Guest post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokémon Anime Franchise

Introverted Sensing (Si): Memories of Paul’s past dominate his present.  His overwhelming and overbearing emphasis on having a team of powerful Pokemon comes from a crushing defeat of his brother, Reggie, that he personally witnessed.  Paul remembers the details of how and when he captured each of his Pokemon, and recounts different circumstances when they are relevant.  In deciding whether to keep a newly caught Pokemon on his team, Paul goes by two criteria: what moves the Pokemon knows and past battling results, and he makes sure to find out everything he can about a newly caught Pokemon before deciding to train it.  Although he will not hesitate to release any Pokemon who fails to make the cut in either category, he makes an exception for his Chimchar, who has already demonstrated unusual power; he puts in a great effort to unlock this power for a long time before finally giving up.  Although Paul has a low opinion of Reggie as a trainer, he uses Reggie’s help to train his own Pokemon.  Paul is very hierarchically aware, and his respect is mostly reserved for those who are above him on the social ladder (e.g. his elders, battle referees, and trainers who have bested him).

Extroverted Thinking (Te): Paul has no problem giving commands; in fact, his communication with his Pokemon consists of little else.  He has high standards for himself and his Pokemon, and any of his Pokemon that loses a battle faces a harsh castigation – or sometimes worse.  If a Pokemon consistently (or sometimes less than consistently) fails to meet his standards, Paul has no issue with releasing it.  Paul’s battling style is conventional, efficient, and often brutal; he focuses heavily on results, and does not mind if one of his Pokemon gets hurt in the process of winning.  When Reggie was shut out in a battle and was imparted by his opponent to find his “inner strength,” Paul took this order to heart, committing to a regimen of diligence and hard work as a trainer.

Introverted Feeling (Fi): Paul is aware of his feelings even though he does not usually express them.  He doesn’t like Ash, and he knows exactly why: his rival reminds him too much of his brother.  His emotions never show on his face except under pressure, and even then, Paul never lets them dictate his actions (except in his battle against Brandon).  There are a few insults that touch Paul’s nerves; when he first meets Ash, he only agrees to a battle when Ash asks if he’s too cowardly to do so.  Paul does not care if others think he is too hardheaded or severe in his training; for him, every win proves that he is doing the right thing.

Extroverted Intuition (Ne): Paul can use unorthodox tactics in his battles – but only after he sees someone else use them first.  After seeing a tactic, such as Ash’s “counter shield,” used to great effect, he can adapt it to one of his own Pokemon.  Paul does not bother predicting his opponent’s next move during a battle, instead opting to prepare for everything that can potentially turn the battle against him, and developing a counter-strategy for each situation.