Koga

The Poisonous Ninja Master
Koga
Species	Human
Hair color	Blue
Eye color	Black
Base	Fuchsia City Gym
Relatives	Janine (daughter)
Debut	Pokémon: Red Version/Pokemon: Green Version

Koga is a Pokémon trainer who has appeared as an opponent in the first two generations of games in the Pokémon series. He originally appeared in the first generation as Fuchsia City's gym leader, but he went on to become a member of the Elite Four in the second generation games. He is known for being a ninja master who specializes in poison-type Pokémon. Koga is descended from a long line of ninjas and has trained his daughter to follow in his stead.

Background

Koga originally acted as the leader of the Fuchsia City gym, where challengers had to navigate a maze of invisible walls in order to reach him. He often taunted his opponents and started many of his statements with evil laughter. He was also known to patrol the Safari Zone in order to keep the area safe. Red challenged him at his gym in Pokémon Red, Green, Blue and Yellow (as well as Pokémon: FireRed and LeafGreen Versions). After Koga was defeated, he gave Red the Soulbadge along with TM 06: Toxic. In a Fame Checker message, he mentioned that both he and Red must set their sights higher.

Koga later dedicated his time to training his daughter Janine as a ninja and Pokémon trainer. At some point over the following few years, he became a member of the Elite Four based in Indigo Plateau, leaving Janine to watch over the Fuchsia City gym as its new gym leader. Koga was the second member of the Elite Four to be challenged by Ethan/Lyra in Pokémon: Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions. He attempted to intimidate the trainer by talking about the threat he posed as a ninja as well as the different status effects that his Pokémon could cause. He was still defeated and decided that he must hone his skills, while telling Ethan/Lyra to move on to the next room.

Pokémon Roster

Generation I

In Red, Blue and Green, he has two Koffing, a Muk and a Weezing. Koga instead uses three Venonat and a Venomoth in the Yellow Version.

Generation II

Koga in HeartGold and SoulSilver

Koga's Pokémon roster in the Gold/Silver/Crystal (as well as the first battle in HeartGold/SoulSilver) versions is:

• Ariados
• Forretress
• Muk
• Venomoth
• Crobat

In HeartGold/SoulSilver, uses the following roster for rematches:

• Skuntank
• Venomoth
• Toxicroak
• Muk
• Crobat
• Swalot

Other Games

Koga is the fifth enemy of the Gym Leader Castle in Pokémon Stadium. In the first round he uses a Venomoth, Muk, Weezing, Venonat, Nidorina and Nidorino. In Round 2, Koga uses Venomoth, Muk, Weezing, Hypno, Tangela and Parasect.

Koga, identical to his appearance in the anime, appears as the sixth opponent in Pokémon Puzzle League, after Erika and before Sabrina. In this game he uses Venomoth, Voltorb and Golbat. In Pokémon Puzzle Challenge, Koga is the tenth opponent, battled with the other Elite Four members from Gold, Silver and Crystal. He fights using a Crobat.

In Pokémon Stadium 2 he is battled with the other Elite Four members in that game's Gym Leader Castle. His roster in the first round is identical to his roster in Gold, Silver and Crystal except that his Crobat and Forretress were replaced with Golbat, Electrode and Gligar. In the second round, Koga uses Venomoth, Magmar, Lapras, Ariados, Lanturn and Stantler.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Koga appeared in an episode of the Pokémon anime, were his gym was located in a mansion similar to a classic Japanese home. He was shown to be training his sister, who may have inspired the character of Janine.
• In the manga The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Koga makes a small appearance in one chapter in which Team Rocket and several Pokémon end up trapped in his gym.
• Koga also appeared in the Pokémon Adventures manga as an antagonist and one of the gym leaders working under Giovanni as part of Team Rocket in the Red/Green/Blue arc. He first battles Red with Misty at Mt. Moon, where he uses an injection to evolve a Rhyhorn into Rhydon. He is also involved in reanimating the dead Pokémon at Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower with Gastly until defeated by Blue. He battled Blue again in the final Team Rocket battles at Saffron City and was defeated again. At the end of the Yellow arc the Team Rocket members return to help the trainers fight the Elite Four on Cerise Island. Koga is paired with Blue against Agatha and escapes after she is defeated. He goes missing over the next few years, leading Janine to replace him as Fuschia Gym Leader. He resurfaces near the end of the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc where he is shown to have partnered with Bruno due to both being remnants of evil organizations seeking new purpose. They help Red and Blue to travel to Johto and later on recruit Will and Karen into their ground, mimicking the second generation Elite Four line-up. The HeartGold/SoulSilver arc later shows that this Elite Four was successful in receiving official recognition from the Pokémon Association, and they later compete with Gold at the Pokéthlon.
• In an episode of the Pokémon Origins anime, Koga makes a brief appearance in an episode depicting Red beating him at a gym battle.

Trivia

• His English name is derived from Koga-ryu, which is a style of ninjutsu; in Diamond and Pearl, a trainer asks if the player is a "Kouga" or Iga ninja in reference to the two schools of ninjutsu.
• Koga is more directly referenced in Diamond and Pearl, when a ninja Pokémon trainer mentions rumors he heard of a legendary ninja gym leader living in a faraway land.
• In HeartGold/SoulSilver, it is shown that Janine brings lunch to Koga every day in the late afternoon, due to how busy he is as a member of the Elite Four.
• He is the only gym leader from the first five generations not to make an appearance in Black and White 2, due to his promotion to the Elite Four. Instead, it is Janine who competes in the Pokémon World Tournament. He is still mentioned by her, as she talks about wanting to become stronger than him and also needing to train more with him.