Bonjour! Welcome back to another edition as we take a look at our first champion and rival, Blue (or Green if you’re Japanese, or Gary if you only watch the anime for some reason).

Blue and Pidgeot

In-game description: This highly skilled, powerhouse Trainer prominent in Kanto is the grandson of the famous Professor Oak. Red is both his lifelong rival and his best friend.

Having had the distinction of being our very first spotlight banner, this favorite son of Pokemon has had a wide variety of roles and teams throughout the generations. He was originally our rival in the first generation of games, and was the first Pokemon League champion we faced. Once generation 2 was released, Blue took up the mantle of the Viridian City gym leader. He also participated in the Pokemon World Tournament in gen 5, where he counted among the League Champions alongside fellow trainers like Red, Cynthia, Steven, and Lance. Most recently, he and Red were the leaders of the Battle Tree in the Alola region.

Blue has had many different Pokemon on his many teams, with no particular preference for type. He could have reasonably gone with many different options for his sync pair partner. However, Pidgeot has been one of the most consistent members of the team. Of all the mainline games he has appeared in, Blue’s Pidgeot has only been missing from Pokemon Yellow/Let’s Go versions (where he was more based on Gary from the anime) and his appearance in the Pokemon World Tournament in BW2. As the Indigo League Champion in Red/Blue (and Fire Red Leaf Green), Blue would lead with his trusty Pidgeot when challenged for the first time. When he takes up the mantle of gym leader years later, his team is identical to his Champion team, minus his Kanto starter (he always uses Exeggutor, Gyarados, and Arcanine to replace the starters). When the Heart Gold/Soul Silver remakes came around, his Pidgeot received a further promotion and became his team’s ace instead of his lead, having received a significant level bump to become his highest leveled Pokemon. And finally, when challenged after 50 consecutive battles in the Alola Battle Tree, Blue’s Pidgeot received its ultimate upgrade: the ability to mega-evolve and become Mega Pidgeot. Blue has also used Pidgeot in the Pokemon Adventures manga, in Pokemon Origins, in his Pokemon Generations short...everywhere, basically.

Blue has canonically been shown to be capable of mega-evolution for 4 different Pokemon. In addition to Pidgeot, he can use Mega-Tyranitar and Mega-Gyarados in the Battle Tree. However, Tyranitar is a rather late addition to his line-up (only first appearing in his rematch team in FRLG), and Gyarados has been mostly a stand-in for Blastoise when he doesn’t have Blastoise as his starter. Meanwhile, Blue does use Mega Charizard Y in the Let’s Go series, but I suppose giving him Charizard would kind of take away from Red’s thunder. This leaves Pidgeot as the most fitting partner for him to have that’s still capable of mega-evolution.

Air Slash/Air Cutter

• Blue’s Pidgeot first used this move in HGSS, at the same time it was promoted to being his team’s ace as gym leader of Viridian City.
• Blue’s Pidgeot has never known Air Cutter. It’s a good move in PM, but in the mainline games it’s been an egg move rather than one that Pidgeot can acquire naturally (although it makes a lot of sense for it to have it).

Hurricane

• Blue’s Pidgeot is finally given this devastating move for its final appearance in the Alola Battle Tree, alongside its mega-evolution.
• No Guard Hurricane is a pretty sweet combo in the mainline games, and is the signature combo of Mega Pidgeot, who gets No Guard as its new ability when it mega-evolves in the mainline games, giving it perfect accuracy on Hurricane.

X Special Attack

• You’d be forgiven if you’ve never thought of regular old Pidgeot as a special attacker, but in the mainline games, when Pidgeot mega-evolves its base special attack practically doubles, from 70 to an absurd 135. This is why Blue’s Mega-Pidgeot has the highest special attack in Pokemon Masters, and why he’s got X Special Attack to crank it up even further.

Smell ya Later!

• A classic quote by Blue from the original games. He iconically says this line after almost every rival battle with him in the original Red/Blue games. In FRLG, he even changes it up occasionally and says things like “Be smelling ya!”
• You may think it is a little out of character for him to keep saying this if they’re going with his more mature appearance in the gen 2 games and its remake, since he seems to have dropped the phrase then. However, he does bring back this catchphrase when battled in the Pokemon World Tournament in BW2, which should canonically take place later.
• The accuracy bonus provided by this ability may be a reference to Mega Pidgeot’s No Guard ability, which removes evasion for both Pokemon. That doesn’t quite mesh with its evasion granting effect, though. It may also be a reference to normal Pidgeot’s Keen Eye ability.
• The evasion bonus provided by this ability is likely a reference to Double Team, which Blue’s Pidgeot uses in his HGSS rematch as well as in the Battle Tree. It may also be a reference to another one of Pidgeot’s abilities, Tangled Feet, which also can increase its evasion.

Passive: Acuity

• This ability prevents Pidgeot’s accuracy from being lowered. It is functionally identical to the Keen Eye ability, which Blue’s Pidgeot often has in the mainline games.

Passive: Haste

• This ability may be a reference to the move Tailwind, which Blue’s Pidgeot may use in the Battle Tree, granting itself greatly increased speed.

Sync move: World-swallowing Hurricane

• Hurricane is the most powerful flying-type special attack in the series when upgraded further by a Flynium Z, giving it a base power of 180. Blue’s Pidgeot does have a Flynium Z when battled earlier in the Battle Tree, but will trade it for Pidgeotite to mega-evolve in its later encounter.
• In the background, you can see the Viridian City Gym, complete with those iconic statues from the gen 1 games.

A Day with Blue

• Did you know that Pidgeot can fly at Mach 2 speeds? Well, you should, because this fact is constantly being repeated in Pidgeot’s Pokédex entries. Gen 5 was the only one with no mention of Mach 2 in any of Pidgeot’s entries.
• Blue mentions that he has traveled all over the world. In the gen 2 games, he has a reputation for being a traveling trainer despite his role as Viridian City’s gym leader. That’s why he’s missing if you try to fight him too early.
• Blue talks about his intense rivalry with Red. More Red hype please!

Misc:

• Bonjour! Yes, Blue does actually say this canonically in the main-line games! He greets the player character with a Bonjour when battled aboard the SS Anne in the original Red/Blue games. He still says it there in the Let’s Go series even though he’s no longer the main rival. Maybe the SS Anne is traveling to the Kalos region?
• Many of Blue’s lines have a very cocky attitude that’s very much in character with his depiction in the games. Even when he’s mellowed out a bit as a gym leader, he’s still got a very confident streak in his later depictions.

Til next time, smell ya later!

(Previous sync pair: Ramos and Weepinbell)