"Pokémon have many experiences in their lives, just like we do. I, too, have seen and suffered much in my life. Since I am your elder, let me show you what I mean. I have been with Pokémon since before you were born. I do not lose easily. I, Pryce--the winter trainer-- shall demonstrate my power!"
Pryce (Japanese: ヤナギYanagi) is the seventh Gym Leader in the Johto Region. He trains Ice type Pokémon in both the anime and the video games. In the video games, the player gets to battle him after you solve the Team Rocket problem in Mahogany Town. He will award the player the Glacier Badge if you defeat him.
Pryce appeared in three episodes of the Pokémon anime. He had a cameo appearance in Rage of Innocence, and he was featured as the gym leader of Mahogany Town.
Pryce in the Anime
Pryce in his younger days
In the anime, Pryce was a champion Trainer in his youth, but was severely burned in a battle. While he was bedridden, his Piloswine went out the door during a severe snow storm and never came back. He believed it had abandoned him, and he grew bitter. He became more cold-hearted and believed that Pokémon are for battling and nothing more. Because of this, he refused to fight Ash thinking him to be a weak Trainer. When Ash compelled him to a battle, Pryce finally accepted. Using his Dewgong, he beat Ash's Phanpy easily.
Later when Ash again tried to talk Pryce into a battle, they stumbled onto a cave where they found Pryce's Piloswine frozen in ice. It had some plants that aided in the healing of burns. It was then that Pryce realized that Piloswine had gone in search of medicine for him, and only the snow storm trapping the Pokémon in ice prevented it from returning to him. Piloswine was defrosted and on being reunited with Piloswine, Pryce lost his cold-heartedness and became happy again.
The next morning, Ash battled Pryce in a gym battle. After a fierce battle, Pryce forfeited as his Piloswine became tired and he knew it would serve no purpose to keep going.
Piloswine was Pryce's main Pokemon. It was separated from Pryce for many years because it was frozen in ice. When they were reunited, Pryce used Piloswine in his Gym battle with Ash.
Iberian Spanish: Cesar Arias, Carlos Hugo Hidalgo (child)
Trivia[]
Pryce's name is a play on the word ICE, seeing as he is an Ice-type trainer.
In his Generation II sprite he was seen wearing a short-sleved shirt with stripes, but in the anime his shirt didn't have stripes. His Generation IV artwork and sprite show him to dress more appropriately for the coldness in his gym with a slight resembalance to the clothes he wore in the anime during his youth..
Despite Pryce being the 7th gym leader in Johto, the levels of his Pokémon are actually lower than the 6th gym leader, Jasmine's Pokémon.
However this may be due to the fact that he can be challenged before both Jasmine, the 6th gym leader, and Chuck, the 5th gym leader.
