Family is one of the biggest themes of the Pokémon series, and it's not difficult to see why. The games focus on players building their team and bonding with their Pokémon during their journey through the Pokémon world, creating a family unit of sorts. These bonds are often contrasted with other types of families seen throughout the games, most notably between parent and child.
Whether they are major figures in the region or everyday people, the parents of Pokémon are different in how they relate to their children. What bonds the best parents of Pokémon, however, are their efforts to do right by their children.
Bianca's Father (Pokémon Black/White)
While he's not an outright terrible parent like Ghetsis, Lusamine, and Giovanni, Bianca's father's overprotective nature has driven a rift between him and his daughter. In Pokémon Black and White, he chases Bianca throughout Unova to try and convince her to give up on her Pokémon journey - not out of malice, but because he worries for her safety.
Thanks to a little intervention from Gym Leader Elesa, Bianca's father learns to trust in his daughter and let her take risks. He's nowhere near a perfect parent, but his willingness to accept his own shortcomings and apologize proves that he truly cares for Bianca.
Melony (Pokémon Sword/Shield)
While Pokémon Sword players are familiar with Gordie, the rock-type gym leader of Circhester, players of Pokémon Shield get to fight his mother Melony instead. A talented ice-type trainer, Melony expected her son to follow in her footsteps as a gym leader. When Gordie chose a different path, it heavily strained their relationship and tore the people of Circhester in half.
Just because Melony's relationship with Gordie is sour does not mean that she loves him any less. According to her rare league card, Melony is the founding member of her son's own fan club - proving that she cares for his success in her own curious way.
The Player's Mother (Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver)
Behind every Pokémon protagonist is a loving mother who's always there to her child and help them along their Pokémon journey. The mother in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver takes things a step further by teaching her child one of the most valuable life lessons: fiscal responsibility.
At the start of the game, the player can ask their mom to help them save up their money; should they do so, a quarter of their earnings from Trainer battles will go to Mom, where it can stay safe until the player withdraws any money they need. Not many parents are willing to help their children learn how to budget, but Mom goes beyond in order to see her child become both a great trainer and a responsible adult.
Koga (Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver)
Koga first debuted in Pokémon Red and Blue as the gym leader of Fuchsia City and a poison-type specialist; by Pokémon Gold and Silver, however, Koga had ascended the ranks of the Indigo League and became a member of the Elite Four. His gym in Fuchsia City was left in the care of his young daughter Janine.
The remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver allow a small glimpse into the lives of Koga and Janine. Players can catch Janine on her way to and from bringing her father his lunch and overhear an argument with Falkner where Janine proclaims her dad to be the world's best trainer. Based on how much Janine idolizes her father, it's clear that underneath Koga's stoic exterior is a loving father.
Grace (Pokémon X/Y)
Of the protagonist's mothers, Grace is one of the few to not only have a name but a backstory as well. In her prime, Grace was an accomplished Rhyhorn racer. She's always willing to share stories of her past, and her partner Rhyhorn gives the player a goodbye sendoff before they start their journey.
Grace appears in the anime as well, where she tries to get her daughter Serena to follow in her footsteps. When Serena begins to forge her own path, however, Grace doesn't hesitate to wish her daughter the best. As happy as she would be if Serena become a Rhyhorn racer herself, Grace understands that Serena's journey is her own to take and that her happiness comes first.
Professor Cedric (Pokémon Black/White/B2W2)
Cedric Juniper is the father of Aurea Juniper, the main professor of the Unova region, and a Pokémon researcher in his own right. In the Generation 5 games, Cedric helps the player and his daughter investigate the ruins and myths of the Unova region, as well as put a stop to Team Plasma's nefarious plans.
Outside of his story role, Cedric appears to be the man who inspired Professor Juniper's interest in researching Pokémon. He speaks highly of his daughter and her research, and always makes a point to mention that Professor Juniper told him good things about the player character. The two professors have a good relationship with one another, even as colleagues in the same field.
Miyamoto (Pokémon Anime)
An original character to the anime, Miyamoto is the mother of Team Rocket's Jessie. Like her daughter, Miyamoto worked as a member of the criminal organization; however, her primary motivation was to her young daughter through poverty. She was once close friends with Madame Boss, the former leader of Team Rocket, who understood her situation and helped bring up Jessie.
From glimpses into Jessie's memories, Miyamoto cared for her young daughter and was incredibly sympathetic despite her criminal background. She tragically vanished on a mission to find Mew and was never heard from again.
Professor Kukui (Pokémon Anime)
Professor Kukui is one of the most beloved characters in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, and he is most known for his sunny disposition and wholesome marriage with fellow Pokémon professor Burnet. The Pokémon anime expands on their marriage as viewers watch their relationship develop, even getting to see their wedding on screen.
Kukui and Burnet's arc culminates with the birth of their son, Lei, who Ash meets when he returns to Alola. The two new parents seem to be closer than ever thanks to Lei, and fans don't doubt that Kukui will make a great father to his son.
Delia Ketchum (Pokémon Anime)
No list of Pokémon parents would be complete without Delia Ketchum, the mother of anime protagonist Ash. As a single mother, she gave up on her own Pokémon journey to bring up her son in Pallet Town. While she usually stays at home with her companion Mimey, Delia often comes to visit Ash and his friends on his journey.
In turn, Ash shows plenty of affection to his mother in return, even rescuing her from Entei in the Pokémon movie Spell of the Unown. The two of them enjoy a healthy mother-son relationship and Delia is amongst Ash's friends as one of his biggest ers.
Norman (Pokémon Masters EX)
Norman was first introduced to players in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as the normal-type gym leader of Hoenn and the only father to be present in the protagonist's life. It wasn't until Pokémon Masters EX, however, that players got a better taste of Norman as a dad rather than a gym leader.
In Masters, Norman regularly battles by the side of his son Brendan in various events. He speaks highly of his son's accomplishments and is always there to give Brendan words of encouragement; in one event, he even gives Lusamine sound parenting advice of his own. After years of fandom memes about Norman being a worse dad than the villains, it's refreshing to see him portrayed as an attentive and loving father instead.
