Yeah, the professors were more obvious. But after that list of gym leaders…just wow.
Is this information on line or are you too a translator?
日本語で聞けばよかったが、もし分からなかったらドン引きさせたくないし…　ああ、もう書いちゃった…w

wow, that’s a really compelling list.
“Takeshi=Take/Bamboo” was a bit of a long shot, but since it would match all the others I guess it would have to be. O__O
The Kyou and Anzu thing was an amazing example of foreshowing. I wasn’t even aware Anzu could be read as Kyou until just now! (albeit only in compounds).

In fact, a hell lot of characters are named after plants in Japanese. That includes Professors, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, major characters like Baoba…

Brock=Takeshi (take = bamboo), Misty=Kasumi (kasumiso = baby’s-breath), Surge=Matis (clematis), Erika (Erica genus, heathers), Koga=Kyo (one reading for the “apricot” kanji), Janine=Anzu (the other one), Sabrina=Natsume (jujube), Blaine=Katsura (Japanese Judas tree), Giovanni=Sakaki (Cleyera japonica, an Asian tree)

Falkner=Hayato (chayote), Bugsy=Tsukishi (horsetail), Whitney=Akane (madder), Morty=Matsuba (pine needle), Chuck=Shijima (Haworthia), Jasmine=Mikan (tangerine), Pryce=Yanagi (willow), Clair=Ibuki (Chinese juniper)

Roxanne=Tsutsuji (Rhododendron), Brawly=Touki (Angelica acutiloba), Wattson=Tessen (another name for clematis), Flannery=Asuna (Thujopsis), Norman=Senri (senri-goma, Rehmannia japonica), Winona=Nagi (Nageia nagi), Tate/Liza=Fuu/Ran (a type of orchid), Wallace=Mikuri (Sparganiaceae), Juan=Adan (Thatch Screwpine)

Roark=Hyoutan (calabash gourd), Gardenia=Natane (rapeseed), Maylene=Sumomo (Japanese plum), Wake=Maxi (Maxillaria), Byron=Tougan (wax gourd), Candice=Suzuna (turnip), Volkner=Denji (denjiso, European waterclover)

Cilan=Dent (dent corn), Chili=Pod (pod corn), Cress=Corn (…), Lenora=Aloe (…), Bugsy=Arti (artichoke), Elesa=Kamitsure (chamomile), Clay=Yacon (yacón), Skyla=Fuuro (geranium), Brycen=Hachiku (henon), Drayden=Shaga (Japanese iris), Iris (…)

I wasn’t kidding, they’re all plant references. The only exceptions are Blue (who’s named Green in the Japanese version, that also makes one think of plants lol) and Fantina/Melissa.

^JHN you’re so right I loved starraptor excuse my spelling but i loved using close combat and its other move my favorite non legend bird type!

You mean all gym-leaders in this particular region are named after plants right?
I always thought Arti was the exception, unless it comes from Artichoke or something.
Shizui and Homika are both plants too, so any more Gym Leaders must be named after plants.
Something interesting is Cheren and Bell (Bianca) can be found it plant names too, meaning they are contenders for Gym leaders. (With that said, Makomo (Fennel) would also qualify lol)

I think he’ll end up taking Ghetsis’s place as the final boss.