Hugh is the player's childhood friend. He is described as feeling passionately for Pokémon battles and Pokémon strength. He is also a doting older brother to his sister; he hates Team Plasma because they stole a Purrloin his late grandfather had caught for his sister. He battles with and against the player many times throughout the game.
"Hi, <player>! Hey! You get a Pokémon yet? There aren't any Pokémon Trainers around here, and I'm getting bored!"
"What's that? ... A person named Bianca is giving you a Pokémon? Really?!"
"Yeah..."
"OK! Let's go get your Pokémon! There's something I have to do! And to do that, I need someone I can trust besides my partner Pokémon. A person I can trust! That's right! I'm talking about you! You seem like you've got good instincts!"
"You head on home."
"All riiight! Let's go find that person named Bianca!"
"Let's go!"
When walking
"Still... You're really lucky to get a Pokémon!"
"Once you get a Pokémon, you leave on a journey right away. When you do that, I'm gonna have you help me out!"
"Hurry up already! Let's look for that Bianca person!"
Outside Trainers' School
"The Trainers' School was just finished! No one is allowed inside until a Teacher, or better said, a Gym Leader, starts working there"
Outside Pokémon Center
"Wait! I was just in the Pokémon Center, and there wasn't anyone like that there."
Outside Aspertia Gate
"That goes to Route 19. If we don't find Bianca here in town, I'll go check for you! 'Cause I already have a Pokémon!"
At outlook
"Oh, I get it! The outlook is Aspertia's most famous spot! I'll bet Bianca is up there looking at the scenery! C'mon! Go get your Pokémon already!"
Attempting to leave outlook
"Listen, there's no way I got this wrong!"
"See! Bianca was here, right? Now c'mon! Go and get your Pokémon!"
After meeting Bianca
"Heeey! How long are you planning on keeping me waiting, anyway? Hey! What's that?"
"So that's your partner, huh? That's great! My sister already said so, but take really, really good care of your Pokémon! Got it? What's that you're holding there?"
"Please give me a Pokédex, too! I want to get stronger! If I have a Pokédex, I can learn more about Pokémon... That'll make me tougher, right?"
"I'm Hugh! I'm going to travel the Unova region with my Pokémon partner in order to search for something very important!"
Before battle
"Let's see how good a Trainer you are! I'll use my <Pokémon> that I raised from an Egg!"
After first move
"I won't forget the pain you just put my partner through!"
When defeated
"I couldn't achieve victory for my partner... I won't let myself forget this frustration!"
After being defeated
"I lost... This is different than battling with wild Pokémon! Well, whatever. I'm just happy to know you're a Trainer I can count on!"
"Oh! Nice! You've come here to toughen up! All right! Let's see how much stronger you've become! Come at me!"
After the first non-KO hit:
"Come on, partner! Shrug it off! You're stronger than that!"
After being defeated:
"It can't be! How could I have lost? I need to apologize to my partner..."
After the battle:
"Not bad... You're thinking about how to bring out your Pokémon's strength. I should be able to count on you for backup! What are you doing here anyway? Huh? A Town Map?"
"Tch... She didn't have to do that... Thanks to you, too. We just left, and you've already helped me out."
When the owner and his wife turn up:
"Who are you?"
"You're a little worried? Are you KIDDING me?! Your Pokémon might be lost forever! Whatever! I'll look! <Player>! Help out!"
"Shut it! You guys are the worst! You talk about saving Pokémon, but you're just Pokémon thieves! Don't think I'll ever forgive you!"
"I'll crush you and your new plans! I can never forgive Team Plasma!"
Defeating Team Plasma:
"Tsk! What a bunch of creeps!"
"That's... a Hidden Machine, right? It's Cut! Pokémon that know Cut can use it even when they're not in battle to cut down small trees! Oh, but more importantly, let's go after Team Plasma! C'mon! We're splitting up and searching Route 20!"
Route 20
Searching for Team Plasma:
"Help me check Route 20!"
After the player defeats Team Plasma:
"Well, they're really good at running, anyway... Still, she just said something useful! They must be moving around by boat! Castelia City has a big port... I wonder if they headed there. OK! Let's go back to Virbank and look for someone who looks like they know a lot about ships. If I remember right, there was a place to board boats on the docks."
Virbank City (after defeating Team Plasma)
Getting ready to leave for Castelia City:
"You're going to Castelia City, right?"
No: "Really? Something you still need to take care of? Go deal with it, then. You know that even after we go to Castelia City, you can come back to Virbank City anytime, right?"
Yes: "I'm going to look for Team Plasma! I can't forgive those guys!"
"Hey, captain! Show us that ship you're so proud of!"
"You didn't do anything. Not to me, at least... But I can never forgive Pokémon thieves like you! Just to let you know... You're about to feel my rage!"
"<Player>! Cover me!"
After the grunts are defeated and leave
"Five years ago... Team Plasma stole my little sister's Purrloin. It had been given to her as a present. I was only a little kid... I couldn't do anything... So... So that's why I have to get stronger!" (walks up to the player) "Good work! I knew you had good instincts! Well then..." (he heals the player's party) "Listen up! You fill up that Pokédex. Keep getting stronger and stronger, and back me up! I'll be counting on you from here on out, too!"
"You guys are all Team Plasma too, right? Tell me, what makes you different from the Team Plasma back there?!"
"I'm Hugh. From Aspertia City... Five years ago, Team Plasma--I mean you--stole my little sister's Pokémon. I'm the pathetic trainer who wasn't able to stop you. "Separated"? What a joke! YOU were the thieves who STOLE them!"
"Just an apology? That's it?! Where's my sister's Pokémon?! Purrloin! WHERE'S PURRLOIN?"
"Enough already! Apologizing isn't going to get my sister's Pokémon back! <player>! I'm going to the Pokémon Gym! I'll get stronger and crush every single member of Team Plasma!"
"Not with me around, you won't! Thanks for removing the barrier! That was a big help!"
After they are defeated
"I'm not going to lose to Team Plasma! By the way, what is this place? That Pokémon... It's so icy... Could that be the source of the attack on Opelucid City?"
"That should be obvious! I'll do whatever it takes to get my sister's Pokémon back! Are YOU the one who stole a Purrloin in Aspertia five years ago?"
"That's the ONLY Purrloin in the world that my late grandpa caught for my little sister!"
"You're already here, huh? Anyone who tries to block us will go running away with their tail between their legs!"
"You're all alone now... So, which one of us are you gonna tackle?"
"Oh, yeah... I remember you. Being ex-Team Plasma is really rough, eh?"
"Well, I suppose... If we don't crush Team Plasma, then guys like you and that N guy will always be treated like villains. OK! I'm outta here, <player>!"
In the Crater Forest
"Come here. Wait a sec. He said he wants to talk to them so his old allies won't get hurt."
"Well, that didn't work. Hey!" (all the Team Plasma members turn to him) "Let me through!"
"I'm going to get a stolen Pokémon back! I'm not gonna listen to villains like you! Rood! Ex-Team Plasma! Why do you have Pokémon by your sides? To protect what's important to you, right? Even if your precious Pokémon are hurt, even if your ideals are damaged, the time to fight is NOW!"
"<player>! As usual, take the other one!"
After defeating the grunts
(to Rood) "Thanks..." (to the player) "I'm passing through! Oh, it looks like their backup has arrived."
"Got it! If I rescue it, that helps you absolve your guilt, doesn't it? Guess I'll help you out!"
Upon entering the Shadow Triad's room
"Wait... You're one of the Shadow Triad, right? Tell me about the Purrloin that was stolen in Aspertia."
"Wh-what? Don't mess with me... That's someone else's Pokémon!"
After the Shadow Triad are defeated
"... ... Hey... <player>... If we let Team Plasma do whatever we want... There'll be more sad Pokémon like Purrloin and Kyurem..."
After Ghetsis is defeated
"Team Plasma's ship flew away... Is it over?"'
No: "I suppose... You have to be the one who decides when it's over."
Yes: "I see... So it's finally over."
"More importantly, you rescued Kyurem from Team Plasma, right? You're really something! I'm...gonna make sure Purrloin gets back to my little sister! Still can't take it out of the Poké Ball yet, though..."
"What are you gonna do? ... ... He said to go to the Pokémon League? That's a good idea! I mean, now you're the strongest in Unova, right? Go prove it! Do you remember where we first met up in the Giant Chasm? If you follow the path from there, it goes out onto Route 23 Victory Road and the Pokémon League are just past there!
"Wait up!" (catches up to the player) "I'll battle with you before you take on the Pokémon League. The more Pokémon battles you have, the stronger you get, right?"
During battle (the first non-KO HP loss)
"I saw that move coming from miles away!"
Upon being defeated
"...Phew! You're really something!
"<player>! Thanks to you, I accomplished what I set out to do during my journey! I wish I could've shown you my little sister's huge smile! This is my thanks!" (gives the player TM24) "I think you're really amazing! So become the Champion! Get the proof that you're a Trainer your Pokémon can be proud of! See you!"
Hugh first appears in Aspertia City as a child, getting a Pidove, a Tynamo and a Purrloin from his grandfather, an Artist. From the three Pokémon, Hugh decides to give the Purrloin as a birthday gift for his sister. As it refuses to listen to him, Hugh is forced to wrap the Purrloin itself rather than wrap its Poké Ball.
Later, he gives the Purrloin to his sister, which listens to her. When he tries to train his Trapinch with her Purrloin, they are attacked by two Team Plasma Grunts. Though he tries to defend, Hugh is easily defeated and his sister's Purrloin is stolen by the escaping Grunts. Angered, Hugh swears revenge on Team Plasma.
Five years later, he is revealed to be enrolled in Aspertia City's Trainer's School. He gets angry at Lack-Two for constantly flirting with girls when he could be spending his time making himself stronger. The commotion caused by the two angers their teacher, Cheren, who forces them all to sit outside in the seiza position while class is still in session. When Lack-Two begins writing down notes about the new student, Whi-Two, Hugh gets angry and starts another argument with him.
This causes Cheren to decide that it would be best if the class had a battle with each other. Although his opponent made it to the top 8 in the Unova League, Hugh manages to easily defeat Petashi. Later, he faces Lack-Two and is defeated by his Dewott.
Trapinch is Hugh's first Pokémon. It was first seen being used to train against Hugh's sister's Purrloin before being interrupted by Team Plasma. Five years later, it faced Petashi's Deino at the Aspertia Trainer's School and won only to be defeated by Lack-Two's Dewott.
Purrloin is a Pokémon Hugh got for his sister's birthday. Although it wouldn't listen to him, the Purrloin listened to his sister perfectly. Later, it was stolen by Team Plasma, fueling Hugh's hatred for the group.
Hugh was introduced as a Supporter card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the English Black & White Series (the Japanese BW Era). First released in the Japanese Freeze Bolt expansion, it was later released as a BW-P Promotional card and debuted in English in the Boundaries Crossed expansion, with all three prints featuring an illustration based on the Yusuke Ohmura artwork of the character. Hugh causes both players to draw or discard cards until they each have five cards in their hands.
Trivia
During the Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 playthrough on the April 15, 2012 episode of Pokémon Smash!, they chose the name "Hihihiroshi" for Hugh. The name was initially a backstage in-joke originating from when the Smash! cast was passing time by practicing singing Can You Name All the Pokémon? BW.[1] Following the Japanese naming conventions of the Klink family, it was determined that Hihihiroshi was the final evolved form of Hiroshi Yamamoto.
In Challenge Mode, it is possible for his team to level down, with his starter, elemental monkey, and Unfezant being level 45, 43, and 43 respectively when battled in Undella Town, but both two levels lower when battling alongside the player in Lacunosa Town.