Gym guide

The gym caretaker is a character in the main series Pokémon games. The title actually belongs to at least four characters, each corresponding to a different region. In each case, the caretaker is usually found at the front of a Pokémon Gym, ready to offer tactical advice to novice Trainers. He can often be sarcastic in nature.

Some gyms are unique, in that their caretaker seemingly roams outside its walls. The Celadon Gym caretaker is not seen in his gym, and appears instead at the Rocket Game Corner, where he plays the slot machines. Similarly, the Cianwood Gym caretaker is found in the city's Pokémon Center instead of the gym. The Petalburg Gym caretaker will vanish after the player has defeated his or her father, and, in Generation II only, the Cinnabar Gym caretaker will arrive after Blaine has been defeated.

No official name has been released for the gym caretaker. This has given rise to the fan-designated name "Jim Gai"—a pun on "gym guy".

Quotes

Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow

"Hiya! I can tell you have what it takes to become a Pokémon champ! I'm no trainer, but I can tell you how to win! Let me take you to the top!"
"Just as I thought! You're Pokémon champ material!"

"Yo! Champ in making! Here's my advice! The Leader, Misty, is a pro who uses water Pokémon! You can drain all their water with plant Pokémon! Or, zap them with electricity!"
"You beat Misty! What'd I tell ya? You and me kid, we make a pretty darn good team!"

"Yo! Champ in making! Lt.Surge has a nickname. People refer to him as the Lightning American! He's an expert on electric Pokémon! Birds and water Pokémon are at risk! Beware of paralysis too! Lt.Surge is very cautious! You'll have to break a code to get to him!"
"Whew! That match was electric!"

"Hey! You have better things to do, champ in making! Celadon Gym's Leader is Erika! She uses grass-type Pokémon! She might appear docile, but don't be fooled!"

"Yo! Champ in making! Sabrina's Pokémon use psychic power instead of force! Fighting Pokémon are weak against psychic Pokémon! They get creamed before they can even aim a punch!"
"Psychic power, huh? If I had that, I'd make a bundle at the slots!"

"Yo! Champ in making! The hot-headed Blaine is a fire Pokémon pro! Douse his spirits with water! You better take some Burn Heals!"
"<player>! You beat that fire brand!"

"Yo! Champ in making! Even I don't know Viridian Leader's identity! This will be the toughest of all the Gym Leaders! I heard that the trainers here like ground-type Pokémon!"
"Blow me away! Giovanni was the Gym Leader here?"

"Yo! Champ in making! At Pokémon League, you have to face the Elite Four in succession. If you lose, you have to start all over again! This is it! Go for it!"

Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal

"Hey! I'm no trainer but I can give some advice! Believe me! If you believe, a championship dream can come true. You believe? Then listen. The grass-type is weak against the flying-type. Keep this in mind."
"Nice battle! Keep it up, and you'll be the champ in no time at all!"

"Yo, challenger! Bugsy's young, but his knowledge of bug Pokémon is for real. It's going to be tough without my advice. Let's see... Bug Pokémon don't like fire. Flying-type moves are super-effective too. Well done! That was a great clash of talented young trainers."
"With people like you, the future of Pokémon is bright!"

"Yo! Champ in making! This Gym is home to normal-type Pokémon trainers. I recommend you use fighting-type Pokémon."
"You won? Great! I was busy admiring the ladies here."

"The trainers here have secret motives. If you win, they may tell you some deep secrets about Ecruteak."
"Whew, <player>. You did great! I was cowering in the corner out of pure terror!"

"Jasmine, the Gym Leader, is at the Lighthouse. She's been tending to a sick Pokémon. A strong trainer has to be compassionate. Jasmine uses the newly discovered steel-type. I don't know very much about it."
"That was awesome. The steel-type, huh? That was a close encounter of an unknown kind!"

"Pryce is a veteran who has trained Pokémon for some 50 years. He's said to be good at freezing opponents with ice-type moves. That means you should melt him with your burning ambition!"
"Pryce is something, but you're something else! That was a hot battle that bridged the generation gap!"

"Yo! Champ in making! It's been a long journey, but we are almost done! Count on me! Clair uses the mythical and sacred dragon-type Pokémon. You can't damage them very easily. But you know, they're supposed to be weak against ice-type moves."
"You were great to beat Clair! All that's left is the Pokémon League challenge. You're on the way to becoming the Pokémon Champion!"

"Yo! Champ in making! You lucked out this time. Lt.Surge is very cautious. He has traps set all over the Gym. But--he-heh--the traps aren't active right now. You'll have no problem getting to Lt.Surge."
"Whew! That was an electrifying bout! It sure made me nervous."

"Yo, Champ in making! A trainer as skilled as you doesn't need to be told how to deal with psychic-type Pokémon , right? I expect great things from you! Good luck!"
"That was another fantastic battle!"

"Yo! Champ in making! Since Misty was away, I went out for some fun too. He-he-he."
"Hoo, you showed me how tough you are. As always, that was one heck of a great battle!"

"Yo, Champ in making! Whoops! Take a good look around you. The trainers all look like the Leader, Janine. Which of them is the real Janine?"
"That was a great battle, trainer from Johto!"

"Yo! Champ in making! You're really rocking. Are you battling the Gym Leaders of Kanto? They're strong and dedicated people, just like Johto's Gym Leaders."
"Yo! Champ in making! That Gym didn't give you much trouble. The way you took charge was really inspiring. I mean that seriously."

"Yo! ... Huh? It's over already? Sorry, dude! Cinnabar Gym was gone, so I didn't know where to find you. But, hey, you're plenty strong even without my advice. I knew you'd win!"
"A Pokémon Gym can be anywhere as long as the Gym Leader is there. They're no need for a building."

"Yo, Champ in making! How's it going? Looks like you're on a roll. The Gym Leader is a guy who battled the Champion three years ago. He's no pushover. Give it everything you've got!"
"Man, you are truly tough... That was a heck of an inspirational battle. It brought tears to my eyes."

Trivia

• All of the caretakers before Generation IV were known for saying, "Yo! Champ-in-the-making!"
  • In HeartGold & SoulSilver, in Kanto (having beaten the Elite Four) he refers to the player as "Legend in the making!"
• The character only appears in the games, having not so much as a cameo in the anime or manga.
• The Kanto Caretaker seems to be the same as the Johto Caretaker in Gold, Silver, and Crystal as referenced in the Pewter Gym when the Caretaker there seems to recognize the character.