Gym
A Gym (Japanese: ジム Gym) is a place where Pokémon Trainers go to train their Pokémon. Just like real-life gymnasiums, where one can go to work out and build physical strength, Pokémon Gyms are places where Trainers can go to sharpen their battling skills and where their Pokémon can go to gain experience.
Often specializing in a particular type, Gyms create an environment which allows Trainers to test both their skills and Pokémon against those of others. The most powerful Trainer in a given Gym is called the Gym Leader, who is revered by both the lower-ranking members of the Gym and local fans. In the games, there is a character that usually stands near the front door of each Gym, giving tips on how to beat the Gym's challenges.
Official Gyms
Gyms that are certified by the Pokémon League are vital to a Pokémon Trainer's journey. Leagues are designed so that conventional Trainers must travel far and wide before entering a League Competition, as the only way to enter one is by gaining at least eight official Gym Badges, and there can only be one official Gym per city. Usually, the Gyms are designed to follow and suit the type that the Gym specializes in. For example, Wattson's Gym has electric gates to indicate that it is Electric. However, there are also Gyms that do not practice this, like Viridian Gym and Cinnabar Gym, for example.
In the games
In the games, most Gyms feature a number of Trainers that the player may face before battling the Gym Leader. Their teams typically consist of the same type of Pokémon that the Gym Leader has. These Trainers cannot be battled after the Gym Leader has been defeated.
In all regions so far, the Gym guide routinely stands at the entrance of the Gym, giving the player advice about the type advantages corresponding to the signature type of the Gym Leader.
There are generally eight known official Gyms in each core series region.
In the anime
In the anime, all official Gyms present in the core series games have been featured (up to the Gyms in Unova). However, there have been several instances in the anime which have suggested that there are more Gyms in the anime than players are given access to in the games. The first instance occurs when Gary Oak reveals that he has at least ten Badges excluding the Earth Badge, of which only three correspond to known Kanto League Badges, suggesting there are at least fifteen Gyms in Kanto. Before the Indigo League competition, Ash encounters Otoshi in Bad to the Bone who owns eight Badges, but only shares four in common with Ash. Later in the episode, another Trainer appears with eight other completely different Badges. In total, Ash, Gary, Otoshi and the other Trainer display 27 different types of Badges, suggesting there were potentially at least this number of Gyms in Kanto at the time.
Other Badges observed in the anime which do not correspond to known Badges suggest that there are at least 9 Gyms in Hoenn, 12 in Sinnoh and 14 in Unova.
Orange Archipelago
The Orange Archipelago also contains its own league, complete with its own Gyms:
| Orange Islands | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gym | Badge | Type | Leader |
| Mikan Gym |  Coral-Eye Badge |
Water | Cissy |
| Navel Gym |  Sea Ruby Badge |
Various | Danny |
| Trovita Gym |  Spike Shell Badge |
Various | Rudy |
| Kumquat Gym |  Jade Star Badge |
Various | Luana |
| Pummelo Stadium |  Winner's Trophy |
Various | Drake |
In Pokémon Origins
All eight Kanto Gyms featured in the games Pokémon Red and Green were shown in Pokémon Origins, which primarily showcased Red challenging the Pewter Gym in File 1 - Red and the Viridian Gym in File 3 - Giovanni. Unlike the main series anime, the Gyms closely follow the system utilised in the games, where the challenger is able to use all Pokémon in their team against the Gym Leader. Gyms also have scoreboards featuring each Trainer's current Pokémon and their remaining HP. Gym Leaders may also hand out a TM along with their Badge, and are shown to be capable of altering their Pokémon used in battle, with Brock choosing two out of six potential Pokémon, and Giovanni using a different set of Pokémon than those used against his battle with Blue.
In the TCG
In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, all Gyms are Stadium cards, which provide a specific effect while they are in play. This listing is of cards based on official Gyms from the Pokémon games and often focus on the type speciality of a particular Gym.
Unofficial Gyms
In the games
Saffron City Dojo
- Main article: Fighting Dojo
The Trainers of this Gym specialize in Fighting-type Pokémon. It used to be an official Gym until Sabrina defeated its Leader, Kiyo. After the player defeats the Dojo's Karate Master Kiyo, he will give the player either Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan as a reward.
Prestige Precept center
- Main article: Prestige Precept Center
Also known as the Pre Gym, this unofficial Gym of Phenac City doubles as an academy. In Pokémon Colosseum, its Leader, Justy, will not battle the Trainer until they have at least six Pokémon, and will give away TM27 (Return).
In the anime
A.J.'s Gym
This Gym is run solely by the Trainer A.J., and is notable for its rigorous training methods. It is unknown what prize if any A.J. gave to any victorious challengers, because he left it to enter the Pokémon League after he defeated 100 challengers in a row using only his Sandshrew. This Gym appears in The Path to the Pokémon League.
Fighting Spirit Gym
This Gym was run by Anthony, who was training his Hitmonchan for the P1 Grand Prix. It did not appear to be used for actual Pokémon battles. Instead, it had the appearance of a gym used for training and exercising.
Kaz Gym
This Gym in Dark City wanted to become an official Gym to earn money, but was rejected by the Pokémon League. It has Pokémon of various types, but its primary Pokémon is an Electabuzz. This Gym appears in Showdown at Dark City and is run by Kaz.
Yas Gym
This Gym in Dark City wanted to become an official Gym to earn money, but was rejected by the Pokémon League. The Gym Trainers specialize in Fighting-type Pokémon but the Gym Leader's Pokémon is a Scyther. This Gym appears in Showdown at Dark City and is run by Yas.
Coastline Gym
This is an unofficial Gym that was featured in Just Add Water. It is located on the outskirts of Blackthorn City. Led by Dorian, the Gym specializes in Water-type Pokémon. Unlike the other Water-type Gyms, Dorian holds his battles underwater.
Although the Gym is unofficial, Dorian is hoping that by word of mouth it will become more popular. In fact, after Ash and his friends visited the Gym, they promised they would tell everyone at the Silver Conference about it. However, it hasn't been mentioned since then.
Powerzone Gym
This is an unofficial Gym run by Jessie, James and Meowth in Gymbaliar!. They used the Gym as a method of training and building strategies, however they were on a losing streak until a wild Croagunk appeared and was used as Jessie's powerhouse.
In the TCG
This listing is of cards that feature TCG-exclusive Gyms, which focus on altering a certain gameplay mechanic.
| Related cards Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card | Type | English Expansion |
Rarity | # | Japanese Expansion |
Rarity | # |
| No Removal Gym | T [St] | Gym Heroes | 
|
103/132 | Leaders' Stadium |
|
|
| The Rocket's Training Gym | T [St] | Gym Heroes |
|
104/132 | Leaders' Stadium |
|
|
| Narrow Gym | T [St] | Gym Heroes | 
|
124/132 | Leaders' Stadium |
|
|
| Chaos Gym | T [St] | Gym Challenge |
|
102/132 | Leaders' Stadium |
|
|
| Resistance Gym | T [St] | Gym Challenge |
|
109/132 | Leaders' Stadium |
|
|
| Rocket's Minefield Gym | T [St] | Gym Challenge | 
|
119/132 | Challenge from the Darkness |
|
|
| Ecogym | T [St] | Neo Genesis |
|
84/111 | Gold, Silver, to a New World... |
|
|
| Broken Ground Gym | T [St] | Neo Destiny |
|
84/105 | Darkness, and to Light... |
|
|
| Rocket's Tricky Gym | T [St] | EX Team Rocket Returns |
|
90/109 | Rocket Gang Strikes Back |
|
082/085 |
Differences between generations
|
This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: HGSS pictures different colors, Generation VI pictures |
Generations II, V and VI have a unique design for each Gym (except Cinnabar Gym, which is destroyed). However, in Generation II, the only difference is the shape and color of the roof, with the exception of Saffron and Cerulean Gyms.
-
Generation I -
Generation I -
Generation III (Hoenn) -
Generation III (Kanto) -
Generation IV (Sinnoh) -
Generation IV (Johto) -
Generation IV (Kanto)
Generation II
Generation V
Trivia
- For Gymbaliar!, Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia is about Gyms. He writes this senryū about them: 「かてるまで なんどもちょうせん ポケモンジム」 "Until you win, battle again and again; that is a Pokémon Gym."
- This is also the episode Team Rocket set up a fake Gym, with Jessie acting as its Leader.
- In Generation I, a glitch allows Trainers to fish in the statues at the front of the Gyms.
- No known Gym has specialized in Dark-type Pokémon.
- As the Fighting Dojo in Kanto was once official, every region except Unova has had a Fighting-type Gym at one time.
- Despite the above fact, there has been a Fighting-type specialist in every region, either as a Gym Leader or an Elite Four member.
- A Trainer in the Glitter Lighthouse also says Jasmine used to specialize in Rock-type Pokémon, meaning every region except Unova has had a Rock-type Gym at one time.
- In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, each Gym's frame is colored according to the type, except for the Viridian Gym, which has no specialist type. The Viridian Gym's frame is green.
- In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, walking Pokémon are not allowed in the Blackthorn Gym and Viridian Gym because the flooring is unstable. Coincidentally, both Gyms are the last of the Gyms challenged in Johto and Kanto respectively.
- Eight of the eleven Unova Gyms serve dual purposes, both as a place of battle and as a service: Striaton Gym is a restaurant, Nacrene Gym is a museum and library, Castelia Gym is a gallery showcasing the paintings of the Gym Leader Burgh, Nimbasa Gym is a set of roller coasters to go with the Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa City in Pokémon Black and White or a fashion show catwalk in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Driftveil Gym is a mining operation, Mistralton Gym is an airplane hangar, Aspertia Gym is a school, and Virbank Gym is a music club.
- In Generation V and VI, Gyms do not take on a single appearance, their look being customized to suit the Gym Leader's specialist type. Gyms had only previously had unique designs in Generation II, where the roof colors differed.
- In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, every Gym has, with the exception of Aspertia Gym, a unique remix of the usual Pokémon Gym theme music.
In other languages
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The Pokémon League | 
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|---|---|---|---|
| Participation Trainer • Battle • Gym Leaders Gyms • Badges • Referee Championship matches Elite Four • Orange League Champion League Pokémon League Conferences Indigo • Silver • Ever Grande • Lily of the Valley Vertress • Lumiose • Manalo |
Regional Pokémon Leagues Indigo • OrangePtS • Johto • Hoenn • Sinnoh Unova (BB) • Kalos • Alola • Galar • Paldea Areas of jurisdiction Pokémon League Reception Gate • Hall of Fame Palace of Victory • Cerulean Cave • Area Zero Others Admissions Exam • Pokémon Association PIA • World Coronation Series (Masters Eight Tournament) | ||
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This article is part of Project Locations, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world. |
