Allister: The Masked Gym Leader Who Prefers Graveyards

He took over a Gym at a very young age, and he never takes off his mask in front of people. Allister runs the Stow-on-Side Gym, champions the Ghost type, and only shows up for those playing Pokémon Shield — the other version hands the town to a Fighting-type specialist. Shy and fearful, he spends his free time in ruins and graveyards. Galar's most low-key Gym Leader is also one of its most gifted.

Contents

• A child behind a mask
• A Ghost-type Gym, exclusive to one version
• Ruins, graveyards, and a town that suits him
• In the anime, a boy who talks to Ghost types
• Allister at a glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

A child behind a mask

The game doesn't make a mystery of his personality: Allister is shy and fearful by nature, which clashes sharply with the fervor of the stadiums in Galar.

Despite this, he took the reins of his Gym at a very young age, and the game stresses his talent. His reserve isn't a weakness as a Trainer; it's a personality trait.

He rarely appears in public and always wears a mask whenever he isn't alone. The anime does, however, show his face in episode JN092.

A Ghost-type Gym, exclusive to one version

His Gym is the one in Stow-on-Side, and his type is Ghost. You only battle him in Pokémon Shield: the other version puts a Fighting-type specialist in his place.

His various teams cover the whole type, from his Gym battle to the tournaments in Wyndon: Gengar, Mimikyu, Polteageist, Chandelure, Dusknoir.

He adds Cursola and Runerigus, two species introduced in that generation, and his Gym team also includes a Galarian Yamask. His Gengar can Gigantamax, which gives his Gym battle its grand finale.

👻 Ghost-type Pokémon have their own section: browse our Pokémon plushies.

Ruins, graveyards, and a town that suits him

His hobbies match his specialty: he spends his free time in ruins or graveyards, the only places where he seems at ease.

Stow-on-Side gives him the perfect setting. It's a mountain town known for its ancient mural and its ruins, and its Stadium stands in the middle of a lake.

A spin-off game gave him two outfits, including a Halloween costume paired with an oversized Gourgeist — a seasonal look labeled "Fall 2022".

In the anime, a boy who talks to Ghost types

The anime presents him as a mysterious young boy from Stow-on-Side, the town's second Gym Leader, always masked to hide his face.

There, he gains an ability the games don't give him: he understands what Ghost-type Pokémon are saying. The mask then stops being an affectation and becomes a form of protection.

His first meeting with Ash is true to form. Jostled in a train station, he panics and runs off, dropping his train ticket — and it's while trying to give it back that Ash tracks him down.

Allister at a glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• In which version do you battle Allister?
  Only in Pokémon Shield. In Sword, the Stow-on-Side Gym is run by a Gym Leader who specializes in the Fighting type.
• Why does Allister wear a mask?
  Because he is shy and fearful, and rarely appears in public. He keeps it on whenever he isn't alone, and the anime has shown his face only once, in episode JN092.
• What Pokémon does Allister use?
  Teams made up entirely of Ghost-type Pokémon, which vary from battle to battle: Galarian Yamask, Mimikyu, Cursola and Gengar at the Stow-on-Side Gym, then Dusknoir, Chandelure, Polteageist or Runerigus in the Wyndon tournaments. His Gengar can Gigantamax.
• What does Allister do in his free time?
  He spends it in ruins and graveyards, which suits both his specialty and his need to stay out of the public eye.

In short

Allister is the best proof that Galar is about more than its stadiums. A gloomy town, a Gym that feels like a place of quiet reflection, and a masked child who prefers graveyards to grandstands. The anime makes him even more endearing by giving him the one explanation that was missing: he understands what Ghost types are saying.