Roark

"Call me Roark the Rock!"
Roark
Species	Human
Hair color	Cordovan
Eye color	Cordovan
Base	Oreburgh City
Relatives	Byron (father) Underground Man (Grandfather)
Debut	Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Versions

Roark is one of the eight gym leaders of the Sinnoh region faced in Pokémon: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Versions. He is the first gym leader to be faced and specializes in Rock-type Pokémon.

Background

Being the son of Steel-type gym leader Byron, Roark naturally followed in his father's footsteps and trained hard. He liked to measure the toughness of in battle. However, his father still looked down at him as a child and originally offered a Gym Leader position to Riley instead, although Riley declined to give Roark his chance. Roark became the gym leader of the Oreburgh City gym, as well as the safety supervisor of the Oreburgh Mines. Despite his youth, he was able to safely maintain the mine while also allowing trainers to practice in the mine as well.

In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, Roark is first encountered within the Oreburgh Mines, where he demonstrates the Rock Smash move and then returns to his gym after meeting Lucas/Dawn. After being defeated, Roark was ashamed to lose to a badgeless trainer but admitted that the victor was strong while he was weak, and he surrendered the Coal Badge with TM 76: Stealth Rock. He also left Lucas/Dawn with the warning that the other seven gym leaders were tougher than him.

When the player first uses the Explorer Kit, Roark also appears there to welcome them to the Underground. In Platinum, he is also among the trainers who can be randomly battled at the Battleground, this time with a stronger line-up of Pokémon. He would also visit the player's villa on random days and comment about how fossils could make good decorations. He would also muse about the Underground and wonder if it could extend to Kanto and Johto.

Pokémon Roster

Roark uses the following Pokémon in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum:

• Geodude
• Onix
• Cranidos

The following is the roster he uses in Battleground matches:

• Aerodactyl
• Probopass
• Rampardos
• Golem
• Tyranitar

Other Appearances

• He has appeared in a total of six episodes of the Pokémon anime's Diamond and Pearl series. In his initial appearances, he was bested by Paul but defeated Ash Ketchum until Ash won their rematch. He reappears when the group arrives at Canalave City, in an episode dealing with his father problems. He acts as a referee during the battle with Byron, who is shown to have more affection for his son than he lets on.
• Roark also appears in the Diamond/Pearl arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga, where had just returned from some type of conference (which later turned out to be about Team Galactic) with Byron and the Underground Man, and was defeated by Platina in her first gym challenge. He reappeared at Canalave, where his Cranidos evolved, and he worried about his father's recklessness. Near the end of the arc, he tunnels through Mt. Cornet with his father and grandfather to get the gym leaders atop Spear Pillar so that they could fight Team Galactic.

Trivia

• He is named after Howard Roark, a character from the Ayn Rand book The Fountainhead, who is also a redheaded miner.
• In his youth, Roark is said to have played in the steel mines at Iron Island.