Takeshi serves as Pewter City's Rock-type Gym Leader in "Pokémon Origins," distinguished by his burnt orange shirt—an adaptational change from his original shirtless game design. After witnessing Red's initial defeat against Blue, Takeshi encourages Red to challenge the Pewter Gym to hone his skills. During their gym battle, he acts as a mentor, emphasizing strategic thinking, skill, and the trainer-Pokémon bond. His battle style favors practicality, relying on physically damaging Normal-type moves like Tackle and Bide for Geodude and Onix. This proves effective against inexperience when his Onix withstands super-effective attacks from Red's Nidoran♂ using Bide—absorbing damage for two turns before retaliating with doubled force.

Though specializing in Rock-types, Takeshi's Geodude and Onix use no Rock-type moves during the battle, and the Technical Machine he awards Red upon defeat (TM34 for Bide) is also Normal-type. This contrasts his stated expertise but aligns with his role as a foundational "Warm-Up Boss," preparing trainers for greater challenges. His mentorship offers lessons influencing Red's journey. Takeshi's character blends elements: his expanded mentor role and interactions resemble the main anime series, while his outfit derives from updated game designs.