Pokémon/Characters/Erika

Erika (エリカ) is a character in the Pokémon video game series. She is a gym leader in the Kanto region and resides in Celadon City. She is an expert on Grass types. That she is often depicted wearing a kimono, and the fact that only females train in her gym, are a tribute to geisha culture. Her name may be derived from the word aroma, as her pokemon (Gloom and Vileplume) are known for their scents, and her gym is filled with flowers. In the anime, it states she makes her own perfume made with Gloom's nectar, and sells it in her perfume store.

In Pokémon versions Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, LeafGreen and FireRed, Erika is the fourth of the Kanto gym leaders encountered. Defeating her earns the player the Rainbow badge and the TM Mega Drain (in Red, Blue, and Yellow) or Giga Drain (in the other games).

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Erika is called the "only heir of the Celadon Gym" and is treated as royalty. She also practices archery, and dresses in traditional Japanese clothes.

When Red challenges her to a match, she requires that he first find an Eevee. Though she says this is a test of his strength, it is, as show, part of a secret plan. Red manages to capture the creature (a special one, at that) with the help of Bill, and brings it to Erika. With this accomplished, Erika give Red the badge, but Red accuses her of having an evil scheme after Bill sees a file about an Eevee bio-engineering plan.

While the battle is taking place, Red discovers that Erika is not actually the villain, but that the Eevee was a Team Rocket experiment. In truth, Erika was a good gym leader against Team Rocket. Because Red passes the test, Erika give him the Eevee as a reward.

In the TV show, Erika is the owner of a perfume shop inside of Celadon City, in addition to being the local gym leader. Ash, not knowing this, ends up insulting her (by calling perfume a girl thing), which causes Erika to ban him from both her shop and her gym. Since Ash is determined to win a Rainbow badge, with Team Rocket's help, he disguises himself as a girl and sneaks into the gym while Team Rocket pretends to be his parents. Ash is discovered by Pikachu, and Erika battles him anyway.

While they are in the middle of the battle, Team Rocket interupts, and sets the gym on fire. A rush ensues as trainers attempt to rescue all pokémon in the gym by calling them back to their pokéballs and carrying them out, but among the confusion, Erika's Gloom remains in the inferno. Erika goes to save it, but Ash volunteers and succeeded in saving Erika's Gloom. As a reward, Erika gives him the Rainbow Badge.

In 'Advanced Battle', Erika travels to Hoenn and aquires a Jynx. She also develops a romantic interest in a trainer called Joshua, who owns a Houndoom. In the Pacifildog Contest, she battled May's Skitty and lost. She also battles The Jester (Jessie in disguise) and Meowth. Meowth used 'fake' Transform, turning into a Sunflora, Kirlia and Wailord before losing. - This could be a different Erica... The Erica in 'Advanced Battle' looks younger and has a reddish/brown hair and the Erica from Indigo has bluish/black hair.