Yanagi
- Gender
- Male
Summary
Pryce, known as Yanagi in the original Japanese versions, serves as the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town and is in charge of the Glacier Badge. He is a specialist in Ice-type Pokémon, with Swinub and Piloswine being his signature partners. His name is likely derived from the word ice. In the anime, Pryce begins as a cold and abrasive individual who views Pokémon solely as tools for battling, a mindset rooted in a traumatic incident from his youth. During a storm, his beloved Piloswine vanished, leading Pryce to believe it had abandoned him. Later, while trapped underground with Ash, they encounter a frozen Piloswine that turns out to be his own. Pryce realizes the creature had been searching for healing herbs after the two had previously suffered severe burns from a Magmar. This revelation allows Pryce to reconcile with his Pokémon, restoring his view of them as friends. He subsequently challenges Ash, but his Dewgong is defeated by Cyndaquil and his Piloswine is beaten by Pikachu, resulting in Ash earning the Glacier Badge. In the manga, Pryce is the oldest Gym Leader in Johto and lives in seclusion, rarely visited by anyone. He possesses a unique ability to control his ice sculptures as if they were real Pokémon for training purposes. Like Whitney, he was not visited by Suicune, unlike the other Gym Leaders. His primary Pokémon is a Swinub.
