Trial Captain

A Trial Captain (Japanese: キャプテン Captain) is a person who designs and presides over a certain island challenge trial and gives guidance to participating s. All of the Trial Captains have previously completed their own island challenge a few years prior. They retire from their position when they turn 20. Like Gym Leaders, they specialize in certain types of. They can be identified by the flower-shaped adornment they wear someplace on their bodies, each with a different colored jewel to represent their specialized type. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, there are seven Trial Captains who each preside over a trial in the island challenge, although as shown by the Vast Poni Canyon trial, a trial can exist in a functional form without a Captain to preside over it.

Normally, Captains are chosen by the island's Kahuna. However, in special circumstances, they may be chosen by the previous Captain, as was the case when Molayne chose Sophocles to succeed him after retiring.

All Trial Captains (except Lana, who uses s) keep their Pokémon in s.

In the anime
In the, trialgoers can freely challenge a Totem Pokémon without having someone to supervise them. As a result, trials are not presided by Trial Captains. However,, , , and have appeared as students of the Pokémon School and  of. They all debuted in Alola to New Adventure!.

Ilima debuted in Turning Heads and Training Hard! as a graduate of the Pokémon School.

Acerola debuted in Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime? as a girl living in a library on Ula'ula Island. Like in the, she has a close relationship with Nanu. She also provided support for Ash with his Ula'ula Island grand trial.

Mina debuted in The Shape of Love to Come! as a wandering artist. With the assistance of her, Mina can detect the emotions of both humans and Pokémon.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Lana, Kiawe, and Mallow are the first Trial Captains to appear in Pokémon Adventures, debuting in Going Ashore and Neighboring Akala Island. The three are initially reluctant to recognize as a trialgoer, but soon Sun and Kiawe bond with each other upon learning that both of them have the same goal of saving money for a certain purpose. Lana, still unconvinced, leads Sun to Brooklet Hill for her trial. Eventually Sun manages to complete Lana's trial by calming the local Totem Pokémon, earning her respect.

While Sun and Lana travel to Brooklet Hill, and Mallow head to Lush Jungle to find the special Mirage Berry meant to be delivered for the guardian deities of Alola. After witnessing a battling  in the sky above the forest, the two start searching for the Mirage Berry, which they eventually find with the help of the local wild Pokémon.

Later, after Professor Kukui's boat is attacked by a wild, Sun and Moon are saved and brought to the Aether House, where they meet Trial Captain Acerola, who tasks Sun with clearing her trial at the. Sun eventually clears the trial by befriending the local Totem Pokémon, a, which he even and adds to his team.

Ilima, the sole Trial Captain of Melemele Island, later joins Acerola, the Trial Captains of Akala, and Hau in traveling to Po Town to talk with Team Skull. However, when they arrive at Team Skull's base, they are surrounded and attacked by a group of Ultra Beasts, which are soon revealed to have been summoned by a in Guzma's possession. The Ultra Beasts eventually break out of Po Town and start rampaging around Ula'ula Island, forcing Molayne and Sophocles to start evacuating people to the Hokulani Observatory.

Trivia

 * In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Trial Captains use the Trainer battle theme from Pokémon Sun and Moon, instead of the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon version of said theme.