Violet Gym

Violet Gym
キキョウジム Kikyō Gym
Violet Gym anime.png
Location Violet City
Gym Leader Falkner
Walker (former, Adventures only)
Badge Zephyr Badge
Dominant Type Flying
Region Johto
Violet Gym Battlefield.png
Battlefield

The Violet Gym (Japanese: キキョウジム Kikyō Gym) is the official Gym of Violet City. It is based on Flying-type Pokémon. The Gym Leader is Falkner. Trainers who defeat him receive the Zephyr Badge.

In the games

Generation II

Violet City
Pokémon Gym
Leader: Falkner
The Elegant Master of Flying Pokémon

In Generation II, the Gym structure is very basic. It is very similar to Pewter Gym in layout, a pathway leading directly to the Gym Leader with two Trainers obscuring the way. The path is held on some sort of raised platform, with a seemingly bottomless pit left and right of the path. The path creates an "S" shape as it winds around toward the Gym Leader. At the tips of the "S" there are two Trainers that are both unavoidable. At the end stands Falkner, who will battle any challengers of the Gym. After Falkner is defeated, he will give the player the Zephyr Badge, which allows the use of Flash outside of battle, as well as TM31 (Mud-Slap).

A field based on the Gym also appears in Pokémon Stadium 2's Johto Gym Leader Castle.

Generation IV

Violet City Pokémon Gym
Leader: Falkner
The Elegant Master of Flying Pokémon

Unlike in Generation II, the Gym is inaccessible until the Sprout Tower is cleared. Trainers will start out on ground level. A wooden platform at the end that will lift Trainers up to the upper level where a structure similar to the one in Generation II awaits. The path creates an "S" shape as it winds around toward the Gym Leader. A Trainer waits at each end of the "S", but unlike in Generation II, both Trainers can be avoided by walking on the glass tiles that encircle the field. Falkner waits on a wooden platform in front of the windows at the back of the Gym. After Falkner is defeated, he will give the player the Zephyr Badge, which allows the use of Rock Smash outside of battle, as well as TM51 (Roost).

Appearance

   
Generation II Generation IV

Trainers

Core series

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
Trainer Pokémon
 
Bird Keeper Abe
ショウタ Shōta
Reward: $216
  Spearow Lv.9
No item
 
Bird Keeper Rod
ツバサ Tsubasa
Reward: $168
  Pidgey Lv.7
No item
  Pidgey Lv.7
No item
Trainers with a telephone symbol by their names will give their Pokégear number to the player, and may call or be called for a rematch with higher-level Pokémon.




Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Trainer Pokémon
 
Bird Keeper Abe
ショウタ Shōta
Reward: $288
  Spearow Lv.9
No item
 
Bird Keeper Rod
ツバサ Tsubasa
Reward: $224
  Pidgey Lv.7
No item
  Pidgey Lv.7
No item
Trainers with a telephone symbol by their names will give their Pokégear number to the player, and may call or be called for a rematch with higher-level Pokémon.




Side series

Pokémon Stadium 2
Round 1
Trainer Pokémon
 
Bird Keeper Matt
カケル Kakeru
  Pidgey Lv.50-100
  Berry
  Hoothoot Lv.50-100
  PSNCureBerry
  Spearow Lv.50-100
  Ice Berry
  Natu Lv.50-100
  Mint Berry
  Doduo Lv.50-100
  Bitter Berry
  Pidgeotto Lv.50-100
  PRZCureBerry




Round 2
Trainer Pokémon
 
Bird Keeper Matt
カケル Kakeru
  Pidgeotto Lv.50-100
  Sharp Beak
  Togetic Lv.50-100
  PRZCureBerry
  Fearow Lv.50-100
  Mint Berry
  Farfetch'd Lv.50-100
  Stick
  Noctowl Lv.50-100
  Metal Coat
  Murkrow Lv.50-100
  BlackGlasses




Items

Item Location Games
  TM31 (Mud-Slap) Reward for defeating Falkner  G  S  C 
  TM51 (Roost) Reward for defeating Falkner  HG  SS 

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

Artwork depicting the Violet Gym is seen in Falkner's mindscape.

Falkner & Swellow
 

In the anime

The Violet Gym made its only anime appearance in Fighting Flyer with Fire. The battlefield is located at the top of a tall building and lacks a roof so that Flying Pokémon can make full use of their abilities.

After saving Pikachu from Team Rocket, Ash challenged Falkner to a battle. The battle got off to a bad start for Ash, but he improved when he managed to defeat Falkner's Hoothoot and Dodrio with Pikachu alone. However, the Gym Leader's Pidgeot proved to be too tough for Pikachu and ultimately defeated him. After switching to Charizard, Ash was able to defeat Pidgeot and earn his first Johto League Badge, the Zephyr Badge.

Pokémon used in the Gym

 
Hoothoot
Hoothoot was the first Pokémon sent out in the Gym battle between Falkner and Ash. Hoothoot managed to defeat Ash's Chikorita with ease, but was quickly defeated once Ash brought out his Pikachu. Hoothoot was also sometimes seen outside of its Poké Ball with Falkner when not in battle.

It reappeared in a flashback in Why? Wynaut!.

Hoothoot's known moves are Tackle and Peck.

Debut Fighting Flyer with Fire
Voice actors
Japanese Yūji Ueda
English Yūji Ueda
 
Dodrio
Dodrio was the second Pokémon Falkner sent out to battle Ash's Pikachu. At first Dodrio seemed to have the upper hand. When Pikachu tried to attack, Falkner ordered Dodrio to fly - much to Ash's surprise - and Dodrio jumped high in the air. Ash then decided to use that method himself, and ordered Pikachu to dodge Dodrio's Tri Attack by jumping to the air. From above, Pikachu used Thunder, knocking out Dodrio and winning the round.

Dodrio's known moves are Agility, Fury Attack, Drill Peck, and Tri Attack.

Debut Fighting Flyer with Fire
 
Pidgeot
Pidgeot appeared in Fighting Flyer with Fire. When Team Rocket tried to steal Ash's Pikachu, Falkner used Pidgeot to get Pikachu back and send them blasting off again. Falkner later used it in a Gym battle against Ash. It was able to defeat a weakened Pikachu with a single Whirlwind attack.

It was then put up against Ash's Charizard in the final round of the battle. With its impressive speed and power, Pidgeot was able to gain the upper hand and injure Charizard making it unable to fly. But with Ash's support and inspiration, Charizard was able to fly again.

Unfortunately, things still looked bad as Pidgeot used Agility to keep dodging Charizard's attacks and attack from behind. Ash luckily had Charizard turn back and use Fire Spin trapping Pidgeot. It then finished it off with Seismic Toss making Ash the victor.

It reappeared in a flashback in All That Glitters!.

Pidgeot's known moves are Whirlwind, Agility, Wing Attack, and Quick Attack.

Debut Fighting Flyer with Fire
Voice actors
Japanese Megumi Hayashibara
English Megumi Hayashibara

In the manga

Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure

Violet Gym appeared in Aim to be the Strongest! The Hot-Blooded Brotherly Combination!!, where challenged Falkner. It didn't take long for Jō's Totodile to defeat Falkner's Pidgey, earning the young Trainer his first Badge.

 
Violet Gym in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

Violet Gym was first mentioned in Sunkern Treasure, where Falkner told Gold that after his father, the previous Violet Gym Leader, had gone missing, he had started training hard in order to pass the Pokémon Association's test and become the new Gym Leader of Violet City. In Smeargle Smudge, Falkner successfully passed the test and became an official Gym Leader.

Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys

Violet Gym appeared in Falkner The Bird Keeper's Challenge!! and The Legendary Pokémon Appears!, where Gold faced Falkner in a Gym battle. Unlike what Gold had heard, Falkner used Pidgeot instead of Pidgey and Pidgeotto, because they had been badly injured during Falkner's previous Gym battle against Black. With some clever tactics, Gold's Totodile was able to defeat Pidgeot.

However, just when it seemed like Gold had won, the Legendary Pokémon Articuno suddenly appeared. Falkner explained that the Violet Gym was originally built as a resting place for Articuno, and it only came there once every four years. Even against this overwhelmingly powerful opponent, Gold refused to surrender. As he cursed his lack of an Electric-type Pokémon, a Pikachu suddenly appeared from the time tunnel that had appeared above the Gym, and joined Gold's side in the battle against the Legendary bird. Falkner then opened the Gym's roof, giving Articuno a more suitable environment to battle in.

Although Pikachu initially refused to listen to Gold, it soon began to obey him. With Totodile's help, Pikachu was able to deal heavy damage on Articuno with Thunder. Although the Freezing Pokémon wasn't knocked out, it then left the battle, choosing not to fight anymore. According to Falkner, this meant that Articuno had admitted its defeat, meaning that he had lost the battle. As his prize, Gold then received the Zephyr Badge.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Violet Gym first appeared in The Gym Challenges Begin!!, where it was closed when Red was about to enter it. It reappeared in PMHGSS05, where Red and Falkner had a rematch.

Trivia

  • Falkner is the Gym Leader with the lowest level Pokémon in the games, with a Pidgey at level 7 and a Pidgeotto at level 9 in Generation II. This remains true in HeartGold and SoulSilver, where his Pidgey is now level 9, while no other Gym Leader's party levels fall beneath level 10.
  • Violet Gym is the only Gym in the Stadium series to solely use Pokémon of the Gym's specialty type.
  • In Pokémon Masters EX, Falkner complains that Trainers are so intimidated by his Gym’s layout (likely referring to the elevator mechanism, height, and uncertain footing) that they often withdraw soon after entering.


Gym Leaders of the Johto region
Violet Gym  
 
Falkner
Azalea Gym  
 
Bugsy
Goldenrod Gym  
 
Whitney
Ecruteak Gym  
 
Morty
Cianwood Gym  
 
Chuck
Olivine Gym  
 
Jasmine
Mahogany Gym  
 
Pryce
Blackthorn Gym  
 
Clair


  This article is part of Project Locations, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world.