The Viridian Gym (Japanese: トキワジムTokiwa Gym) is the official Gym of Viridian City. During the events of GenerationsI and III, it is based on Ground-typePokémon and the Gym Leader is Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket. After Team Rocket is disbanded at the end of Generations I and III, Blue took over as the Leader during Generations II and IV; under his direction, the Gym no longer concentrated on any particular type.
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Viridian Gym appears in all games set in the Kanto region. In Generations I and III, when the player first reaches the Gym, it is locked due to the absence of the Gym Leader. With this acknowledged, the player journeys off to other Gyms to challenge them. Once the player has collected the other seven Gym Badges, the Viridian Gym reopens.
In Generations II and IV, Blue takes over the Gym. In Generation II, the Gym can be challenged as soon as Blue is spoken to on Cinnabar Island. In Generation IV, however, Blue will stay on Cinnabar Island and will not return to his Gym until the player speaks to him after obtaining the other seven Kanto Gym Badges.
Inside the Gym, the floor uses the same transporting tiles as are used in the Rocket Hideout. The player must use these tiles to navigate through the Gym to reach the Gym Leader. In Generation II, the Gym is completely remodeled and the tiles are gone; in Generation IV, the tiles are put back up, now covering almost the entire floor of the Gym.
The Viridian Gym was led by Giovanni, as it was in Generation I. The Gym features Roman architecture, stately pillars, and an old mural depicting the proud tradition of this most prestigious Gym. The predominant brownish color suggests the Gym's affiliation with the Ground-type.
The Viridian Gym first made an appearance in The Battle of the Badge. Before Ash could challenge him however, Gary Oak appeared, taunting him with ten Badges, and insisting on challenging the Viridian Gym for fun. Gary faced Giovanni, though his confidence was quickly eroded after Giovanni brought out Mewtwo, who defeated each of Gary's Pokémon, even when Giovanni allowed him to use more than one Pokémon at a time against Mewtwo.
Ash Ketchum challenged the Gym soon after, but after Gary and his Pokémon had recovered. However, as the Team Rocket boss had unmentioned business to attend to, he left the Gym in the care of none other than Jessie, James, and Meowth. Giovanni also left them with several Pokémon that they could use against any challengers. Ash had a hard time beating them initially as the new Gym Leaders had rigged the Gym to shock anyone whose Pokémon took damage. Eventually, Ash overcame the borrowed Pokémon's power and defeated all of them, causing Team Rocket to rely on their usual duo of Arbok and Weezing. Ash quickly dispatched the two, shocking the trio due to the Gym's rigging. They blasted off, dropping an Earth Badge in their daze. Ash caught it, but he, Gary, Gary's cheerleaders, Brock, and Misty had to escape the Gym quickly, as it was collapsing.
The Gym appeared again (presumably rebuilt) when Ash returned to Kanto from Hoenn in The Scheme Team, where Agatha was now the temporary Gym Leader. Ash challenged her to an exhibition match, but lost.
Giovanni abdicating his position as Gym Leader is similar to the case in the Generation I games; however, in the anime, he is still in charge of Team Rocket, while in the games he disbands the team.
The Viridian Gym made a brief appearance in at the end of A Hollow Victreebel and at the beginning of Make Way For Magmar in the Red, Green & Blue chapter where citizens were asking about Giovanni.
The Gym is visited again after Red's incident with Mewtwo. During this time, Giovanni is present and ready to fight. However, as the battle progresses, the Gym collapses due to Nidoking's Earthquake.
Even later, Red's Gym Leader test is held in the Gym. Even though he wins, Red declines the position as he was struggling throughout the battle. Currently, Blue is the Viridian Gym's Leader.
In the FireRed & LeafGreen arc, Yellow and Silver go to the Viridian Gym to seek Silver's past. At the same time, Giovanni and the Three Beasts are on their way to the Gym also, trying to reunite Silver with Giovanni. This succeeds when Sird lets Yellow use her power, thus exhausting her.
The Viridian Gym was featured in the TCG. The following is a list of cards named Viridian City Gym.
Related cards Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Agatha's temporary position as Leader of the Viridian Gym when Ash returns to Kanto may be an anime reference to the fact that Giovanni quit Team Rocket and his status as Gym Leader after being defeated by Red. What this possibly means for Gary Oak, whose game counterpart Blue eventually assumed the title of leader in Generation II, is disputed.
In all generations where this Gym is accessible, at least one Trainer inside the building owns a Rhydon.
In fact, both of this Gym's Leaders have always had a member of the Rhyhorn evolutionary line in all of their Gym parties; the only time the Gym Leader does not own a Rhydon is in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, in which Giovanni owns two Rhyhorn.
In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the exterior coloring of each Gym is based on the colors most associated with the type that the Gym specializes in. Viridian Gym, however, is both green and blue, likely referring to its Gym Leader's name.
In HeartGold and SoulSilver, two male Ace Trainers in this Gym are named Arabella and Bonita, both being typically feminine names.
