How Flannery's Pokémon Story Mirrors Women's Struggles & Progress (RSE)

In honor of Women's History Month, we’re diving into the influential roles women have played in the core Pokémon games. From strong Pokemon Trainers to Gym Leaders and Elite Four members, women have helped shape the Pokémon world we know today. Join us as we explore how these female characters were not only shaped by the times they were introduced but also reflected the roles, challenges, and triumphs of women in the real world. We travel across north to Lavaridge Town to take a trip to the hot springs. Before that, it's time for Flannery, "One with a fiery passion that burns!"

Gym Leader Flannery - Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire

"Welcome... No, wait. Puny Trainer, how good to see you've made it here! I have been entrusted with the... No, wait. I am Flannery, and I'm the Gym Leader here! Uh... Dare not underestimate me, though I have been Leader only a short time! With skills inherited from my grandfather, I shall, uh...demonstrate the hot moves we have honed on this land!"

Flannery, the fourth Gym Leader in Hoenn, is a Fire-type specialist known for her fiery personality. Flannery is unique among Gym Leaders because she is new to the role, having inherited her position from her grandfather. This reflects a common struggle among young women with the pressure to succeed in leadership roles while being judged for inexperience. Her nervousness is clear in her dialogue when you visit her to challenge her gym. Her inner-conflict on how to speak to challengers reflects the real-world struggles of young women often feeling pressure to prove themselves while staying true to their identity. As women were stepping into leadership roles, breaking away from traditional gender roles that expected them to be reserved and subordinate, they were walking into a culture accustomed to male leadership.

Flannery, similar to Janine, represents the tension between upholding tradition (her grandfather’s legacy) and forging her own path (her unique battle style). Her character embodies the ambition and struggles of young professional women striving for recognition in a society that still held rigid expectations and had grown accustomed to male authority.

Flannery's Slugma

Flannery’s two Slugma have moves that reflect her growth and uncertainty. Flannery’s early battle strategy mirrors the struggles of young women trying to establish themselves in leadership roles. While ambitious, still learning to refine their skills and navigate social expectations.

Slugma reinforces the need for sustaining passion and energy in an environment that nurtures growth. Just as Slugma must stay near magma to remain mobile, women needed spaces, sometimes safe spaces as seen with Erika's Gym, where they could freely express ambition and determination without being forced to conform to restrictive societal norms. Flannery, as a Gym Leader, is still finding her footing, much like how many women were navigating newfound opportunities while still facing the risk of being ‘cooled down’ by traditional expectations. This suggests that for women to truly thrive, they must surround themselves with communities and workplaces that encourage their progress rather than limit it.

Flannery’s use of Slugma in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire introduces a more volatile, adaptable energy, reflecting the challenges and resilience of women in rigid societal structures.

Overheat represents burnout and the immense pressure placed on women in leadership. While Flannery is determined to prove herself, this move lowers Special Attack after use, symbolizing how women who push themselves too hard, whether in corporate settings or societal expectations, face exhaustion or criticism if they falter.

Smog, which can poison opponents, symbolizes the obstacles, confusion, and resistance women faced as they sought greater independence and societal recognition. Smog, as a move, creates a cloud that obscures vision and poisons opponents, making it an apt metaphor for the struggles women encountered when challenging traditional norms. Smog, in this sense, represents the social haze that surrounded women's ambitions—whether it was discriminatory workplace practices, cultural expectations of marriage and family, or simply the lack of visible female role models in leadership positions. Women had to push through the metaphorical "smog" to make their way forward, proving that they could succeed despite the lack of clarity and the toxic pushback from traditionalist views. In Flannery’s case, as a young, new Gym Leader struggling to establish herself, her Slugma’s use of Smog reflect her own challenges in proving her worth. Similarly, women had to fight through their own obstacles, often dealing with uncertainty and resistance while striving for recognition and success.

Light Screen reflects the protective barriers women often build to shield themselves from criticism. It highlights self-preservation tactics in a society that sometimes discourages outspoken or ambitious women. Sunny Day, which boosts Fire-type moves, represents Flannery’s passionate and fiery personality, as well as how women have had to create their own opportunities to thrive rather than waiting for societal changes to favor them.

When analyzing Flannery's 2nd Slugma, we see Flannery take an almost entirely different approach, which leads to a different interpretation. Flamethrower, a more controlled and sustainable version of Overheat, represents long-term persistence rather than short bursts of intense effort. It reflects women learning to channel their ambition and energy in a way that prevents burnout, showing growth in leadership and self-confidence over time. This reflects how women have learned to apply consistent, calculated pressure to societal norms over time.

Rock Slide is a force of change led by women themselves. While a single rock may not cause much damage, such as a Rock Throw from Roxanne's Pokemon, a collective movement of many rocks create an unstoppable landslide that may cause an opponent's Pokemon to flinch. This reflects how women have made progress through persistent, collective efforts, such as:

• Shifting cultural norms: Challenging traditional expectations of women’s roles in family and work.
• Generational influence: Younger women learning from past struggles and advocating for more inclusive policies.
• Bodily Autonomy: Pushing for rights to make informed decisions about their own body and health without coercion or interference.

This interpretation of Rock Slide aligns with the gradual yet powerful social changes women have been making, proving that even seemingly immovable structures can erode over time when enough pressure is applied.

Light Screen, appearing in both movesets, reinforces the idea that women in leadership must constantly defend themselves against doubt and scrutiny. Meanwhile, Sunny Day, appearing in both movesets, signifies that women have worked to create environments where their ambitions can thrive, rather than merely adapting to preexisting conditions.

Flannery having two different Slugma with distinct movesets reflects the dual expectations placed on women stepping into leadership roles. As a new Gym Leader, Flannery is uncertain and still finding her identity, much like how women navigating careers or public roles often faced contradictory pressures. 

One Slugma, with Overheat and Smog, represents the intense, fiery passion of young women trying to prove themselves, but also the risk of burnout and societal pushback. Overheat’s powerful but self-damaging effect reflects how women who were too assertive or ambitious often faced harsh criticism and pressure to conform. Smog symbolizes societal biases that cloud women’s progress, making it harder for them to establish authority. Light Screen and Sunny Day in both movesets suggest the need for protection and self-created opportunities in a world that was not always welcoming to women in leadership.

The second Slugma, with Flamethrower and Rock Slide, represents a more controlled and strategic approach, reflecting how women often had to balance ambition with adaptability. Flamethrower is a consistent, reliable move, showing how women learned to channel their passion in a sustainable way rather than burning out. Rock Slide introduces the idea of navigating unexpected challenges, much like how women in leadership had to face societal obstacles and push for slow but steady progress.

The fact that Flannery has two different Slugma suggests that women were not expected to follow a single path to success—some had to be bold and take risks, while others needed to be patient and strategic. Flannery’s uncertainty as a Gym Leader mirrors this struggle between breaking boundaries and maintaining stability, reflecting the complex realities of being a woman.

Flannery's Torkoal

Flannery’s Torkoal is her signature Pokémon, carrying moves that reflect stability, resilience, and confidence. Torkoal represents the resilience and persistence of women who push through obstacles while still balancing societal expectations; growing stronger and more strategic over time. Much like a locomotive, which must constantly burn fuel to stay in motion, women often had to keep pushing forward, carrying the burden of both societal and personal expectations. The locomotive's horn-like sound symbolize the voices of women advocating for change, demanding recognition in the workplace and society. Flannery’s Torkoal, as her signature Pokémon, represents the slow but powerful movement of women asserting themselves in spaces where they were once excluded, reflecting both their struggles and their growing influence in society.

Flannery’s Torkoal and its moveset reflect the challenges, expectations, and strategies women faced while asserting themselves in leadership roles. Overheat is a powerful but self-damaging move, symbolizing how women often had to work harder than men to prove themselves, sometimes at the cost of their own well-being. As we discovered with Clair, women who aimed high often faced immense pressure to perform flawlessly with long hours and the stress from the expectations of needing perfectionism to be validated as leaders. However, just as Overheat weakens the user after use, this constant effort could lead to burnout, exhaustion, or societal pushback if a woman was seen as "too ambitious."

Body Slam symbolizes the weight of societal expectations placed upon them and their struggle to push forward despite these pressures. Women have traditionally been expected to balance family responsibilities, career ambitions, and social obligations, often with little institutional support. Body Slam, a move that relies on sheer physical force, reflects how women had to exert tremendous effort just to be recognized in spaces traditionally dominated by men, whether in the workplace, politics, or leadership roles.

However, Body Slam also has the potential to paralyze opponents, which symbolize how persistent efforts by women could challenge and disrupt rigid societal norms. Women who pushed against limitations, whether through advocacy, professional achievements, or social activism, often forced institutions to respond and adapt, much like how Body Slam forces opponents into a state of immobility. This mirrors the gradual yet impactful changes women have made over time, proving that their presence and persistence could not be ignored.

Flail becomes more powerful when the user is at low health, reflecting how women often had to fight hardest when they were at their most vulnerable. This mirrors the resilience and determination of women, particularly those who faced discrimination or setbacks in their careers. In a society where women’s success could be hindered by rigid gender norms, many had to push through adversity, even when the odds seemed against them, much like Flannery, who struggles with the weight of her new role but refuses to back down.

Attract, which only affects Pokémon of the opposite gender, can be seen as a reflection of how women had to navigate gendered expectations in social and professional spaces. Traditionally,  society has emphasized qualities like grace, politeness, and modesty in women, often framing these traits as necessary for success in social interactions and relationships. In this context, Attract symbolizes how women were often expected to use traditional femininity to their advantage, whether in securing job positions, negotiating within a male-dominated workplace, or balancing leadership with societal expectations of being "approachable" and "agreeable."

However, Attract also has a strategic element, suggesting that women found ways to work within societal expectations to gain influence and success. While some women embraced traditional roles, others subtly redefined these roles by blending femininity with ambition and independence, using societal norms to advance their own goals rather than be confined by them. This duality mirrors the reality for many women—adapting to existing expectations while steadily reshaping them for future generations.

Flannery represents young women’s inexperience and struggle to prove themselves. Moves like Overheat symbolize the tendency to overextend and burn out under pressure. Women face many challenges entering leadership roles such as balancing expectations, self-doubt, and ambition. The struggles of proving oneself in a world that questions women’s authority and competence, like Flannery herself, is a challenge many women face and have learned to endure, adapt, and thrive, despite the challenges they faced. 

"Oh... I guess I was trying too hard... I... I've only recently become a Gym Leader. I tried too hard to be someone I'm not. I have to do things my natural way. If I don't, my Pokémon will be confused. Thanks for teaching me that. For that, you deserve this."

Flannery’s character, like many women, discover the answer to these challenges when entering leadership roles is by embracing their own unique strengths.

Be yourself.

Questions:

1) What do you like most about Flannery as a Gym Leader?

2) What does Flannery’s nervousness and uncertainty when you first meet her tell us about the pressures women face in new leadership positions?

3) What Fire-type Pokemon would you add to Flannery's Pokemon Team?

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