The different versions of Pokémon all have different takes on similar characters. The anime, which is probably the most widely known version of Pokémon, features characters that originate in the video games. However, they often have actual names in the anime series, like the video game character of Red being Ash.
Pokémon Adventuresーthe manga based on the gamesーfeatures versions of the video game characters, usually with their video game names. Also, since it’s a manga series as opposed to a game, there’s a lot more room to expand each of the characters' stories, which allows them to grow as Trainers. Although some characters might be the strongest Trainers in the anime or the games, the manga has totally different ones who stand out from the pack. Here are the 10 strongest ones.
10 Sapphire
Sapphire is actually one of the few Pokémon Trainers who is not only an extreme Trainer in that she’s good at winning battles with her Pokémon, but she is also physically strong, thanks to all of the time she spent with her father, Professor Birch, while out doing fieldwork. She’s still a fairly young Trainer, and she’s constantly learning and growing as a Trainer. She’s also the first character ever to earn all of the Gym Badges in her home region; not even Red has accomplished that.
9 Diamond
It’s easy to consider Diamond the less accomplished and less likely to achieve anything as a Pokémon Trainer. Of the duo of Diamond and Pearl, Diamond has shown himself to be an accomplished Trainer in his own right.
Despite his laziness, he is excellent at communicating with his Pokémon and has great instincts for their needs, which makes him a great partner to them, and he trains hard to improve his batting skills when he sees that they’re not as good as Pearl’s and Platinum’s.
8 Professor Oak
Those who have spent a lot of time playing Pokémon video games or watching the anime might not be aware that Professor Oak is no slouch for Pokémon Training. Though he has long since hung up his battling hat, Adventures establishes Professor Oak as a Champion in his youth and someone who has a lot of experience with Training Pokémon. It’s no wonder he is such a wellspring of information about Pokémon to all of the up-and-coming Trainers.
7 Lance
Lance is one of the most powerful Pokémon Trainers in just about any of the Pokémon media out there, and that is definitely also true of Pokémon Adventures. He is an expert with Dragon-Type Pokémon, and he can brainwash just about any Dragon-Type Pokémon to control them. Unlike other versions of the character, Lance in the manga is mostly a villain, and he is often seen using his control over his Pokémon for evil.
6 Platinum
Platinum is a perfect example of a person who has many book smarts but not a lot of street smarts. She’s lived a charmed, somewhat sheltered life, and she has found as she begins journeying around Sinnoh that she doesn’t have as much experience as she’d like. But she has proven herself to be a powerful Trainer, using her encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon and Sinnoh as a region to help her as she seeks out and wins Gym Badges.
5 Gold
Gold has a lot of experience with baby Pokémon, as someone whose family bred and raised Pokémon. Professor Gold refers to him as the Hatcher since he is excellent at hatching Pokémon eggs and raising them to be strong.
He is also a great tactician, so even though he can sometimes be reckless and over-the-top with his personality, he puts all of his energy and confidence into winning, showing his strength as an intelligent strategist.
4 Crystal
Crystal’s great strength as a Pokémon Trainer comes in the form of her ability to catch Pokémon. She is so good at it that, even when she broke her arms in an accident, she taught herself to throw Pokéballs by kicking them with her feet, which is still her preferred way to catch Pokémon. She has strong bonds with her Pokémon and many feelings of mutual trust, and these qualities of the relationships make her an excellent battler.
3 Red
Red is the main protagonist of Pokémon Adventures and, as mentioned above, is also the character known as Ash in the English dub of the anime. So it can be expected that readers of Adventures spend a lot of time with Red throughout the series as he travels, makes friends, and trains to become a stronger Pokémon Trainer. Red has earned seven badges in the Kanto region and won the Indigo League, showing that he is already a strong Pokémon trainer even as he becomes stronger.
2 X
X has a preternatural talent for Pokémon Training, and even as a child, he has shown incredible skill in battle. He has mostly hung up his Pokémon Training recently, as he is no longer interested in the spotlight, but his skill as a Trainer won him the Kalos Junior Tournament when he was a young boy, earning him that fame. He slowly gets back into Training, showing his skill, particularly in Mega Evolutions, which are incredibly difficult to master, and focuses on becoming a Mega Evolution Successor.
1 Blue
It’s no surprise that Blue would be on this list. As the long-standing archrival, and good friend, of Red, Blue has shown over and over again his skill as a Pokémon Trainer, with Red constantly chasing after him to prove himself and to become good enough to beat him. Blue and his Scyther are both trained in martial arts, which creates a unique opportunity for the offense during battles. His grandfather, Professor Oak, says that Blue is incredibly good at leveling up and making Pokémon strong.