Trip is a Pokémon photographer and a beginning Pokémon Trainer. His Japanese name is likely derived from "shooting pictures". He started off his journey at
Professor Juniper lab and selected Tsutarja as his starter Pokémon. He was introduced to
Ash Ketchum while he was there.
The two of them decided to have a battle but
Ash Ketchum and
Ash's Pikachu lost to
Trip and Tsutarja and so the rivalry began.
Battle with Chili
Cilan explained to
Ash Ketchum and
Iris that
Trip's Servine battled
Chili won against
Chili's Pansear to get the Tri Badge.
Trip's Servine had a type disadvantage in that battle, so the fact it was able to overcome that to win, proved to
Cilan that
Trip was a strong trainer.
Encounter with Alder as a Child
When
Trip was little, he went to watch
Alder battle against a Trainer's Herdier. During
Ash Ketchum and
Trip's Three-on-Three battle,
Trip was annoyed that he wasn't going to be strong enough to face the champion.
Ash Ketchum had never heard of
Alder and
Iris was quick to tell him that everyone in the Unova region longs to battle him including
Trip.
Trip then remembered his experience with
Alder.
Alder gave
Trip some Pokémon food to feed his Buffron when he noticed
Trip was a bit hesitant around it.
Alder asked
Trip what his dream was to which
Trip replied that he wanted to become the Champion.
Alder promised
Trip to defend the title of Champion until the day that he challenged him.
Don Battle against Dent
In the first round of the Don Battles in Raimon Town,
Cilan was faced up against
Trip.
Cilan's Dwebble was matched up against
Trip's Gurdurr. Through most of the battle,
Cilan's Dwebble struggled to keep up against
Trip's Gurdurr who had evolved recently and was now stronger.
Trip's Gurdurr actually cracked
Cilan's Dwebble's shell with a powerful
Rock Smash and left it a bit dazed. As
Trip's Gurdurr was going in to finish it off,
Cilan surprised
Trip by ordering Dwebble to use
Rock Slide which ended up trapping
Trip's Gurdurr under tons of large rocks. With
Trip's Gurdurr struggling to get free from the rocks,
Cilan's Dwebble finished it off with a
Slash attack, eliminating
Trip from the tournament and advancing
Cilan to the second round.
Encounter with Alder in Raimon City
Trip had heard that
Alder was in the area and had gone to see if he could find him.
Alder did show up and he did remember
Trip but called him 'Shootaro' which
Trip initially shook off as it had been awhile.
Trip wasn't impressed with
Alder after he gave up his battle with
Ash Ketchum and then told
Trip he'd battle him another time as he was too tired and hungry.
Trip accepted the answer but he decided to ask
Alder a question about his goals and studies to make sure he was doing the right thing.
Trip recited the advice
Alder had told him as a child: "The more battles you have, the stronger you'll get." to which
Alder was surprised that he had given advice about strength like that and was surprised he'd ever said something like that.
Trip got mad and decided to follow the path he believed in in order to become the Champion. He vowed to prove everyone including
Alder that being the strongest Trainer is was being a Champion is about.
Battle Against Ash Ketchum at the Isshu League
Trip participated in the Isshu League in the preliminary match where he was matched up against
Ash Ketchum.
Trip's Serperior was sent out to battle
Ash's Pikachu and
Cilan noted that
Trip's Serperior's speed and its attack power had leveled up quite a bit too since the last time they saw it. The match was pretty one sided for a long time as
Ash's Pikachu wasn't able to counter
Trip's Serperior speed and ended up getting wrapped up. After using
Iron Tail on the ground to get loose,
Ash's Pikachu used a combination attack of
Iron Tail and
Electro Ball to one hit KO
Trip's Serperior. As a result,
Trip was eliminated from the Isshu League and
Ash Ketchum advanced to the next round. The two met in the Pokémon Center after the battle, and
Trip vowed that the next time they met that he would win. The two shook hands and parted ways.