Riley

Riley in Diamond and Pearl
Riley
Species	Human
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Blue
Debut	Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Versions

Riley is a Pokémon trainer who appears as a temporary double trainer Pokémon and extra opponent in Pokémon: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Versions.

Background

Riley was a powerful Pokémon trainer. At one point, Byron apparently asked him to a gym leader position, but Riley declined because be believed that Byron's son Roark should be considered first (it is uncertain if this refers to the Oreburgh gym, in which case this offer happened before Roark became its leader, or the Canalave gym, in which case it refers to Byron's future successor). In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, he is initially found training at Iron Island; at one point he refers to it as his mine, but it is uncertain if he means that he literally owns the island's mine.

When Lucas/Dawn meets him, Riley notes that it is odd for him to be training in the mine but offers to team up in going through the mine and heal their Pokémon after each battle due to the wild Pokémon being unusually restless. They soon find the cause between it when they meet and battle a pair of Team Galactic grunts, with Riley intent on preserving the code of ethics in which all trainers and Pokémon share all joys and sorrows. After they defeated Team Galactic, Riley gave the player a Riolu egg (as well as HM 04: Strength in Platinum) and left to test his skills in other places.

Afterwards, he appeared in the Battle Zone where Lucas/Dawn could choose him as a partner when taking on the Battle Tower. In Platinum, he would also appear in the Battleground cafe on random days following completion of the Stark Mountain sidequest, where he could be battled. He was also present as a Battle Tower partner at Johto's Battle Frontier in HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Pokémon Roster

In the Iron Island double battles, Riley uses only a Lucario.

During the Battle Tower challenges, Riley's two Pokémon will be selected from a random pool of Pokémon including (in addition to Lucario) Poliwhirl, Machamp, Rhydon, Gyarados, Dragonite, Heracross, Ursaring, Tyranitar, Blaziken, Breloom, Slaking, Hariyama, Medicham, Absol, Salamence, Metagross, Infernape, Rampardos, Garchomp, Toxicroak, Rhyperior, Mamoswine, Gallade and Regigigas.

At the Battleground in Platinum, Riley uses the following roster:

• Absol
• Salamence
• Metagross
• Ursaring
• Lucario

Other Appearances

• Riley has appeared in two subsequent episodes of the Pokémon anime set on Iron Island, where he specializes in Steel types (but still has his Lucario) and studies the Steel Pokémon on Iron Island. He is revealed to be an Aura Guardian who can use Aura effectively, and after they help Ash and his friends in foiling Team Galactic's plans for the island, Riley decided to help Professor Carolina study the island. The character Sir Aaron from the eighth Pokémon movie (released prior to the fourth generation games) also bares striking resemblance to Riley, but it is uncertain which character was created first and which was based on the other.
• He appears in the Pokémon Adventures manga, first making a cameo appearance at the end of the Emerald arc on a boat to Sinnoh. In the Diamond/Pearl arc, he helps to train Diamond on Iron Island at Byron's request. He later made a brief appearance at the arc's end at Mt. Coronet, where he cornered Sird, but neither showed up again in the arc so it is uncertain how the confrontation went.

Trivia

• His Platinum animation implies that he can use Aura in the game continuity as well.
• Each of the five double battle partners throughout the fourth generation games specialize in a different stat; Riley's Pokémon excel in Attack.