorelei is also one of the most brutal trainers in Gen 1, with her Ice-type and Water-type team providing the biggest challenge in the game up to that point. Lorelei might be the hottest trainer in the series, but it certainly didn’t feel that way when she spammed Aurora Beam, Blizzard, and Hydro Pump in battle.
