Koga

Koga キョウ Kyō
"The Poisonous Ninja Master"
Art from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Gender	Male
Eye color	Black
Hair color	Greying teal
Hometown	Fuchsia City
Region	Kanto
Relatives	Janine (daughter) Aya (anime only, sister)
Trainer class	Gym LeaderRBYFRLG Elite FourGSCHGSS
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	Poison types
Anime debut	The Ninja Poké-Showdown
English voice actor	Stuart Zagnit
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 Poison-type Pokémon. He handed out the Soul Badge to Trainers who defeated him.

He was promoted to a Master Poison-type Trainer and became a member of the Indigo Elite Four 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

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 Poison-type; 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's huge, wouldn't you say?

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

Koga Fuchsia Gym Red, Green, and Blue Reward: $4257

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

Pokémon Yellow

Koga 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

Elite Four Koga 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 Poison Held item: None Venomoth♂ Lv.41 Psychic Psychic   --       Gust Flying   --       Supersonic Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Types: Bug Steel Held item: None Forretress♂ Lv.43 Protect Normal   --       Spikes Ground   --       Swift Normal   --       Explosion Normal   --       Type: Poison Unknown Held item: None Muk♂ Lv.42 Sludge Bomb Poison   --       Acid Armor Poison   --       Minimize 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

Leader Koga Fuchsia Gym FireRed and LeafGreen Reward: $4300

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

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

First battle

Elite Four Koga Indigo Plateau HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $5280

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 Steel Ability: Sturdy Held item: None Forretress♂ Lv.43 Swift Normal Special   --       Explosion Normal Physical   --       Protect Normal Status   --       Toxic Spikes Poison Status   --       Type: 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 Poison Ability: Shield Dust Held item: None Venomoth♂ Lv.41 Psychic Psychic Special   --       Gust Flying Special   --       Supersonic Normal Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --       Types: Poison Flying Ability: Inner Focus Held item: Sitrus Berry Crobat♂ Lv.44 Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Wing Attack Flying Physical   --       Double Team Normal Status   --       Poison Fang Poison Physical   --

Rematch

Elite Four Koga Indigo Plateau HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $7440

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: 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 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   --       Type: 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 Flying Ability: Inner Focus Held item: None Crobat♂ Lv.64 Fly Flying Physical   --       Cross Poison Poison Physical   --       Mean Look Normal Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --       Type: Poison Unknown Ability: Sticky Hold Held item: Black Sludge Muk♂ Lv.62 Minimize Normal Status   --       Screech Normal Status   --       Swagger Normal Status   --       Toxic Poison Status   --

Pokémon Stadium

Round 1

Koga Gym Leader Castle Pokémon Stadium Reward: N/A

Types: Bug Poison Venomoth Lv.50-100 Mega Drain Grass   --       Sleep Powder Grass   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Double-Edge Normal   --       Type: Poison Unknown Muk Lv.50-100 Sludge Poison   --       Minimize Normal   --       Poison Gas Poison   --       Hyper Beam Normal   --       Type: Poison Unknown Weezing Lv.50-100 Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Fire Blast Fire   --       Types: Bug Poison Venonat Lv.50-100 Stun Spore Grass   --       Sleep Powder Grass   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Mega Drain Grass   --       Type: Poison Unknown Nidorina Lv.50-100 Double Kick Fighting   --       Thunder Electric   --       Ice Beam Ice   --       Toxic Poison   --       Type: Poison Unknown Nidorino Lv.50-100 Toxic Poison   --       Fury Attack Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       BubbleBeam Water   --

Round 2

Koga Gym Leader Castle Pokémon Stadium Reward: N/A

Types: Bug Poison Venomoth Lv.50-100 Mega Drain Grass   --       Stun Spore Grass   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Hyper Beam Normal   --       Type: Poison Unknown Muk Lv.50-100 Sludge Poison   --       Minimize Normal   --       Hyper Beam Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Type: Poison Unknown Weezing Lv.50-100 Sludge Poison   --       SmokeScreen Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Fire Blast Fire   --       Type: Psychic Unknown Hypno Lv.50-100 Hypnosis Psychic   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Counter Fighting   --       Seismic Toss Fighting   --       Type: Grass Unknown Tangela Lv.50-100 Stun Spore Grass   --       Double Team Normal   --       Rest Psychic   --       SolarBeam Grass   --       Types: Bug Grass Parasect Lv.50-100 Spore Grass   --       Slash Normal   --       Mega Drain Grass   --       Growth Normal   --

Pokémon Stadium 2

Round 1

Elite Four Koga Johto Gym Leader Castle Pokémon Stadium 2 Reward: N/A

Types: Bug Poison Held item: Ice Berry Ariados♂ Lv.50-100 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Dig Ground   --       Spider Web Bug   --       Types: Bug Poison Held item: Focus Band Venomoth♂ Lv.50-100 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Giga Drain Grass   --       Type: Poison Unknown Held item: Burnt Berry Muk♂ Lv.50-100 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Fire Blast Fire   --       Sludge Bomb Poison   --       Type: Electric Unknown Held item: Bitter Berry Electrode Lv.50-100 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Thunder Electric   --       Mirror Coat Psychic   --       Types: Poison Flying Held item: PRZCureBerry Golbat♂ Lv.50-100 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Detect Fighting   --       Wing Attack Flying   --       Types: Ground Flying Held item: Mint Berry Gligar♂ Lv.50-100 Double Team Normal   --       Toxic Poison   --       Iron Tail Steel   --       Sandstorm Rock   --

Round 2

Elite Four Koga Johto Gym Leader Castle Pokémon Stadium 2 Reward: N/A

Types: Bug Poison Held item: Focus Band Ariados♂ Lv.50-100 Spider Web Bug   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Double Team Normal   --       Baton Pass Normal   --       Type: Fire Unknown Held item: MiracleBerry Magmar♂ Lv.50-100 Toxic Poison   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Flamethrower Fire   --       Double Team Normal   --       Types: Water Ice Held item: Leftovers Lapras♂ Lv.50-100 Toxic Poison   --       Double Team Normal   --       Surf Water   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Types: Bug Poison Held item: BrightPowder Venomoth♂ Lv.50-100 Toxic Poison   --       Psybeam Psychic   --       Double Team Normal   --       Baton Pass Normal   --       Types: Water Electric Held item: Quick Claw Lanturn♂ Lv.50-100 Toxic Poison   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Double Team Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Type: Normal Unknown Held item: MysteryBerry Stantler♂ Lv.50-100 Toxic Poison   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Double Team Normal   --       Earthquake Ground   --

Side games

Pokémon Zany Cards

Koga in Pokémon Zany Cards

Koga appears, along with Sabrina, as the Stage 4 opponent of Special Seven mode.

Quotes

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!"

• Being defeated

"Humph! You have proven your worth! Here! take the SoulBadge!"

• After being defeated

"Now that you have the SoulBadge, 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!"

• Being 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!"

• Being defeated

"Humph! You have proven your worth! Here! Take the SoulBadge!"

• After being defeated

"Now that you have the SoulBadge, 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!"

• When last Pokémon is at critical health

"Ooooof..."

• Being 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!"

Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

This article is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Quotes seem to vary, perhaps depending on how well the player did.

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• Normal

"Ha, ha, ha! My skill will be hard to overcome! Let me show you what I mean!"

"You have done well. I must devote myself to my training. Test your skills against the others."

• Hard

"Ha, ha, ha! My skill will be hard to overcome! Now you shall see my mystic puzzle powers!"

"You have done well. If I cannot match you now, I can only train further. Continue testing your skill!"

• Super Hard

"Ha, ha, ha! My skill will be hard to overcome! Now you shall see my mystic puzzle powers!"

"You have done well. If I cannot match you now, I can only train further. Continue testing your skill!"

• Intense

"Ha, ha, ha! My skill will be hard to overcome! Now you shall see my mystic puzzle powers!"

"You have done well! Continue testing your skill!"

Pokémon Zany Cards

• Before battle

"Ha ha ha! I am Koga! Ninja of Fuchsia Gym. I wield sleep, confuse, and more spells! Feel my power in battle!"

• During battle

• Using a card

"I can't be confused."

"Take this spell!"

"Ninja-style is the best!"

"I'm sticking with it."

• Drawing a card

"Drawing more is my plan."

"This is not good..."

• Hit

"It's ok. More spells."

• Hit with Reverse

"Can't escape from me."

• After battle

• Second or third

"Tricked!"

• When defeated

"Well done! Super!"

Pokémon Puzzle League

• Before battle

"Greetings, young warrior. I am Koga, the Pokémon sensei who holds the Soul Badge. If you wish to best me, it will take great patience and agility. Do you choose to battle me?"

Pokémon Stadium 2

• Before battle

"Ah, so it is you who defeated Will? Interesting..."

"Would you care for a glimpse into the world of the ninja?"

"Your arrival is indeed impressive, as is your look of resolve."

• Sending out first Pokémon

"<Pokémon>! How's that?"

• Sending out a new Pokémon

"<Pokémon> will take you on."

"I pity you, but here's <Pokémon>!"

"There, <Pokémon>!"

"It can't be easy with <Pokémon>."

• Recalling a Pokémon

"Enough!"

"This can't be helped!"

"Well done, <Pokémon>!"

• Own Pokémon faints

"This cannot be!"

"Ah... You've done well."

• Own Pokémon lands a critical hit

"That critical hit was by mere chance! It was nothing!"

• Player's Pokémon lands a critical hit

"Landing a critical hit is merely a fluke, that's all!"

• Successfully poisoning the player's Pokémon

"How do you like that?"

• Successfully confusing the player's Pokémon

"Wah, ha, ha... That was fine."

• Own Pokémon being hurt by a partially-trapping move

"So? What good is this?"

• Commanding his Pokémon to use Double Team

"The ninja technique of Double Team!"

• Commanding his Pokémon to use Toxic

"Savor it! Toxic!"

• If the player is defeated

"You have lost."

• After being defeated

"It stands to reason that you defeated Will!"

"I, too, must pursue further discipline."

"Never have I met the likes of you."

• After winning

"You expect to battle the Elite Four with your current skills?"

"Have you learned to fear the techniques of the ninja?"

"You lack disciplined training!"

• If the battle ended in a draw

"Hmm... You don't appear to be a raw amateur after all."

• If the player runs from the battle

"It would be better for you to try at another time."

Artwork

Headshot from Generation I	Official artwork from Red and Blue	Official artwork from Generation III

Sprites

Sprite from Red and Blue	Sprite from Yellow	Sprite from Generation II	Sprite from FireRed and LeafGreen	Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver	VS sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Overworld sprite from Generation I		Overworld sprite from Generation II	Overworld sprite from FireRed and LeafGreen	Overworld sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver	Portraits from Stadium and Stadium 2

In the anime

In the main series

Koga in the anime

Koga in the Best Wishes series flashback

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 Poison-type 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.

He reappeared in a flashback in The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion!.

Pokémon

の	This article is missing information on this character's Japanese voice actor. You can help by adding this information.

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On hand

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

Venonat → 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 afterwards, Koga offered to trade Venomoth to Misty for her Psyduck, but she declined.

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

Golbat

Debut	The Ninja Poké-Showdown
Voice actors
Japanese	Shin'ichirō Miki
English	Eric Stuart (EP032) Shin'ichirō Miki (BW116)

Main article: Koga's Golbat

During Koga's and Ash's rematch, Koga used his Golbat against Ash's Charmander. Golbat eventually lost to Charmander's strong Fire-type moves, winning Ash the Soul Badge.

Scyther

Debut	Bad to the Bone

Koga's Scyther only appeared in a flashback in Bad to the Bone. Otoshi's flashback revealed that he defeated Scyther with his Marowak and obtained the Soul Badge.

None of Scyther's moves are known.

At Fuchsia Gym

Voltorb (multiple)

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.

The Voltorb's known moves are Self-Destruct and Thunderbolt, which they usually use when a trap is set off.

Voice actors

Language Voice actor Japanese 大塚芳忠 Hōchū Ōtsuka English Stuart Zagnit Finnish Arto Nieminen (EP032) Markus Bäckman (BW116) Hungarian Seszták Szabolcs Norwegian Tommy Karlsen Polish Radosław Popłonikowski Brazilian Portuguese Gileno Santoro Spanish Latin America Gerardo Vázquez (EP032) Enrique Cervantes (BW116) Spain Juan Fernández Mejías (EP032) César Martín (BW116)

In Pokémon Origins

Koga in Pokémon Origins

Koga appeared briefly in the Pokémon Origins episode File 3 - Giovanni. He was seen losing a Gym battle against Red and handing him a Soul Badge as a proof of his victory.

Pokémon

Weezing

Debut	File 3 - Giovanni

Weezing is Koga's only known Pokémon. It was used in his Gym battle against Red, but lost.

None of Weezing's moves are known.

In the manga

Koga in Magical Pokémon Journey

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Koga 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 Magical Pokémon Journey manga

Koga makes a brief cameo in The Wal Comes Tumbling Down. Walnut, an aspiring ninja master, mentions that Koga is a big inspiration to him.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Koga in Pokémon Adventures

Koga was one of the three villainous heads of Team Rocket, and served under Giovanni.

Koga debuts in the Red, Green & Blue arc 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 at Cerise Island. 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. Meanwhile, 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, Koga started throwing his shuriken balls. Agatha thought this was a desperate tactic, but in reality they were Pokémon holding Parlyz Heals. Koga was hoping just one of them would get to Blue, which it did. Blue then joins him, and Koga commands his Golbat to use Leech Life on himself. His blood is then put 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. He 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 his daughter Janine in charge of the Gym. Janine is worried for her father, but opposes his criminal ties. Later in the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc, Koga reappeared with a new partner, Bruno, who had saved Koga when Cerise was about to collapse. They trained together for a while and both of them later met their former opponents Red and Blue, whose Rhydon was drilling underground towards Ilex Forest. Towards the end of the series, Koga and Bruno found Will and Karen in the Ilex Forest and persuaded them to work together. The new Elite Four was formed, but were not seen in action until the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc.

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.

Rhyhorn → Rhydon

Debut	Raging Rhydon

Koga's Rhydon was introduced as a Rhyhorn, where it fought against Red and Pika. When it was losing, Koga injected in with a mysterious needle, forcing it to evolve. In its evolved form, it was too much for both Red and Misty to handle, and they had to escape the battle by distracting Rhydon with an electrically charged boulder. It hasn't been seen again.

Rhydon's known moves are Rock Throw and Horn Drill.

Gastly

Debut	Sigh for Psyduck

Gastly appeared in the Pokémon Tower, possessing the bodies of the dead Pokémon that were buried there, along with Blue and his Charmeleon. Red's Bulbasaur managed to destroy it by sucking up Gastly's gas form, and expelling it in a SolarBeam, freeing Blue in the process.

None of Gastly's moves are known.

Arbok

Debut	That Awful Arbok

Arbok is one of Koga's most powerful Pokémon. It can regenerate itself even if it's cut in half, so as long as its head remains intact. It was used against both Blue and Agatha. It also possesses the ability to temporarily control a detached body part, such as its tail.

Arbok's known moves are Acid and Glare.

Golbat ♂

Debut	That Awful Arbok

Main article: Koga's Golbat

Koga's Golbat is much smaller than the average Golbat. Its Supersonic can be used to create a magic mirror for scrying to see things from a distance, even if walls or land are in the way. After Blue defeated Koga at Silph Co., he stole Golbat to locate Professor Oak but later returned it to its rightful owner on Cerise Island.

Grimer ♂

Debut	Go For the Golbat

Koga wears a Grimer on his shoulder in the form of a ninja outfit in Pokémon Adventures. He used him extensively to smother Blue, preventing him from breathing and restricting his movements so that he would be unable to call on his Pokémon.

None of Grimer's moves are known.

Ekans

Debut	Go For the Golbat

Koga has an Ekans on his arm. It was used first to dispatch Blue's Scyther in Silph Co., and during the battle of Cerise Island to get a Parlyz Heal it held to Blue. Ekans was later used in the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, where it fought with Bruno's Hitmonlee against Lance's Dragonite, but they were easily overtaken by its Hyper Beams.

None of Ekans's moves are known.

Muk ♂

Debut	Karate Machop!

Koga's Muk was used on Cerise Island to battle the Elite Four, and proved useful in his survival after the island began to crumble. In the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, he was used during the Circle Push event of the Pokéathlon.

Muk's only known move is Poison Gas.

Weezing

Debut	Weezing Winks Out

Koga's Weezing was used on Cerise Island to battle Agatha, mostly to bide time until Arbok regenerated.

Weezing's only known move is Smog, and its Ability is Levitate.

Koffing ♂

Debut	Striking Golduck

Koga used Koffing against Agatha on Cerise Island. He was instrumental in defeating her Gengar when he used his gas to convey a message to Blue.

Koffing's only known move is Poison Gas, and his Ability is Levitate.

Tentacruel

Debut	The Last Battle X

Koga used Tentacruel to help Red and Blue as the two Pokédex Holders were digging to the Ilex Forest.

None of Tentacruel's moves are known.

Released

Articuno

Debut	You know... Articuno!

This Articuno was originally seen at the Seafoam Islands. Even though Red stopped one attempt, Team Rocket was finally able to catch this legendary bird because of its energy loss, and had it sent over for Koga afterwards. During the battle between Red, Blue, Green and Lt. Surge, Koga and Sabrina, it was merged with Zapdos and Moltres to create Thu-Fi-Zer after Sabrina took matters into her own hands. Once defeated and freed, it returned to the wild, where it was later caught by Green alongside its fellow legendary birds.

Articuno's known moves are Blizzard and Ice Beam, and its Ability is Pressure.

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga

Koga in Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Koga as a Johto Elite Four member

Koga first appears in Save The Chansey!! as a character with greed.

He hires a Chansey torturer to kidnap the Chansey as they were valuable to him, something he only cared about. Red sneaks in with Clefairy and Pikachu to take the Chansey. After getting caught though, Koga releases Koffing and Grimer to stall Red and his Pokémon. However, Clefairy defeats them both, one by one, and rescues the Chansey.

In Aim to be the No. 1 Pokémon!!, he was revealed to have registered for the No. 1 Pokémon Contest. His did not have his greed this time and it wore off since then. Koga participates with Ninetales but loses since Ninetales did not dazzle the audience.

After Red's travels in Johto, Koga is revealed to have joined the Johto Elite Four in A Challenge to the Elite Four!. He, along with Will and Bruno fell from the Elite Four Tower, seemly defeated by Karen. Red ask them what happened, but Koga ask him to ask Karen herself. It is later revealed that after being exhausted from training, Karen decided to tell them a joke, and they fell down the building after hearing her dumb joke.

Pokémon

Koffing

Debut	Save The Chansey!!

Koffing was sent out as an obstacle so Red and the others wouldn't get to Chansey.

None of Koffing's moves are known.

Grimer

Debut	Save The Chansey!!

Grimer is another Pokémon of Koga's. It first appeared rising from the trash cans nearby.

None of Grimer's moves are known.

Ninetales

Debut	Aim to be the No. 1 Pokémon!!

Koga sent out Ninetales to participate in the No. 1 Pokémon Contest. Its beauty managed to dazzle the audience but it was not enough for it to win.

None of Ninetales's moves are known.

Muk

Debut	A Challenge to the Elite Four!

Muk is one of Koga's Pokémon. It appeared on the top floor of the Pokémon League when Red found Karen up there. It is unknown if Muk evolved from Grimer, or if it is a separate Pokémon.

None of Muk's moves are known.

Escaped

Chansey (multiple) ♀

Debut	Save The Chansey!!

These Chansey were performers at a circus held by a Juggler. They were kidnapped by the Chansey Torturer for Koga's greed. They were strong enough to break free from the ropes that were tying them.

None Chansey's moves are known.

In the Pokémon Zensho manga

Koga in Pokémon Zensho

Koga is seen in the Safari Zone training his ninjutsu skills. He accidentally throws one of his stars at Satoshi but misses luckily. Afterwards, Satoshi's Ditto volunteers to battle him and wins.

Pokémon

Weezing

Debut	Fuchsia City

Weezing is Koga's only known Pokémon. It was up against Ditto. When Ditto transformed into its master, Weezing became very confused and self-destructs afterwards, giving Satoshi the win.

Weezing's only known move is Selfdestruct.

In the TCG

Koga has an eponymous Theme Deck in the Gym Challenge expansion.

Artwork

Koga and the Soul Badge	Koga's updated VS art

Cards

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

Koga's Pokémon Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Koga's Beedrill		Gym Challenge		9/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Ditto		Gym Challenge		10/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Arbok		Gym Challenge		25/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Muk		Gym Challenge		26/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Pidgeotto		Gym Challenge		27/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Golbat		Gym Challenge		46/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Kakuna		Gym Challenge		47/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Koffing		Gym Challenge		48/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Pidgey		Gym Challenge		49/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Weezing		Gym Challenge		50/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Ekans		Gym Challenge		77/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Grimer		Gym Challenge		78/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Koffing		Gym Challenge		79/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Pidgey		Gym Challenge		80/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Tangela		Gym Challenge		81/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Weedle		Gym Challenge		82/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Zubat		Gym Challenge		83/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Crobat					Pokémon VS		079/141
Koga's Forretress					Pokémon VS		080/141
Other related cards
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Koga	T	Gym Challenge		19/132
		Gym Challenge		106/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Fuchsia City Gym	T [St]	Gym Challenge		114/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Ninja Trick	T	Gym Challenge		115/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Koga's Ninja Gym	T [St]				Unnumbered Promotional cards

In the TFG

Koga appears as a Trainer figure in the Groundbreakers expansion pack of the Pokémon Trading Figure Game.

Trivia

• 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.
• His Venomoth doesn't appear in games that have Sabrina using a Venomoth in her team.
• Koga, Bruno, Lance, and Caitlin are the only members of the Elite Four who have appeared in more than one generation (excluding remakes).
  • Koga, Bruno, and Lance are the only members of the Elite Four who have appeared in all the generations prior to Generation V.
• 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 first Elite Four member who was introduced in an earlier generation and then attained the title in a later generation. The second is Caitlin.
• Koga is the only Gym Leader introduced up until that point, that does not appear in Black 2 and White 2. This is due to his status as an Elite Four member in the Generation II and IV games.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	キョウ Kyō	The on-yomi of the kanji for "apricot" (杏). This kanji's kun-yomi is anzu.
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 (Mandarin)	阿桔 Ā Jié	May be derived from 桔梗 jié​gěng (Chinese bellflower).
Chinese (Cantonese)	阿梗 Ā Gáng	梗 has the on-yomi "kyō" in Japanese.

Gym Leaders of the Kanto region
Pewter Gym Brock	Cerulean Gym Misty	Vermilion Gym Lt. Surge	Celadon Gym Erika
Fuchsia Gym Koga Janine	Saffron Gym Sabrina	Cinnabar Gym Blaine	Viridian Gym Giovanni Blue

Indigo League
Generations I, III, and VII
Elite Four Lorelei	Elite Four Bruno	Elite Four Agatha	Elite Four Lance	Champion Blue Trace
Generations II and IV
Elite Four Will	Elite Four Koga	Elite Four Bruno	Elite Four Karen	Champion Lance

The Electric Tale of Pikachu characters Main characters Ash Ketchum • Pikachu • Gary Oak • Ritchie • May Oak • Professor Oak • Delia Ketchum • Jessie • James • Meowth Gym Leaders Brock • Misty • Koga • Sabrina • Giovanni • Rudy • Drake Other A.J. • Aya • Bill • Damian • Dario • Duplica • Eevee brothers • Giselle • Jeanette Fisher • Officer Jenny • Joe • Nurse Joy Lara Laramie • Mahri • Melanie • Mikey • Mimi • Professor Orville • Potter • Florinda Showers • Ruby • Samurai • Tommy

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.