Pokémon/Characters/Lt. Surge

Lt. Surge is a character in the Pokémon video game series, the Pokémon anime series and the Pokémon manga series. He is a gym leader in the Kanto region and resides in Vermilion City. He is an expert on Electric types.

In Pokémon Red,Blue, Yellow, FireRed and LeafGreen, Lt. Surge is the third gym leader encountered once the player has reached Vermillion City. The game depicts Lt. Surge as an American war veteran (the war he fought in is not clear).

He is available to challenge after the journey on the S.S. Anne, as the hidden move CUT becomes available, allowing the player to cut down the tree in the way to the gym. In the Red and Blue games he sports a Voltorb, Pikachu, and Raichu, but in Yellow he sports only a supercharged Raichu, much like in the television show.

In Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal, he can be fought right after player sets foot on Kanto from the S.S. Aqua (not to be confused with the previously mentioned S.S. Anne, which does not appear in the Gold/Silver/Crystal versions).

In the comics, Lt. Surge is an ex-Team Rocket Elite, and sailor on the S.S. Anne. He also served in a war, using his Pokémon to defeat enemies. He used to be a commanding officer and may be older than he looks (in FR/LG, a Gentleman says that Surge was his commanding officer during a war).

In the anime, Lt. Surge is a tall, muscular tough guy who calls any opponent who hasn't beaten him a "baby". Although Surge's Raichu beats Pikachu in their first confrontation, Ash uses the fact that Lt. Surge didn't give his Pokémon the chance to learn the speed and agility it could have as a Pikachu (as he evolved it right away). In the second battle, Pikachu wears out Raichu by dodging his attacks.