Barry

Biodata

Power Progression

Barry’s documented progression consists of Trainer achievements, Battle Chateau ranks, and access to advanced battle techniques.

Appearance

• Hair: Short, bright blond hair, usually styled flamboyantly; its unruly appearance remains his most recognizable feature 476 619.
• Usual clothing: An orange-and-white jacket with a green scarf 579.
• After Alola training: Noticeably darker-skinned and thinner than he had been a year earlier 476.
• Battle Chateau attire: Initially wore a blue Viscount cloak and shoulder Badge, then received a green cloak upon becoming an Earl 582.
• Formal clothing: Wore an orange-yellow training outfit and gelled hair for his Lumiose Conference semifinal; later attended Xiaoyun’s wedding in a white suit with slicked-back hair 745 946.

Personality

Barry is loud, proud, and easily provoked. He frequently calls himself “the great Barry,” boasts before battles, and demands imaginary fines when someone annoys or overshadows him. His vanity extends to his appearance: he angrily objects when spectators mistake his blond hairstyle for a delinquent’s 81 136 521 745.

His confidence often outruns his judgment. Hill draws him into a Gym battle simply by questioning his courage, while his curiosity about powerful Pokémon makes him eager to investigate potentially dangerous places. Against Lysandre, however, his bravado quickly gives way to asking Xiaoyun for protection 624 629 756.

Defeat hurts him more than he admits. After losing to Norman and Dawn, he publicly maintains a confident front while privately resenting how close his friends are to achievements he has not reached. That frustration eventually becomes a genuine commitment to training rather than another boast 528 747 937.

Beneath the teasing, Barry values his friendships and earned victories. He helps Xiaoyun with personal arrangements, welcomes friends arriving in Kalos, and deliberately chooses Kanto’s Battle Frontier to avoid any possibility of favorable treatment through Palmer. Ayaka observes that, despite his usual unreliability, he follows through once he truly commits to something 293 713 937.

Abilities & Skills

Tactical Adaptation

Barry can devise effective feints and counters, although impatience sometimes undermines his execution.

• Had Heracross evade Flare Blitz with Aerial Ace before counterattacking with Megahorn 734.
• Concealed Chesnaught’s use of Synthesis by having it remain down after a clash, securing victory when it stood again 726.
• Used Skarmory’s Metal Sound to disrupt Tropius’s Solar Beam preparation 629.
• Baited Articuno’s pursuing Sheer Cold into striking Articuno itself by ordering Regieleki into a last-second right-angle turn with Extreme Speed 937.
• Failed to exploit Slaking’s Truant intervals consistently during his alliance with Wikstrom; Xiaoyun identified his impatience as a major reason they lost 783.

Empoleon’s Defensive Techniques

Empoleon’s steel wings serve as both weapons and shields.

• Blocked Pikachu’s Thunderbolt while Kenny’s Prinplup moved into attack range 146.
• Combined Steel Wing with a Swords Dance spin to deflect Mega Gengar’s Thunderbolt without interrupting its Attack boost 747.
• Used Steel Wing and the ground to channel Luxray’s lightning away during a team battle 793.

Z-Moves

Barry uses Empoleon’s Steel-type Z-Move, Corkscrew Crash, as a finishing attack 747 793.

• Defeated Brock’s Steelix with a Z-Move 522.
• Overpowered Mega Gengar’s combined Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse attack after Empoleon’s Torrent activated 747.
• Remains vulnerable to avoidance: Mega Gengar let the attack pass through with Intangibility, then defeated Empoleon with Thunderbolt 747.

Mega Evolution

Barry can Mega Evolve Chesnaught using a Key Stone bracelet 726.

• Mega Chesnaught gains heavier armor, enlarged shoulder shields, and longer back fur resembling a cape.
• Its shoulder armor transforms into two long-handled axes, usable for both attacking and blocking.
• Barry has used it against Ayaka, Dawn, and Norman; Mega Evolution alone was insufficient to overcome Norman’s Slaking 726 746 782.

Team Battles

• Coordinated Empoleon’s defense and attacks with Kenny’s Prinplup to pressure Ash’s Pikachu 146.
• Formed a temporary alliance with Wikstrom against Norman’s Slaking 782.
• Partnered with Ayaka using Empoleon and Absol, and later Regieleki and Regidrago 793 907.

Pokémon

History

Twinleaf Town and Sinnoh

Barry grew up in Twinleaf Town alongside Xiaoyun and Dawn. His father, Palmer, was already familiar to both of them through their childhood friendship 136 293.

After losing to Fantina, Barry stayed in Hearthome City and eventually earned the Relic Badge. He reunited with Xiaoyun during registration for the Double Battle tournament and later partnered with Kenny against Ash’s Pikachu and Xiaoyun’s Chimchar 81 136 146.

On Iron Island, Barry became involved in the investigation of Team Galactic’s activity beneath the ruins. Empoleon lost control as conditions worsened, and Barry joined Xiaoyun, Dawn, and Riley as they confronted Mars and Team Galactic 262.

His later Sinnoh tournament run ended in the round of sixteen when Paul’s Electivire broke through Empoleon’s Torrent-powered Hydro Cannon with Thunder 342.

Alola Training and Return

Barry trained in Alola before traveling to Unova to find Xiaoyun, getting lost along the way. The training left him visibly leaner and more tanned 476.

In a later tournament, Empoleon’s Z-Move carried him past Brock’s Steelix. Norman then defeated both Heracross and Empoleon with Slaking, ending Barry’s run in the top 64. Although Barry promised Norman a stronger rematch, he subsequently admitted that being eliminated while his friends advanced deeply bothered him 522 527 528.

Kalos Travels and the Battle Chateau

While traveling with Sanpei, Barry fell under Malamar’s hypnosis and attacked Xiaoyun’s group. After his rescue, Shaymin treated him and his injured Pokémon. Encounters with other Malamar later brought back unpleasant memories of the incident 579 580 620.

At the Battle Chateau, Barry completed ten consecutive Viscount victories and became an Earl. Xiaoyun and Dawn soon overtook him by reaching Marquis; Barry remained one victory short of the same promotion 582 583.

Barry and Sanpei also became caught up in Saizo’s secret-scroll trial, during which Chesnaught was poisoned. Barry subsequently challenged the Coumarine Gym and defeated Hill to earn the Forest Badge 619 620 630.

Lumiose Conference

Before the conference, Barry reported fifteen wins from seventeen Battle Café matches. He also met Xiaoyun and Dawn at the airport and arranged their hotel rooms 713.

His conference victories included a close match against Ayaka, decided by Chesnaught’s hidden Synthesis recovery. In the semifinal against Dawn, Hitmonlee defeated Altaria and traded knockouts with Braviary, leaving Empoleon to face Mega Gengar. Gengar’s Intangibility bypassed Corkscrew Crash and enabled the winning Thunderbolt 726 747.

Project Mew and the Battle Frontier

Barry joined Professor Hodaka’s Project Mew expedition to an uncharted Hoenn island. Although the mission concerned investigating and contacting Mew rather than capturing it, Barry admitted that he wanted to borrow Mew’s strength to defeat Xiaoyun at least once 903.

After Xiaoyun won the Masters Eight, Ash reached its semifinals, and Paul reached its quarterfinals, Barry resolved to address his own lack of comparable results. Traveling with Ayaka, he chose Kanto’s Battle Frontier specifically to earn victories without Palmer’s connections influencing the challenges 937.

At the Battle Factory, Regieleki defeated Noland’s Articuno through a Sheer Cold redirection tactic. Barry received the Knowledge Symbol and vowed to clear every remaining Frontier challenge 937.

Later Life

Barry helped Xiaoyun prepare for his wedding to Dawn, straightening his tie while continuing their customary teasing. He later joined the friends and family awaiting news of their newborn son, then privately suggested to Ayaka that they could have a daughter of their own 946 949.

Equipment / Items

• Z-Ring — Used to activate Empoleon’s Corkscrew Crash 747.
• Key Stone bracelet — Enables Chesnaught’s Mega Evolution 726.
• Battle Chateau Earl’s cloak — Green cloak awarded with his promotion 582.
• Relic Badge — Earned from Fantina after an earlier unsuccessful challenge 81 136.
• Forest Badge — Presented by Ramos after Barry defeated Hill 630.
• Knowledge Symbol — Awarded by Noland for defeating Articuno 937.

Relationships

• Xiaoyun — Childhood friend and principal competitive target. Their friendship is built around relentless teasing, but Barry also assists with his confession preparations and wedding 136 293 903 946.
• Dawn — Childhood friend whom he openly supports and respects as a battler. He considers losing their conference semifinal an honorable defeat because she is not an outsider 136 727 747.
• Palmer — Father and powerful Trainer. Barry proudly introduces his achievements but argues with him over food and eagerly asks to borrow his Heatran 293 830.
• Ayaka — Battle rival, frequent teammate, and romantic interest. She requested his contact number after their conference match, later stayed at his home, and accompanied him to the Battle Frontier 726 826 828 937 949.
• Sanpei — Traveling and training companion in Kalos. Their contrasting reckless and steady temperaments make them an effective pair 619 713.
• Kenny — Friend and Double Battle partner. Barry restrains him during confrontations with Xiaoyun and later attempts to comfort him at Dawn’s wedding 146 293 826 946.
• Paul — Competitive acquaintance who has repeatedly defeated him. Barry resents Paul’s dismissive manner and explicitly describes them as acquaintances rather than friends 342 541 944.
• Norman — Formidable opponent who encourages Barry to improve after defeating him. Barry later loses to Slaking again despite teaming up with Wikstrom 527 782.
• Noland — Frontier Brain who praises Barry’s tactical creativity and awards his first documented Frontier Symbol 937.

Notable Quotes

“We're dear friends who grew up together, practically brothers!” 136

“Losing to Dawn isn't losing to an outsider. There's no shame in it! This is what you call an honorable defeat!” 747

“I'll clear every last one! I, Barry, keep my word!” 937