Badge

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

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Ash Ketchum examines the Coral Eye 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

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 a possible version of the Earth Badge, an unknown Badge, another unknown Badge, a possible version of the Rainbow Badge, a possible 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	Kalos 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	Bug Badge
Up to Lv. 40					Insect Badge	Cliff Badge
Up to Lv. 50	Rainbow Badge	Fog Badge	Heat Badge	4 Badges	Bolt Badge	Rumble Badge
Up to Lv. 60					Quake Badge	Plant Badge
Up to Lv. 70	Marsh Badge	Storm BadgeGSC Mineral BadgeHGSS	Feather Badge	6 Badges	Jet Badge	Voltage Badge
Up to Lv. 80					Freeze BadgeBW Legend BadgeB2W2	Fairy Badge
Up to Lv. 90						Psychic Badge
All Pokémon	Earth Badge	Rising Badge	Rain Badge	8 Badges	Legend BadgeBW Wave BadgeB2W2	Iceberg Badge

HMs

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. In Generation V, Badges are no longer needed to use HM moves in the overworld. In Generation VI, Badges are again required in order for Trainers to use their respective HMs 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.

Generation IV
Poké Ball* $200	Great Ball* $600
Ultra Ball* $1200	Potion $300
Super Potion* $700	Hyper Potion* $1200
Max Potion* $2500	Full Restore* $3000
Revive* $1500	Antidote $100
Parlyz Heal Parlyz Heal $200	Awakening* $250
Burn Heal* $250	Ice Heal* $250
Full Heal* $600	Escape Rope* $550
Repel* $350	Super Repel* $500
Max Repel* $700

Generation V
Poké Ball $200	Great Ball* $600
Ultra Ball* $1200	Potion $300
Super Potion* $700	Hyper Potion* $1200
Max Potion* $2500	Full Restore* $3000
Revive* $1500	Antidote* $100
Parlyz Heal Parlyz Heal* $200	Awakening* $250
Burn Heal* $250	Ice Heal* $250
Full Heal* $600	Escape Rope* $550
Repel* $350	Super Repel* $500
Max Repel* $700

Generation VI
Poké Ball $200	Great Ball* $600
Ultra Ball* $1,200	Potion $300
Super Potion* $700	Hyper Potion* $1,200
Max Potion* $2,500	Full Restore* $3,000
Revive* $1,500	Antidote* $100
Paralyze Heal* $200	Awakening* $250
Burn Heal* $250	Ice Heal* $250
Full Heal* $600	Escape Rope* $550
Repel* $350	Super Repel* $500
Max Repel* $700

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, Kalos, 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

Indigo League

In Generation IV, these badges do not affect stats.

Indigo League
Badges: 8	Region: Kanto
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 hard hat, or possibly a treasure chest. Notes None
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 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 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 or a wave seen from the front. It also resembles Crasher Wake's Mask. Notes This is the fourth Badge in Diamond and Pearl, but the fifth in Platinum.
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 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 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 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.

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, 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 トライバッジ Tri Badge Striaton City Giver Cress Others in the games Cilan and Chili Others in the anime Cilan and Chili 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, a medieval mace, or a dragon's wing when stretched out. Notes None

Black 2 and White 2

Unova League
Badges: 8	Region: Unova
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 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 like a smoke signal with four small purple circles lining up to a poison mark. Notes None
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 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 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 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 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, a medieval mace, or a dragon's wing when stretched out. Notes None
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

Kalos League

Kalos League
Badges: 8	Region: Kalos
Bug Badge バグバッジ Bug Badge Santalune City Giver Viola Others in the games None Others in the anime None HM Cut Obeying Pokémon Up to Lv. 30 Increased stat(s) None Basis It is shaped like a beetle. Notes None
Cliff Badge ウォールバッジ Wall Badge Cyllage City Giver Grant Others in the games None Others in the anime None HM Strength Obeying Pokémon Up to Lv. 40 Increased stat(s) None Basis It is shaped like a cliff or a rock climbing wall. Notes None
Rumble Badge ファイトバッジ Fight Badge Shalour City Giver Korrina 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 two fists clashing against each other. Notes None
Plant Badge プラントバッジ Plant Badge Coumarine City Giver Ramos Others in the games None Others in the anime None HM Fly Obeying Pokémon Up to Lv. 60 Increased stat(s) None Basis It is shaped like a leaf. Notes None
Voltage Badge ボルテージバッジ Voltage Badge Lumiose City Giver Clemont Others in the games None Others in the anime Clembot HM None Obeying Pokémon Up to Lv. 70 Increased stat(s) None Basis It is shaped like a shield with bolts shooting out of it. Notes None
Fairy Badge フェアリーバッジ Fairy Badge Laverre City Giver Valerie 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 wings. Notes None
Psychic Badge サイキックバッジ Psychic Badge Anistar City Giver Olympia Others in the games None Others in the anime None HM None Obeying Pokémon Up to Lv. 90 Increased stat(s) None Basis It is shaped like a crystal ball emanating smoke. Notes None
Iceberg Badge アイスバーグバッジ Iceberg Badge Snowbelle City Giver Wulfric 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 snowflake with an iceberg in the center. 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 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 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 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 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, Sinnoh 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 obtained Badges that are only 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

• Gary Ten Badges.png

  Gary's ten Badges

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  Otoshi's eight Badges

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  An unnamed Trainer's eight unidentified Badges

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  Morrison's eighth Badge

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  Ash's Badges in the dream

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  Barry's eight Badges

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  Nando's seven Badges

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  Trip's five Badges

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  Cameron's 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.
• The Basic Badge is the only Badge to be given out by more than one Gym.
• If one looks closely at the Iceberg Badge, it can be seen that there is real water in the hollow transparent center.

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 Bulgarian Значка (Znachka) Chinese Cantonese 聖章 Singjēung Mandarin 徽章 Huī​zhāng​ Danish Emblem* Salmærke* Finnish Ansiomerkki* Salimerkki European French Badge German Orden Hebrew תג (Tag) Indonesian Lencana Italian Medaglia Polish Odznaka Portuguese Brazil Insígnia Portugal Crachá Romanian Insignă Russian Значок (Znachok) Spanish Latin America Medalla Spain Medalla