Pearl is impatient and is often accidentally getting himself and his friend, Diamond into trouble. He is the straight man (tsukkomi) of the comedy duo, while Diamond is the funny man. His appearance is based on that of Barry from the video game series.

Compared to Diamond, Pearl is hasty and easily angered and, according to Diamond, always goes out of his way to complete things he has started, which reflects the virtue that he is aligned with: willpower, which also makes him associated with Azelf. Pearl is also very bossy and usually tells Diamond and Platinum what to do. For his skills, he is given the title of "Determiner" (志す者 Determiner).

His father is very skilled in battling, and Pearl has learned a lot from him during his childhood, which has helped him in creating training sessions for Platinum to participate in for practice for her Gym challenges. One of his most amazing abilities is his skill of being able to tell what move a Pokémon is preparing to use. Like his two traveling companions, Pearl was not very strong when he first set out on his journey across Sinnoh but he got better under the training of Crasher Wake.

Because the two boys were neighbors during their childhood, Pearl and Diamond are practically as close as brothers. Even though Pearl often yells and smacks Diamond, Pearl truly does care for Diamond. Conversely, Pearl dislikes Platinum's arrogant attitude towards Diamond and himself. Despite the fact that he often yells and criticizes her, Pearl always helps Platinum by helping prepare her for her goals and dreams, and is often amazed by her knowledge and perseverance. The two quickly got used to the other's personality and have become close friends.