Blaine

"The Hot-Headed Riddle Master"
Blaine
Species	Human
Base	Cinnabar Island Gym
Voiced by	Kirk Thornton (2019)
Debut	Pokémon: Red/Green Versions

Blaine is one of the gym leaders who are faced in the first generation games of the Pokémon series. He acts as the gym leader of Cinnabar Island. Blaine specializes in fire-type Pokémon and also has a penchant for spinning riddles.

Background

He was inspired to become a trainer one night when he was lost in the mountains, but was guided to safety by the light of a flaming bird (likely Moltres or possibly Ho-Oh). Blaine became the gym leader of the Pokémon gym on Cinnabar Island, where he had lived for a long time. He was also good friends with Mr. Fuji when he lived on the island.

In Pokémon: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pokémon: FireRed and Leafgreen, Blaine was the seventh gym leader battled. In order to battle Blaine, the player had to unlock a series of doors by either successfully answering Pokémon-related riddles, or by battling through the guarding trainers. Red successfully defeated Blaine, who surrendered the Volcanobadge as well as TM 38: Fire Blast. In the Let's Go! remakes, his gym was instead set up as a game show set with an audience, and the challenger (Chase/Elaine) had to battle trainers if failing any of the questions asked on stage. He gave TM 46: Fire Blast after being defeated and could also be challenged to rematches in those versions.

Cinnabar Island was a volcanic island, and it erupted two years later, destroying everything on the island. Everyone was able to escape, and Blaine began living in the Seafoam Islands, using a cave there as his temporary gym (it was fashioned to look even more like an actual gym in HeartGold/SoulSilver, including having other trainers present). Ethan/Lyra challenged him there in Gold, Silver and Crystal (as well as HeartGold and SoulSilver). After being defeated, Blaine gave the trainer the Volcanobadge (as well as TM 50: Overheat in HeartGold and SoulSilver) and promised to give them a rematch after his gym was rebuilt.

In HeartGold and SoulSilver, he would later appear on Cinnabar Island on Tuesday mornings, where the player could exchange Pokégear numbers with him. Calling him on Tuesdays (between the hours of 10AM and 8PM) will cause Blaine to travel to Saffron's Fighting Dojo for a rematch. After losing a rematch, he complained that he would not have to rebuild his gym if he had known that the fighting dojo was available. He also appeared at Cinnabar on Thursdays, when he could take a picture with Ethan/Lyra.

Blaine reappeared in Black and White 2 as a competitor in the Pokémon World Tournament at Unova, competing in the Kanto Leaders, World Leaders and Type Expert Tournaments.

Pokémon Roster

Blaine in HeartGold/SoulSilver.

Generation I

In Red, Green and Blue, Blaine's Pokémon are:

• Growlithe
• Ponyta
• Rapidash
• Arcanine

In the Yellow Version, Blaine instead had a Ninetales along with a Rapidash and Arcanine. In Let's Go!, his Pokémon are Magmar, Rapidash, Arcanine and Ninetales, plus a Flareon in rematches.

Generation II

In Gold, Silver and Crystal as well as the first match in HeartGold/SoulSilver, Blaine used Magcargo, Magmar and Rapidash. He also uses the following Pokémon for rematches in HeartGold and SoulSilver:

• Torkoal
• Camerupt
• Rapidash
• Magcargo
• Houndoom
• Magmortar

Generation IV

In Black 2 and White 2, Blaine's full roster (only parts of which may be used, depending on the challenge) included:

• Arcanine
• Ninetales
• Charizard
• Magmortar
• Flareon
• Rapidash (Kanto Leaders Tournament only)
• Rotom (World Leaders/Type Expert Tournament only)

In Other Pokémon Games

Blaine is the seventh enemy in the Gym Leader Castle of Pokémon Stadium. In the first round, he uses Charizard, Arcanine, Rapidash, Magmar, Clefable and Kangaskhan. In the second round his Pokémon are Charizard, Magmar, Rapidash, Chansey, Tangela and Parasect. Blaine was also the seventh enemy of Pokémon Stadium 2's Kanto Gym Leader Castle. This time, he used Ninetales, Parasect, Rapidash, Flareon, Magcargo and Octillery in Round 1; or Clefable, Vileplume, Arcanine, Chansey, Mr. Mime and Moltres in Round 2. Blaine, as he appeared in the anime, appeared in Pokémon Puzzle League as the eight opponent, after Sabrina and before Tracey Sketchit. He uses Arcanine, Charmeleon and Magmar.

In Pokémon Masters EX, Blaine and Ponyta appeared as a playable sync pair that could be recruited through the Sync Pair Scout feature. His Ponyta could also evolve into Rapidash through a Sync Pair Story in which he had to defeat Marley. He also acted as an opponent who had to be defeated by Ethan in order to evolve his Quilava in his own Sync Pair Story. Blaine also made several appearances in game's Main Story. He first appeared in Chapter 3, where he was helping to train Flannery. He ultimately convinced Flannery to join the player's team, while he went off to form his own team, as Flannery had ignited his trainer's spirit, and he wanted to battle her under the Pokémon Masters League rules. He was then mentioned in Chapter 12, where it turned out that he was supposed to join Flint's team, but he had to sit it out due to experiencing back pain. He still made a return appearance in Chapter 24, where he led a group of disqualified trainers to fend off the Team Break members that were trying to sabotage the PML tournament. Blaine later appeared in the Kanto chapter of the Villain Arc, where he helped to search for Red when he went missing. He has also made several appearances in Story Events, including acting as part of Kiawe's trial alongside Fantina and a Hiker in the "Trials on the Isle" Story Event.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Blaine appeared in a two-part episode of the Pokémon anime. In this portrayal, Blaine had shut down his gym after he grew tired of being challenged only by tourists who didn't care for Pokémon. He disguised himself and ran the Big Riddle Inn, and also had his own secret gym located within a volcano.
• Blaine appeared in the Pokémon Adventures manga, where he started out as one of the criminal gym leaders affiliated with Team Rocket, working for them as a scientist. He was part of the group creating Mewtwo and used some of his own DNA to create it when there was not enough Mew DNA, which created a symbiotic bond between he and Mewtwo. Seeing Red's good deeds gave Blaine an epiphany (similar to Giovanni's in the games) and he began allying with Red. After Team Rocket's first downfall, he also teamed up with Red to try and kill Mewtwo, but Red was able to capture it instead and Blaine began trying to help it turn away from its evil nature. During the Yellow arc, he teamed up with Yellow in the exploration of Cerise Island and battled Lance. Mewtwo became Blaine's loyal partner although the arm that shared DNA with Mewtwo remained infected. During the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc he came to Johto for the gym leader competition and was chosen by Entei as its temporary master, and its sacred fire was able to heal Blaine's arm while also breaking his bond with Mewtwo, so that they could live separate lives. He also coordinated the gym leaders in battle with the Team Rocket members and defeated Clair when she wanted to have their match which had been canceled. He also teamed up with Misty and Lieutenant Surge, who had the other two legendary dogs, in battle against the Mask of Ice. Blaine later made an appearance in the FireRed/LeafGreen arc before having a more prominent role in the climax of the X/Y arc, where he worked with Mewtwo in fighting Lysandre and helped him to Mega Evolve.
• Blaine made a brief appearance in the Pokémon Origins anime, which depicted his defeat at Red's hands.

Trivia

• His name may be a play on the word 'blaze' or 'flame'.
• His Japanese name is Katsura, named after a Japanese tree.
• Blaine had a different appearance in the official artwork shown in the instruction manuals and player's guides for the original Red and Blue Versions. That artwork displayed him with balding red hair (and lacking his mustache and glasses), and looking somewhat younger. That design was also used for Blaine's appearance in the anime, where he only wore sunglasses as part of his disguise.
• In Let's Go!, the player earns miniature Blaine dolls as they progress in his gym's challenge. Additionally, the statues at the front of his gym now sport Blaine's sunglasses and mustache.
• Before an initial rematch in Let's Go!, he alludes to have heard some rumor involving Green.