Canalave City Pokémon Gym Leader: Byron
"The Man with the Steel Body!"
The Canalave Gym is a four-story building made of fixed steel platforms, lifts, and moving metal platforms. Trainers must ride the lifts and moving platforms in a certain order while battling other Trainers in the Gym to reach the fourth floor, on which Byron waits.
In Dealing With Defensive Types!, Ash had his Gym battle against Byron. Ash had the lead in the beginning, defeating Byron's Bronzor with his Chimchar after getting past Byron's defensive strategies. Byron then regained the advantage by easily knocking out Ash's Buizel with Steelix. Ash sent out Chimchar again and defeated Steelix with Flame Wheel after weakening it by caving in the ground with Dig. Byron finally sent out his Bastiodon and knocks Chimchar out with Metal Burst. Ash then sent out his last Pokémon, Gliscor. Bastiodon seemed to be winning in the beginning with repeated Flash Cannons and Iron Heads, but Gliscor managed to use Fire Fang on Bastiodon's back where it was weaker, defeating it and winning Ash his sixth Badge in the Sinnoh region.
In the other rooms of the Gym, there are many rocks and Fossils that Byron has collected over the years, including a giant Anorith Fossil that Team Rocket tried to steal. There are also prehistoric Pokémon in other rooms, such as Omastar, Omanyte, Kabuto, Kabutops, Cradily, and Armaldo.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
A moving platform in the Gym
Canalave Gym debuted in Brash Bronzong I in Volume 33 of the Diamond & Pearl arc. Platinum unknowingly ran into the Gym with Diamond and Pearl when she thought she heard her father's voice. They were whisked back and forth on the moving platforms until they arrived in front of Byron, who challenged Platinum to a battle. At first, Byron's two strong defensive Bronzong held up easily against Platinum's Empoleon; however, (continued in Brash Bronzong II after Platinum discovered her father locked up in a cage and assumed that Byron did it, she became very angry and knocked out both of his Bronzong with her Ponyta in one hit. Byron proceeded to give her a Mine Badge later, much to her surprise.