Fantina
| Fantina メリッサ Melissa | |
| "The Alluring, Soulful Dancer" | |
 Artwork from Diamond and Pearl | |
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Eye color | Violet |
| Hair color | Violet |
| Hometown | Hearthome City |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Trainer class | Gym Leader, Coordinator |
| Generation | IV |
| Games | Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum |
| Leader of | Hearthome Gym |
| Badge | Relic Badge |
| Specializes in | Template:Type2s |
| Anime debut | Playing the Leveling Field! |
| English voice actor | Bella Hudson |
| Japanese voice actor | Kikuko Inoue |
Fantina (Japanese: メリッサ Melissa) is the Gym Leader of Hearthome City's Gym, known officially as the Hearthome Gym. She hands out the Relic Badge to Trainers who defeat her. She specializes in Template:Type2 Pokémon.
She is apparently not from the country the games are set in, and often peppers her speech with phrases of French*.
In the games
She considers herself to be a Contest Expert and can occasionally be competed against in Super Contests, in which she uses her Drifblim, nicknamed Loony (Japanese: ばるん Balloon). She also studied Pokémon and eventually attained the title of Gym Leader. Fantina uses Template:Type2 Pokémon in her battles. For defeating her, Trainers receive the Relic Badge, TM65 (Shadow Claw) and are able to use Surf outside of battle (Defog in Platinum). Fantina speaks a mix of French and broken English and is an immigrant from another country. Upon arriving in Sinnoh, she decided to become a contest performer, so she dresses up in fancy outfits for Pokémon Contests.
In Diamond and Pearl, she cannot be challenged until the Old Charm has been delivered to the Celestic Town elder at the request of the elder's granddaughter, Cynthia.
In Platinum, she is battled much earlier in the game and will make her gym available to players as soon as they arrive in Hearthome City. She can be battled again at the Battleground and occasionally visits the Villa. Fantina claims to be a fan of Arcade Star Dahlia's dancing style and a member of the Ribbon Syndicate of the Resort Area. She also mentions making regular visits to the Lost Tower.
Pokémon
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
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Pokémon Platinum
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Rematch
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Pokémon Super Contests
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| Loony | |||||||||||||||||
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Quotes
In front of the Contest Hall
- "Oh, I'm so sorry! Please excuse me. Are you entering a Contest? Tehehe... Enjoy yourself, please! Incidentally, Fantina, the Hearthome Gym Leader, also happens to be a Contest expert. And you may ask yourself, how do I know this? Well, I am Fantina! You may challenge me, but not yet! You must become much stronger. Then, you may challenge me!"
- Before battle
- "Ohohoho!! Finally, you have arrived! Since I came to this country, always I try to learn new things. They hold Contests in this city? I say to myself, enfin, I will excel. That's why I dress this way. C'est une performance! Also I study Pokémon very much. I have come to be Gym Leader. And, uh, so it shall be that you challenge me. But I shall win. That's what a Gym Leader does, non?"
- After sending out last Pokémon
- "Oh, heavens. What is this? Is this my final Pokémon?"
- During battle
- "Never give up, never surrender!"
- When defeated
- "You are so fantastically strong. I know now why I have lost."
- After being defeated
- "I am dumbfounded! So very, very strong! You, your Pokémon, so strong! Your power is admirable! I shall honor it with this Gym Badge!"
- "FiveWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc./ThreeWrong template. See Template:Sup/doc. Gym Badges... But you must not forget this. There are many other trainers. Strong Trainers, too. There are many more in Sinnoh. Have patience! You must become stronger, one at a time."
- Before battle
- "Finally, you have arrived! So, you shall challenge me. And I shall win. You will be startled by how much stronger I have become!"
- No: "You... You disappoint me. It is very sad. But, realize, you have not beaten me if you refuse. "
- "This time, you shall challenge me, yes? But I shall win. You will be startled by how much stronger I have become!"
- Yes: "Ohohoho!!"
- During battle
- "Never give up, never surrender!"
- When defeated
- "You are so fantastically strong. I know now why I have lost."
- After being defeated
- "You are an amazing person! Trés fantastique! I am delighted-for now I have a purpose! My purpose, it is to defeat you! It is a gift from you to me!"
Battleground (alternate)
- Before battle
- "Oh? It is you? Are you not taking part in Contests? Since you are involving yourself in contests, you should challenge me."
- No: "No? Well, that is OK, also. Just seeing your face, it has made me happy."
- "Yes, what is it? I accept your challenge if you give it!"
- Yes: "Pokémon battles, they are fun, always without fail. Why, you ask? Because, in those moments, we are at our most serious."
- During battle
- "Never give up, never surrender!"
- When defeated
- "You are so fantastically strong. I know now why I have lost."
- After being defeated
- "I wish to battle as if I were dancing."
Sprites
| File:SpriteFantina.png | File:FantinaPlatinum.gif | 
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| Fantina's sprite from Diamond and Pearl | Fantina's sprite from Platinum | Fantina's VS sprite from Platinum |
In the anime
Despite the group having traveled through Hearthome City twice, once in Dawn's Early Night and a second time in Arriving in Style!, the Hearthome Gym remained closed with the Gym Leader nowhere in sight. Fantina had left a note saying that she was going on a journey for a while, and to not look for her. Apparently she was developing a whole new battle style.
She finally appeared in Playing The Leveling Field! where she battled Ash and Zoey. She had a tendency to break into dance regularly, occasionally interspersing French phrases in as well, such as "s'il vous plaît". It was also revealed that she battled Alan twice with him winning the second time. It was revealed in Aiding the Enemy! that Paul also managed to defeat her.
Ash met with Fantina upon returning to Hearthome City in Barry's Busting Out All Over! and battled her again in Shield with a Twist!, where he defeated her and earned the Relic Badge.
In Gotta Get a Gible!, it was revealed that Fantina has once again left her Gym, so Barry had to take a number in order to battle her when she came back.
Fantina appeared from Last Call, First Round! to A Grand Fight For Winning! as a guest judge for the Grand Festival.
Pokémon
This listing is of Fantina's known Pokémon in the anime:
| Debut | Playing The Leveling Field! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Kiyotaka Furushima |
| English | Bill Rogers |
Gengar was the first Pokémon to be used during the Gym Battle against Ash in Shield with a Twist!. Gengar went up against Buizel and Ash struggled against the quick Ghost-type, however Buizel was able to use the newly-developed Counter Shield technique and was able to defeat Gengar.
Gengar's known moves are Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, and Night Shade and its ability is Levitate.
| Debut | Playing The Leveling Field! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Chinami Nishimura |
| English | Sarah Natochenny |
Mismagius is one of Fantina's main Pokémon, the Gym Leader having trained it since it was a Misdreavus. It was first seen battling Zoey and her Glameow in Playing The Leveling Field! where it was able to easily defeat the Catty Pokémon using contest combination moves.
It next appeared during the Gym Battle against Ash's Chimchar where, like Gengar, it was unable to withstand the Counter Shield and was eventually knocked out.
Mismagius's known moves are Psybeam, Magical Leaf, Psywave, and Dark Pulse.
| Debut | Playing The Leveling Field! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Miyako Itō |
| English | Bella Hudson |
- Main article: Fantina's Drifblim
Drifblim is Fantina's main Pokémon, having raised it since it was an egg. It was first appeared as a Drifloon in Playing The Leveling Field! when it was used in a practice battle against Ash and completely overwhelmed his team with Hypnosis before evolving into Drifblim.
After training, Ash returned for an official Gym Battle where Drifblim proved to be more powerful than before, managing to put to sleep and knock out Pikachu and Buizel before being defeated by Chimchar.
Voice actors
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In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Fantina first appeared at the Super Contest Hall. When two women were making rude comments about rookie contestants, she sent out her Drifblim to carry them out and throw them into a garbage can. Then, when Diamond, Pearl and Platinum came back to Hearthome City for the Gym Challenge, they discovered that she was the Gym Leader. Saying that her studies for the lifetime passion of Pokémon Contests granted her the title of Hearthome City Gym Leader, she watched as Platinum made her way through the quizzes given by the gym easily and took up the challenge, after which her Drifblim was beaten after Platinum's Empoleon manipulated it into freezing itself using its own wind, but her Mismagius proved to be much trickier as its Trick Room turned Empoleon's speed against it, and beat it easily, then trapping Platinum and the borrowed Munchlax in an illusion where the Pokémon was in a room full of its favorite sweets and Platinum suffered. Before long though, the girl managed to subvert the illusion in her favor with Pearl's help, and defeated the Mismagius. She later appeared on the Spear Pillar with the other Sinnoh Gym Leaders where she fought Team Galactic Commander Saturn along with Roark and together they defeated him. They later fought Cyrus on the top of the Spear Pillar and with the help of her fellow Gym Leaders, they managed to break his Red Chain controlling Dialga and Palkia. However, it was revealed that the one they destroyed was the artificial one he had made earlier and they were all defeated by him.
Pokémon
She has these Pokémon:
| Debut | VS. Pachirisu |
|---|
- Main article: Fantina's Drifblim
Drifblim is the first Pokémon seen on Fantina's team and is her main mode of transportation. Drifblim first appears after Platinum wins her first Pokémon Contest where it throws the two women who attempted to sabotage her contest in the trash. Drifblim is used to take Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum to the Lost Tower and later appears at the Celestic Ruins where it saves Diamond and Pearl's lives after they fall off of a stone pillar created by Cyrus' Probopass. Fantina used it in her Gym Battle against Platinum where it fought her Empoleon, and despite putting up a good fight, it was defeated when Empoleon used her Blizzard to freeze it. Fantina lent it to Platinum after she learned that her father had gone missing and was later lent to Diamond who used it to sneak in the Team Galactic Airship after failing to stop them from capturing Mesprit.
| Debut | VS. Pachirisu |
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Mismagius is Fantina's strongest Pokémon and main battler. Mismagius was first seen watching Fantina's Drifblim throw the two women in the trash after they attempted to sabotage Platinum's Contest challenge. It was used to battle Platinum in her Gym battle and it fought the Munchlax she borrowed from Diamond, using its powers to create powerful illusions before eventually being defeated by its Fling. It was later used to battle Saturn's Pokémon on the Spear Pillar and later fought Cyrus in order to destroy the first Red Chain.
Mismagius's known moves are Trick Room, Dark Pulse, and Energy Ball.
Duskull was first seen rescuing Diamond and Pearl after they fell off a pillar created Cyrus' Probopass. Fantina used it against Platinum's Munchlax in their Gym Battle, where it was easily defeated by Munchlax's Lick attack. It was later used to battle Saturn's Pokémon on the Spear Pillar alongside Mismagius.
None of Duskull's moves are known.
Pokémon DP
She makes a brief cameo in chapter 7 handing a badge to Hareta. She is subsequently offended when he calls her "Grandma".
Pokémon
- Main article: Fantina's Drifblim
Drifblim is Fantina's only known Pokémon. It was used to take on one of the Galactic Grunts.
In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Fantina or her Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
| Name | Type | Level | Rarity | Set | Set no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mismagius GL |  |
26 |  |
Rising Rivals | 10/111 |
| Gengar GL | |
65 |  |
Rising Rivals | 40/111 |
| Mismagius GL LV.X | |
X |  |
Rising Rivals | 110/111 |
Trivia
- During the Gym battle in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Fantina exclaims "Never give up, never surrender!", the catchphrase from the 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest.
- In the Japanese and French versions she speaks English, while in the Danish, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish versions she has a noticeable French accent.
- Fantina's name is likely derived from the character of Fantine in what is perhaps the most famous French novel of all time, Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables", due to Fantina's French nationality and the similarity of the names.
- Apparently, Fantina has two Drifblim, one for battles, and one for Contests. The Drifblim she uses in contests has a different moveset from the Drifblim she uses in battle.
- Fantina's dress shares many elements as the design of the first Pokémon on her party, Drifblim: it has a yellow "X" over a puffed out dress of purple fabric. Although Fantina's design is based on a Drifblim, she doesn't use one in the original gym match with her in Platinum. In Diamond and Pearl as well as the rematch in Platinum, however, she does use a Drifblim.
- In the anime, Ash intended to battle Fantina and win the Relic Badge on his first visit to Hearthome City, as his third badge. While this would have meant that he went out of order compared to Diamond and Pearl, this is the correct order in Platinum, which came out shortly before Ash finally battled her for the Relic Badge (as his fifth).
- If Brock, Misty, and Cilan aren't counted, the Gym Leader to appear in most episodes of the anime is Fantina, having appeared in 7 so far. Roark, also a Sinnoh Gym Leader, comes in second with 6 episodes.
- Fantina is one of two Gym Leaders known to have their origins outside the Pokémon nation. However, it is not confirmed where Fantina is from except her home country uses French as the national language. The other is Lt. Surge, who is from the United States.
- Fantina is similar to Juan in that both speak French (Juan does so in Pokémon Adventures), and both are Coordinators and Gym Leaders. Coincidentally, Juan appeared in a flashback in the episode Fantina debuted in.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | メリッサ Melissa |
From Melissa. An obviously non-Japanese name, highlighting her status as an immigrant. Resembles the word "malice". |
| English, Spanish | Fantina | From phantom, and "Fantine", of the French novel "Les Misérables". May also refer to "fantasia", also known as 'show tango'. |
| French | Kiméra | Similar to chimera. |
| German | Lamina | From Lamia, a Greek mythological spirit. |
| Italian | Fannie | French name, similar to fantasma, phantom. |
| Korean | 멜리사 Melissa |
Same as Japanese name. |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 梅麗莎 Méilìshā |
Transliteration of her Japanese name. The first two characters also sounds similar to 美麗 měilì (beautiful) and 魅力 mèilì (charm, enchantment). |
External links
| Top Coordinators | ||
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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. |
