Raymond: The Trainer Crushed in the First Movie's Opening
1106 words | Reading time: 5 minutes
His defeat lasts as long as the opening credits. Raymond appears in only a handful of shots in the franchise's first feature film, where he crosses Ash's path just before the story turns to Mewtwo. The battle he loses isn't an episode: it's the film's opening sequence, and it serves to remind viewers which side the hero is on.
Contents
- A Duel That Doubles as the Opening Sequence
- Donphan, Machamp, Then Three Pokémon at Once
- Two Departures from the Type Chart
- A Name Borrowed from the Voice Cast, and No Second Appearance
- Raymond at a Glance
- Frequently Asked Questions
A Duel That Doubles as the Opening Sequence
Raymond steps forward while Ash's group has stopped to prepare a meal. He issues his challenge, and the film moves straight on: the battle plays out during the opening credits, before the main plot has even begun.
The moment characterizes Ash far more than his opponent. Seconds before the challenger shows up, the hero was claiming to be too exhausted to do anything; the mere prospect of a match is enough to get him back on his feet.
The sources give Raymond neither a stated ambition nor a story arc: all we know of him is a region, Kanto, and an occupation, Pokémon Trainer. He plays the foil, the anonymous Trainer whose job is to show what shape the hero is in at the very start of the film.
Donphan, Machamp, Then Three Pokémon at Once
The exchange opens with a Donphan, which is already a casting curiosity: the species belongs to the second generation and slips into a film whose world is still that of Kanto. Ash knocks it out with no trouble at all.
The Machamp that steps in next doesn't hold out any longer. Raymond then changes tactics and sends out three Pokémon at once, hoping numbers will make up the difference — a single attack from Pikachu takes down all three.
The contrast is all the sharper because all of his known species are at their final evolutionary stage and yet each one falls in a single hit. He recalls his partners and runs off the field, clearly caught off guard by the scale of the rout.
⚡ One attack was all it took: browse the section Pikachu.
Two Departures from the Type Chart
His Machamp faces Ash's Squirtle and loses. Yet the same matchup had gone Machamp's way when Giovanni had entrusted his own to Jessie: two opposite outcomes for an identical matchup.
Another departure from the rules of the games: his Golem is knocked out by an Electric-type attack from Pikachu, an outcome the video game type chart doesn't allow. The anime and the movies don't always follow that chart to the letter.
The final trio isn't the same from one version to the other, either. Battle records give two lineups: Pinsir, Golem and Venomoth in the first, Pinsir, Drowzee and Venomoth in the second, with Drowzee taking the spot left by Golem.
A Name Borrowed from the Voice Cast, and No Second Appearance
The character shares his name with the actor who plays him: Raymond Johnson voices him in the Japanese version. For a role that fits in a single scene, that's about the only biographical detail available.
In French, it's in the remake Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution that the role goes to Pierre Lebec, a voice franchise regulars will recognize: it's also the voice of Red, Alain and Goh. Three characters with far more screen time than this opening challenger.
Beyond this scene, he has only one other known appearance: the remake, where the same battle is replayed. Raymond belongs to that category of one-shot Trainers whose only reason to exist is to lose.
Raymond at a Glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Trainer met at the very start of the first feature film |
| First appearance | His battle against Ash plays over the opening credits |
| Opponent | Ash, with Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Pikachu |
| Known Pokémon | Donphan, Machamp, Pinsir, Golem, Venomoth, Drowzee |
| Claim to fame | Three Pokémon sent out together, beaten by a single attack |
| Distinctive trait | All his species are at their final evolutionary stage, except the remake's Drowzee |
| Voice | Raymond Johnson in Japanese, Pierre Lebec in French |
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Who is Raymond in the Pokémon movies?
A Trainer met at the very start of the first feature film. He challenges Ash while the group is preparing a meal, loses very quickly, and their battle serves as the film's opening sequence. -
Which Pokémon does Raymond use?
A Donphan and then a Machamp to start the match, followed by a trio made up of Pinsir, Venomoth and — depending on the version of the film — a Golem or a Drowzee. -
Why does Raymond lose so quickly?
Because the battle is a showcase for Ash. Each of his Pokémon is knocked out by a single attack, even though all his species are at their final evolutionary stage. -
Does Raymond appear anywhere else in the franchise?
He doesn't return in any episode of the series, but he reappears in a second feature film: the remake Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, where the same battle is replayed with a Drowzee in place of the Golem. -
Where does Raymond's name come from?
It matches the name of his Japanese voice actor, Raymond Johnson. In the French version, he is voiced by Pierre Lebec, who is also heard as Red, Alain and Goh.
In short
Raymond has just one scene, and it isn't even his: it sets up Ash before Mewtwo takes the stage. What remains is a curious battle, where fully evolved Pokémon each fall in one hit and a Golem gives way to electricity. Opening credits rarely remember the name of the Trainer who loses in them.