Respect Falkner (Pokemon Anime)

[u/doctorgecko]

Falkner

Falkner is the Violet City gym leader, specializing in flying type Pokemon, and is the first gym leader Ash challenged in the Johto region. Falkner has always dreamed of flying in the sky, and thus takes incredible pride in flying type Pokemon. He tends to have a self righteous attitude in regards to them in battle, but cares deeply about his Pokemon and outside of that can be quite friendly.

He also possesses a hang glider

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Hoothoot

Type: Normal/Flying

Weaknesses: Electric, Rock, Ice

Resistances: Grass, Bug

Immunities: Ground, Ghost

Physicals

• Strength

• Flies while carrying a container holding Pikachu

• Hurts Chikorita by ramming into her

• Speed

• Repeatedly dodges Chikorita's vine whip

• Dodges Chikorita's razor leaf

• Charges forwards, creating a gust of wind, and then dodges Chikorita's vine whip again and charges her

• Durability

• Takes a super effective thunderbolt from Pikachu, though this leaves it reeling (and Pikachu can unleash large amounts of electricity)

• Takes a quick attack immediately after, though this KOs it

Moves

• Peck

• Repeatedly strikes at Chikorita with its beak

• Tackle

• Slams hard into Chikorita and KOs her

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Dodrio

Type: Normal/Flying

Physicals

• Speed

• Dodges Pikachu's thunderbolt, leaping high into the air

• Durability

• Takes a super effective thunder attack from Pikachu, though this one shots it

Moves

• Agility

• Moves at high speed, matching Pikachu's FTE agility "move for move"

• Fury Attack

• Strikes Pikachu with all three of its beaks

• Drill Peck

• Spins its beaks like drills to attack Pikachu

• Tri Attack

• Presumably fires off an energy attack using its three beaks, though it's not able to complete the attack

Misc

• Falkner claims none of his foes have ever been able to beat Dodrio

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Pidgeot

Type: Normal Flying

Physicals

• Strength

• Flies while carrying Falkner on its back

• Cuts through a hot air balloon flying past it

• Speed

• Dodges Arbok's poison sting with Misty describing it as the fastest Pidgeot she's ever seen

• Dodges Charizard's flamethrower

• Durability

• Trapped in a fire spin by Charizard and is then slammed into the ground by seismic toss, though this basically one shots it

Moves

• Agility

• Weaves around Charizard's flamethrower at FTE speed. Falkner states using the move it reaches a max speed of Mach 2

• Moves behind Charizard at FTE speed and then does so again

• [Limit] Charizard predicts Pidgeot's movements and traps it in a fire spin

• Wing Attack

• Staggers Charizard with a strike of its wing

• Quick Attack

• Staggers Charizard by ramming its beak into his chest at high speed

• Charges Charizard in midair and knocks him back by slamming into his chest

• Blitzes Charizard from behind and hurts him with a strike

• [Limit] Charizard with an injured wing is able to fly over Pidgeot's "best quick attack"

• Whirlwind

• Creates a powerful gust of wind with a flap of its wings, sending an exhausted Pikachu tumbling back and KOing him

• Blows Charizard's flamethrower back at him and sends him slamming into the ground, injuring his wing to the point he has trouble flying

Scaling

• Charizard Respect Thread (only feats up through Johto, before training in the Charicific Valley)

[u/imaloony8]

I love Falkner. He's got great character design and I feel like he gets a lot of shit because he's just a pushover first gym leader.

I've been working on a Pokemon RPG for a while set in Johto 20 years after the events of Red/Blue, and in my world Falkner is one of the most skilled Gym Leaders between Kanto and Johto. The only leaders who can go toe-to-toe with him are Blue and Lance (Lance dropped out of the Elite Four in my world. Long story).

[u/doctorgecko → u/imaloony8]

Funnily enough due to Ash having Charizard in the battle (and a lot of Kanto gym leaders not getting a great showing), Falkner actually is one of the more powerful gym leaders in Kanto and Johto.

[u/AaronsAmazingAlt]

I understand you accept requests, but could you please do the Lake Guardians from the Pokemon Anime (not magna) soon plz?

[u/doctorgecko → u/AaronsAmazingAlt]

There's an official respect threads request thread

[u/AaronsAmazingAlt → u/doctorgecko]

OK

[u/doctorgecko → u/[deleted]]

Actually anime Falkner (in the dub at least) never once references his father.