10 Things You Didn’t Know About Cilan From Pokémon

Every new region that Ash explores throughout his journey in Pokémon brings with it new Pokémon to catch, new sights to see, and new companions for Ash to bond with. There’s also the possibility that an old companion will return and re-join the group, but it’s always exciting to see what kinds of people Ash’s new companions will be, what their personalities are like, and what their overall ambitions are.

One such companion is Cilan, one of the young trainers who accompanies Ash during his journey throughout Unova. Cilan is a Pokémon Connoisseur, as well as one of three Gym Leaders at the Striaton Gym. While he doesn’t stick around for as long as fan-favorites like Brock and Misty, there are still a lot of little details about his character that fans might have missed.

10 His Role In The Group Is Incredibly Similar To Brock

Cilan ends up taking on a role within the group that feels very similar to Brock. He’s the most mature out of the group and is the one who’s often seen preparing meals for everyone. Even his background is similar to Brock’s, as both of them are Gym Leaders who end up making the decision to travel with Ash.

Where Cilan differs from Brock is that he’s actually defeated by Ash during their first battle. It’s this loss that actually motivates Cilan to follow Ash, wanting to learn the secrets of his battle style, and he ends up tagging along with the group for the remainder of their Unova journey.

9 He Specializes In Identifying The Compatibility Between Trainers & Pokémon

Cilan is what’s known as a Pokémon Connoisseur, which is a special type of Trainer that isn’t well-known outside the region of Unova. Connoisseurs use their experience and knowledge of both trainers and Pokémon to assess how strong their bond really is.

Although not much is known about them, Connoisseurs are able to open their own shops if they’re A-Rank or higher. They can also use their training to determine which Pokémon would be best for a novice trainer, who’s yet to choose their partner and set out on their journey.

8 The Gym He & His Brothers Run Doubles As A Fancy Café

The Striaton City Gym immediately sets itself apart from any Gym that Ash has visited in the past, and it manages to do this in more than one way. For starters, whenever Trainers walk in the front doors, they’re greeted with a café rather than the standard Gym fare.

Even after Trainers make it to the actual Gym course of the experience, they’re greeted with another change. Instead of simply having one Gym Leader who all Trainers face, their opponent will differ based on the Trainer’s selection.

7 He Enjoys Toying With Others When He Gets The Chance

Although Cilan might not seem like it, he actually has a playful side, and he enjoys getting the chance to toy with others. He’s seen doing this whenever he first meets Ash, leading him to the Striaton Gym and seating him at one of the café tables. He purposefully keeps quiet and keeps the truth hidden for a short time.

Cilan seems to enjoy the obvious look of confusion on Ash’s face, who clearly has no idea what’s going on. It’s likely that Cilan doesn’t often have the opportunity to behave in such a way, and it’s a playful way to get acquainted with his potential challengers before they face off.

6 He Meets His Dwebble In A Rather Unconventional Way

Dwebble is one of Cilan’s trusted partner Pokémon, and the way that the two met is an incredibly different experience than most trainers have. Along with Ash and Iris, Cilan witnesses a Dwebble get its shell stolen by a group of thieving Dwebble.

The Pokémon episode plays out with the group devising a variety of different ways that they could help Dwebble, with one of Cilan’s plans ultimately being successful. It’s at this point that Dwebble actually urged Cilan to allow it to be part of his team, rather than the other way around.

5 He’s Kind To Even His Sworn Rivals

Cilan is an incredibly kind person overall, and this kindness is something that he extends even to rivals who outright hate him. This is best shown when he runs into Burgundy, a fellow Connoisseur with a chip on her shoulder after having been defeated by him.

Burgundy challenges Cilan to a battle. He accepts and easily defeats her once again. This causes her to decide to set off on her own journey, and even as she’s swearing her revenge on him, Cilan simply offers her good wishes and words of encouragement.

4 He’s Surprisingly Talented When It Comes To Fishing

Cilan is a character who’s talented in many fields, not just the ones that he’s shown to specialize in, as is common for characters in the Pokémon universe. One of the lesser-known skills that he possesses actually has to do with fishing, where he proves himself to be rather talented.

Cilan is able to confuse a Stunfisk before actually reeling it in for the catch, rendering it unable to fight back. He also manages to hook a Basculin during a fishing competition, but sadly, he doesn’t actually get scored since it’s a fake competition being hosted by Team Rocket.

3 He’s A Source Of Support For His Brothers

It’s not often that Cilan is seen with his brothers outside the Gym which they all run together. This makes Pokémon episodes like “A Call For Brotherly Love!” so important for showcasing the relationship that Cilan has with Chili and Cress.

Chili ends up leaving the Gym and seeking out Cilan after becoming disheartened with his own battle style. Cilan takes it upon himself to ensure that Chili regains his self-confidence, and he even helps his brother develop an all-new fighting style to help him better deal with disadvantageous matchups.

2 He’s A Logical Person Who Becomes Cowardly When Logic Fails

Cilan is a rational person who prefers using logic to solve problems and answer questions. However, whenever there’s something that he isn’t able to use logic to explain, he’s the first person to become a surprising scaredy-cat.

Cilan is generally afraid of the paranormal and is the first one out of the group to try to flee whenever he encounters something that can’t be explained by science. Funnily enough, in almost direct contrast with this, one of the things that excites him is the potential to see a U.F.O. landing.

1 He Has A Fear Of Purrloin That’s Never Explained

Out of all of the Pokémon in the series’ universe, it’s none other than Purrloin that’s able to strike fear into Cilan’s heart with only a single glance. He’s shown to be able to overcome this fear slightly with time, but it’s something he never truly gets over.

The reason for Cilan’s phobia is also never explained, aside from Cilan telling Ash and Iris that it was something he didn’t want to talk about. Aside from vaguely knowing that a Purrloin “did something terrible to him,” all viewers can do is speculate.