Gym
A Pokémon Gym (Japanese: ジム Gym) is a place where Pokémon Trainers go to train their Pokémon. Just like real life gymnasiums, where one can go to work out and build physical strength, Pokémon Gyms are places where Trainers can go to sharpen their battling skills and where their Pokémon can go to gain experience. Often specializing in a particular type, Gyms create an environment which allows Trainers to test both their skills and Pokémon against those of others. The most powerful Trainer in a given Gym is called the Gym Leader, whom the lower-ranking members of a Gym look up to greatly. In the games, there is a character that stands near the door giving tips on how to beat the Gym's challenges.
Official Gyms
Gyms that are certified by the Pokémon League are vital to a Trainer's Pokémon journey. Leagues are designed so that conventional Trainers must travel far and wide before entering a League Competition, as the only way to enter one is by gaining at least eight official Gym Badges, and there can only be one official Gym per city.
In the games
There are eight known official Gyms in each region.
In the anime
In the anime, Gary Oak reveals that he has more than eight Badges, suggesting that there are more Gyms in the anime than players are given access to in the games. Specifically, he has at least ten Badges excluding the Earth Badge. Before the Indigo League competition, Ash encounters Otoshi in Bad to the Bone; he owns eight Badges, but only shares four in common with Ash. Later in the episode, another Trainer appears with eight other completely different Badges. In total, Ash, Gary, Otoshi and the other Trainer displayed 27 different types of Badges prior to competing in the Indigo Plateau Conference, so there must have been at least this number of official Gyms in the anime version of Kanto at the time.
Whilst on her journey collecting Badges, Sakura collected Badges from both Kanto and Johto, so it is unclear what the rules are for competing in championship tournaments.
At the Hoenn Pokémon League Championship, Morrison is shown to have an eighth Badge different from Ash's, suggesting that there are at least 9 official Gyms in Hoenn. Many believe it could be a Badge from Slateport or Pacifidlog.
During Barry's Busting Out All Over!, in the Sinnoh saga, Barry was seen to have a Badge that is not present in the games. Barry was seen with two more unknown Badges in Fighting Ire with Fire!, two of which also appeared in Nando's ownership in Last Call — First Round!.
Orange Archipelago
The Orange Archipelago also contains its own league, complete with its own Gyms:
Unofficial Gyms
In the games
Saffron City Dojo
- Main article: Fighting Dojo
The Trainers of this Gym specialize in Template:Type2 Pokémon. It used to be an official Gym until Sabrina defeated its Leader, Kiyo. After the player defeats the Dojo's Karate Master Kiyo, he will give the player either Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan as a reward.
Prestige Precept center
- Main article: Prestige Precept Center
Also known as the Pre Gym, this unofficial Gym of Phenac City doubles as an academy. In Pokémon Colosseum, its Leader, Justy, will not battle the Trainer until they have at least six Pokémon, and will give away TM27 (Return).
In the anime
A.J.'s Gym
This Gym is run solely by the Trainer A.J., and is notable for its rigorous training methods. It is unknown what prize if any A.J. gave to any victorious challengers, because he left it to enter the Pokémon League after he defeated 100 challengers in a row using only his Sandshrew. This Gym appears in The Path to the Pokémon League.
Fighting Spirit Gym
This Gym was run by Anthony, who was training his Hitmonchan for the P1 Grand Prix. It did not appear to be used for actual Pokémon battles. Instead, it had the appearance of a gym used for training and exercising.
Kaz Gym
This Gym in Dark City wanted to become an official Gym to earn money, but was rejected by the Pokémon League. It has Pokémon of various types, but its primary Pokémon is an Electabuzz. This Gym appears in Showdown at Dark City and is run by Kaz.
Yas Gym
This Gym in Dark City wanted to become an official Gym to earn money, but was rejected by the Pokémon League. The Gym Trainers specialize in Fighting but the Gym Leader's Pokémon is a Scyther a Template:Type2/Template:Type2. This Gym appears in Showdown at Dark City and is run by Yas.
Coastline Gym
This is an unofficial Gym that was featured in Just Add Water. It is located on the outskirts of Blackthorn City. Led by Dorian, the Gym specializes in Template:Type2 Pokémon. Unlike the other Water-type Gyms, Dorian holds his battles underwater.
Although the Gym is unofficial, Dorian is hoping that by word of mouth it will become more popular. In fact, after Ash and his friends visited the Gym, they promised they would tell everyone at the Silver Conference about it. However, it hasn't been mentioned since then.
Differences among generations
Until Generation V, the Gyms of each region have a uniform exterior style; the specific styles vary by generation.
Generation I
Generation I
- Gym GSC.png
Generation II (Johto)
- Kanto Gym GSC.png
Generation II (Kanto)
- Kanto Gym 2 GSC.png
Generation II (Kanto)
Generation III (Hoenn)
Generation III (Kanto)
Generation IV (Sinnoh)
Generation IV (Johto)
Generation IV (Kanto)
Trivia
- For Gymbaliar!, Professor Oak's lecture is about Gyms. He writes this Pokémon senryū about them: かてるまで なんどもちょうせん ポケモンジム Kateru made nandomo chōsen, Pokémon Jimu "Until you win, battle again and again; that is a Pokémon Gym."
- This is also the episode Team Rocket set up a fake Gym, with Jessie acting as its Leader.
- In Generation I, a glitch allows Trainers to fish in the statues at the front of the Gyms.
- No known Gym has specialized in Template:Type2 Pokémon.
- Pokémon Platinum is the only game where the Gym order is changed from its predecessors, which are Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in this case.
- As the Fighting Dojo in Kanto was once official, every region except Unova has had a Template:Type2 Gym at one time.
- Despite the above fact, there has been a Fighting-type specialist in every region, either as a Gym Leader or an Elite Four member.
- A Trainer in the Glitter Lighthouse also says Jasmine used to specialize in Template:Type2 Pokémon, meaning every region except Unova has had a Template:Type2 Gym at one time.
- In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, each Gym's frame is colored according to the type, except for the Viridian Gym, which has no specialist type. The Viridian Gym's frame is green.
- In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Walking Pokémon are not allowed in the Blackthorn Gym and Viridian Gym because the flooring is unstable.
- In Generation V, six of the eight Unova Gyms serve dual purposes, both as a place of battle and as a service; Striaton Gym is a restaurant, Nacrene Gym is a museum, Castelia Gym is a gallery showcasing the paintings of the Gym Leader Burgh, Nimbasa Gym is a set of roller coasters to go with the Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa City, Driftveil Gym is a mining operation, and Mistralton Gym is an airfield.
- In Generation V, Gyms do not take on a single appearance, their look being customized to suit the Gym Leader's specialist type. This is contrary to previous games, where the Gyms were a specific design.
- Both Dragon-type Gyms are the last to be challenged in their respective regions.
- The Rock-type has been the first Gym Leader's specialty for the majority of the regions.
In other languages
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Pokémon League | 
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation Trainer • Battle • Gym Leaders Gyms • Badges • Referee Championship matches Elite Four • Orange League Champion League Pokémon League Conferences Indigo • Silver • Ever Grande • Lily of the Valley Vertress • Lumiose • Manalo |
Regional Pokémon Leagues Indigo • Orange* • Johto • Hoenn • Sinnoh Unova • Kalos • Alola • Galar • Paldea Areas of jurisdiction Pokémon League Reception Gate • Hall of Fame Palace of Victory • Cerulean Cave Others Pokémon Association • PIA World Coronation Series (Masters Eight Tournament) | ||
|
This article is part of Project Locations, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world. |