Piers
| Piers ネズNezu | |
 Art from Sword and Shield bytake[1] | |
| Age | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Eye color | Cyan |
| Hair color | Black and white |
| Hometown | Spikemuth |
| Region | Galar |
| Relatives | Marnie (younger sister) |
| Trainer class | Gym Leader,Pokémon Trainer |
| Generation | VIII,IX |
| Counterpart(s) | Piers (Masters) |
| Games | Sword, Shield Masters EX |
| English voice actor | Aleks Le[2](Masters EX) |
| Japanese voice actor | Kishō Taniyama[3](Masters EX) |
| Member of | Galar League |
| Rank | Gym Leader |
| Leader of | Spikemuth Gym |
| Badge | Dark Badge |
| Specializes in | Dark types |
| Member of | Team Yell |
| Rank | Captain |
| Animated series | Pokémon the Series Pokémon: Twilight Wings |
| Debut | Battling Turned Up to Eleven!(Animated series) Assistant(Twilight Wings) |
| English voice actor | Howard Wang(Animated series) Edward Bosco[4](Twilight Wings) |
| Japanese voice actor | Hiro Shimono(Animated series) Kishō Taniyama(Twilight Wings) |
| Manga series | Pokémon Adventures |
| Debut | Grrr!! Noble Kidnappers |
Piers (Japanese:ネズNezu) is asinger-songwriter who is the captain ofTeam Yell and theGym Leader ofSpikemuth'sGym, known officially as theSpikemuth Gym. Hespecializes inDark-typePokémon. He gives theDark Badge to Trainers who defeat him. During the events ofPokémon Sword and Shield, he retires from his position as a Gym Leader and passes the title on to his little sister,Marnie.
In the core series games
Piers is the seventh Gym LeaderGalarianTrainers face in theirGym Challenge. He is well known for writing songs and singing as he regularly does so inSpikemuth. More often he tends to reveal his strategy to his opponents, yet he has the strength and skills to win regardless. Spikemuth is the only Gym in Galar not built over a Power Spot; previously,Rose had asked Piers to relocate his Gym to a faraway Power Spot, but Piers refused and opted to be the only Gym Leader not to useDynamax. As a result, the town is rarely visited by fans, so Piers blames himself for letting his home fall into obscurity and dilapidation. He has been desperately trying to support the town with hisDark-type Pokémon but often gets frustrated with the limits of his strength[5].
InPokémon Sword and Shield, Piers is the only Gym Leader absent from the Gym Challenge's opening ceremony inMotostoke. He makes his first appearance once the player clears theSpikemuth Gym Challenge, where it is revealed that theTeam Yell Grunts are actually SpikemuthGym Trainers in disguise, and that their leader is Piers. After the player defeats Piers, Marnie approaches him for her turn at the Gym Challenge. Their conversation reveals that Piers had previously planned to stand down as Gym Leader after theChampion Cup ended and pass down the role to his little sister. However, Marnie refused the offer, stating that she could not be a Gym Leader if she succeeds in becomingChampion.
After Piers's initial defeat, the player is awarded with theDark Badge,TM85 (Snarl), and theDark Uniform.
After the player defeats Marnie in the Champion Cup Semifinals inWyndon, Piers rededicates Team Yell to cheering on the player instead. He and Team Yell assist the player andHop in accessingRose Tower by helping them find theMacro Cosmos's League staff hiding the monorail key needed to reach the tower. At the Champion Cup Finals, Piers defeatsKabu in the first round, but is defeated byRaihan in the second round. During the post-game, Raihan admits that Piers gave him a good battle, despite him not using Dynamax, and later suggests that they should have a battle where neither of them uses it.
Piers plays a vital role in helping to stop theDynamax Pokémon created bySordward andShielbert. Having now stepped down as a Gym Leader following the Champion Cup's conclusion, he accompanies the player and Hop to all the stadiums inGalar to help their Gym Leaders defeat the Dynamax Pokémon. After the player capturesZacianSw/ZamazentaSh, Piers gives them his rare League Card and returns to Spikemuth, where he can be found giving a concert to the members of Team Yell. He can also appear as an opponent in the player's Champion tournaments and theGalarian Star Tournament, despite no longer being a Gym Leader.
League Cards
This is a transcript of the back of Piers'sLeague Cards inPokémon Sword and Shield.
- Normal League Card
- "Spikemuth lacks a Power Spot that would allow Pokémon toDynamax, and thus not many fans come to visit the town. Piers feels responsible for allowing his town to fall into obscurity and dilapidation. Once in battle, Piers tends to get riled up and will often reveal his strategy early on, but he has the strength and skill to triumph regardless. However, his true passions are singing and song writing, and his talents in these fields are well-known. As such, he currently hopes that hisyounger sister will take over asGym Leader."
- Rare League Card
- "Here are some words from Piers when he first became the Gym Leader of Spikemuth. "Uh... ... ... The name's Piers. It's too bad we can't Dynamax our Pokémon in Spikemuth, but you could say we have a more authentic style ofPokémon battles. And I plan on showin' that off. And well... I have a younger sister, and she's got way more talent than me. But until she's old enough to become Gym Leader, I'll keep rockin' with my crew and make sure Spikemuth stays lively!""
Pokémon
Piers keeps his Pokémon inDusk Balls.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Piers'sObstagoon has maximumEVs invested in bothHP andDefense.
Gym battle
Max Raid Battle partner
Piers uses this Pokémon in theMax Raid Battles inTurffield,Hulbury, andMotostoke Stadiums.
Champion tournaments
Galarian Star Tournament
Caught for someone else
WhenMarnie was five years old, Piers caught thisMorpeko as a present to his little sister, and it became herfirst Pokémon. According to herLeague Card, Marnie's Morpeko helped her become less of a crybaby and more cheerful and outgoing.
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Masters EX
- Main article:Piers (Masters)
Piers forms async pair withObstagoon,Low Key FormToxtricity, andSkuntank inPokémon Masters EX. Piers became a playable sync pair on February 18, 2021.
Piers has also made notable appearances in the game's Main Stories,Legendary Adventures and theVillain Arc.
| Dex | Trainer | NDex | Pokémon | Type | Weakness | Role | EX role | Base potential | Availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #117 |  | Piers | #0862 |  | Obstagoon♂ | Dark | Fighting |  | ★★★★★☆EX | Sync Pair Scout | |
| #117 |  | Sygna Suit Piers | #0849 |  | Toxtricity♂ Low Key Form | Electric | Psychic |  | | ★★★★★☆EX | Poké Fair Sync Pair Scout |
| #117 | | Piers | #0435 |  | Skuntank♂ | Dark | Ground | | ★★★★☆☆EX | Trainer Lodge Friendship Level 100 | |
Gallery
Artwork
 |
| Concept art fromSword and Shield |
Sprites
 |
| Icon from the Galarian Star Tournament menu |
League Cards
 |  |
| Piers'sLeague Card in Sword and Shield | Piers's rareLeague Card in Sword and Shield |
Quotes
- Main article:Piers/Quotes
In animation
Pokémon the Series
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Piers debuted inBattling Turned Up to Eleven!, where he encounteredAsh andGoh when they arrived inSpikemuth, having been tricked into going there byTeam Yell in the hopes of making him miss hisWorld Coronation Series battle withMarnie. Piers took Ash toWyndon in time to attend the match and proceeded to accompany Goh in spectating the battle.
InA Flood of Torrential Gains!, Piers watched Ash'sMasters Eight Tournament match againstLeon.
Pokémon
Obstagoon is Piers's only known Pokémon. It is a member of the Maximizers and accompanies Piers with his songs.
None of Obstagoon's moves are known.
Voice actors
| Language | Voice actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 下野紘Hiro Shimono | |
| English | Howard Wang | |
| Arabic | حسن المصريHassan El Masri | |
| Hebrew | אביב ביקל-שגיאAviv Bikel-Sagi | |
| Italian | Ezio Vivolo | |
| Polish | Maciej Radel | |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Leonardo Assis | |
| Spanish | Latin America | Dan Frausto |
| Spain | Javier Sánchez Rodríguez | |
Artwork
 |
| Official artwork of Piers and Marnie from PASH! Magazine[6] |
Pokémon: Twilight Wings
InAssistant, Piers was walking on the streets ofWyndon.
InSky, Piers refused to take part in an interview aboutLeon inWyndon. Later, he,Marnie, and herMorpeko watched the battle between Leon andRaihan on her phone inSpikemuth.
InThe Gathering of Stars, Piers was seen with the rock band Maximizers onstage. He was later seen atWyndon Stadium, walking out onto the field for theGalarian Star Tournament's opening ceremony.
GOTCHA!
Piers briefly appeared inGOTCHA!.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Piers debuted inGrrr!! Noble Kidnappers. AtSpikemuth,Raihan met with Piers to discussRose's decision to disqualifyBede from theGym Challenge. A loud sound coming fromRoute 9 Tunnel interrupted their conversation, and when Piers and Raihan went to investigate, they encountered a crashedFlying Taxi andLeon, who rescued the driver and the passenger,Sonia. While Raihan and Leon took the victims to a hospital inHammerlocke, Piers was entrusted with a camera Sonia meant forCasey Shield. Piers later found Casey and her friends being attacked bySordward andShielbert, who were after Sonia's camera.
Piers gave the camera up but secretly removed its memory card, tricking the brothers into leaving empty handed. When Sordward and Shielbert later returned for the card, Piers,Henry, and Casey successfully uncovered their faces. The brothers attacked Henry and Casey, but were stopped by Piers'sObstagoon. Before Piers could finish them off,Marnie arrived and told him to avoid going too far, allowing Sordward and Shielbert to flee. Later, after regrouping with Henry's group andHop, Piers and Marnie revealed to everyone that they were siblings.
InRumble!! The Horrific Darkest Day, Piers and the other Galar Gym Leaders were informed by Leon and Sonia that Rose, Sordward, and Shielbert were working together. Hoping to discover whether or not Rose intended on bringing harm to Galar, the Gym Leaders gathered atRose Tower, only to be stopped byOleana. While Oleana kept the Gym Leaders busy, Marnie, Henry, Casey, Bede, and Hop headed up an elevator to meet Rose, only to learn he wasn't in the building. Appearing on a video screen, Rose announced his intention to restart theDarkest Day and ensure the safety of Galar's future. Power Spot lights began appearing all over the region, causing Pokémon to startDynamaxing at random. Piers and the others traveled to the HammerlockeEnergy Plant, where they ran into Leon's group and found Rose ecstatic that his plan was a success.
InShock!! Chairman Rose's Plan, Rose explained he meant no harm to Galar and sentSordward andShielbert to defeat Eternatus and prevent the Darkest Day from spiraling out of control. Despite their claims of being descendants of the heroes that once stopped the Darkest Day, Sordward and Shielbert were unable to win, forcing Rose to take their place. Oleana explained that Rose's actions were for the benefit of Galar and requested that everyone help stop Eternatus. The group agreed and made their way to the summit, where they found Rose had already been defeated. Piers, Raihan, Leon, Hop, Marnie,Nessa, andMelony managed to take Eternatus down, only for it to get back up and unleash its Eternamax form.
InGRRR!! The Irrepairable Gears, Eternatus quickly overwhelmed Piers and the others, only forZacian andZamazenta to appear and assist in the battle against the Gigantic Pokémon. They attempted to wield theRusted Sword andShield, but the items and Henry were snatched out of the air by Eternatus. Zacian and Zamazenta struck Eternatus at the same time, creating a massive blast of light. By the time the light cleared, Henry, Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus had vanished. Piers and everyone injured during the battle were taken to a hospital to recover from the effects of Eternatus's poison.
InBom Bom!! Kubfu and Intense Training, after taking special medicine, Piers and the others began to recover from the effects of the poison.
Pokémon
On hand
Traveling with
 Rotom Phone |
In the TCG
The following is a list of cards mentioning or featuring Piers or his Pokémon in thePokémon Trading Card Game.
| Piers' Pokémon Cards listed with ablue background are only legal to use in the currentExpanded format. Cards listed with agreen background are legal to use in both the currentStandard andExpanded formats. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card | Type | English Expansion | Rarity | # | Japanese Expansion | Rarity | # |
| Galarian Obstagoon |  | Astral Radiance |  | TG10/TG30 | VMAX Climax |  | 207/184 |
| Other related cards | |||||||
| Card | Type | English Expansion | Rarity | # | Japanese Expansion | Rarity | # |
| Piers | Su | Darkness Ablaze |  | 165/189 | Infinity Zone |  | 095/100 |
| Darkness Ablaze |  | 187/189 | Infinity Zone |  | 109/100 | ||
| Champion's Path | | 058/073 | |||||
| Champion's Path |  | 078/073 | Infinity Zone |  | 115/100 | ||
| Shiny Star V | 173/190 | ||||||
| Shining Fates | | 069/072 | Shiny Star V | | 194/190 | ||
| Astral Radiance |  | TG28/TG30 | VMAX Climax | | 264/184 | ||
Trivia
- Piers was designed bytake.[7]
- Piers's uniform number is "061", which can be read in Japanese asgoroawase for 悪いwarui, meaning "bad".
- Piers andMarnie are the firstGym Leaders who specialize inDark-type Pokémon.
- Piers's battle music contains remixed parts fromN's final battle theme fromPokémon Black and White and theTeam Rocket Hideout theme.
- Piers andBlue are the only Gym Leaders theplayer character battles for aBadge that do not have a Gym slogan.
- Piers'sObstagoon has the maximum amount ofEVs invested in two of itsstats, unlike most Trainers in Sword and Shield. This is likely to make up for the lack ofDynamax in his Gym.
- Piers is the onlycore seriesvillainous team leader to date who never uses aTrainer class related to his team. His title asTeam Yell's Captain is only revealed in the title of the music for his battle.
- Piers shares similar traits toNaveen, as both of them use mainlyDark-typePokémon, have a younger sister, and use aLow Key FormToxtricity.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ネズNezu | From 杜松nezu (temple juniper) and possibly 鼠色nezumi-iro (dark gray) |
| English, Indonesian | Piers | FromJuniperus (juniper genus) andpierce (synonymous to "spike" inSpikemuth) orpiercing (common fashion accessory in the punk subculture) |
| German | Nezz | Similar to his Japanese name |
| European Spanish | Nerio | Fromenebro (juniper) and possiblynegro (black) |
| Latin American Spanish | Nerio | |
| Piers[n 1] | From his English name | |
| French | Peterson | Frompeteron (common juniper) |
| Italian | Ginepro | Fromginepro (juniper) and possiblynero (black) |
| Korean | 두송Dusong | From 두송 (杜松)dusong (temple juniper) |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 聶梓Nièzǐ /Nihpjí | From the transcription of his Japanese name and possibly 梓zǐ / jí (catalpa) |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 聂梓Nièzǐ | |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Pietro | Fromjunípero (juniper) and possiblypreto (black) |
| Thai | เนซึNesue | Transcription of his Japanese name |
Notes
References
- ↑Piers (Darkness Ablaze 165)
- ↑Aleks Le on Twitter
- ↑Pokémon Masters EX Twitter (Japanese)
- ↑Pokémon: Twilight Wings—The Gathering of Stars The Official Pokémon YouTube channel
- ↑Sword and Shield official website
- ↑https://twitter.com/magazine_pash/status/1491345124592340994
- ↑Tweet about designing all of the Gym Leaders for Pokémon Sword & Shield
Related articles
 Team Yell | |
| Spikemuth | |
| Captain | Related |
|---|---|
 |  |
| Piers (Masters) | Marnie (Masters) |
| Lower members | |
| Team Yell Grunts •Spikemuth Gym Trainers | |
| Villainous teamleaders | |
|---|---|
| Core series | Giovanni •Maxie •Archie •Cyrus •N •Ghetsis •Colress •Lysandre •Guzma •Piers •Cassiopeia |
| Side series | Gonzap •Evice •Greevil |
| Ranger series | Gordor •Blake Hall •Kincaid •Societea |
| Masters EX | Giovanni •Guzma •Cyrus •N •Lysandre •Piers •Ghetsis •Maxie •Archie •Colress •Paulo •Penny |
| Other games | Biruritchi •Baron Phobos •Munna •Dark Rust •Don Roger •Giovanni |
| Animated series | Giovanni •Madame Boss •Maxie •Archie •Cyrus •Ghetsis •Lysandre •Guzma •Piers •Gibeon •Spinel |
| Adventures | Giovanni •Lance •Masked Man •Maxie •Archie •Cyrus •N •Ghetsis •Colress •Lysandre •Guzma •Piers |
| Othermanga | Fraud •Meja |
 | This game character article is part ofProject CharacterDex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in thePokémon games. |
