Gym Leader

A Gym Leader (Japanese: ジムリーダー Gym Leader) is the highest ranking member of a Pokémon Gym. The main job of a Gym Leader is to test Trainers and their Pokémon so that they are strong and resourceful enough to compete against the Elite Four in the games or the Pokémon League in the anime. If a Trainer defeats a Gym Leader in battle, then the Trainer earns that Gym's Badge. Once a Trainer has earned 8 badges from a region, he or she is able to compete against that region's Elite Four or Pokémon League.

A Gym Leader's job is not just to test upcoming Trainers. They must oversee how their respective gym is run and to maintain it. Great care must be taken to make sure that their gym reflects the best environment for the Pokémon type and playing style of choice, usually an environment that suits that type of Pokémon used there (like pools in a Water-type gym or flowers and plants in a Grass-type gym). According to Morty, teaching young people how to battle with Pokémon can also be the job of a Gym Leader. In the games, Trainers must overcome various obstacles and challenges from other Trainers before they can challenge the Leader. Gym Leaders may also be involved in other activities when they are not battling other Trainers or training themselves, usually something to do with their town's particular attraction or landmark. Gym Leaders can also leave their gyms without notice (as Blue, Giovanni, Jasmine, and Wallace do), and even challenge other Gyms and the Elite Four (like Volkner wanted to do). In later games, it is made apparent that Gym Leaders know each other and are acquainted with Gym Leaders from other regions, and some travel to other regions: Jasmine travels to Sinnoh to take part in Super Contests, and is friends with Erika.

It has not exactly been made clear how Gym Leaders attain their position, but it appears that it varies for each gym. Some of them founded their gym and are self-appointed, others appear to be passed on through families, while a few are chosen by the other members of the region's Pokémon League. Leaders can also choose to vacate their position: reasons for this can vary. Blue is a former Champion appointed to be leader of Viridian Gym when Giovanni vacates the position, while in the anime Agatha takes Giovanni's place as a temporary leader. Koga was the leader of Fuchsia Gym until he was promoted to a member of the Elite Four; his daughter Janine replaces him as the leader. Wallace vacated his position in Sootopolis Gym when he became Champion, leaving his mentor Juan to take his place. Falkner's father is also mentioned to have been the leader of Violet Gym before Falkner took the position. Roark's father Byron is a Gym Leader like Roark himself, but the two operate entirely different Gyms within the same league.

Sinnoh is the only region where all the Gym Leaders are in cities, unlike previous generations where at least one is in a town.

In Pokémon Adventures, Red and Falkner have to battle with Pokémon set by the Pokémon League, where those Pokémon are not controlled by Trainers and the challenger is not allowed to let any of his Pokémon faint.

Although similar in nature, Frontier Brains are not considered Gym Leaders and are thus not included in this list.

Indigo League

Indigo League
Generations I, II, III, and IV			Region: Kanto
Gym Leader Japanese		Location Japanese	Type		Badge
Brock タケシ Takeshi		Pewter City ニビシティ Nibi City	Rock		Boulder Badge
Misty カスミ Kasumi		Cerulean City ハナダシティ Hanada City	Water		Cascade Badge
Lt. Surge マチス Matis		Vermilion City クチバシティ Kuchiba City	Electric		Thunder Badge
Erika エリカ Erika		Celadon City タマムシシティ Tamamushi City	Grass		Rainbow Badge
Koga キョウ Kyō I III	Janine アンズ Anzu II IV	Fuchsia City セキチクシティ Sekichiku City	Poison		Soul Badge
Sabrina ナツメ Natsume		Saffron City ヤマブキシティ Yamabuki City	Psychic		Marsh Badge
Blaine カツラ Katsura		Cinnabar Island グレンじま Guren Island I III	Fire		Volcano Badge
		Seafoam Islands ふたごじま Twin Islands II IV
Giovanni サカキ Sakaki I III	Blue グリーン Green II IV	Viridian City トキワシティ Tokiwa City	Ground	Various	Earth Badge

Johto League

Johto League
Generations II and IV		Region: Johto
Gym Leader Japanese	Location Japanese	Type	Badge
Falkner ハヤト Hayato	Violet City キキョウシティ Kikyō City	Flying	Zephyr Badge
Bugsy ツクシ Tsukushi	Azalea Town ヒワダタウン Hiwada Town	Bug	Hive Badge
Whitney アカネ Akane	Goldenrod City コガネシティ Kogane City	Normal	Plain Badge
Morty マツバ Matsuba	Ecruteak City エンジュシティ Enju City	Ghost	Fog Badge
Chuck シジマ Shijima	Cianwood City タンバシティ Tanba City	Fighting	Storm Badge
Jasmine ミカン Mikan	Olivine City アサギシティ Asagi City	Steel	Mineral Badge
Pryce ヤナギ Yanagi	Mahogany Town チョウジタウン Chōji Town	Ice	Glacier Badge
Clair イブキ Ibuki	Blackthorn City フスベシティ Fusube City	Dragon	Rising Badge

Hoenn League

Hoenn League
Generation III			Region: Hoenn
Gym Leader Japanese		Location Japanese	Type	Badge
{{{size}}} Roxanne ツツジ Tsutsuji		Rustboro City カナズミシティ Kanazumi City	Rock	Stone Badge
{{{size}}} Brawly トウキ Tōki		Dewford Town ムロタウン Muro Town	Fighting	Knuckle Badge
{{{size}}} Wattson テッセン Tessen		Mauville City キンセツシティ Kinsetsu City	Electric	Dynamo Badge
{{{size}}} Flannery アスナ Asuna		Lavaridge Town フエンタウン Fuen Town	Fire	Heat Badge
{{{size}}} Norman センリ Senri		Petalburg City トウカシティ Tōka City	Normal	Balance Badge
{{{size}}} Winona ナギ Nagi		Fortree City ヒワマキシティ Hiwamaki City	Flying	Feather Badge
{{{size}}} Tate and Liza フウとラン Fū and Lan		Mossdeep City トクサネシティ Tokusane City	Psychic	Mind Badge
File:SpriteWallace.png Wallace ミクリ Mikuri RS	File:SpriteJuan.png Juan アダン Adan E	Sootopolis City ルネシティ Rune City	Water	Rain Badge

Sinnoh League

Sinnoh League
Generation IV		Region: Sinnoh
Gym Leader Japanese	Location Japanese	Type	Badge
Roark ヒョウタ Hyouta	Oreburgh City クロガネシティ Kurogane City	Rock	Coal Badge
Gardenia ナタネ Natane	Eterna City ハクタイシティ Hakutai City	Grass	Forest Badge
Maylene スモモ Sumomo	Veilstone City トバリシティ Tobari City	Fighting	Cobble Badge
Crasher Wake マキシマム仮面 Maximum Mask	Pastoria City ノモセシティ Nomose City	Water	Fen Badge
Fantina メリッサ Melissa	Hearthome City ヨスガシティ Yosuga City	Ghost	Relic Badge
Byron トウガン Tougan	Canalave City ミオシティ Mio City	Steel	Mine Badge
Candice スズナ Suzuna	Snowpoint City キッサキシティ Kissaki City	Ice	Icicle Badge
Volkner デンジ Denzi	Sunyshore City ナギサシティ Nagisa City	Electric	Beacon Badge

Orange League

Orange League
Anime-exclusive		Region: Orange Archipelago
Crew Member Japanese	Location Japanese	Challenge	Prize
Cissy アツミ Atsumi	Mikan Island ナツカン島 Natsukan Island	Water Gun target test Surfing race	File:Coraleyebadge.png Coral-Eye Badge
Danny ダン Dan	Navel Island ネーブル島 Navel Island	Climb mountain (to qualify) Freeze a geyser race Build a Toboggan race Toboggan race	File:Searubybadge.png Sea Ruby Badge
Rudy ジギー Ziggy	Trovita Island ユズ島 Yuzu Island	Target test Same-type Pokémon battle	File:Spikeshellbadge.png Spike Shell Badge
Luana ルリコ Ruriko	Kumquat Island リュウチン島 Ryūchin Island	Double battle	File:Jadestarbadge.png Jade Star Badge
Drake ユウジ Yūji	Pummelo Island カンキツ島 Kankitsu Island	Traditional six-on-six battle	Winner's Trophy Honor at the Palace of Victory

Trivia

• The three Template:Type2 Gym Leaders all have light colored hair. Lt. Surge and Volkner both have blond or Yellow hair, and Wattson has white hair.
  • They all also wear military styled clothes, with Lt. Surge in an American army uniform, Wattson in an aviator's jacket and Volkner wearing a uniform similar to that of the Turkish army.
• All Gym Leaders of the player's region give away a TM on their defeat, and all but Brock in Generation I and Falkner in Generation II give away a TM containing their specialty type of move. Interestingly, Brock's Template:Type2 Bide and Falkner's Template:Type2 Mud-Slap are of the other type of the Pokémon on each other's teams (Falkner has only Normal/Flying Pokémon while Brock has only Rock/Ground Pokémon).
  • Of the Generation II Kanto Gym Leaders, only Janine and Erika give away TMs, containing Toxic and Giga Drain, respectively, continuing the type-specialty trend.
• Every Gym Leader that specializes in Template:Type2, Template:Type2, and Template:Type2 Pokémon uses Geodude, Gengar, and Steelix respectively in battle.
• Johto is the only region that did not repeat types from gyms released in previous generations. This is likely due to the fact that there had been only eight gyms before, while there were seventeen different types.
• Even though there are thirty-two known gyms in the games, there has not yet been a gym specializing in Template:Type2 Pokémon, although there have been two Elite Four members, Karen and Sidney. Only Poison-, Ground-, Bug-, and Template:Type2 gyms are not located in multiple regions. Each of the twelve other types has been repeated at least once, and Rock-, Water-, Electric-, and Template:Type2 gyms appear in three of the four regions.
• There have been more male Gym Leaders than female ones in every region except for Sinnoh, where there are four of each. Kanto also has four of each in Generation II.
• So far, all Template:Type2 Gym Leaders have been male, while all Template:Type2 Gym Leaders have been female.
• Even though they were called Leaders in Generation I, this title did not appear in battle until Generation II.
• The only Gym Leaders so far whose parents have been seen in the anime are Brock, Sabrina, Tate and Liza, and Roark. They all train either Template:Type2 or Template:Type2 Pokémon.
  • Roark and Maylene are the only ones who have a parent the player can encounter in the games.
• In the anime, Gym Leaders seem to be forbidden from switching their Pokémon. Those that Ash encountered before Blaine did switch; however, since Ash's match against Blaine in Riddle Me This, Gym Leaders have not switched out their Pokémon. In the games, they may switch their Pokémon as often as any other Trainer.
• For Setting the World on its Buneary, Professor Oak's lecture is about Gym Leaders. He writes this Pokémon senryū about them: ジムリーダー　いのちをかけて　かかってこい Jimu Rīdā / Inochi o kakete / Kakatte koi "Gym Leader, put your life on the line and challenge me"
• In the Johto saga of the anime, none of the Gym Leaders had the exact same lineups as they do in the games.
  • Falkner's Pidgey and Pidgeotto were completely replaced by Hoothoot, Dodrio, and Pidgeot.
  • Bugsy used his in-game team, but had a Spinarak in place of Kakuna.
  • In addition to her in-game team, Whitney had, strangely enough, a Nidorina.
  • Morty used his in-game team, minus the second Haunter.
  • Jasmine used her in-game team, minus the second Magnemite.
  • Chuck used a Machoke instead of Primeape.
  • Pryce used his in-game team, minus Seel.
  • Instead of three Dragonair and a Kingdra, Clair used Gyarados, Kingdra, and only one Dragonair.
• Since Generation II, each region's eighth Gym Leader has had some relation to the Elite Four.
  • Clair is Lance's cousin.
  • Blue is the former regional Champion.
  • Wallace is Steven Stone's friend and Juan is Wallace's mentor.
  • Volkner is Flint's friend.
• In the Pokémon games, only twelve Gym Leaders can be found outside of their region. In Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Jasmine is in Sunyshore City. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Jasmine, Maylene, and Falkner are in Celadon City; Sabrina is at Olivine Harbor; and Bugsy is in the Viridian Forest. Crasher Wake can be found in the Celadon Department Store and Route 47. Lt. Surge is at Moomoo Farm. Falkner, Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Chuck, Jasmine, Pryce, and Clair can all be found in the Saffron City Fighting Dojo.
• Three of the four first gyms are Rock Gyms.
• Generally most Gym Leaders' names are plays off the type they specialize in.