Nicholai
| Nicholai キヨ Kiyo | |
 Nicholai and his Mudkip | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair color | Green |
| Hometown | Unknown |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Trainer class | Trainer |
| Anime debut | In the Knicker of Time! |
| English voice actor | Andrew Rannells |
| Japanese voice actor | Chie Satō |
Nicholai (Japanese: キヨ Kiyo) is a Pokémon Trainer in Hoenn who is obsessed with short pants and cosplaying as Pokémon. Nicholai was May's first opponent in a Pokémon battle.
Appearances
He first appeared in In the Knicker of Time!. Ash, May, Brock, and Max were traveling through the Petalburg Woods on the way to Rustboro City. They were surprised to see a gigantic Zigzagoon. It was actually Nicholai in a costume. He was trying to lure the wild Zigzagoon closer so he could battle them. Ash and his friends scared the Zigzagoon away, and Nicholai introduced himself to the group. The boy then showed off his collection of Pokémon costumes.
Nicholai explained that he believed that his costumes allowed him to know what a Pokémon felt like. In addition, the costumes helped him blend in with wild Pokémon. Nicholai wanted a Zigzagoon so he could challenge Norman at the Petalburg City Gym.
After learning that May was Norman's daughter, Nicholai excitedly challenged May to a Pokémon battle. Nicholai sent out his Mudkip and May used her only Pokémon, Torchic. Mudkip easily knocked out Torchic with a couple of Water Gun attacks. Nicholai then concluded that since May lost so horribly, Norman must be a pushover in battle, too.
Max, angry at Nicholai for insulting his father, followed him. Apparently he was still trying to capture a Zigzagoon. Max stole Nicholai's Pokémon bait, and ended up surrounded by a pack of the Template:Type2 Pokémon. Ash and the others rescued Max. Eventually, with the help of his Mudkip, Nicholai caught a Zigzagoon.
Team Rocket tried to steal Mudkip, but Nicholai used a Gligar costume to fly up and rescue the Mud Fish Pokémon. Pikachu then blasted Team Rocket off with an Template:Type2 attack. Nicholai used his new Zigzagoon in a battle against Ash's Taillow before parting for Petalburg City.
His second and final appearance was in ZigZag Zangoose!. When Ash and his friends were traveling to Fallarbor Town, they once again met Nicholai on Route 111. This time he was dressed up as a Zangoose and he had a new Zangoose of his own.
Nicholai informed the group that he had challenged Norman, but was defeated. May and Max's mother told him where they were headed so he came to meet them. He battled Ash: Treecko versus the newly evolved Marshtomp. Treecko managed to win.
When Team Rocket tried to steal Nicholai's Marshtomp, his Zangoose came to the rescue. He battled with Seviper and defeated it with a powerful Crush Claw.
After Team Rocket were blasted off, Nicholai and Ash had one last battle, though the winner was not revealed.
Pokémon
This listing is of Nicholai's Pokémon in the Pokémon anime.
| Debut | In the Knicker of Time! |
|---|
Nicholai's Marshtomp first appeared as a Mudkip in In the Knicker of Time!. When Nicholai finds out that May is the Petalburg City Gym Leader Norman's daughter he is eager to battle her. He sends out Mudkip whilst May sends out her Torchic, Torchic is knocked out clean from one Water Gun. It is used again to spray Berry trees with water to fend off wild Zigzagoon from Max. It is used next to battle a Zigzagoon from one of the pack, after being hit by a Tackle Mudkip is able to battle on and capture the Zigzagoon. Suddenly Team Rocket try to steal Mudkip, but with the help of a Aipom and Gligar costume and a little help from the Zigzagoon (digging a hole) and Ash's Taillow and Ash's Pikachu they are able to send Team Rocket blasting off.
Mudkip appears again with its Trainer in ZigZag Zangoose where Mudkip had evolved into a Marshtomp where it battled Ash and his Treecko but was knocked out by Treecko's Bullet Seed.
Marshtomp's known moves are Water Gun, Mud Shot and Iron Tail.
| Debut | In the Knicker of Time! |
|---|
Nicholai's Zigzagoon first appeared in In the Knicker of Time! where Nicholai was chasing a bunch of Zigzagoon so he could catch one. After seeing Nicholai using one of Zigzagoon's favorite food, Max tried to lure them in but was confronted by a giant hungry pack of them. Nicholai found out what to do and spayed all the trees with water to knock the berries out. Then he asked to battle Zigzagoon, and after a tight fight Nicholai caught it. Then Zigzagoon was used in a battle against Ash with his Taillow, but who won is unknown.
It appeared later in ZigZag Zangoose where it battled Ash and his Pikachu, but again, who won is unknown.
Zigzagoon's know moves are Tackle, Sand-Attack and Dig.
| Debut | ZigZag Zangoose |
|---|
Nicholai's Zangoose first appeared in ZigZag Zangoose where it appeared alongside its Trainer on Route 111. It battled against Ash and his Treecko, but suddenly Zangoose caught a sign of Jessie's Seviper and started to battle it, Ash and his friends and even Team Rocket did not know what was going on, but it is Zangoose and Seviper's instincts to despise every Seviper and Zangoose. Zangoose and Seviper battle nothing gets in their way, they are suddenly knocked into the river and Seviper uses Poison Tail knocking Zangoose unconcious. Ash's Corphish fends off Seviper with a BubbleBeam and retrieves Zangoose. Brock nurses Zangoose back to health with a herbal medicine and leaves it to rest. Ash and Nicholai dress up as both Pokémon and figure out a plan to defeat Seviper, May's Skitty gets in the way and they have to call the thing off. Suddenly Seviper appears again and is ready to battle, after a long and fierce battle Zangoose finally knocks out the Viper Pokémon with a Crush Claw.
Zangoose's known moves are Swords Dance, Tackle, Bite and Crush Claw.
Voice actors
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Trivia
- Nicholai is based on the Youngster Trainer class. In the Japanese version, he even calls himself たんパンこぞう Shorts Boy, Youngster's Japanese name, though he also has similarities to the Poké Maniac who dresses up as a Pokémon.
- Nando, who battled May's successor, Dawn for her first official battle, also went on to become a recurring character.
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
