Pokémon/Characters/Pryce

Pryce
File:Headshot-Pryce.jpg
Headshot of Pryce
Japanese nameヤナギ (Yanagi)
In-Universe Information
Preferred Pokémon typeIce
OccupationGym Leader

Pryce is the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town's Gym and an expert in Ice-type Pokémon. He awards the Glacier Badge, the seventh official badge in the Johto region, to trainers who defeat him.

Character and background

In the games, Pryce holds the title "The Teacher of Winter's Harshness." As an elder, he has been a Pokémon trainer for over 50 years, and his Pokémon have been with him since before the player characters were born. He maintains his physical and mental strength by meditating daily under a frigid waterfall.

His character is explored differently across various media, ranging from a bitter but redeemable old man in the anime to a major villain in the manga.

Name origin

Pryce's name, and its international variants, often relate to cold or ice.

Language Name Origin
Japanese ヤナギ (Yanagi) May be derived from Japanese words such as "hiya" (cold water) or "hiyasu" (to freeze).
English Pryce While meaning "very dear," it was likely chosen for its phonetic similarity to "ice."
French Fredo From the French word froid, meaning "cold."
German Norbert
Italian Alfredo Similar to the Italian word freddo, meaning "cold" or "icy."
Spanish Fredo Potentially related to the Spanish word frío, meaning "cold."
Russian Прайс A phonetic transliteration of the English name "Pryce."
Chinese 柳伯 (Liu Bo) A literal translation of his Japanese name, Yanagi.

Video game appearances

In addition to the Glacier Badge, Pryce gives trainers TM16 (Icy Wind) upon his defeat in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal.

Pokémon

This is a list of Pryce's Pokémon teams in the video games.

Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal

  • Level 27 Seel (Headbutt, Icy Wind, Aurora Beam, Rest)
  • Level 29 Dewgong (Headbutt, Icy Wind, Aurora Beam, Rest)
  • Level 31 Piloswine (Icy Wind, Fury Attack, Mist, Blizzard)

Pokémon Stadium 2

Round 1 Pokémon

  • Cloyster
  • Jynx
  • Ursaring
  • Piloswine
  • Donphan
  • Dewgong

Round 2 Pokémon

  • Tentacruel
  • Articuno
  • Quagsire
  • Piloswine
  • Girafarig
  • Hitmontop

Pokémon the Series anime

In the anime, Pryce is presented as a once-celebrated trainer who became embittered after a battle left him with severe burns. While he was bedridden, his beloved Piloswine vanished, leading Pryce to believe it had abandoned him.

Years later, Ash Ketchum and his friends discover the Piloswine frozen solid in an ice cave. They find it surrounded by herbs known to treat burns, revealing that it had left not to abandon Pryce, but to search for medicine for him. After the Piloswine is thawed, Pryce's happiness and passion for battling are restored.

The following morning, Ash and Pryce engage in a 2-on-2 Gym battle. However, Pryce chooses to forfeit the match by throwing in a towel, making him the only Gym Leader to have ever forfeited a match to Ash.

Pokémon

This listing is for Pryce's Pokémon in the anime.

  • Piloswine
  • Dewgong

Pokémon Adventures manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Pryce has the most significant and villainous role. Publicly, he is a frail, wheelchair-bound man who rarely leaves his Gym and is known for creating intricate ice sculptures with his Pokémon. However, he secretly operates as the criminal mastermind known as the Mask of Ice.

As the Mask of Ice, he kidnapped several children, including Silver and Green, to raise as his servants. While Silver and Green eventually escaped, he continued to raise Will, Karen, Sham, and Carl as his loyal slaves. After Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket, Pryce recruited many of its leaderless grunts, controlling some with special masks. He also managed to gain control over the Legendary Pokémon Ho-oh and Lugia.

Pryce's villainy was motivated by a past trauma: in his youth, he lost his two beloved Lapras in an avalanche. His entire plan was to capture the Mythical Pokémon Celebi using the GS Ball in Ilex Forest, harnessing its power to travel back in time and be reunited with his lost Pokémon.

He succeeded in capturing Celebi, but the immense power of its time travel ability nearly caused a catastrophe, as it caused temperatures to drop drastically. Gold pursued Pryce through the vortex of time, where his Pichu destroyed the GS Ball and freed Celebi. Pryce was lost within the currents of time, and his ultimate fate remains unknown. It is suggested that his spirit now wanders Johto, making amends by improving the lives of Pokémon.

Pokémon

This is a list of Pryce's Pokémon in the manga, separated by his identity.

As Pryce

  • Seel (multiple)
  • Swinub
  • Delibird
  • Lapras

As Mask of Ice

  • Delibird
  • Gastly
  • Ariados
  • Houndour

Lost or Released

  • Lapras (two, perished in an avalanche)
  • Lugia (released)
  • Ho-oh (released)
  • Celebi (freed)

Pokémon Trading Card Game

Pryce and his Pokémon have been featured in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. His Lapras was also released as a promo card.

Pokémon

This listing is for Pryce's Pokémon in the TCG.

  • Dewgong
  • Cloyster
  • Lapras
  • Articuno
  • Sneasel
  • Piloswine
  • Delibird