Viridian Gym

Viridian Gym トキワジム Tokiwa Gym
File:Viridian gym.jpg
Location	Viridian City
Gym Leader	Giovanni (Generation I and III) Blue (Generation II) Agatha (anime only)
Badge	Earth Badge
Dominant Type	Ground
Region	Kanto
File:Viridian battlefield.jpg
Battlefield

The Viridian Gym (Japanese: トキワジム Tokiwa Gym) is the official gym of Viridian City. It is based on Template:Type2 Pokémon. The Gym Leader is Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket. Trainers who defeat him receive the Earth Badge.

Other known leaders of the Gym are Blue and Agatha of the Elite Four, who serves as a temporary Gym Leader.

In the anime

In the anime, 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 this most prestigious gym. The predominant brownish color suggests the gym's affiliation with the Template:Type2.

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 soon after challenged the gym, 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, and as the Gym was rigged to shock anyone whose Pokémon took damage, it was a hard fight at first. 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 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.

In the games

Vidrian City Pokémon Gym
Leader: ...

Viridian Gym in FireRed and LeafGreen.

Viridian Gym appears in all games set in the Kanto region. In Generation I and III when the player makes their first encounter with the gym, it is locked because of the absence of the Gym Leader. With this acknowledged, the player journeys off onto other Gyms to challenge them. Once this has been accomplished and when the player has collected the remaining seven Gym Badges, the Viridian Gym reopens.

Inside the Gym, the floor uses the same transporting tiles as in the Rocket Hideout. The player must use these tiles to navigate through the Gym to reach Giovanni. In Generation II, when Blue takes the place of the Gym Leader, the Gym is completely remodeled, and the tiles are now gone. The Gym has no junior Trainers and large blocks that resemble Lego bricks form most of its design.

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

Trainers

Pokémon Red and Blue and Yellow

Trainer	Pokémon
Tamer Tamer Reward: $???	Arbok Lv.39 No item
	Tauros Lv.39 No item
Black Belt Black Belt Reward: $???	Machoke Lv.43 No item
Cool Trainer Cooltrainer Reward: $???	Nidorino Lv.39 No item
	Nidoking Lv.39 No item
Tamer Tamer Reward: $???	Rhyhorn Lv.43 No item
Black Belt Black Belt Reward: $???	Machop Lv.40 No item
	Machoke Lv.40 No item
Cool Trainer Cooltrainer Reward: $???	Sandslash Lv.39 No item
	Dugtrio Lv.39 No item
Cool Trainer Cooltrainer Reward: $???	Rhyhorn Lv.43 No item
Black Belt Black Belt Reward: $???	Machoke Lv.38 No item
	Machop Lv.38 No item
	Machoke Lv.38 No item
Trainers with a Vs. Seeker by their names, when alerted for a rematch using the item, may use higher-level Pokémon.

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Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Trainer	Pokémon
Tamer Cole Tamer Cole Reward: $1560	Arbok Lv.39 No item
	Tauros Lv.39 No item
Black Belt Kiyo Black Belt Kiyo Reward: $1032	Machoke Lv.43 No item
Tamer Jason Tamer Jason Reward: $1720	Rhyhorn Lv.43 No item
Black Belt Atsushi Black Belt Atsushi Reward: $960	Machop Lv.40 No item
	Machoke Lv.40 No item
Cool Trainer Samuel Cooltrainer Samuel Reward: $???	Sandslash Lv.39 No item
	Sandslash Lv.39 No item
	Rhyhorn Lv.37 No item
	Nidorino Lv.39 No item
	Nidoking Lv.39 No item
Cool Trainer Cooltrainer Reward: $???	Rhyhorn Lv.43 No item
Black Belt Takashi Black Belt Takashi Reward: $???	Machoke Lv.38 No item
	Machop Lv.38 No item
	Machoke Lv.38 No item
Cool Trainer Yuji Cooltrainer Yuji Reward: $1368	Sandslash Lv.38 No item
	Graveler Lv.38 No item
	Onix Lv.38 No item
	Graveler Lv.38 No item
	Marowak Lv.38 No item
Cool Trainer Warren Cooltrainer Warren Reward: $???	Marowak Lv.37 No item
	Marowak Lv.37 No item
	Rhyhorn Lv.38 No item
	Nidorina Lv.39 No item
	Nidoqueen Lv.39 No item
Trainers with a Vs. Seeker by their names, when alerted for a rematch using the item, may use higher-level Pokémon.

In the Pokémon Special manga

The Viridian Gym is first visited in Bulbasaur, Come Home! where Red and Professor Oak enters following a Bulbasaur. In this occasion the Gym is abandoned with only a Machoke and a Giovanni statue present.

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 stuggling thoughout the battle. Currently, Blue, although petrified, is the Viridian Gym's leader.

In the Firered and Leafgreen chapter, Yellow and Silver go to the Viridian Gym to seek Silvers 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 let's Yellow use her power, thus exhausting her.

In the TCG

The Viridian Gym was featured in the TCG. The following is a list of cards named Viridian City Gym.

Name	Type	Rarity	Set	Set no.
Viridian City Gym	T		Gym Challenge	123/132

Trivia

• The Viridian Gym is the first Official Gym in the anime to be shown challenged both by Ash and another main character, Gary. This next happened unofficially in Johto, but officially against the Oreburgh Gym in the Diamond & Pearl series, when Paul and Ash both challenged Roark. Also again when both Dawn and Ash chalenged Mayleneof Veilstone City.
• 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.
• The Viridian Gym of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen is the only Viridian Gym not to feature Rhydon.
• In Generation I, a Revive can be found and in Generation III a Macho Brace, making it the only gym with items in it.