Koga

Koga キョウ Kyō
"The Poisonous Ninja Master"
Art from HeartGold and SoulSiver
Gender	Male
Eye color	Black
Hair color	Blue
Hometown	Fuchsia City
Region	Kanto
Relatives	Janine (daughter) Aya (anime only, sister)
Trainer class	Gym Leader, Elite Trainer, Team Rocket Commander (Adventures)
Generation	I, II, III, IV
Games	Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Stadium, Stadium 2
Leader of	Fuchsia Gym
Badge	Soul Badge
Elite Four of	Indigo Plateau
Specializes in	Template:Type2s
Anime debut	The Ninja Poké-Showdown
English voice actor	Stan Hart
Japanese voice actor	Hōchū Ōtsuka

Koga (Japanese: キョウ Kyō) was the Leader of Fuchsia City's Gym. He is a student of ninjutsu who specializes in Template:Type2 Pokémon. He handed out the Soul Badge to Trainers who defeated him.

He was promoted to a master Template:Type2 Trainer, and became a member of the Johto Elite Four, at some time after the events of Generation I and its remakes, but before the events of Generation II and its remakes, thus leaving his daughter, Janine, in charge of the Fuchsia Gym.

In the games

Artwork of Koga from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Art of Koga from Pokémon Red and Blue

Full art of Koga from Generation I

Koga, known as the Poisonous Ninja Master, serves two roles in the Pokémon games. In Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen he is the leader of the Fuchsia Gym, but is promoted to a member of the Elite Four in Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver. Koga is a user of the Template:Type2; he likes the despair and horror that Poison-type Pokémon can inflict on others.

Koga has studied medicine and antidotes; he makes his own potions to heal his Pokémon. He also serves as a teacher. Many students come to him to be trained in the arts of Ninjutsu and Pokémon. One of his students is his own daughter, Janine, who takes over his Gym in the Generation II/IV storyline. In addition to these roles, Koga also patrols the grounds of the Kanto Safari Zone, to ensure that the players of the Safari Game are safe from the wild Pokémon within.

In Generation I/III, Koga's Gym is typically the fifth to be challenged. He has built invisible walls in the Fuchsia City gym, constructing a confusing maze out of them. Koga awaits challengers in the center of the maze, clearly visible, but a group of Jugglers and Tamers—Koga's students— must be fought first. Defeating him will earn the successful Trainer TM06 (Toxic) and the Soul Badge.

With the future of the Gym in his daughter's hands, Koga advances to a role in the Pokémon League of Kanto and Johto before the events of Generation II/IV. In these games, he is the second member of the Elite Four to be faced. The team he uses in this role is similar to his Gym Leader's teams; the main difference is the introduction of Pokémon not native to Kanto. Koga's battle style as an Elite Four member is designed to confound and destroy his opponent in battle. Rather than using brute force, Koga attempts to confuse, put to sleep, and poison his opponent.

Fame Checker

This is a list of the Fame Checker's information on Koga in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions.

Fuchsia City - sign

• What does this person do?

"Fuchsia City Pokémon Gym

Leader: Koga

The Poisonous Ninja Master"

Fuchsia Gym - Koga

• Favorite kind of Pokémon?

"Despair to the creeping horror of Poison-type Pokémon!"

Fuchsia Gym - Juggler Kirk

• What is this person like?

"Even though I've lost, I will keep training according to the teachings of Koga, my ninja master."

Fuchsia City - Charine

• Family and friends?

"My father is the Gym Leader of this town.

I’m training to use Poison Pokémon as well as my father."

Safari Warden's Home - Pokémon Journal

• There’s a rumor...

"Koga is said to have a thorough knowledge of medicine.

He even concocts medicine to nurse his Pokémon to health."

Safari Zone - man

• What does this person do?

"The Safari Zone<sc>'s huge, wouldn't you say?

<sc>Fuchsia's Gym Leader, Koga, patrols the grounds every so often.

Thanks to him, we can play here knowing that we're safe."

Message from Koga

• From: Koga
• To: [Player]

"You and I, we must both set our sights higher and work towards meeting our challenges.

Now, I must go train my daughter."

Pokémon

This is a listing of Koga's Pokémon in the games in which he has appeared.

Pokémon Red and Blue and Pokémon Red and Green

File:KogaBlue.PNG [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] Koga [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Red, Green, and Blue [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Red, Green, and Blue Reward: $4257

Types: Poison Unknown Koffing Lv.37 Tackle Normal   --       Smog Poison   --       Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Muk Lv.39 Disable Normal   --       Poison Gas Poison   --       Minimize Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Types: Poison Unknown Koffing Lv.37 Tackle Normal   --       Smog Poison   --       Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Weezing Lv.43 Smog Poison   --       Sludge Poison   --       Toxic Poison   --       Selfdestruct Normal   --

Pokémon Yellow

File:Y Koga.png [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] Koga [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Yellow [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Yellow Reward: $4950

Types: Bug Poison Venonat Lv.44 Tackle Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Sleep Powder Grass   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Types: Bug Poison Venonat Lv.46 Toxic Poison   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Supersonic Normal   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Types: Bug Poison Venonat Lv.48 Toxic Poison   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Sleep Powder Grass   --       Double-Edge Normal   --       Types: Bug Poison Venomoth Lv.50 Toxic Poison   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Leech Life Bug   --       Double Team Normal   --

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

File:Koga 02.png [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] Koga [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] Gold, Silver, and Crystal [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $4400

Types: Bug Poison Held item: None Ariados♂ Lv.40 Spider Web Bug   --       Double Team Normal   --       Baton Pass Normal   --       Giga Drain Grass   --       Types: Bug Steel Held item: None Forretress♂ Lv.43 Protect Normal   --       Spikes Ground   --       Swift Normal   --       Explosion Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Muk♂ Lv.42 Sludge Bomb Poison   --       Acid Armor Poison   --       Minimize Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Bug Poison Held item: None Venomoth♂ Lv.41 Psychic Psychic   --       Gust Flying   --       Supersonic Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Poison Flying Held item: None Crobat♂ Lv.44 Double Team Normal   --       Wing Attack Flying   --       Quick Attack Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

File:SpriteKoga.png [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] Koga [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] FireRed and LeafGreen [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] FireRed and LeafGreen Reward: $4300

Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.37 Selfdestruct Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Sticky Hold Held item: None Muk♂ Lv.39 Minimize Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Acid Armor Poison   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.37 Selfdestruct Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Weezing♂ Lv.43 Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

First Battle

File:KogaHGSS.gif [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] Koga [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] HeartGold and SoulSilver [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $5080

Types: Bug Poison Ability: Insomnia Held item: None Ariados♂ Lv.40 Spider Web Bug Status   --       Baton Pass Normal Status   --       Giga Drain Grass Special   --       Poison Jab Poison Physical   --       Types: Bug Poison Ability: Shield Dust Held item: None Venomoth♂ Lv.41 Psychic Psychic Special   --       Gust Flying Special   --       Supersonic Normal Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Sticky Hold Held item: Black Sludge Muk♂ Lv.42 Gunk Shot Poison Physical   --       Minimize Normal Status   --       Screech Normal Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --       Types: Bug Steel Ability: Sturdy Held item: None Forretress♂ Lv.43 Toxic Spikes Poison Status   --       Protect Normal Status   --       Swift Normal Special   --       Explosion Normal Physical   --       Types: Poison Flying Ability: Inner Focus Held item: Sitrus Berry Crobat♂ Lv.44 Double Team Normal Status   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Wing Attack Flying Physical   --       Poison Fang Poison Physical   --

Second Battle

File:KogaHGSS.gif [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] Koga [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] HeartGold and SoulSilver [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $7740

Types: Poison Dark Ability: Aftermath Held item: None Skuntank♂ Lv.61 Toxic Poison Status   --       Dig Ground Physical   --       Sucker Punch Dark Physical   --       Explosion Normal Physical   --       Types: Poison Fighting Ability: Dry Skin Held item: None Toxicroak♂ Lv.60 Swagger Normal Status   --       X-Scissor Bug Physical   --       Cross Chop Fighting Physical   --       Gunk Shot Poison Physical   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Sticky Hold Held item: Leftovers Swalot♂ Lv.62 Sludge Bomb Poison Special   --       Amnesia Psychic Status   --       Pain Split Normal Status   --       Yawn Normal Status   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Sticky Hold Held item: Black Sludge Muk♂ Lv.62 Minimize Normal Status   --       Screech Normal Status   --       Swagger Normal Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --       Types: Bug Poison Ability: Tinted Lens Held item: None Venomoth♂ Lv.63 Baton Pass Normal Status   --       Double Team Normal Status   --       Silver Wind Bug Special   --       Psychic Psychic Special   --       Types: Poison Flying Ability: Inner Focus Held item: None Crobat♂ Lv.64 Fly Flying Physical   --       Cross Poison Poison Physical   --       Mean Look Normal Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --

Pokémon Stadium

Round 1

[[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] Koga [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Round 1 [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Round 1 Reward: None

Types: Bug Poison Venomoth Lv.50 Mega Drain Grass   --       Sleep Powder Grass   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Double-Edge Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Muk Lv.50 Sludge Poison   --       Minimize Normal   --       Poison Gas Poison   --       Hyper Beam Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Weezing Lv.50 Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Fire Blast Fire   --       Types: Bug Poison Venonat Lv.50 Stun Spore Grass   --       Sleep Powder Grass   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Mega Drain Grass   --       Types: Poison Unknown Nidorina Lv.50 Double Kick Fighting   --       Thunder Electric   --       Ice Beam Ice   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Poison Unknown Nidorino Lv.50 Toxic Poison   --       Fury Attack Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       BubbleBeam Water   --

Round 2

[[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] Koga [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Round 2 [[Leader (Trainer class)|Leader]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Fuchsia Gym|Fuchsia Gym]] Round 2 Reward: None

Types: Bug Poison Venomoth Lv.50 Mega Drain Grass   --       Stun Spore Grass   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Hyper Beam Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Muk Lv.50 Sludge Poison   --       Minimize Normal   --       Hyper Beam Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Poison Unknown Weezing Lv.50 Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Fire Blast Fire   --       Types: Psychic Unknown Hypno Lv.50 Hypnosis Psychic   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Counter Fighting   --       Seismic Toss Fighting   --       Types: Grass Unknown Tangela Lv.50 Stun Spore Grass   --       Double Team Normal   --       Rest Psychic   --       SolarBeam Grass   --       Types: Bug Grass Parasect Lv.50 Spore Grass   --       Slash Normal   --       Mega Drain Grass   --       Growth Normal   --

Pokémon Stadium 2

Round 1

[[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] Koga [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] Round 1 [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] Round 1 Reward: None

Types: Bug Poison Held item: Ice Berry Ariados♂ Lv.50 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Dig Ground   --       Spider Web Bug   --       Types: Bug Poison Held item: Focus Band Venomoth♂ Lv.50 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Giga Drain Grass   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: Burnt Berry Muk♂ Lv.50 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Fire Blast Fire   --       Sludge Bomb Poison   --       Types: Electric Unknown Held item: Bitter Berry Electrode Lv.50 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Thunder Electric   --       Mirror Coat Psychic   --       Types: Poison Flying Held item: PRZCureBerry Golbat♂ Lv.50 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Detect Fighting   --       Wing Attack Flying   --       Types: Ground Flying Held item: Mint Berry Gligar♂ Lv.50 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Iron Tail Steel   --       Sandstorm Rock   --

Round 2

[[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] Koga [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] Round 2 [[Elite Four (Trainer class)|Elite Four]] and Professor Koga Oak [[Indigo Plateau|Indigo Plateau]] Round 2 Reward: None

Types: Bug Poison Held item: Focus Band Ariados♂ Lv.50 Spider Web Bug   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Double Team Normal   --       Baton Pass Normal   --       Types: Fire Unknown Held item: Miracle Berry Magmar♂ Lv.50 Toxic Poison   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Flamethrower Fire   --       Double Team Normal   --       Types: Water Ice Held item: Leftovers Lapras♂ Lv.50 Toxic Poison   --       Double Team Normal   --       Surf Water   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Types: Bug Poison Held item: Bright Powder Venomoth♂ Lv.50 Toxic Poison   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Double Team Normal   --       Baton Pass Normal   --       Types: Water Electric Held item: Quick Claw Lanturn♂ Lv.50 Toxic Poison   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Double Team Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Types: Normal Unknown Held item: Mystery Berry Stantler♂ Lv.50 Toxic Poison   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Double Team Normal   --       Earthquake Ground   --

Quotes

File:KogaBlue.PNG	File:Y Koga.png	File:Koga 02.png
Koga's sprite from Generation I	Koga's sprite from Pokémon Yellow	Koga's sprite from Generation II
File:SpriteKoga.png	File:KogaHGSS.gif
Koga's sprite from Generation III	Koga's sprite from Generation IV	Koga's VS sprite from Generation IV

Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow

• Before battle

"Fwahahaha! A mere child like you dares to challenge me? Very well, I shall show you true terror as a ninja master! You shall feel the despair of poison and sleep techniques!"

• When defeated

"Humph! You have proven your worth! Here! take the Soul Badge!"

• After being defeated

"Now that you have the Soul Badge, the defense of your Pokémon increases! It also lets you Surf outside of battle! Ah! Take this too!"

"TM06 contains Toxic! It is a secret technique over 400 years old!"

"When afflicted by Toxic, Pokémon suffer more and more as battle progresses! It will surely terrorize foes!"

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

• Before battle

"Fwahahahaha! I am Koga of the Elite Four. I live in shadows, a ninja! My intricate style will confound and destroy you! Confusion, sleep, poison... Prepare to be the victim of my sinister technique! Fwahahahaha! Pokémon is not merely about brute force--you shall see soon enough!"

• When defeated

"Ah! You have proven your worth!"

• After being defeated

"I subjected you to everything I could muster. But my efforts failed. I must hone my skills. Go on to the next room, and put your abilities to test!"

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

• Before battle

"Fwahahaha! A mere child like you dares to challenge me? The very idea makes me shiver with mirth! Very well, I shall show you true terror as a ninja master! Poison brings steady doom. Sleep renders foes helpless. Despair to the creeping horror of Poison-type Pokémon!"

• When defeated

"Humph! You have proven your worth! Here! Take the Soul Badge!"

• After being defeated

"Now that you have the Soul Badge, the defense of your Pokémon rises. It also lets you Surf outside of battle. Ah! Take this, too!"

"Sealed within that TM lies Toxic! It is a secret technique dating back some four hundred years."

"When afflicted by Toxic, a Pokémon suffers more and more. It suffers worsening damage as the battle wears on! It will surely terrorize foes!"

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

• Before battle

"Fwahahahaha! I am Koga of the Elite Four. I live in shadows--a ninja! My intricate style will confound and destroy you! Confusion, sleep, poison... Prepare to be the victim of my sinister techniques! Fwahahahaha! Pokémon are not merely about brute force--you shall see soon enough!"

• After sending out last Pokémon

"One Pokémon left? Ha ha ha! I've been counting on this one from the very beginning!"

• During battle

"Ooooof..."

• When defeated

"Ah! You've proven your worth!"

• After being defeated

"I subjected you to everything I could muster. But my efforts failed. I must hone my skills. Go on to the next room, and put your abilities to the test!"

In the anime

File:Koga.png

Koga in the anime.

Koga's only anime appearance was in the episode The Ninja Poké-Showdown.

Koga is a ninja who trains in an old mansion, the Fuchsia City Gym, in the woods outside Fuchsia City. The Gym is filled with traps such as fake mirrors, invisible walls, pits, and many Voltorb. Aya, Koga's younger sister, is one of his students.

Ash, Misty, and Brock managed to overcome the traps in the Gym and Ash was finally able to challenge Koga. Although Ash's Pidgeotto initially lost to Koga's newly-evolved Venomoth, prompting Ash to call out Charmander, their match was interrupted when Team Rocket tried to steal Koga's large supply of Voltorb, although they had raided the Gym with the intent of getting Template:Type2 Pokémon. Team Rocket was stopped by Psyduck, allowing Ash and Koga to have a rematch. Pitting Charmander against Koga's Golbat, Ash triumphed and won the Soul Badge.

Pokémon

This listing is of Koga's known Pokémon in the anime:

Venomoth

Koga's Venomoth

Debut	The Ninja Poké-Showdown
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Eric Stuart

When Ash challenged Koga, Koga sent out his Venonat, which Ash originally underestimated since he had previously defeated his sister's Venonat quite easily but then it instantly evolved into a Venomoth, and proceeded to get the upper hand in its gym battle with Pidgeotto. The battle was interrupted by Team Rocket, and afterward, Koga offered to trade Venomoth to Misty for her Psyduck, but she declined.

Venomoth's known moves are Stun Spore and Sleep Powder.

Golbat

Koga's Golbat

Debut	The Ninja Poké-Showdown
Voice actors
Japanese	Shin'ichirō Miki
English	Eric Stuart

During Koga's and Ash's rematch, Koga used his Golbat against Ash's Charmander. Golbat eventually lost to Charmander's strong Template:Type2 moves, winning Ash the Soul Badge.

Golbat's known moves are Wing Attack and Screech.

At Fuchsia Gym

Voltorb

Koga's Voltorb

Debut	The Ninja Poké-Showdown
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Eric Stuart

Koga keeps these multiple Voltorb as traps in his Gym. They can be either hidden under the floor or be dropped from the ceiling. Ash, Misty and Brock first came across one when Ash fell into a trap, stepped on one and it shocked him. Team Rocket attempted to steal the Voltorb from the Gym, and Meowth used these Pokémon as exploding bowling balls and threw them at the heroes.

Voltorb's known moves are ThunderShock and Selfdestruct, which they usually use when a trap is set off.

Voice actors

Language Voice actor Japanese 大塚 芳忠 Hōchū Ōtsuka English Stan Hart Polish Radosław Popłonikowski Spanish Latin America Gerardo Vázquez Spain Juan Fernández

In the manga

In the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

File:Koga EToP.jpg

Koga and Aya in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

Koga makes a cameo appearance in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga in the chapter Pikachu's Excellent Adventure.

In the manga, Jessie, James and Meowth get trapped in Koga's Gym while searching for the Hidden Village with Ash's Pikachu, a Charmander, a Squirtle, a Kangaskhan and Tommy. Their battle is only shown briefly in a montage sequence and it is unknown whether Team Rocket was victorious or not. It is also never shown if Ash himself battles Koga.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

File:Koga.PNG

Koga in the Pokémon Adventures manga

Koga is one of the three villainous heads of Team Rocket, and serves under Giovanni.

Koga debuts in the Red, Green & Blue arc chapter in Raging Rhydon searching the Moon Stone in Mt. Moon, here Koga fights with Red and Misty and forces his Rhyhorn to evolve with a mysterious injection, revealing what happened to Misty's Gyarados when it was kidnapped, however the mission fails. Koga later tries to bump off Red in Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower, where he uses a Gastly to reanimate the corpses of dead Pokémon buried there. He also attacks Red with his Arbok. However, Blue has his Charmeleon slice Arbok in half. Under his boss's orders, he captures Articuno and brings it to Saffron City. He is once again defeated by Blue at Silph Co., albeit that he almost killed both of them by not allowing them to reach their Poké Balls by using his Muk, then almost freezing them to death with his Articuno. After he is defeated and knocked out Red gets Koga's Soul Badge and Blue uses his special Golbat to find out where Team Rocket is holding his grandfather.

Later, Koga helps the Pallet Town Trainers in the fight against the Elite Four during the Cerise Island battle. Koga is paired with Blue and battles Agatha, but Blue first returns his Golbat to him. When the two of them finally meet Agatha, she separates them, making Blue and Koga's Golbat that he got paired up with again face Agatha's Golbat while Koga's Arbok had to face Agatha's Arbok which could change its patterns allowing it to gain the upper hand over Koga. When Blue was paralyzed from a Haunter's Lick he started throwing his shuriken balls which Agatha thought was a desperate tactic but in reality the were Pokémon holding Paralyze Heals hoping just one of them would get to him, which it did. Blue then joins him and with it he commanded it to use Leech Life on himself using his blood and put it on Arbok's torso to prevent its ability to change its pattern. Without Arbok's ability, Agatha was defeated.

Or so it seemed. In reality, Agatha just pretended to be defeated and had her Gengar masquerade as Koga and Blue's shadow to slowly suck the life out of them hidden due to Koga's quick loss of blood. After traveling through the maze for a while, they found themselves back where they started with Agatha nowhere to be found. They then figured out her plan and defeated the Gengar, but not before Koga is nearly swept in the collapsing terrain of the destroyed battleground and narrowly escapes using his Muk to defend him in his wounded state.

Unlike the other two Rocket Admins, who were instructed to return and manage their gyms, Koga was not even reached by Giovanni. He then disappears for a time, leaving Janine in charge of the Gym. Janine is worried for her father, but opposes his criminal ties. At the end of the Johto adventures, Koga decides to ally himself with three other Trainers who had been abandoned by evil organizations: Bruno, Will, and Karen, the former of which he was training with after Bruno saved him from death in the ruins of Cerise Island.

Years later, in HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, he reappears alongside his teammates.

Two of Koga's Pokémon have unusual powers: his Arbok can regenerate itself as long as its head remains intact (see above); and his unusually small Golbat's mouth can be used almost like a magic mirror for scrying to see things from a distance, even if walls or land are in the way. Blue takes this Golbat and keeps it for quite some time before returning it to Koga at Cerise Island.

Koga also uses custom-made Poké Balls which can be thrown as shuriken—perhaps an inspiration for Falkner’s later boomerang Poké Balls.

Pokémon

This is a listing of Koga's Pokémon in the Pokémon Adventures manga.

Grimer	Muk	Gastly	Arbok	Ekans
Golbat	Tentacruel	Weezing	→ Rhyhorn → Rhydon

Released

Articuno

In the TCG

There is a Theme Deck named for Koga in the Gym Challenge expansion. For that Theme Deck, see Koga.

Artwork

• 

  Koga and the Soul Badge.

• 

  Koga's updated VS art.

Pokémon

This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Koga or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Name	Type	Level	Rarity	Set	Set no.
Koga's Beedrill		34	H	Gym Challenge	9/132
Koga's Ditto		12	H	Gym Challenge	10/132
Koga	-	-	H	Gym Challenge	19/132
					106/132
Koga's Arbok		44		Gym Challenge	25/132
Koga's Muk		38		Gym Challenge	26/132
Koga's Pidgeotto		34		Gym Challenge	27/132
Koga's Golbat		27		Gym Challenge	46/132
Koga's Kakuna		21		Gym Challenge	47/132
Koga's Koffing		15		Gym Challenge	48/132
Koga's Pidgey		9		Gym Challenge	49/132
Koga's Weezing		31		Gym Challenge	50/132
Koga's Ekans		17		Gym Challenge	77/132
Koga's Grimer		19		Gym Challenge	78/132
Koga's Koffing		10		Gym Challenge	79/132
Koga's Pidgey		15		Gym Challenge	80/132
Koga's Tangela		16		Gym Challenge	81/132
Koga's Weedle		13		Gym Challenge	82/132
Koga's Zubat		14		Gym Challenge	83/132
Fuchsia City Gym	-	-		Gym Challenge	114/132
Koga's Ninja Trick	-	-		Gym Challenge	115/132
Koga's Crobat		-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	79/141
Koga's Forretress		-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	80/141
Koga's Ninja Gym	-	-	-	Unnumbered Promotional cards (no English release)	-

Trivia

• In the manga Magical Pokémon Journey, the ninja-in-training Walnut is an admirer of Koga.
• Koga makes a short cameo appearance in a chapter of the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga.
• Out of the original Generation I Gym Leaders, Koga has the fewest Trainer cards in the Gym Leader sets of the TCG. Incidentally, his only Trainer card besides the basic Koga card had to be edited because it featured a manji, which could have caused controversy between cultures; the infamous Nazi swastika is a reversed manji.
• Because he became a member of the Elite Four in Generation II, he is technically the first member of the Elite Four seen in the anime, though he was not a member at the time he was shown. He is also the only one Ash defeated in battle (again, however, it was as a Gym Leader).
• In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the Ninja Boy on Route 217 mentions different kinds of ninja in the world. He says, "There are several kinds of ninjas. Are you an Iga or a Kouga ninja?" This is a reference to the two main schools of ninjutsu, Iga-ryu and Kōga-ryu, the latter of which Koga himself is named after.
• Koga's Pokémon Yellow team is of a higher level than his Elite Four team in Gold, Silver, and Crystal and HeartGold and SoulSilver during the first match with him.
• Koga, Bruno, and Lance are the only members of the Elite Four who have appeared in all four generations.
• Koga's updated Sugimori artwork for Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver has him in a pose identical to that of his daughter Janine's in her VS artwork, only reversed.
• Koga is the second Trainer whose in-game animated sprite has an irregular entrance, coming from the right side of the screen, possibly to highlight his ninja-esque demeanor. Ninjas are known to be sneaky and capable of catching someone off-guard, something that Koga's entrance does. The first one to have an in-game sprite with an irregular entrance was Aaron in Pokémon Platinum, coming from the top of the screen.
• Koga is the only Gym Leader that is known to have a daughter.

Names

Language	Name	Reference to
Japanese	キョウ Kyō	The on-yomi of the kanji for "apricot" (杏). This kanji's kun-yomi is anzu. A common Japanese given name.
English, French, German, Italian, Spanish	Koga	From 甲賀流 Kōga-ryū, a school of ninjutsu.
Korean	독수 Doksu	Means poison fang which refers to his specialty in the Poison-type. Alternatively, 독수 can mean a vicious clutch.
Chinese (Taiwan and Mainland)	阿桔 Ā Jié	May be derived from 桔梗 Jié​gěng (Chinese bellflower).
Chinese (Hong Kong)	阿梗 Ā Gěng	梗 has the on-yomi kyō in Japanese.

External links

• Kyō's Profile on Pokeani (Japanese)

This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.