Nando

Nando (Japanese: ナオシ Naoshi) is a recurring character who appeared in the Pokémon anime. He is a wandering who enjoys music and as such always carries his golden harp with him.

History
Nando debuted in Dawn Of A New Era!. At the time, he was confused as to whether he should challenge Gyms or compete in Pokémon Contests. Trying to decide between the two, he battled both and  with his, which evolved into  during his  with Ash. Afterwards, Nando decided to go after both Badges and Ribbons.

He appeared again in A Secret Sphere of Influence!, where he was falsely arrested after being accused of the theft of the Adamant Orb from the Eterna Historical Museum. He revealed to Ash and his friends that he had won both his first Ribbon in a Contest as well as the from Gardenia. Under questioning from Officer Jenny, he insisted that he was innocent of the theft. Once was identified as the true culprits and the Orb was recovered, he was released. After being exonerated of the crime, he explained the mythology behind the Adamant Orb to Ash and his friends, citing from the Sinnoh myths.

Nando reappeared in Dawn's Early Night!, where he met up with Ash,, and Dawn at the front door of Hearthome Gym. He informed that that Hearthome City's Gym Leader was absent and would be away for some time, then suggested that Ash enter the famous Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition. Nando, however, declined to enter the competition himself. Later, he walked with Dawn towards the Contest Hall, where he met Zoey for the first time. When Nando introduced himself as both a and a, Zoey said he needed to make up his mind, to which he replied that  guide him. He later entered the Contest, which was held under the Double Performance format. During the Performance Stage, Nando used his and  to deliver a music-themed performance, which impressed the Contest Judges enough for them to secure him a place among the Coordinators proceeding to the Battle Stage. There, he managed to defeat Jessilina to advance to the final round, where he faced off against Zoey and won. This victory gave Nando his second Contest Ribbon.

Nando made a cameo appearance in A Breed Stampede! alongside in Marian's news report about Coordinators. It was revealed in the report that he won his fourth Ribbon during a Pokémon Contest in Beach Rose Town.

After a long absence, he appeared again in Last Call — First Round! as a participant in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. He made it past the Performance Stage and quickly reached the Top 4 as seen in Coming Full-Festival Circle!. In the said episode, he fought a hard battle against Zoey with his Lopunny and Kricketune, even impressing Fantina a lot with their combinations; however, Zoey eventually won the battle. In the same episode, Nando was seen playing music to the Pokémon around the area. He made a brief appearance in the following episode watching Dawn and Zoey compete in the finals and then again after the Grand Festival had finished announcing that he was going to compete in the Sinnoh League.

Nando appeared in An Old Family Blend!, where he attended the opening ceremony of the Lily of the Valley Conference alongside the other participants. When the first round match-ups were revealed, he was assigned as Ash's first opponent. In the following episode, he faced Ash in a three-on-three Single Battle. Though he fought with his own tactics and battle style, he was defeated and eliminated from the competition. After the battle, he bade Ash, Brock, and Dawn farewell, telling them that he would continue his journey and keep training.

Nando made a cameo appearance in the ending credits of Zoroark: Master of Illusions.

Character
Nando's character can be easily described as calm and collected. Even in the most tense of situations, such as being arrested for a crime he did not commit, he will always look to the positive side. He enjoys music and his favorite pastime is to play his harp for anyone who will care to listen, whether they be human or, in hopes of spreading the tranquility he feels inside to others. This personality trait is also reflected in his choice of Pokémon and even the Seals he uses in Pokémon Contests.

Even if Nando encounters a Trainer that has hostility towards him, such as Zoey, he will still treat that Trainer with the utmost respect. As seen in Dawn of a New Era!, Nando likes to be a peace maker, helping Ash and Dawn settle their differences on whether battling or coordinating are better than one another.

Pokémon
Nando tends to choose Pokémon with some sort of musical ability which fits his musical style. He seems to favor Bug- and Pokémon and he likes to use  during his performances and battles. Nando's Pokémon are also known for being able to exhibit both beauty and strength.

This listing is of Nando's known that may or may not be on hand:

Badges obtained
This listing is of the Badges Nando has obtained:
 * (prior to A Secret Sphere of Influence!)
 * (prior to Last Call — First Round!)
 * (prior to Last Call — First Round!)
 * (prior to Last Call — First Round!)
 * (prior to Last Call — First Round!)
 * Two unknown Badges (prior to Last Call — First Round!)
 * Unknown Badge (prior to An Old Family Blend!)

Pokémon League ranking
Nando has competed in the following Pokémon League Conferences:
 * Lily of the Valley Conference - Top 64 (League Unleashed!)

Ribbons obtained
This listing is of the Ribbons Nando has obtained:
 * Unknown Ribbon (prior to A Secret Sphere of Influence!)
 * Ribbon (Dawn's Early Night!)
 * Unknown Ribbon (prior to A Breed Stampede!)
 * Ribbon (prior to A Breed Stampede!)
 * Unknown Ribbon (prior to Last Call — First Round!)

Grand Festival ranking
Nando has competed in the following Grand Festivals:
 * Sinnoh Grand Festival - Top 4 (Coming Full-Festival Circle!)

Trivia

 * Nando's golden harp, which he carries with him, is shaped like a.
 * The harp he holds during Pokémon Contests is shaped as two Mew joined at toe and tail.
 * Nando shares his two unknown Badges with two of 's three unknown Badges.
 * Unlike other s who tend to wear formal clothing when competing, Nando's regular Contest outfit is simply his regular outfit with a few attachments. He also used a larger harp incorporating two Mew instead of one.
 * Nando is the only male character to make it to the Top 4 of the Sinnoh Grand Festival.

Related articles

 * Images on the Bulbagarden Archives
 * Images on the Bulbagarden Archives

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