Gym Leader

A **Gym Leader** is the highest-ranking member of a Pokémon Gym. The main job of a Gym Leader is to test Trainers and their Pokémon so that they are strong and resourceful enough to take the Pokémon League challenge. If a Trainer defeats a Gym Leader in battle, then the Trainer earns that Gym's Badge.

Gym Leaders are also responsible for overseeing how their respective Gyms are run and maintained. Great care must be taken to make sure that their Gym reflects the best environment for the type in which they specialize, such as swimming pools in a Water-type Gym, trees and flowering plants in a Grass-type or a Bug-type, or ice and snow in an Ice-type Gym.

It has not exactly been made clear how Gym Leaders attain their position, but it appears that it varies for each Gym. Some of them founded their Gyms and are self-appointed. Others, such as Whitney, are chosen by the other members of the region's Pokémon League. A few appear to be passed on through families: Falkner and Flannery both took over their respective Gyms from a close family member. However, Gyms do not necessarily belong to a particular family. Roark and his father, Byron, are both Gym Leaders at the same time, in different Gyms.

## Pokémon used

Nearly all Leaders rely on a single type of Pokémon. For example, Erika uses only Grass-type Pokémon in official Gym battles. Some Leaders, however, do not use a specific type of Pokémon, like Jessie and James in Viridian City Gym's who only use one Ground-type Pokémon. However, many Gym Leaders have one or two Pokémon that stray from their type theme.

Geography and climate can often be connected to the type of Pokémon the Gym Leader of that area uses. Pastoria Gym Leader, Crasher Wake, uses Water-type Pokémon, a direct allusion to the flooded marsh that surrounds the area and the constant downpour that plagues Pastoria City. Another example of this is the Cinnabar Gym Leader, Blaine, who uses Fire-type Pokémon and lives in a volcanic area.

The character archetype can also reflect the type of Pokémon a Leader uses. For example, Roark and Byron, who are both miners, use the related Rock- and Steel-type Pokémon. Tate and Liza could be based on the archetype of twins who can communicate telepathically, and thus train Psychic-type Pokémon and being twins, they also battle opposing Trainers in Double Battles.

## List of Gym Leaders

### Orange League

 Rudy | Trovita Island | Various | Spike Shell Badge

## Island Kahuna

Alola region doesn't have Pokémon Gyms. Instead, they are replaced by Island challenges, with Island Kahunas as the final test over a trainer's mastery of their Pokémon.

An **island kahuna** (Japanese: **しまキング** *Island King* or **しまクイーン** *Island Queen*) is a person who presides over a certain island challenge in the Alola region. Island kahunas serve as the final obstacle in that particular island's trial and battle a Trainer in a Grand Trial. There is one kahuna for each of the four main islands of Alola, with each one chosen by that island's guardian deity. In addition to presiding over an island, they are also in charge of tending to their guardian's ruins when necessary and selecting new Trial Captains for their island.

A person chosen to be an island kahuna cannot refuse the position, example of which is Nanu, Island Kahuna of Ula'ula Island. A kahuna's reign lasts until they die, as was the case with Hapu's grandfather and predecessor, or are forcibly ejected from their position by their respective guardian deity, as was with the case with a former unspecified kahuna who established the gang that Team Skull drew inspiration from. The time in between an island kahuna's exit from their position and the naming of a new one is not always immediate — following the death of Hapu's grandfather, Poni Island was left without a kahuna for several years.

It is unknown how the lack of a kahuna affects the island challenge, specifically the assignment of Trial Captains and the final trial. A kahuna from one of the other islands, though, has to substitute for an island without one in order to allow that island's grand trials to be conducted.

## Trivia

* The Dark type is the only one to not have an associated Gym. There is, although, an island kahuna (Nanu) who specializes in Dark types.
* Every Gym Leader that specializes in Ghost- and Steel-type Pokémon uses Gengar and Steelix respectively in battle.
* The Orange League is the only one in which the player defeats all the Gym Leaders without a rematch.
* Each kahuna wears an article of clothing of the color that corresponds to their island's name and guardian. Hala's Aloha shirt is yellow, Olivia's shirt is pink, Nanu's undershirt is red, and Hapu's bonnet is purple.