PI (Trainer class) - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokmon encyclopedia

May 2024 · 4 minute read

From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.

A PI (Japanese: ギャンブラー Gambler), previously known as Gambler and Gamer, is a type of Pokémon Trainer that first debuted in the Generation I games. In Generations I, III, and VII, they are depicted as old men with dice and a dice cup. In Generations IV and VIII, they are depicted as young men in trenchcoats flipping coins. PIs can also appear in Johto's Battle Frontier.

In all games since Generation IV, they exclusively use various Pokémon that tend to rely on luck over skill, specializing in one-hit knockout moves such as Horn Drill. In the Battle Tower and Battle Frontier, all their Pokémon know either a one-hit knockout move or a move that involves the user fainting, such as Destiny Bond or Explosion. In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, their Pokémon are several levels higher than other comparable Trainers' in the routes they're in to further increase the odds of their one-hit knockout moves connecting.

In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Gamers will award three Poké Balls along with prize money upon being defeated.

Terminology

English

This Trainer class was originally known as Gambler in Generation I. This was changed to Gamer in Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen, Let's Go, Pikachu!, and Let's Go, Eevee! to avoid gambling references. As a result, some jokes were lost, such as in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen when Gamer Rich describes himself as a "rambling, gaming dude" instead of a "rambling, gambling dude."

In the English releases of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl, the Trainer class is instead named PI (private investigator), likely because of the trenchcoat's stereotypical association with detectives, but all their dialogue still revolves around gambling.

Other languages

In Japanese, this Trainer class has consistently been named ギャンブラー (Gambler) in all games in which it is present.

In other languages, while the Trainer class name is often censored to a term similar to "Gamer" in later generations, no other language names the Trainer class "PI" like the English version.

Gallery

Sprites and models

In the core series

050Diglett.pngThis section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Missing overworld and in-battle models, and higher-quality images from LGPE

In other games

Trainer list

Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

See more: List of Battle Tower Trainers in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl/PI

Pokémon Platinum

See more: List of Battle Frontier Trainers in Generation IV/PI

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Pokémon Stadium

In the manga

A PI in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

A PI was seen in Deprogramming Porygon-Z, where he was part of a group of people who entered the Battle Frontier after Palmer had his assistants open the gates.

A PI with a Hoothoot was seen amongst the people visiting the Safari Zone in Weavile Wobbles But It Won't Fall Down.

Pokémon

PI's MisdreavusMisdreavus
Misdreavus was briefly seen with its Trainer when they were entering the Battle Frontier.

None of Misdreavus's moves are known.

DebutDeprogramming Porygon-Z

In the TCG

There is a card called Gambler in the Fossil expansion of the TCG. It causes the user to shuffle their hand into their deck, and then draw either 1 or 8 cards depending on the result of a coin flip.

In other languages

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