Wattson

The Cheerfully Electrifying Man!
Wattson
Species	Human
Hair color	Gray
Base	Mauville City
Debut	Pokémon: Ruby Version/Pokémon: Sapphire Version

Wattson is a senior gym leader appearing in Pokémon: Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Versions. He specializes in electric-type Pokémon.

Background

Wattson was apparently a trainer for a long time; one trainer in his gym says he was a Pokémon trainer before "[the player's] daddy was born" (it is uncertain if the trainer was speaking generally or specifically referring to Norman, the player character's father) . He was said to have founded Mauville City and naturally became its gym leader. He was jovial despite his old age, saying that laughter was the secret to health. Wattson also had plans to convert the city into an expansion project (which may or may not have had to do with the "New Mauville" power plant-like structure found near the city), but he apparently had to give up those plans and instead built a series of switch-activated dynamos in his gym that would create electrical barriers, so any challengers would have to navigate their way through them to reach him.

In Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, Wattson was amused when Brendan/May managed to navigate through his door traps and was defeated by this challenger. He then admitted defeat and said the fight had given him a thrill, then gave the winner a Dynamo Badge as well as TM 34: Shock Wave. Apparently seeing this young trainer gave Wattson a rush of optimism. He could then be rechallenged several more times in Emerald. In all three versions, he could be found outside the gym after the first five gym badges had been collected, when he would ask the trainer to shut down a malfunctioning generator in New Mauville for him and give them a Basement Key so they could do so. Wattson's reward for this was TM 27: Thunderbolt.

Pokémon Roster

In Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, Wattson has the following Pokémon:

• Magnemite (Ruby/Sapphire only)
• Voltorb
• Magneton
• Electrike (Emerald only)
• Manectric (Emerald only)

In Emerald, Wattson uses the following in rematches:

• Mareep, Electrode, Magneton and Manectric in the first rematch
• Pikachu, Flaaffy, Electrode, Magneton and Manectric in the second rematch
• Raichu, Ampharos, Electrode, Magneton and Manectric in the third rematch
• Electabuzz, Raichu, Ampharos, Electrode, Magneton and Manectric in the fourth rematch

Other Appearances

• Wattson was featured in two episodes of the Pokémon anime, where his gym was rigged with various other prank devices that amused Wattson. The first episode showed his gym battle with Ash, which Ash won easily due to Pikachu having been accidentally supercharged by Wattson's Raikou robot. The rest of the episode showed Wattson's ensuing depression which ended after he helped to defeat Team Rocket. In the second episode, he saved the group from Team Rocket during a return visit to Mauville, and had a rematch with Ash which Wattson won.
• Wattson appears in the Pokémon Adventures manga, where he has a tendency to say puns and is light-hearted about his duties, giving badges to children who challenge him in the field even if they lose, as long as they show spirit. Sapphire is enraged at him upon learning this, but she winds up helping Wattson and his friend discover the lost civilization of New Mauville which would help Mauville City stop its space problem, and he gives her the badge in reward. At the gym leader's conference, he sympathizes with Team Magma because their expansion of the land could help Mauville with its space problem, and he also has a chat with Norman, apparently being one of the few who know of his secret burdens. After Groudon and Kyogre are awakened, Wattson is sent to battle Kyogre but winds up battling Team Aqua member Amber and is nearly killed after being attacked by his Ninjask and falling into the water, but he is saved by Sapphire's Wailord. Despite his injuries he reprogams New Mauville's electric generator to fly to Sootopolis to help Ruby and Sapphire in their final battles.

Trivia

• His name is a pun combining the name Watson with "watts", the unit used to measure electric current.