- This article is about the Gym Badges. For the element in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, see Pokémon League (TCG).
- Quake redirects here. For the skill in Pokémon Shuffle, see Skill (Shuffle) → Quake.
- Boulder redirects here. For the field obstacle, see Movable boulder.
A Gym Badge (Japanese: ジムバッジ Gym Badge), commonly referred to as simply a badge[1] (Japanese: バッジ badge), is an item that serves as proof of a Pokémon Trainer's victory in a battle against a Gym Leader at a Pokémon Gym.
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.
Concept and development
A selection of familiar and unfamiliar badges can be seen in early character artwork by Ken Sugimori. It appears that the original concept of badges was more similar to an embroidered patch than the pinned badge they are portrayed as in the Pokémon animated series and subsequent game entries. While some of these patches do resemble badges seen in the final game like the Cascade Badge, the Volcano Badge or even the Rainbow Badge, others don't appear to be based on anything, and may have only been made for the sake of aesthetics, much like real-life embroidered patches, such as Red's "Leaf Badge" or Silver's "Artsy Badge".
Other instances of embroidered "badges" can be seen in the cover art for the Games That Stand Out Collection magazine, with the male Trainer's rock or diamond badge and the female Trainer's teardrop badge, which shares a resemblance to the Cascade Badge. However, given the nature of this illustration (the designs were made specifically for this cover and weren't intended to be used in the franchise[2]), it is likely that these designs were chosen randomly. The latter badge's resemblance to the Cascade Badge was most likely a coincidence, given it is a stylized drop of water.
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 Generations I and II, the stat or stats are increased by 12.5%; in Generation III, the stat or stats are increased by 10%. This boost does not exist from Generation IV onward.
In Generation I, this boost is reapplied whenever the player's Pokémon's stats are raised or lowered, allowing boosts to be stacked (this stacking effect is lost if the Pokémon levels up). 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.
Note that in Generation I, the game states that the Thunder Badge raises Speed and the Soul Badge raises Defense, but these are not the actual effects caused.
Type boost
In Generation II, every badge boosts the power of the moves of a certain type by 12.5% (1/8), despite never being referenced in the games. The type strengthened matches the type theme of the Gym (for example, Zephyr Badge boosts the Flying type); despite the Viridian Gym no longer having a type theme in Generation II, the Earth Badge boosts Ground-type moves.
These boosts work similarly to the way same-type attack bonus (STAB) boosts work, and are, in fact, calculated in-between weather modifiers and STAB. Just like stat boosts, type boosts are not applied in link battles.
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, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, obedience is determined by the number of badges, not which specific badges the player has. Starting in Legends: Arceus, this applies even to non-outsider Pokémon, but is based on the level the Pokémon was met at when caught (as displayed on the Summary screen), rather than its current level. This prevents a Pokémon from suddenly becoming disobedient once it exceeds a player's current obedience level (listed below), as long as it was caught at or below that level. In Generation IX if a Pokémon is received in a trade, the level at which it was traded instead becomes the level it was met at, even if traded back to its Original Trainer.
In the Pokémon the Series episode The Problem with Paras, Lacy mentioned this when Ash's Charmeleon refused to obey him.
| Badges by obedience level
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Indigo League
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Johto League
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Hoenn League
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Sinnoh League
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Unova League
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Kalos League
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Galar League
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Paldea League
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| Up to Lv. 10
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No badges
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No badges
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No badges
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No badges
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No badges
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| Up to Lv. 20
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1 badgePE
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Zephyr BadgeHGSS
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Stone BadgeORAS
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Trio BadgeBW
Basic BadgeB2W2
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No badges
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No badges
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No badges
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1 badge
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Cascade Badge
2 badgesPE
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Hive Badge
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Knuckle Badge
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2 badges
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Basic BadgeBW
Toxic BadgeB2W2
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Bug Badge
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Grass Badge
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2 badges
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| Up to Lv. 35
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3 badges
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| Up to Lv. 40
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3 badgesPE
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Dynamo BadgeORAS
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Insect Badge
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Cliff Badge
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Water Badge
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4 badges
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5 badges
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Rainbow Badge
4 badgesPE
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Fog Badge
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Heat Badge
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4 badges
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Bolt Badge
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Rumble Badge
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Fire Badge
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6 badges
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7 badges
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5 badgesPE
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Balance BadgeORAS
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Quake Badge
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Plant Badge
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Fighting BadgeSw
Ghost BadgeSh
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| Up to Lv. 70
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Marsh Badge
6 badgesPE
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Storm BadgeGSC
Mineral BadgeHGSS
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Feather Badge
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6 badges
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Jet Badge
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Voltage Badge
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Fairy Badge
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| Up to Lv. 80
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7 badgesPE
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Mind BadgeORAS
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Freeze BadgeBW
Legend BadgeB2W2
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Fairy Badge
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Rock BadgeSw
Ice BadgeSh
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Psychic Badge
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Dark Badge
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| All Pokémon
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Earth Badge
8 badgesPE
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Rising Badge
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Rain Badge
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8 badges
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Legend BadgeBW
Wave BadgeB2W2
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Iceberg Badge
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Dragon Badge
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8 badges
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Catch level limit
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, the player cannot catch wild Pokémon above a certain level without appropriate badges. Such uncatchable wild Pokémon are described as being "very strong-looking" upon encounter, and attempting to use a Poké Ball displays the message, "You can't throw a Poké Ball! It won't let its guard down!"
| Badges by catch level
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| Level
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Badge
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No badges
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Grass Badge
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| Up to Lv. 30
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Water Badge
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| Up to Lv. 35
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Fire Badge
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| Up to Lv. 40
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Fighting BadgeSw
Ghost BadgeSh
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| Up to Lv. 45
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Fairy Badge
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| Up to Lv. 50
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Rock BadgeSw
Ice BadgeSh
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| Up to Lv. 55
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Dark Badge
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| All Pokémon
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Dragon Badge
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HM moves
- Main article: HM
While Trainers can teach their Pokémon HM moves and use them in battle, Trainers require the appropriate badge to use them in the overworld in Generations I through IV as well as Generation VI. In Generation V only, badges are not needed to use HM moves in the overworld.
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.
| Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
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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 (in the case of the Indigo Plateau, either Kanto or Johto; for Paldea, only the badges earned from the Gyms are accepted by the League, as the others are unofficial designs merely meant to resemble the proper badges). In Unova, Kalos, and Generation I, III, and VII Kanto, badges are checked individually through a series of badge Check Gates; in Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Generation II and IV Kanto, badges are checked all at once.
List of badges
Indigo League
In Generations IV and VII, these badges do not affect stats.
| Indigo League
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| Badges: 8
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Region: Kanto
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Boulder Badge
グレーバッジ
Gray Badge
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| Basis
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| It is a simple gray octagon.
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Cascade Badge
ブルーバッジ
Blue Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Basis
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Thunder Badge
オレンジバッジ
Orange Badge
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| Basis
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Rainbow Badge
レインボーバッジ
Rainbow Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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Soul Badge
ピンクバッジ
Pink Badge
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| Basis
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| It is in the shape of a fuchsia heart.
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Marsh Badge
ゴールドバッジ
Gold Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Basis
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Volcano Badge
クリムゾンバッジ
Crimson Badge
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| Basis
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Earth Badge
グリーンバッジ
Green Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Basis
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Johto League
In Generation IV, these badges do not affect stats.
| Johto League
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| Badges: 8
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Region: Johto
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Zephyr Badge
ウイングバッジ
Wing Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a pair of wings.
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Hive Badge
インセクトバッジ
Insect Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a ladybug viewed from above.
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Plain Badge
レギュラーバッジ
Regular Badge
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| Basis
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| It is a plain diamond.
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| Notes
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| This badge is not obtainable until after the player talks to Whitney a second time.
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Fog Badge
ファントムバッジ
Phantom Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 50
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a wispy ghost.
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Storm Badge
ショックバッジ
Shock Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 70GSC
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a fist.
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Mineral Badge
スチールバッジ
Steel Badge
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| Others in animation
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| Jasmine's colleague
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| Basis
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| It is a steel-colored octagon.
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Glacier Badge
アイスバッジ
Ice Badge
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| Basis
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| It is a hexagon with a snowflake design.
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| Notes
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This badge is not obtainable until the player has cleared out Team Rocket HQ.
In Generation II, due to a bug, the Special Defense boost is only applied if the (pre-boost) Special Attack stat is in between 206 and 432 (inclusive) or 661 and above.
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Rising Badge
ライジングバッジ
Rising Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 100
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a dragon's face.
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| Notes
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| This badge is not obtainable until the player has explored the Dragon's Den.
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Hoenn League
In Generation VI, these badges do not affect stats.
| Hoenn League
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| Badges: 8
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Region: Hoenn
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Stone Badge
ストーンバッジ
Stone Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a rectangle with two of its corners more emphasized than the others.
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Knuckle Badge
ナックルバッジ
Knuckle Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 30
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a boxing glove.
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Dynamo Badge
ダイナモバッジ
Dynamo Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a coiled wire.
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Heat Badge
ヒートバッジ
Heat Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 50
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a wisp of fire.
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Balance Badge
バランスバッジ
Balance Badge
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| Basis
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Feather Badge
フェザーバッジ
Feather Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 70
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| Basis
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Mind Badge
マインドバッジ
Mind Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a heart, with two sides closing in, possibly in reference to how Tate and Liza are twins.
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Rain Badge
レインバッジ
Rain Badge
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| Others in the games
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| JuanE
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 100
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like three raindrops arranged in a triangle.
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Sinnoh League
When badges are touched in the games, they play a single note, and will make a musical C major scale when all eight badges are collected. When a player rubs the stylus across them numerous times to polish them (as they gradually tarnish), they will begin to shine. This process can be continued until four sparkles are visible. The musical 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 outsider Pokémon obey the Trainer, rather than the badges themselves (this distinction is important because the order in which the Cobble, Fen, and Relic Badges are obtained differs between Diamond/Pearl and Platinum). For every second badge the maximum level of obeying Pokémon increases (0 badges—level 10; 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
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| Badges: 8
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Region: Sinnoh
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Coal Badge
コールバッジ
Coal Badge
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| Others in animation
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| Byron
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a boulder and a Poké Ball combined. It also resembles Roark's hard hat, or possibly a treasure chest.
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Forest Badge
フォレストバッジ
Forest Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like three trees of a forest, with the trunks whited out.
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Cobble Badge
コボルバッジ
Cobble Badge
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| Basis
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| It is reminiscent of bricks or a tatami mat.
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| Notes
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| This is the third badge in Diamond and Pearl, but the fourth in Platinum.
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Fen Badge
フェンバッジ
Fen Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a lake with gray reeds around it or a wave seen from the front, a reference to the type of wetland called a fen. It also resembles Crasher Wake's Mask.
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| Notes
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| This is the fourth badge in Diamond and Pearl, but the fifth in Platinum.
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Relic Badge
レリックバッジ
Relic Badge
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| Basis
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| It is similar in appearance to a Will-o'-the-wisp or a ghostly aura. It also resembles Fantina's hair.
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| Notes
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| This is the fifth badge in Diamond and Pearl, but the third in Platinum.
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Mine Badge
マインバッジ
Mine Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like three stones and three pickaxes combined.
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Icicle Badge
グレイシャバッジ
Glacier Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like an iceberg or two icy mountains.
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Beacon Badge
ビーコンバッジ
Beacon Badge
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a lighthouse.
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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 from whom the badge was earned gets grayer.
In Black 2 and White 2, the badges no longer dull over a period of time, and Sinnoh's notes were reintegrated into the badge screen.
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, as they are not required, traded Pokémon that have learned an HM move in another game can still use the HM move before acquiring any badges.
| Unova League
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| Badges: 8
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Region: Unova
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Trio Badge
トライバッジ
Tri Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 20
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| Basis
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| 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.
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| Notes
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| The Gym Leader who gives the badge is the same one who was battled.
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Basic Badge
ベーシックバッジ
Basic Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 30
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a purple spine of a book.
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Insect Badge
ビートルバッジ
Beetle Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 40
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a green heart divided into three parts or the wings and body of an insect.
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Bolt Badge
ボルトバッジ
Bolt Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 50
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a lightning bolt or a Pikachu or Emolga tail, with an orange crown sticking out of the tip.
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Quake Badge
クェイクバッジ
Quake Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 60
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| Basis
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| 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, or as two tectonic plates interacting.
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Jet Badge
ジェットバッジ
Jet Badge
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| Others in animation
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| Miles
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 70
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a stylized feather, with a soaring bird at the bottom.
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Freeze Badge
アイシクルバッジ
Icicle Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 80
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like three white icicles.
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Legend Badge
レジェンドバッジ
Legend Badge
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| Others in the games
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| IrisW
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 100
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a dragon's head with the snout pointing downwards, a medieval mace, or a dragon's wing when stretched out.
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| Unova League
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| Badges: 8
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Region: Unova
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Basic Badge
ベーシックバッジ
Basic Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 20
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a purple spine of a book, similar to those found in libraries.
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Toxic Badge
トキシックバッジ
Toxic Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 30
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| Basis
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| It is shaped like a smoke signal with four small purple circles lining up to a poison mark.
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Insect Badge
ビートルバッジ
Beetle Badge
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| Obeying Pokémon
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| Up to Lv. 40
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|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a green heart divided into three parts or the wings and body of an insect.
|
|
|
|
|
Bolt Badge
ボルトバッジ
Bolt Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 50
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a lightning bolt or a Pikachu or Emolga tail, with an orange crown sticking out of the tip.
|
|
|
|
|
Quake Badge
クェイクバッジ
Quake Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 60
|
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
|
Jet Badge
ジェットバッジ
Jet Badge
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Others in animation
|
|
| Miles
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 70
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a stylized feather, with a soaring bird at the bottom.
|
|
|
|
|
Legend Badge
レジェンドバッジ
Legend Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 80
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a dragon's head with the snout pointing downwards, a medieval mace, or a dragon's wing when stretched out.
|
|
|
|
|
Wave Badge
ウェーブバッジ
Wave Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 100
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a raindrop with waves in it.
|
|
|
|
|
Kalos League
| Kalos League
|
| Badges: 8
|
Region: Kalos
|
Bug Badge
バグバッジ
Bug Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 30
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a beetle.
|
|
|
|
|
Cliff Badge
ウォールバッジ
Wall Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rumble Badge
ファイトバッジ
Fight Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 50
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like two fists clashing against each other.
|
|
|
|
|
Plant Badge
プラントバッジ
Plant Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 60
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a leaf, with the veins forming the shape of a plant.
|
|
|
|
|
Voltage Badge
ボルテージバッジ
Voltage Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 70
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a shield with bolts shooting out of it.
|
|
|
|
|
Fairy Badge
フェアリーバッジ
Fairy Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 80
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a vitrail with motifs of fairy or butterfly.
|
|
|
|
|
Psychic Badge
サイキックバッジ
Psychic Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 90
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a crystal ball emanating smoke.
|
|
|
|
|
Iceberg Badge
アイスバーグバッジ
Iceberg Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 100
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a snowflake with an iceberg in the center.
|
|
|
|
|
Galar League
Unlike previous badges, these badges are not pins or kept in a case, but pieces of a gold-colored medallion placed into a metal ring to stay in place. Once all badges are set, the completed reverse side shows the Gym Challenge logo.
| Galar League
|
| Badges: 10
|
Region: Galar
|
Grass Badge
くさバッジ
Grass Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 30
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 25
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like a stylized leaf of spinach or a leaf floating in the wind.
|
|
|
|
|
Water Badge
みずバッジ
Water Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 40
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 30
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like three water droplets in the shape of a Tomoe or a splash.
|
|
|
|
|
Fire Badge
ほのおバッジ
Fire Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 50
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 35
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like a flame.
|
|
|
|
|
Fighting Badge
かくとうバッジ
Fighting Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 60
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 40
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like a fist with a trail indicating a punching motion.
|
|
|
|
|
Ghost Badge
ゴーストバッジ
Ghost Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 60
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fairy Badge
フェアリーバッジ
Fairy Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 70
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 45
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like a stylized fairy or butterfly.
|
|
|
|
|
Rock Badge
いわバッジ
Rock Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 80
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 50
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like a boulder with cracks in it.
|
|
|
|
|
Ice Badge
こおりバッジ
Ice Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 80
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 50
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like an ice cube.
|
|
|
|
|
Dark Badge
あくバッジ
Evil Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 90
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 55
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like a demonic face with horns and a wide, toothy grin.
|
|
|
|
|
Dragon Badge
ドラゴンバッジ
Dragon Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
Up to Lv. 100
Can catch Pokémon up to Lv. 100
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| On it is a design shaped like a dragon's face and neck when viewed from the side.
|
|
|
|
|
Paldea
Unlike in previous games, where badges can only be obtained through defeating Gym Leaders, badges in Paldea can be obtained by progressing through the three storylines in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. There are a total of eighteen badges to collect: eight Gym Badges from the Victory Road storyline (which involves defeating Gym Leaders as in previous games), five Star Badges from the ★ Starfall Street ★ storyline (which involves defeating Team Star Bosses), and five Titan Badges (which involves defeating Titan Pokémon) from the Path of Legends storyline. Only the Gym Badges are officially recognized by the Paldea League; the Star Badges were crafted by the leaders of each of Team Star's five squads as symbols of authority within the group, and the Titan Badges were crafted by Arven to commemorate the defeat of the five Titans of Paldea.
Paldea League
The obedience levels listed below are based on the amount of Gym Badges the player has instead of which specific badges they have.
| Paldea League
|
| Badges: 8
|
Region: Paldea
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 25
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Bug type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 30
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Grass type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 35
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Electric type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 40
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Water type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 45
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Normal type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 50
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Ghost type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 55
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Psychic type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Obeying Pokémon
|
|
| Up to Lv. 100
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Ice type on it.
|
|
|
|
|
Photos
★ Starfall Street ★
| ★ Starfall Street ★
|
| Badges: 5
|
Region: Paldea
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Dark type overlaid on top of Team Star's logo.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge allows the player to make a greater variety of TMs using the TM Machine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Fire type overlaid on top of Team Star's logo.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge allows the player to make a greater variety of TMs using the TM Machine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Poison type overlaid on top of Team Star's logo.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge allows the player to make a greater variety of TMs using the TM Machine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Fairy type overlaid on top of Team Star's logo.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge allows the player to make a greater variety of TMs using the TM Machine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Fighting type overlaid on top of Team Star's logo.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge allows the player to make a greater variety of TMs using the TM Machine.
|
|
|
Photos
Path of Legends
| Path of Legends
|
| Badges: 5
|
Region: Paldea
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Rock type on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge gives the player's KoraidonS/MiraidonV the ability to dash.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Flying type on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge gives the player's KoraidonS/MiraidonV the ability to swim.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Steel type on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge gives the player's KoraidonS/MiraidonV the ability to jump higher.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Ground type on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge gives the player's KoraidonS/MiraidonV the ability to glide.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is a round badge with the icon for the Dragon type on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Possession of this badge gives the player's KoraidonS/MiraidonV the ability to climb.
|
|
|
Photos
Arven's badge photo (Rock)
Arven's badge photo (Flying)
Arven's badge photo (Steel)
Arven's badge photo (Ground)
Arven's badge photo (Dragon)
Orange League
These sets of badges only appear in Pokémon the Series: The Beginning. Trainers must receive these badges from the Orange Crew.
| Orange League
|
| Badges: 4
|
Region: Orange Islands
|
Coral-Eye Badge
サクラバッジ
Sakura Badge
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a tellins shell with a small gemstone on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Its Japanese name refers to Nitidotellina nitidula (桜貝 sakuragai), a species of tellins.
|
|
|
Sea Ruby Badge
シラナミバッジ
Shiranami Badge
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a giant clam shell with a small gemstone on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Its Japanese name refers to the maxima clam (白波貝 shiranamigai).
|
|
|
Spike Shell Badge
リンボウバッジ
Rinbō Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Its Japanese name refers to the triumphant star turban (輪宝貝 rinbōgai).
|
|
|
Jade Star Badge
ルリバッジ
Ruri Badge
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a purple snail shell with a small gemstone on it.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Its Japanese name refers to the elongate janthina (瑠璃貝 rurigai), a species of sea snails.
|
|
|
In spin-off games
Pokémon GO
- Main article: Gym (GO) → Gym Badges
Pokémon Masters EX
In Pokémon Masters EX, the player must earn five badges from PML Leaders across Pasio before they can qualify for the Pokémon Masters League tournament. According to Erika, each PML badge is handed out by more than one different PML Leader, though the identities of these Leaders are unknown.
| Pokémon Masters League
|
| Badges: 5
|
Region: Pasio
|
Tranquility Badge
カームバッジ
Calm Badge
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| The green hexagon and gold, leaf-like emblem reference Erika's Grass-type specialty.
|
|
|
|
|
Freedom Badge
リバティバッジ
Liberty Badge
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patience Badge
ペイシェントバッジ
Patient Badge
|
|
|
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| The badge is not obtained until the player has defeated some Team Break members.
|
|
|
Harmony Badge
ユニティバッジ
Unity Badge
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a stylized snowflake, referencing Pryce's Ice-type specialty.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Pryce must be defeated twice in order for the badge to be obtained.
|
|
|
Pride Badge
プラウドバッジ
Proud Badge
|
|
|
|
| Basis
|
|
| It is shaped like a tall volcano or mountain, in reference to the mountainous Poni Island where Hapu comes from.
|
|
| Notes
|
|
| Hapu gives the badge to the player before battling them.
|
|
|
Pokémon Puzzle League
In Pokémon Puzzle League, in addition to badges, the player can also earn three Elite Medals and two trophies for defeating Elite Four members and Mewtwo.
Boulder Badge
|
Cascade Badge
|
Thunder Badge
|
Rainbow Badge
|
Soul Badge
|
Marsh Badge
|
Volcano Badge
|
Earth Badge
|
In animation
Pokémon the Series
Ash holding the Iceberg Badge
In Pokémon animation, badges signify that a Trainer has succeeded at a particular Gym. If a Trainer earns eight Gym Badges in one region, they are eligible to enter that region's Pokémon League Conference.
Trainers do not necessarily have to win a battle with the Gym Leader in order to earn a badge, and Gym Leaders can be quite lenient about giving out badges. For example, Ash was awarded several badges during the original series because of his kind heart and determination; Misty has berated Ash on several occasions because he did not properly earn all of his Kanto badges, arguing that he really only earned three badges (the Thunder, Soul, and Volcano badges) and the other five badges were given to him on technicalities. In Flint Sparks the Fire!, the Sunyshore Gym was shown to be handing out free Beacon Badges. The Orange Crew all have entire Gym matches devoted to unconventional battling styles.
In The Problem with Paras, Lacy mentioned that some Pokémon will not obey their Trainer if they do not respect them, due to their Trainer lacking in badges. For example, after evolving into Charmeleon, Ash's Charmander began to disobey him, which was only exacerbated upon evolving again into Charizard.
In Kalos, due to Clemont's perception of an ideal challenger of the Lumiose Gym, he programmed the Clembot—the substitute Gym Leader—to throw out challengers who did not have four Kalos League badges. As a result, when Ash attempted to challenge the Gym shortly after arriving in the Kalos region, Clembot acted according to its programming and threw him out. After Clemont reprogrammed the Clembot, he removed the badge restriction, but Ash indicated he would still collect four badges before challenging Clemont himself at the Gym.
Gardenia holding the Forest Badge
Many fellow Trainers that Ash has encountered have been shown to have badges that do not exist in the games, such as Gary earning ten badges in Kanto, indicating that there are more than eight Gyms in each region. Other badges observed in Pokémon the Series which do not correspond to known badges suggest that there are at least 9 Gyms in Hoenn, 11 in Sinnoh, 14 in Unova, and 11 in Kalos. Despite this, Ash's badge case has frequently had indents specifically shaped for the badges that appear in the games. However, Trainers only need 8 to qualify.
It is also implied in the animated series that a Gym Badge serves as a primary ID for a Gym Leader (and probably a secondary ID for a Trainer). Brock has 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.
Additionally, badges are not the only way to enter the Indigo Plateau Conference. Pokémon Tech, a boarding school for Pokémon Trainers, is an expensive school for children, where moving up a grade is the equivalent of winning two Gym Badges. Upon graduation, students may immediately apply for entry in Kanto's League Conference. Alternatively, Trainers can take the Pokémon League Admissions Exam, which awards a single badge that grants entry to the Indigo Plateau Conference on its own; it is convenient for people whose age, health, or work keeps them from traveling around to collect badges.
Alternative badges in Pokémon the Series
So far, Ash has only obtained badges that are obtainable in the games, with the notable exception of those he obtained in the Orange Islands. 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 acquired more than the standard eight Kanto League badges, thus leading to confusion as to whether or not there is a fixed number of badges that can be given out in a particular region. By The Battle of the Badge, he is shown to have at least ten badges, only three of which correspond to known Kanto badges, suggesting there are at least fifteen Gyms in Kanto. Incidentally, this would provide one Gym for each of the 15 types at the time.
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. However, Sakura, a Trainer on her journey, was shown to be collecting badges from both Kanto and Johto, so it is unclear what the specific rules are for competing in championship tournaments.
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.
Morrison
At the Hoenn Pokémon League Championship in Saved by the Beldum!, Morrison was 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!, Barry was shown to have 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 means that there are at least 11 Gyms in Sinnoh. The same unknown red badge that Barry owns is shown at the end of An Old Family Blend!.
Nando
In Last Call, First Round!, Nando was revealed to have acquired seven badges, two of which are unknown. These two badges are the same as two of Barry's unknown badges.
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.
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. 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 that there are at least 14 Gyms in Unova.
Sawyer
In A Fashionable Battle!, Sawyer stated that he had earned one badge. Later, in From A to Z!, he was revealed to have earned four more badges, including three unknown ones, respectively resembling a flame, three bubbles, and a pair of wings. This means there are at least 11 Gyms in Kalos.
Gallery of unidentified badges
An unnamed Trainer's eight unidentified badges
Ash's badges in the dream
Non-Gym badges
Several badges have appeared in the animated series that are not official Gym Badges.
In the Indigo League, Trainers can take the Pokémon League Admissions Exam, which awards a single badge that can grant them entry into Indigo Plateau Conference on its own, thus replacing the requirement to collect Gym Badges. It is convenient for people whose age, health, or work keeps them from traveling around to collect badges.
During the closing ceremony of Indigo Plateau Conference, all participants are awarded the Pokémon League Badge. However, it is only referred to as a badge in the dub.
For helping the band of Diglett thieves with their facade, the mayor of Diglett Village awarded Ash and his friends with the Silver Wing Badge.
The Trainers who defeat Ryuki, the Leader of the unofficial Kantonian Gym, get a novelty badge featuring his face.
Pokémon League Admissions Exam Badge
Pokémon Origins
Both Red and Blue earned all eight badges of Kanto by the time of File 3: Giovanni.
Pokémon Evolutions
In The Rival, Barry was shown defeating Roark and earning the Coal Badge in a flashback. In the present day, he was shown to have collected all eight badges of Sinnoh.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Sapphire's Hoenn Gym Badges
Platinum's Sinnoh 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 his 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 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. This ruling was introduced during a Pokémon Association meeting in the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc, to give Trainers incentive to challenge Gym Leaders, and remove the perception of badges being seen as tools for evil. In the Black & White arc, a last-minute advancement of the date of the Unova League tournament also restricted the eligible challengers to those with all eight of the region's badges. In the Black 2 & White 2 arc, it was revealed that a Trainer must gather a new set of eight badges if they wish to participate in a Pokémon League tournament again.
Six main characters have actively been collecting Gym Badges: Red, who managed to collect seven Kanto badges (missing the Earth Badge); Sapphire, Platinum, and Black, whom managed to collect all of the badges in their respective regions; Henry, who collected six Galar Gym Badges before withdrawing from the Gym Challenge; and Casey, who managed to collect four Galar badges before losing her Gym Challenge. Other characters have also gathered badges, such as Cheren and Hop. Blue once competed for and won a Boulder Badge, but wasn't seen trying to obtain the other Kanto badges. Silver once stole a badge from each Gym in Johto in order to gain access into the Pokémon League, but later returned them to their respective Gym Leaders.
The Electric Tale of Pikachu
Ash's Orange League badges
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Badges work in a way similar to Pokémon the Series, but 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, but this was not the case.
Ash has obtained eight badges from Kanto, but only three (Boulder, Cascade, Earth) actually match known badges, and another three are 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 other media
Pokémon Live!
In Pokémon Live!, Giovanni offered the Diamond Badge to Trainers who would be able defeat his MechaMew2. He gave Ash the Diamond Badge prior to the battle, believing that Ash would never win. However, Ash defeated Giovanni with Mewtwo's assistance, proceeding to give the Diamond Badge to Misty as a belated birthday gift. Pokémon Live! is not in the same canon as Pokémon the Series, and the Diamond Badge is not mentioned elsewhere in the series.
Project Voltage
In the music video for What Kind of Future, Hatsune Miku is seen holding up a custom Badge with a Leek design.
In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Gym Badges in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
Trivia
Official artwork of the Earth Badge
The original badge slots in Ash's Unova badge case
- 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 animation and game handbooks also make this same switch. It is possible that there was an initial error in naming the badges in Pokémon Red and Blue. A soul would be more attuned to psychic abilities and one finds poisonous gases in a marsh. However, no official confirmation has ever been given.
- Official artwork of the Earth Badge (featured in media such as Pokémon Project Studio Red and Blue and Extreme Pokémon: The Guide for the Ultimate Fan) differs significantly from its appearance in the games, animation, manga, and TCG. The design in its official artwork resembles a plant, whereas its other design resembles a feather.
- Paldea has the most badges out of any region, at 18, although only eight of those are Gym Badges.
- It is also the only region to have a badge for every single type.
- The Orange League is the only known Pokémon League with fewer than eight badges.
- It is possible to obtain certain badges in a non-linear order. The most notable examples of this are the badges in the Kanto and Paldea regions.
- In Generation I and III, the Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, and Volcano Badge can be obtained in almost any order the player desires, with the stipulation that the Soul Badge must be obtained before the Volcano Badge, as the Soul Badge is required in order to use Surf on the field, which, in turn, is required to reach Cinnabar Island where the Volcano Badge is obtained.
- In Generation II and IV, the Kanto badges can be obtained in virtually any order, although in Generation IV the player cannot obtain the Earth Badge until obtaining the other seven.
- In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, the Boulder and Cascade Badges must each be obtained to progress to the next Gym, and Viridian Gym (Earth Badge) is closed until the player has obtained all seven other badges. Other than these restrictions, the badges can be obtained in any order.
- In Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, the Knuckle Badge can be postponed until after the Heat Badge, but must be obtained in order to challenge the Petalburg Gym. The Feather Badge is not required until challenging the Elite Four.
- In Generation IX, the different badges can be acquired in virtually any order as part of the open world design.
- In Generation I, as well as Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the fanfare that plays when obtaining a badge is only used for the first and final badges (the Boulder and Earth Badge respectively), and it plays at the end of battle instead of after.
- In FireRed and LeafGreen, the Earth Badge is the only badge that doesn't allow the use of an HM outside of battle, while in Pokémon 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 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 bait and rocks, respectively, at Pokémon outside of the Safari Zone when used in battle. The other "badge items" have no known purpose, simply displaying Professor Oak's "This isn't the time to use that!" message when trying to use them.
- The Basic Badge is the only badge to be given out by more than one Gym.
- The Rising Badge is the only badge the player receives outside of its respective Gym.
- The Legend Badge is the only badge from a region where Ash has competed for Gym Badges that has not appeared in the animated series.
- When Ash initially got his Unova badge case in Minccino—Neat and Tidy!, the slots in it were made to fit each badge in Pokémon Black and White, but they later became circular to accommodate the Toxic Badge.
- Ash has not won a badge in the same episode as his first encounter with its respective Gym Leader since earning the Dynamo Badge from Wattson in Watts with Wattson?.
- The Rain Badge is the only badge that Ash has earned twice, first earning one from Juan in Eight Ain't Enough, and later receiving a second one from Wallace after defeating him in Reuniting for the First Time!.
- In Alola, Gyms and badges are not present. Instead, the player receives Z-Crystals for completing their trials and grand trials, which replace badges on the save file and for unlocking new items at the Poké Mart (the latter for Z-Crystals from trials only). Additionally, grand trial completion Stamps are used to ensure obedience.
- This makes Alola the only region where the player cannot have all outsider Pokémon regardless of level obey them prior to becoming Champion.
- In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the player can receive an unofficial badge known as the Surge Badge by defeating the leader of the Kantonian Gym in Malie City. Although it is purely a novelty item and serves no practical purpose, its design and Japanese name are direct references to the Thunder Badge, while its English name is also a reference to Lt. Surge.
- Galar is the only region with version-exclusive Gym Badges.
Name origin
- Several Ice-type badges have caused a line of naming conflicts, starting with Mahogany Gym's Glacier Badge (アイスバッジ Ice Badge).
- Snowpoint Gym's Icicle Badge is originally called the グレイシャバッジ Glacier Badge.
- Icirrus Gym's Freeze Badge is originally called the アイシクルバッジ Icicle Badge.
- Conversely, Circhester Stadium's Ice BadgeSh has its English name conflict with the Japanese name of the Glacier Badge, although its own Japanese name こおり is the Japanese translation of "ice", rather than a transcription of the English word.
- With the exception of the Rainbow and Rising Badges, all badges in Kanto and Johto were renamed for audiences outside of Japan. All Hoenn League badges keep their Japanese names, as do Sinnoh League badges, with the exception of the Icicle Badge, as mentioned above.
- The Japanese names of the Kanto badges are all colors, following the color pattern for the town and city names. In the case of Celadon City, the Rainbow Badge is likely a reference to the city's namesake in Japanese being the jewel beetle with its wings featuring an iridescent appearance.
- 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 Insect Badge is one of two badges whose English name coincides with the Japanese name of a pre-existing badge, in this case the Hive Badge. The other is the Ice Badge, mentioned above.
- All badges in Galar and Paldea are named directly after their corresponding types.
- Consequently, Kalos has a Fairy Badge (フェアリーバッジ) in addition to Galar and Paldea, making them the only badges to share a name with each other in both English and Japanese.
- The Storm Badge's English name may be derived from the lucha libre wrestler Fray Tormenta—also the inspiration for Crasher Wake—whose name translates as "Friar Storm".
In other languages
References
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