Other Gyms in the Anime

[Rune Knight]

Hello and Happy New Year! I wanted to make a thread like this for a while but never got around to it due to sheer laziness. Also, I'm not sure if this is the right section or if anyone has ever made a thread like this before so please excuse my ignorance if either is the case.

It has been established that at least in the world of the anime there are further gyms outside of the traditional eight.

My theory is that there is at least one gym for every pokémon type and that trainers have the freedom to choose what gyms they decide to challenge.

There might also be miscellaneous gyms that don't focus on one specific type, such as the Viridian Gym during Gen 2.

Trainers are also allowed to decide the order in which they decide to beat every gym leader. This has been hinted at by Clemont who originally wanted challengers to posses at least four gym badges before challenging him, but allowed them to do so even if they didn't.

All gyms range in difficulty, which is why it is often recommended that a trainer posses a certain number of badges before challenging them.

I believe that the scale of some regions are around as large as a country, which allows them to consist of various cities and towns besides the ones from the games, with some of them containing one or more gyms.

For example within the canon of the games, the Hoenn region consists of places like Petalburg and Staleport City. The anime includes other areas such as Larousse City, the setting for M07 and also where Drew is from. A place like Larousse City may have a gym of its own.

The most notable example that I could think was that of Sawyer's badge collection in Kalos.

Spoiler: Sawyer's Badges

They consist of the Bug, Psychic, Fairy, Plant, and Iceberg badges.

The three unknown ones are likely Fire, Flying, and Water which I like to label as the Flame, Wing, and Bubble badges.

There are many more examples of unknown badges within the anime but arguably too many to add to this one post so maybe we can discuss them within this thread. Feel free to share thoughts.

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

I agree with there being one gym for each type in a region theory, esp with that being the case in Galar

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

I think it's a very good theory. I agree. Even GF is kind of leaning in this way with Galar being stabilished as having a "minor league" besides the 8 gyms we fight during the main campaign

On another note, I LOVE Sawyer's non-game badges.

Between Ash's, Serena "V2"'s and Sawyer's outfits, the Gen 6 had outstanding designs.

 

[Blastmaster]

Well yeah, it was established as early as OS that the anime has more than eight gyms per region. Who could forget Gary's 10 badge meme?

The anime's always been vague about exactly how strong Gym leaders are supposed to be. It's obviously not as strict as the games since like you said, they can be challenged in any order, but it still always seems to coincidentally mirror Ash's progression. My headcanon is that there's low, mid, and high tier leaders, where the difference is still there but less overwhelming. Low would have (early) Brock, Misty, and Cilan, mid includes most of the others, and high includes Volkner, Roxie, Wulfric, and a few others. Ash just so happens to challenge the high tiers last.

There's also the fact that Gym Leader companions clearly get stronger across the series. Brock, Misty, and Clemont were all high tier by their most recent appearances, and Cilan was at least mid. And Brock and Misty get an even higher boost thanks to their Megas. High tiers presumably are about on par with the Frontier Brains other than Brandon, especially knowing Volkner is Flint's old rival which would make him borderline E4.

 

[Dephender]

It's been mentioned many times, both in the anime and the games, that gym leaders vary their teams and strategies depending on how many badges the challenger has. They're supposed to serve as a challenge to be overcome on the way to the league, not as a rival trainer playing on an equal level.

 

[Leonhart]

I suppose it makes sense that there would be a Gym in each region for every single type of Pokemon. Frankly, I don't usually think much about the Gyms that Satoshi never visits, but in hindsight it would've been nice to see him challenge more anime-exclusive Gyms just for the sake of seeing more battles, even under the assumption that he'd lose and not win their badges.

 

[Rune Knight]

I think in some cases, or at least in the world of the anime, the gym leader does in fact go all out against their challenger.

A notable example is Clemont. Brock wasn't known to have any other Pokemon other than Onix and Geodude at the time that he battled Ash so he was probably being serious as well. I guess this was more specifically geared towards Ash since he is the character that we follow.

On the opposite spectrum there is Viola, who competes at the Battle Chateau, indicating that she is in fact much more powerful than she displayed during her battle against Ash. She also only used two pokemon, but likely has more. Also I believe she said something along the lines that she was testing Ash and that even though he was strong he didn't have the power to beat her at the time.

 

[Dephender]

I think in some cases, or at least in the world of the anime, the gym leader does in fact go all out against their challenger.

A notable example is Clemont. Brock wasn't known to have any other Pokemon other than Onix and Geodude at the time that he battled Ash so he was probably being serious as well.

It's not just a matter of Pokemon, but strategies as well. It was mentioned in XY that Mache only uses Trick Room against strong challengers, so challengers with few badges won't have to overcome that strategy even if they face Shushupu as well.
There's a lot of ways you can hold back if your intent is just to provide a challenge to overcome.

 

[LilligantLewis]

The Fighting Dojo has the word GYM over its door in the game, but it's appeared in the anime without any hint of being a gym, so it's probably not Kanto's Fighting Gym.

In the episode Showdown at Dark City, two gyms competed to become an official League Gym. I don't remember the episode too well but I'm assuming the one who won became a gym.

Also, in episode 218, Ash gets a "Silverwing Badge" at least it was called a badge in the dub

 

[Rune Knight]

The Fighting Dojo has the word GYM over its door in the game, but it's appeared in the anime without any hint of being a gym, so it's probably not Kanto's Fighting Gym.

In the episode Showdown at Dark City, two gyms competed to become an official League Gym. I don't remember the episode too well but I'm assuming the one who won became a gym.

Also, in episode 218, Ash gets a "Silverwing Badge" at least it was called a badge in the dub

I question the process of the Fighting Dojo since even in the games it competes with the Psychic gym's spot of becoming a gym of its own. It suggests that maybe there can only be one gym per city (instead of just one gym per type).

 

[Redstar45]

I question the process of the Fighting Dojo since even in the games it competes with the Psychic gym's spot of becoming a gym of its own. It suggests that maybe there can only be one gym per city (instead of just one gym per type).

i like Ag version not nj one

 

[Leonhart]

Also, in episode 218, Ash gets a "Silverwing Badge" at least it was called a badge in the dub

That was just a token of gratitude from the village's council if I remember correctly, as well as a plot device to remind Satoshi and his friends to visit Gingan Isle after that episode.

 

[LilligantLewis]

That was just a token of gratitude from the village's council if I remember correctly, as well as a plot device to remind Satoshi and his friends to visit Gingan Isle after that episode.

Oh I totally agree with that, it was just interesting they they used the word Badge to describe it