Bede

Bede is a supporting antagonist in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. He is the adopted son of Chairman Rose and one of the player's rivals.

Biography
Bede once resided in an orphanage who enjoyed fighting the other orphans. Chairman Rose would adopt Bede and, admiring his arrogant attitude, gives him a Hatenna to serve as his partner Pokémon.

He is first seen at the Opening Ceremony of the Gym Challenge, where he pushes Hop as he walks past the registration desk. The player later finds Bede at the end of Galar Mine, where he threatens to steal their Wishing Stars and challenges the player to a battle. In Hulbury, Rose tells Bede not to lose progress, and Bede insists that he will not let Rose down. In Galar Mine No. 2, Bede feels pity for his Pokémon having to fight pathetically weak opponents and insists on another battle against the player.

In the Wild Area in front of Hammerlocke, Bede taunts Hop that he has no chance in succeeding the Gym Challenge. Angered, Hop challenges Bede to a battle but ultimately loses. In Hammerlocke, Bede tells Chairman Rose about the Wishing Stars he had been collecting and insists that they will help him with his issues, declaring he will go all the way to become champion to make Rose proud of him. Oleana then instructs Bede to come with her and discuss something.

After defeating the Gym in Stow-on-Side, the player discovers Bede and Rose's Copperajah smashing an art monument on the side of a mountain. He spots the player and demands them to get back with another battle. Once defeated, Bede angrily declares that the Wishing Stars from the monument would bring him enough power to become the champion. Rose arrives and disappointed that Bede would use Copperajah in such a way, disqualifies him from the challenge before instructing Oleana to take him back to Hammerlocke.

After beating Opal in Ballonlea and returning to Hammerlocke, Bede approaches the player and demands for another battle, determined for vengeance now that he hit rock bottom. Opal becomes impressed by Bede's pink outfit and insists that he would make a great apprentice and successor to the Fairy-type Gym. Bea tries to explain to the player that he was tricked by Oleana to destroy the monument, but Opal drags him away, offering to help him out.

During the Pokémon League in Wyndon, Bede is the player's first opponent, stating that he has a score to settle. He pledges to give up as a trainer once defeated, although the crowd insists that he just restart his career. Bede declares he will return to face the player again once he finished his training to become the Gym Leader of Ballonlea.

In the post-game story involving Sordward and Shieldbert Dynamaxing Pokémon, the player can enter the Ballonlea gym where Bede reveals himself to become the Fairy-type Gym Leader. Insisting that he does not need help since he already took down all Dynamax Pokémon in the area, he challenges the player to one last battle to prove that he is stronger than the player. When defeated, Opal gives the player Bede's rare league card. He can then be invited to the Champion Cup.

Personality
Bede behaves like a selfish brat who only cares about himself and shows no mercy to anyone he has to face in order to become the champion of Galar.

Trivia

 * Bede's league number is 908, which can be read in Japanese as kurebā, meaning "clever".
 * Bede's Pokémon team first consisted of Psychic-types but after succeeding Opal as the Gym Leader of Ballonlea, his team becomes Fairy-types.
 * Bede is the first villainous rival in the Pokémon series since Silver from Generation II.