Nessa

Nessa ルリナ Rurina
"The raging wave!"
Artwork from Sword and Shield
Gender	Female
Eye color	Blue
Hair color	Blue
Hometown	Hulbury
Region	Galar
Relatives	Unnamed mother and father
Trainer class	Gym Leader
Generation	VIII
Games	Sword and Shield
Leader of	Hulbury Stadium
Badge	Water Badge
Specializes in	Water types
Game animation debut	Letter
English voice actor	N/A
Japanese voice actor	Sora Amamiya

Nessa (Japanese: ルリナ Rurina) is the Gym Leader of Hulbury's Gym, known officially as Hulbury Stadium. She specializes in Water-type Pokémon. She gives the Water Badge to Trainers who defeat her.

In the games

League Cards

This is a transcript of the back of Nessa's League Cards in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

Normal League Card

"Her father is a fisher, and her mother works in the marketplace. Perhaps because of her parents, she grew up playing with Water-type Pokémon and eventually made it all the way to being a Gym Leader. She met Sonia during their Gym Challenge, and they continue to be close friends. Nessa often gives Sonia fresh seafood from Hulbury. She has declared that Milo of Turffield is her rival, but Milo responded by saying that his rival is himself."

Rare League Card

"Nessa is incredibly popular, both as a Gym Leader and as a model. Many people even think the Gym Leader Nessa and the model Nessa are two different people, since she shows a completely different attitude in each role. She had the misfortune of being defeated in the first match of the Finals, and those who knew of her indomitable nature worried that this would impact her work as a model. Despite her loss, she was still able to give her fans a perfect smile. Things were not nearly as peaceful with her Gym, however... "

Pokémon

Nessa keeps her Pokémon in Dive Balls.

Pokémon Sword and Shield

Gym battle

Nessa will Dynamax her Drednaw at the first opportunity.

Gym Leader Nessa Hulbury Stadium Sword and Shield Reward: $3,840

Type: Water Unknown Ability: Swift Swim Held item: None Goldeen♀ Lv.22 Water Pulse Water Special   --       Whirlpool Water Special   --       Horn Attack Normal Physical   --       Agility Psychic Status   --       Type: Water Unknown Ability: Swift Swim Held item: None Arrokuda♀ Lv.23 Aqua Jet Water Physical   --       Bite Dark Physical   --       Whirlpool Water Physical   --       Fury Attack Normal Physical   --       Types: Water Rock Ability: Swift Swim Held item: None Drednaw♂ Lv.24 Dynamax Razor Shell Water Physical   --       Water Gun Water Special   --       Bite Dark Physical   --       Headbutt Normal Physical   --

Second battle

Nessa will Gigantamax her Drednaw at the first opportunity.

Gym Leader Nessa Wyndon Stadium Sword and Shield Reward: $8,480

Types: Bug Water Ability: Emergency Exit Held item: None Golisopod♂ Lv.51 First Impression Bug Physical   --       Liquidation Water Physical   --       Swords Dance Normal Status   --       Shadow Claw Ghost Physical   --       Types: Water Flying Ability: Drizzle Held item: None Pelipper♂ Lv.51 Roost Flying Status   --       Air Slash Flying Special   --       Water Pulse Water Special   --       Tailwind Flying Status   --       Type: Water Unknown Ability: Swift Swim Held item: None Barraskewda♀ Lv.52 Liquidation Water Physical   --       Throat Chop Dark Physical   --       Ice Fang Ice Physical   --       Drill Run Ground Physical   --       Type: Water Unknown Ability: Swift Swim Held item: None Seaking♀ Lv.52 Smart Strike Steel Physical   --       Megahorn Bug Physical   --       Aqua Ring Water Status   --       Waterfall Water Physical   --       Types: Water Rock Ability: Shell Armor Held item: None Drednaw♀ Lv.53 Liquidation Water Physical   --       Jaw Lock Dark Physical   --       Rock Tomb Rock Physical   --       Crunch Dark Physical   --

Max Raid Battle partner

Nessa teams up with the player, Hop, and Piers to face a Dynamax Gyarados in a Max Raid Battle.

Gym Leader Nessa Hulbury Stadium Sword and Shield Reward: N/A
Types: Water Rock Ability: Shell Armor Held item: None Drednaw♂ Lv.62 Liquidation Water Physical   --       Jaw Lock Dark Physical   --       Body Slam Normal Physical   --       Rock Tomb Rock Physical   --

Champion tournament

Nessa will Gigantamax her Drednaw at the first opportunity.

Gym Leader Nessa Wyndon Stadium Sword and Shield Reward: $9,920

Types: Bug Water Ability: Emergency Exit Held item: None Golisopod♂ Lv.60 First Impression Bug Physical   --       Liquidation Water Physical   --       Swords Dance Normal Status   --       Shadow Claw Ghost Physical   --       Types: Water Flying Ability: Drizzle Held item: None Pelipper♂ Lv.60 Roost Flying Status   --       Hurricane Flying Special   --       Water Pulse Water Special   --       Tailwind Flying Status   --       Types: Water Ground Ability: Damp Held item: None Quagsire♂ Lv.61 Earthquake Ground Physical   --       Scald Water Special   --       Ice Punch Ice Physical   --       Toxic Poison Status   --       Types: Poison Water Ability: Merciless Held item: None Toxapex♂ Lv.61 Baneful Bunker Poison Status   --       Recover Normal Status   --       Venoshock Poison Special   --       Liquidation Water Physical   --       Types: Water Rock Ability: Shell Armor Held item: None Drednaw♀ Lv.62 Liquidation Water Physical   --       Jaw Lock Dark Physical   --       Rock Tomb Rock Physical   --       Crunch Dark Physical   --

Quotes

This article is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it.

---

Hulbury

"You must be a Gym Challenger, right?"

How did you know?: "You're one of the ones endorsed by Leon, right?"

That's amazing!:

"You've become something of a hot topic among the Gym Leaders."

"Here you go, Mr. Famous. I already heard about you, so you should learn about me, too."

"Let's head to the stadium. I love fishing, but I love Pokémon battles even more and I'm itching for a battle with you!"

Hulbury Stadium

"Welcome, honored Gym Challenger!"

"I think you already realize, but I'm Nessa. Sorry to have made you look for me."

"I don't doubt my humble mission's difficulty... Yet you cleared it. Your mind as a Pokémon Trainer must be quite refined."

"No matter what kind of plan your refined mind may be plotting, my partner and I will be sure to sink it."

• Upon sending out last Pokémon

"Looks like I'm down to one last Pokémon. I've been saving the best for last!"

• Upon using Dynamax

"Flood the stadium and make it our ocean! Drednaw, time to Dynamax!"

• Upon being defeated

"I may proudly be the strongest member of this Gym, but I was totally washed away!"

• After being defeated

"How...? How can this be?!"

"*sigh* Now that I've battled you, I think I understand."

"Continue to seize victories in the Gym Challenge with your Pokémon."

"You have an incredible spirit that may even be strong enough to challenge the Champion."

"You'll want to challenge the Fire Gym Leader next. As you and your Pokémon are now, he'll definitely want to battle you."

Wyndon Stadium

"I can tell you've grown far stronger since you faced me in Hulbury Stadium."

"I've got to hand it to our undefeated Champion. He's got a proper eye for talent, too."

"But you're not the Champion, and you'll never become the Champion, either."

"Do you know why? Because I, Nessa, am going to defeat both you and Leon!"

"I'm not going to underestimate you again."

"I'll use Dynamax to wash you out to sea and beyond the horizon!"

• Upon sending out first Pokémon

"Sonia might be disappointed, but I'm going to wash your team away!"

• Upon sending out last Pokémon

"Looks like I'm down to one last Pokémon. I've been saving the best for last!"

• Upon using Dynamax

"Flood the stadium and make it our ocean! Drednaw, time to Gigantamax!"

• Upon being defeated

"You had no problem handling our surging might. It's no wonder that you won."

• After being defeated

"You and your Pokémon are just too much..."

"Even with my Dynamaxed partner, you weathered our waves and stood firm."

"Now that I think about it, Sonia was saying something about how amazing you were."

"I wish I'd paid more attention to what she was talking about."

"I bet everyone in Galar's got their eyes on you now."

"You defeated my team, so now you've got to ride that current all the way to the end!"

Wyndon Stadium (rematch)

"I'm sure you remember, but I'm Nessa."

"And I'm not here to chat. I'm here to win!"

• Upon being defeated

"I don't get it. What do I gotta do to beat you, huh?"

• After being defeated

"I have my best team, and we train and we train... But then you're always just one step ahead."

"Maybe that's why I can't stop thinking about you."

Artwork

Artwork of Nessa from Pokémon: Twilight Wings

League Cards

Nessa's League Card in Sword and Shield	Nessa's rare League Card in Sword and Shield

In the anime

Nessa in Pokémon: Twilight Wings

In Pokémon: Twilight Wings

Nessa made a cameo appearance in Letter. She reappeared in another cameo in Buddy, where she was seen in the water alongside a Qwilfish.

Pokémon

Qwilfish

Debut	Buddy

Qwilfish is Nessa's only known Pokémon. It briefly appeared alongside her and puffed itself up.

None of Qwilfish's moves are known.

In the manga

Nessa in Pokémon Adventures

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Nessa debuted in the Sword & Shield arc. She, along with various other Gym Leaders, was first seen reacting to the news that Leon had endorsed two Trainers for the Gym Challenge.

Trivia

• Nessa's uniform number is "049", which can be read in Japanese as goroawase for 泳ぐ oyogu, meaning "to swim".
• Nessa's Drednaw changes gender between battles. In her Gym battle and while cooperating with the player in a Max Raid Battle, Drednaw is male. In her tournament battle and all future rematches, her Drednaw is female. This is most likely because she has two Drednaw, one that can Gigantamax and one that cannot.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	ルリナ Rurina	From 瑠璃苦菜 ruri-nigana (cupid's dart)
English	Nessa	From Loch Ness, and short for Vanessa
German	Kate	From Catananche caerulea (cupid's dart)
French	Donna	From cupidone bleue (cupid's dart)
Italian	Azzurra	From cupidone azzurro (cupid's dart)
Spanish	Cathy	From Catananche caerulea (cupid's dart)
Korean	야청 Yacheong	From 야청 yacheong (dark blue)
Chinese (Mandarin)	露璃娜 Lùlínà	Transliteration of her Japanese name. Contains 露 lù (dew) and 璃 lí from 玻璃菊 bōlijú (cupid's dart).
Chinese (Cantonese)	露璃娜 Louhlèihnàh	Transliteration of her Japanese name. Contains 露 louh (dew) and 璃 lèih from 玻璃菊 bōlēigūk (cupid's dart).
Russian	Несса Nessa	Transcription of her English name

Gym Leaders of the Galar region
Turffield Stadium Milo	Hulbury Stadium Nessa	Motostoke Stadium Kabu	Stow-on-Side Stadium Bea Allister
Ballonlea Stadium Opal Bede	Circhester Stadium Gordie Melony	Spikemuth Gym Piers Marnie	Hammerlocke Stadium Raihan

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.