Badge

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This article is about the Badges in the main series Pokémon games. For the element in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, see Pokémon League (TCG).

Ash Ketchum examines a Badge he won from Cissy

A Badge (Japanese: バッジ Badge) is an item which denotes a Pokémon Trainer as having defeated a Gym Leader.

Trainers need to collect a certain number of Gym Badges in order to qualify for a region's Pokémon League. Young Trainers usually begin their initial Pokémon journey by traveling from city to city in order to collect them. Badges are small enough to fit easily between one's thumb and index finger and can be pinned to a shirt or kept in a Badge case.

Development

Early Badges.png

In early character artwork by Ken Sugimori, a selection of familiar and unfamiliar Badges can be seen. It appears that the original concept of Badges was more similar to an embroidered patch than the pinned badge as it is portrayed in the anime. Clockwise from top left opposite are possibly a version of the Earth Badge, an unknown Badge, another unknown Badge, possibly a version of the Rainbow Badge, possibly a Volcano Badge and two Cascade Badges.

Effects

Stat boost

In Generations I-III, some Badges boost a certain stat or stats of the player's Pokémon. This boost is applied only in internal battles, not link battles. In Generation I and II, the stat or stats are multiplied by 9/8. In Generation II, if the attack is a critical hit and the attacker's used offensive stat stage is less than or equal to the opponent's defensive stat stage, all Badge boosts are ignored. In Generation III, the stat or stats are multiplied by 1.1. This boost does not exist in Generation IV onwards.

Badges by stat boosted
Indigo League Johto League Hoenn League
Attack Boulder Badge Zephyr Badge Stone Badge
Defense Soul Badge Mineral Badge Balance Badge
Special Attack and
Special Defense*
Volcano Badge Glacier Badge Mind Badge
Speed Thunder Badge Plain Badge Dynamo Badge

Obedience

Main article: Obedience

Badges affect a Pokémon's behavior. Outsider Pokémon over a certain level will refuse to obey the player without the appropriate Badge. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum only, obedience is determined by the number of Badges, not which specific Badges the player has.

In the anime in The Problem with Paras, Cassandra's grandmother mentioned this when Ash's Charmeleon refused to obey him.

Badges by obedience level
Indigo League Johto League Hoenn League Sinnoh League Unova League
Up to Lv. 20 Zephyr BadgeHGSS Trio BadgeBW
Basic BadgeB2W2
Up to Lv. 30 Cascade Badge Hive Badge Knuckle Badge 2 Badges Basic BadgeBW
Toxic BadgeB2W2
Up to Lv. 40 Insect Badge
Up to Lv. 50 Rainbow Badge Fog Badge Heat Badge 4 Badges Bolt Badge
Up to Lv. 60 Quake Badge
Up to Lv. 70 Marsh Badge Storm BadgeGSC
Mineral BadgeHGSS
Feather Badge 6 Badges Jet Badge
Up to Lv. 80 Freeze BadgeBW
Legend BadgeB2W2
Up to Lv. 100 Earth Badge Rising Badge Rain Badge 8 Badges Legend BadgeBW
Wave BadgeB2W2

HMs

Main article: HM

While Trainers can teach their Pokémon HM moves and use them in battle, to use them in the overworld Trainers require the appropriate Badge.

Poké Mart stock

From Generation IV onwards, the number of Badges a Trainer possesses affects which items Poké Marts sell. The more Badges, the more items that become available for purchase, with more expensive items generally appearing after more Badges are obtained.

Generation IV
Generation V


Pokémon League

In the games, in order to enter the Pokémon League and challenge the Elite Four and Champion, the player must have all eight Badges from that region (or in the case of the Indigo Plateau, either Kanto or Johto). In Unova and Generation I/III Kanto, Badges are checked individually through a series of Badge Check Gates; in Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Generation II/IV Kanto, Badges are checked all at once.

List of Badges

Kanto League

Indigo League
Badges: 8 Region: Kanto
Boulder Badge.png
Boulder Badge
グレーバッジ
Gray Badge
Pewter City
Giver
Brock
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
Lola, Flint and Forrest
HM
FlashRBYFRLG
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Attack
Basis
It is a simple gray octagon.
Notes
None

Cascade Badge.png
Cascade Badge
ブルーバッジ
Blue Badge
Cerulean City
Giver
Misty
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
Lily, Daisy and Violet
HM
CutRBYFRLG
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 30
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is in the shape of a light blue raindrop.
Notes
None

Thunder Badge.png
Thunder Badge
オレンジバッジ
Orange Badge
Vermilion City
Giver
Lt. Surge
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
FlyRBYFRLG
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Speed
Basis
It is in the shape of an eight-pointed gold star with an orange octagon in the center.
Notes
None

Rainbow Badge.png
Rainbow Badge
レインボーバッジ
Rainbow Badge
Celadon City
Giver
Erika
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
StrengthRBYFRLG
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 50
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a flower, showing grass, with rainbow colored petals.
Notes
None

Soul Badge.png
Soul Badge
ピンクバッジ
Pink Badge
Fuchsia City
Giver
Koga
Others in the games
JanineGSCHGSS
Others in the anime
None
HM
SurfRBYFRLG
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Defense
Basis
It is in the shape of a fuchsia heart.
Notes
None

Marsh Badge.png
Marsh Badge
ゴールドバッジ
Gold Badge
Saffron City
Giver
Sabrina
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Rock SmashFRLG
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 70
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is two concentric golden circles.
Notes
None

Volcano Badge.png
Volcano Badge
クリムゾンバッジ
Crimson Badge
Cinnabar Island
Giver
Blaine
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
WaterfallFRLG
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Special Attack & Special Defense*
Basis
It is red and shaped like a flame with a small pink diamond in the center.
Notes
None

Earth Badge.png
Earth Badge
グリーンバッジ
Green Badge
Viridian City
Giver
Giovanni
Others in the games
BlueGSCHGSS
Others in the anime
Jessie, James, Meowth and Agatha
HM
Rock ClimbHGSS
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 100
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a plant, possibly an asparagus, which grows on earth.
Notes
None


Johto League

In Generation IV, these Badges do not affect stats.

Johto League
Badges: 8 Region: Johto
Zephyr Badge.png
Zephyr Badge
ウイングバッジ
Wing Badge
Violet City
Giver
Falkner
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
FlashGSC, Rock SmashHGSS
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 20HGSS
Increased stat(s)
Attack
Basis
It is shaped like a pair of wings.
Notes
The Badge is named after the Greek god of the west wind.

Hive Badge.png
Hive Badge
インセクトバッジ
Insect Badge
Azalea Town
Giver
Bugsy
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Cut
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 30
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It looks like a ladybug's back if viewed from above.
Notes
None

Plain Badge.png
Plain Badge
レギュラーバッジ
Regular Badge
Goldenrod City
Giver
Whitney
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Strength
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Speed
Basis
It is a plain diamond.
Notes
This Badge is not obtainable until after the player talks to Whitney a second time.

Fog Badge.png
Fog Badge
ファントムバッジ
Phantom Badge
Ecruteak City
Giver
Morty
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Surf
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 50
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a wispy ghost.
Notes
None

Storm Badge.png
Storm Badge
ショックバッジ
Shock Badge
Cianwood City
Giver
Chuck
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Fly
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 70GSC
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a fist.
Notes
None

Mineral Badge.png
Mineral Badge
スチールバッジ
Steel Badge
Olivine City
Giver
Jasmine
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
Jasmine's colleague
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 70HGSS
Increased stat(s)
Defense
Basis
It is a steel-colored octagon.
Notes
None

Glacier Badge.png
Glacier Badge
アイスバッジ
Ice Badge
Mahogany Town
Giver
Pryce
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Whirlpool
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Special Attack & Special Defense
Basis
It is a hexagon with a snowflake design.
Notes
None

Rising Badge.png
Rising Badge
ライジングバッジ
Rising Badge
Blackthorn City
Giver
Clair
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Waterfall
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 100
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a dragon's face.
Notes
This Badge is not obtainable until the player has explored the Dragon's Den.


Hoenn League

Hoenn League
Badges: 8 Region: Hoenn
Stone Badge.png
Stone Badge
ストーンバッジ
Stone Badge
Rustboro City
Giver
Roxanne
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Cut
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Attack
Basis
It is shaped like a rectangle with two of its corners more emphasized than the others.
Notes
None

Knuckle Badge.png
Knuckle Badge
ナックルバッジ
Knuckle Badge
Dewford Town
Giver
Brawly
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Flash
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 30
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a boxing glove.
Notes
None

Dynamo Badge.png
Dynamo Badge
ダイナモバッジ
Dynamo Badge
Mauville City
Giver
Wattson
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Rock Smash
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Speed
Basis
It is shaped like a coiled wire.
Notes
None

Heat Badge.png
Heat Badge
ヒートバッジ
Heat Badge
Lavaridge Town
Giver
Flannery
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Strength
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 50
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a wisp of fire.
Notes
None

Balance Badge.png
Balance Badge
バランスバッジ
Balance Badge
Petalburg City
Giver
Norman
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Surf
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Defense
Basis
It is shaped like two circles, counterbalancing each other or a barbell.
Notes
None

Feather Badge.png
Feather Badge
フェザーバッジ
Feather Badge
Fortree City
Giver
Winona
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Fly
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 70
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like feathers on a bird's wing.
Notes
None

Mind Badge.png
Mind Badge
マインドバッジ
Mind Badge
Mossdeep City
Giver
Tate and Liza
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Dive
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
Special Attack & Special Defense
Basis
It is shaped like a heart, with two sides closing in, possibly in reference to how Tate and Liza are twins.
Notes
None

Rain Badge.png
Rain Badge
レインバッジ
Rain Badge
Sootopolis City
Giver
Wallace
Others in the games
JuanE
Others in the anime
Juan
HM
Waterfall
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 100
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like three raindrops, arranged like a level-2 Sierpiński gasket, possibly based, like the Triforce, on the mon symbol of the Japanese Hōjō clan, which is said to represent the three scales of a Shinto dragon.
Notes
None


Sinnoh League

When Badges are touched in the games, they play a single note, and will make a C major scale when all eight are collected. When a player rubs the stylus across them numerous times to polish them (they gradually tarnish), they will begin to shine. This process can be continued until four sparkles are visible. The notes are also the most clearly defined and accurately tuned when there are four sparkles.

Unlike other generations, it is the number of Badges that determines which Pokémon obey the Trainer, rather than the Badges themselves (this distinction is important owing to the fact that the order of obtaining the Cobble, Fen, and Relic Badges can differ). For every second Badge the maximum level of obeying Pokémon increases (2 Badges—level 30; 4 Badges—level 50; 6 Badges—level 70; 8 Badges—level 100). The number of Badges collected also affects the items that the player can purchase in Poké Marts.

Sinnoh League
Badges: 8 Region: Sinnoh
Coal Badge.png
Coal Badge
コールバッジ
Coal Badge
Oreburgh City
Giver
Roark
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Rock Smash
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a boulder and a Poké Ball combined. It also resembles Roark's helmet.
Notes
None

Forest Badge.png
Forest Badge
フォレストバッジ
Forest Badge
Eterna City
Giver
Gardenia
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Cut
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like three trees of a forest, with the trunks whited out.
Notes
None

Cobble Badge.png
Cobble Badge
コボルバッジ
Cobble Badge
Veilstone City
Giver
Maylene
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Fly
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is reminiscent of bricks or a tatami mat.
Notes
This is the third Badge in Diamond and Pearl, but the fourth in Platinum.

Fen Badge.png
Fen Badge
フェンバッジ
Fen Badge
Pastoria City
Giver
Crasher Wake
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
DefogDP, SurfPt
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a lake with gray reeds around it. It also resembles Crasher Wake's Mask.
Notes
This is the fourth Badge in Diamond and Pearl, but the fifth in Platinum.

Relic Badge.png
Relic Badge
レリックバッジ
Relic Badge
Hearthome City
Giver
Fantina
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
SurfDP, DefogPt
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is similar in appearance to a Will-o'-the-wisp or a ghostly aura. It also resembles Fantina's hair.
Notes
This is the fifth Badge in Diamond and Pearl, but the third in Platinum.

Mine Badge.png
Mine Badge
マインバッジ
Mine Badge
Canalave City
Giver
Byron
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Strength
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like three stones and three pickaxes combined.
Notes
None

Icicle Badge.png
Icicle Badge
グレイシャバッジ
Glacier Badge
Snowpoint City
Giver
Candice
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Rock Climb
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like an iceberg or two icy mountains.
Notes
None

Beacon Badge.png
Beacon Badge
ビーコンバッジ
Beacon Badge
Sunyshore City
Giver
Volkner
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
Waterfall
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a lighthouse.
Notes
None


Unova League

Unlike previous Badges, the level at which traded Pokémon will obey the player goes up by ten per Badge, rather than the previous system of rising twenty levels after every even-numbered Badge. They can be polished like Sinnoh's Badges, although they do not make different notes when polished at the same level. Instead, the picture of the Gym Leader that the Badge was earned from gets grayer.

Although Badges are not required to use any of the HMs outside of battle, some HMs cannot be obtained until after obtaining certain Badges. However, they are not required, as traded Pokémon that have learned an HM move in another game can still use the HM move before acquiring any Badges.

Black and White

Unova League
Badges: 8 Region: Unova
Trio Badge.png
Trio Badge
トライバッジ
Tri Badge
Striaton City
Giver
Chili
Others in the games
Cress and Cilan
Others in the anime
Cress and Cilan
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 20
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a bow tie, similar to those worn by the Striaton Gym Leaders. It may also bear a resemblance to an opened pea pod, which contains two large peas; one green and one blue, with a smaller red pea at the center.
Notes
The Gym Leader faced depends on the starter Pokémon the player chose.

Basic Badge.png
Basic Badge
ベーシックバッジ
Basic Badge
Nacrene City
Giver
Lenora
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 30
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a purple spine of a book, similar to those found in libraries.
Notes
None

Insect Badge.png
Insect Badge
ビートルバッジ
Beetle Badge
Castelia City
Giver
Burgh
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 40
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a green heart divided into three parts or the wings and body of an insect.
Notes
None

Bolt Badge.png
Bolt Badge
ボルトバッジ
Bolt Badge
Nimbasa City
Giver
Elesa
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 50
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a lightning bolt or a Pikachu or Emolga tail, with an orange crown sticking out of the tip.
Notes
None

Quake Badge.png
Quake Badge
クェイクバッジ
Quake Badge
Driftveil City
Giver
Clay
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 60
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a vertical piece of earth, the top half of which has cracked and slid out of place, resembling the result of an earthquake.
Notes
None

Jet Badge.png
Jet Badge
ジェットバッジ
Jet Badge
Mistralton City
Giver
Skyla
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 70
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a stylized feather, with a soaring bird at the bottom.
Notes
None

Freeze Badge.png
Freeze Badge
アイシクルバッジ
Icicle Badge
Icirrus City
Giver
Brycen
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 80
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like three white icicles.
Notes
None

Legend Badge.png
Legend Badge
レジェンドバッジ
Legend Badge
Opelucid City
Giver
Iris
Others in the games
DraydenB
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 100
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a dragon's head with the snout pointing downwards, or a medieval mace.
Notes
None

Black 2 and White 2

Unova League
Badges: 8 Region: Unova
Basic Badge.png
Basic Badge
ベーシックバッジ
Basic Badge
Aspertia City
Giver
Cheren
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 20
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a purple spine of a book, similar to those found in libraries.
Notes
None

Toxic Badge.png
Toxic Badge
トキシックバッジ
Toxic Badge
Virbank City
Giver
Roxie
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 30
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped likes a smoke signal with four small purple circles line up to a poison mark.
Notes
None

Insect Badge.png
Insect Badge
ビートルバッジ
Beetle Badge
Castelia City
Giver
Burgh
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 40
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a green heart divided into three parts or the wings and body of an insect.
Notes
None

Bolt Badge.png
Bolt Badge
ボルトバッジ
Bolt Badge
Nimbasa City
Giver
Elesa
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 50
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a lightning bolt or a Pikachu or Emolga tail, with an orange crown sticking out of the tip.
Notes
None

Quake Badge.png
Quake Badge
クェイクバッジ
Quake Badge
Driftveil City
Giver
Clay
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 60
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a vertical piece of earth, the top half of which has cracked and slid out of place, resembling the result of an earthquake.
Notes
None

Jet Badge.png
Jet Badge
ジェットバッジ
Jet Badge
Mistralton City
Giver
Skyla
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 70
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a stylized feather, with a soaring bird at the bottom.
Notes
None

Legend Badge.png
Legend Badge
レジェンドバッジ
Legend Badge
Opelucid City
Giver
Drayden
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 80
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a dragon's head with the snout pointing downwards, or a medieval mace.
Notes
None

Wave Badge.png
Wave Badge
ウェーブバッジ
Wave Badge
Humilau City
Giver
Marlon
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
Up to Lv. 100
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a raindrop with waves in it.
Notes
None


Orange League

These sets of Badges only appear in the anime. Trainers must receive these Badges from the Orange Crew.

Orange League
Badges: 4 Region: Orange Archipelago
Coral-Eye Badge.png
Coral-Eye Badge
サクラバッジ
Sakura Badge
Mikan Island
Giver
Cissy
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a clam shell with a small gemstone on it.
Notes
Its Japanese name comes from cherry blossom, referring to its color.

Sea Ruby Badge.png
Sea Ruby Badge
シラナミバッジ
Shiranami Badge
Navel Island
Giver
Danny
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like an oyster shell with a small gemstone on it.
Notes
Its Japanese name comes from the maxima clam.

Spike Shell Badge.png
Spike Shell Badge
リンボウバッジ
Rinbō Badge
Trovita Island
Giver
Rudy
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a Triumphant Star Turban with a small gemstone on it.
Notes
Its Japanese name comes from the Triumphant Star Turban (rinbōgai), a spiked shell.

Jade Star Badge.png
Jade Star Badge
ルリバッジ
Ruri Badge
Kumquat Island
Giver
Luana
Others in the games
None
Others in the anime
None
HM
None
Obeying Pokémon
N/A
Increased stat(s)
None
Basis
It is shaped like a conch shell with a small gemstone on it.
Notes
Its Japanese name comes from lapis lazuli.


In the anime

The anime has a few different rules for Badges than in the games. Primarily, Badges seem to do nothing beside signify the defeat of a given Gym Leader. A Pokémon may choose not to obey its Trainer even if he or she has gained all eight Badges, such as Ash's Charizard.

Gym Leaders are quite lenient about giving out Badges in the anime. Additionally, Trainers do not necessarily have to win a battle with the Gym Leader in order to earn a Badge. The Orange Crew, for example, all have entire Gym matches devoted to unconventional battling styles and Ash Ketchum was awarded several Badges because of his kind heart and determination.

The exact nature of how Gym Badges are supposed to be collected has varied: A few instances, such as Ash's travels through Kanto, had the Trainer picking out Gyms in any order, and is likewise implied in Johto and Unova. On the other hand, after Ash ends up fighting Norman for the first time, Norman stated to Ash that he was supposed to be the third Gym Leader to be faced, and points to Rustboro as the first Gym he should face, and the Sinnoh Badge case has indents for specific Badges (in Ash's case, the Badges from the Generation IV games), implying that the Trainer in question has to face the Gyms in a pre-determined order by the Pokémon League.

Participation in the Indigo Plateau Conference yields a final Pokémon League Badge at the closing ceremony. It is larger, however, and square shaped.

Pokémon Tech, a boarding school which educates Pokémon Trainers, is an expensive school for children of wealthy families. Moving up a grade in Pokémon Tech is the equivalent of winning two Gym Badges. Upon graduation, students may immediately apply for entry in the Pokémon League.

Trainers can take a three-part test that awards a single Badge which allows entry into the Pokémon League, as seen in The Ultimate Test. The test is called the Pokémon League Admissions Exam. It is convenient for people whose age, health, or work keeps them from traveling around to collect Badges.

Badges in EP013
(composite screenshot)

It's also implied in the anime that a Gym Badge serves as a primary ID for a Gym Leader (and probably a secondary ID for a Trainer), as Brock used his Boulder Badge to identify himself in order to clear his name from any accusations of stealing parts from a machine shop in Cerulean City.

So far, Ash Ketchum has only obtained Badges that are available in the games, with the notable exception of those he obtained in the Orange Archipelago. Several unknown Badges can be seen at the beginning of Mystery at the Lighthouse, while many Trainers Ash has met have had Badges that differ from those that are obtainable in the games. This suggests that there are Gyms in locations which do not appear in the games and therefore more than eight Gyms in each region. Trainers with Badges not seen in the games include:

Gary

Gary Oak acquired more than the standard eight Kanto League Badges, thus leading to confusion as to whether or not there is an infinite number of Badges that can be given out in a given region. By The Battle of the Badge, he is shown to have at least ten Badges, only three of which correspond to known Kanto league Badges, suggesting there are at least fifteen Gyms in Kanto. This would, therefore, provide one Gym for each of the (at the time) fifteen types. Among these may include the Fighting Dojo, a Gym shown to be defunct by Pokémon Red and Blue.

Otoshi

In addition, before Ash competes in the Indigo League, a Trainer named Otoshi is shown in the episode Bad to the Bone; he owns eight Badges, but only shares four in common with Ash; later in the episode another Trainer is seen with eight other completely different Badges altogether. In total, Ash, Gary, Otoshi and the other Trainer display 27 different types of Badges, so there must be at least this number of Gyms in Kanto at the time, assuming they are all from the same region.

On closer inspection, Otoshi's Badges each look somewhat similar to Ash's Badges and only differ in size and shape. Similarly, what can be identified as a Soul Badge, Thunder Badge, Marsh Badge, and Volcano Badge slide across the screen every time his Marowak knocks out a Pokémon in his flashback. His Badges are in this order from upper-left to bottom-right: Thunder, ? (Rainbow), Cascade, Volcano, Marsh, Soul, Boulder, and Earth. This hints that there may be different varieties of the same Badge.

Later, during Ash's Johto League challenge, he is given what is referred to in the show as the "Silver Wing Badge"; however, this is not an official Gym Badge and is not recognized in the games as a Badge at all, but rather a key item used to make Lugia appear in the Whirl Islands.

Morrison

At the Hoenn Pokémon League Championship in Saved by the Beldum!, Morrison is shown to have an eighth Badge different from Ash's, suggesting that there are at least nine Gyms in Hoenn.

Mismagius

In Ash's dream in Malice in Wonderland, Ash has many Badges that haven't been on-screen before, as well as some older Badges. Considering it was only a dream, it is possible that some of the Badges seen don't exist at all.

Barry

In Barry's Busting Out All Over!, it shows that Barry has three Badges. While the Forest Badge and the Mine Badge are no different, Barry has a third Badge that is different from the eight Sinnoh Badges. In Fighting Ire with Fire!, Barry was revealed to have obtained eight Badges already, two more of which are different. This could imply that there are at least eleven Gyms in Sinnoh. The possibility of more Sinnoh Gyms is further supported by something Tower Tycoon Palmer says to Ash in Challenging a Towering Figure!. After the Twinleaf Festival is coming to a close, and Ash and the gang prepares to depart, Palmer asks Ash about the Pokémon League. Ash says that he needs just one last Badge. Palmer then suggests (or something to that effect) that Ash choose Sunyshore to be his final Badge, as if there were other possible choices. The same unknown red Badge that Barry owns is shown at the end of An Old Family Blend!.

Nando

In Last Call, First Round! it is revealed that Nando has acquired seven Badges, three of which are unknown. Nando has two Badges that are the same as two of Barry's unknown Badges. This means that there are at least twelve Gyms in Sinnoh.

Trip

In Ash Versus the Champion! Trip revealed all five of the Badges he had collected, three of which are unknown and not seen in-game. Since there are 10 Badges in Unova in the games (due to two of them being replaced in Black 2 and White 2), this means there are at least 13 Gyms there in the anime.

Cameron

In Goodbye, Junior Cup - Hello Adventure!, Cameron revealed all seven of the Badges he collected, four of which are known and three of which are unknown. Two of those unknown Badges are the same as Trip's. This takes the total number of Unova Gyms to 14.

Gallery of unidentified Badges

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Platinum's Gym Badges

In Pokémon Adventures, Badges have mystical and mysterious qualities that can somehow increase the power of the Pokémon owned by the Trainer who wields the Badges, just as the Boulder Badge increases the Pokémon's Attack stat in the games. In addition, Badges that don't allow higher leveled Pokémon to obey, such as the Soul Badge, do indeed allow the wearer to control even legendary Pokémon such as Articuno.

It is not known what sort of material Badges are made of, but it has been confirmed that the Gym Leaders each own a Badge made of different material than the kind given out to normal Trainers, as that is how the Masked Man's identity was narrowed down to among the 16 known Gym Leaders when Aibo scraped off a part of his hidden Badge with its Scratch attack.

Team Rocket used seven Kanto Gym Badges to power a machine that combined Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres into a single beast. The machine also had a secret slot for the Earth Badge, which Lance manipulated to further his own goals by turning Cerise Island into a giant Badge energy amplifier to fuel the legendary Lugia with.

Badges are not required to enter the Pokémon League tournament; however, without eight Badges corresponding to their home region, a Trainer must battle their way in to qualify for the finals.

In the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Ash's Kanto Badges
Ash's Orange League Badges

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Badges work in a way similar to the anime, however, there are some minor differences. All Badges have the Pokémon League logo printed on them.

In addition, Pokémon Trainers are organized by class, much like Pokémon Tech "Class D", "Class C" and so forth. Badges increase the rank of the Trainer who owns them. Ash once believed that he could increase his rank by capturing rare wild Pokémon, however this was not the case.

Ash has obtained eight Badges from Kanto, but only three (Boulder, Cascade, Earth) actually matching known Badges, and another three lookalike Badges (resembling the Soul, Marsh, and Volcano). Ash also obtained four Badges from the Orange Islands, but none of them match any known Badges.

In Pokémon Live!

The Diamond Badge from Pokémon Live!

In Pokémon Live!, Giovanni offers the Diamond Badge to Trainers who defeat his MechaMew2. He gives Ash the Diamond Badge prior to the battle, believing that Ash will never win. However, Ash defeats Giovanni with Mewtwo's assistance, proceeding to give the Diamond Badge to Misty as a belated birthday gift. Pokémon Live! is not in continuity with the anime, and the Diamond Badge is not mentioned elsewhere in the series; however, it is the inspiration for DiamondShipping's name.

Trivia

  • In the Pokémon Project Studio Red and Blue computer programs, the Soul and Marsh Badges' names are reversed, with the pink heart-shaped Badge being the Marsh Badge and the yellow circular Badge being the Soul Badge. Several anime and game handbooks also make this same switch. This appears to be because of an initial error in naming the Badges in Red and Blue. A soul would be more attuned to psychic abilities and one finds poisonous gases in a marsh.
  • The Orange League is the only known Pokémon League with fewer than 8 Badges.
  • With the exception of the Earth Badge, obtaining a region's eighth Badge enables the use of HM07 (Waterfall) outside of battle. In Kanto, the Volcano Badge, its seventh Badge, enables the use of Waterfall, while the Earth Badge would technically enable the use of HM08 (Dive), if it could be used outside of battle in FireRed and LeafGreen.
  • It is possible to obtain certain Badges in a non-linear order. The most notable example of this are the Kanto Badges in Generation II and IV, which can be obtained in virtually any order, although the Earth Badge must be obtained last in Generation IV.
    • In Generation III, the only Gym that can be skipped entirely is the Fortree City Gym. The player can get to the point in the game where the guards at the Pokémon League check to see if the player has received all eight Badges. This is not the case with the Dewford Gym as it must be defeated in order for the player to fight Norman, though it can be put off until after Flannery has been defeated.
  • In FireRed and LeafGreen the Earth Badge is the only Badge that doesn't allow the use of a HM outside of battle, while in HeartGold and SoulSilver it is the only Kanto Badge that does.
  • The Rainbow Badge's colors correspond with the colors of all the other Kanto Badges, explaining the odd colors in its design.
  • In the code of the Generation I games, items named for each Badge can be found. The items named BoulderBadge and CascadeBadge allow players to throw rocks and bait, respectively, at Pokémon outside of the Safari Zone when used in battle. The other Badges have no known purpose.
  • Not counting the Unova League Badges, since one can use HM moves outside of battle without them, the Mineral Badge in the only Badge to never enable the use of an HM move outside of battle in any game it is obtainable in.

Name origin

  • With the exception of the Rainbow and Rising Badges, all Badges in Kanto and Johto were renamed for audiences outside of Japan. All eight Hoenn League Badges keep their Japanese names, as do Sinnoh League Badges, with the exception of the Icicle Badge, due to its name originally being the Glacier Badge in Japanese. In English, the Glacier Badge is the Mahogany Gym's Badge, which was originally called the Ice Badge in Japanese. This naming conflict continued in Generation V, with the Icirrus Gym's Badge being the Icicle Badge in Japanese, where it was renamed the Freeze Badge in English.
    • The Japanese names of the Kanto Badges are all colors, following the color pattern for the town and city names.
    • The Trio and Insect Badges are the first Badges since the Glacier Badge in Generation II to get renamed in the English version of the games, without there being a localization conflict between the Japanese and English versions.
  • The Storm Badge's English name may derive from the lucha libre wrestler Fray Tormenta—also the inspiration for Crasher Wake—whose name translates as "Friar Storm".

In other languages

Language Title
Bulgaria Flag.png Bulgarian Значка (Znachka)
Chinese Cantonese 聖章 Singjēung
Mandarin 徽章 Huī​zhāng
Denmark Flag.png Danish Emblem (original series and Advanced Generation)
Salmærke (DP onward)
Finland Flag.png Finnish Rintamerkki / Salimerkki
France Flag.png European French Badge
Germany Flag.png German Orden
Israel Flag.png Hebrew תג (Tag)
Indonesia Flag.png Indonesian Lencana
Italy Flag.png Italian Medaglia
Poland Flag.png Polish Odznaka
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Insígnia
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Crachá
Romania Flag.png Romanian Insignă
Russia Flag.png Russian Значок (Znachok)
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Medalla
Spain Flag.png Spain Medalla


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