Gym Leader: Difference between revisions

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 enviroment for the Pokémon type and playing style of choice. In the games, trainers must overcome various obstacles and challenges from other trainers before they get the chance to battle the leader. Gym Leaders may also be involved in other activities when they are not battling other trainers, usually something to do with their town's particular attraction or landmark.

It has not exactly been made clear how gym leaders attain this 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 gym.

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

Indigo League

Orange League

Johto League

Hoenn League

Sinnoh League

Trivia

• Every Gym Leader that specializes in Template:Type2, Template:Type2, and Template:Type2 Pokémon uses Geodude, Gengar, and Steelix respectively in battle (in Platinum, Fantina uses Haunter in her gym, but she uses Gengar at the Match Place).
• Each in-game region except Johto begins with a Gym Leader that specializes in Template:Type2 Pokémon (Johto begins with a Template:Type2 Gym, strangely easy to defeat with a Rock-type). Yet, all the Gyms that appear first are located in a city.
• 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 17 different types.
• Even though there are 32 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.
• If the Fighting Dojo in Kanto is counted, there has been a Template:Type2 gym in each region at some point in time.
• 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.
  • As far as type distribution goes, there have been Gym Leaders of both genders for Rock-, Water-, Poison-, Psychic-, Fire-, Flying-, Normal-, Ghost-, Fighting-, Steel-, and Ice-type gyms, only male Gym Leaders for Electric-, Ground-, and Bug-type gyms, and only female Gym Leaders for Grass- and Dragon-type gyms. To be fair, of those that have only been led by a specific gender, only Grass-type and Electric-type gyms have appeared in more than one region.
• 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, Liza, and Roark. They all train either Template:Type2 or Template:Type2 Pokémon.
  • Of the five, Roark is the only one who has a known parent in the games.
• In the anime, Gym Leaders seem to be forbidden from switching their Pokémon. Leaders before Blaine did switch; however, after Ash's match against Blaine, Gym Leaders never again switched their Pokémon. In the games, they may switch their Pokémon as often as any other Trainer.
• For DP009, 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

	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 (BB) • Kalos • Alola • Galar • Paldea Areas of jurisdiction Pokémon League Reception Gate • Hall of Fame Palace of Victory • Cerulean Cave • Area Zero Others Pokémon Association • PIA World Coronation Series (Masters Eight Tournament)