Character from Pokémon Black & White by Nintendo / Game Freak
Unova's wandering Champion — a man who lost his partner Pokémon years ago and never stopped grieving, who walks the region not to defend his title but because standing still hurts more.
Alder is the Champion who doesn't want to be Champion. His partner Pokémon died years before the events of BW, and the loss broke something fundamental in him. He wanders Unova rather than sitting in the League, helping people and Pokémon he meets along the road. He's warm, gregarious, and immediately likeable — but there's a hollowness underneath that Cheren's ambition highlights painfully. When he asks Cheren 'why do you want to be strong?', it's not a test — it's a genuine question he's been asking himself. He doesn't have a satisfying answer either. N defeats him at the Pokémon League, and Alder doesn't rage or demand a rematch. He accepts it with the quiet devastation of a man who already knows what loss feels like. By BW2, he's retired and living in Floccesy Town, training his grandson Benga. He's found a kind of peace — not by answering the question, but by investing in the next generation.
Tall, powerfully built man with wild flame-red hair that spikes upward and a thick red beard. Wears a flowing poncho-like garment in warm oranges and reds over loose clothing. Sandals, not boots. Looks more like a traveling monk than a Champion. Weathered face with laugh lines and eyes that carry old sadness.
Also known as: Alder, Champion Alder