Incorrect Gym Leader Typing?

Started by Ghostie January 16th, 2011 6:05 PM
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Posted February 24th, 2011
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I realized something about the Kanto region gym leaders. At least, the first three. Okay, there's Brock who uses Rock types, then Misty, who uses water types, and then there's Lt. Surge, who uses electric types.
Nothing new, but think about this. Pewter City is in close proximity to the forest, while it's a longer trek to Mt. Moon. Cerulean is surrounded by more caves than Pewter City; Cerulean Cave, Rock Tunnel, and even Mt. Moon is closer to Cerulean than it is to Pewter. And Vermillion city is on a port! It's got a lot of water and ships coming and going.
So, I think that Brock's gym should have used bug types, Misty's gym should have used Rock types, and Surge's gym should have had water types.

I guess in the Manga it makes more sense about Surge, since Team Rocket set him up there.....but it doesn't in the anime.

Anyway, I don't know. It's just a thought.

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I don't think the gym types depend of their location though. It's not like Brock couldn't walk to Mt. Moon and catch the Rock types that he prefers using just because the forest is closer, you know? By your explanation Cinnabar Island should be an water or ice gym since it's right by the ocean and Seafoam Islands..
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Well, where did Jasmine get Steelix?
And most of the time, gym typing IS based on location.
Cinnabar has a volcano on it, and Fortree is a tree city.
Bugsy's gym is right next to a forest, and Goldenrod is close to the Miltank ranch.

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Age 29
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Come to think of it;
Pewter City is next to Viridian forest, filled with bug pokemon right?
Rock beats Bug
Cerulean City has a lot of caves surrounding it
Water beats Rock
Vermillion is a port city
Electric beats water.

Ahh nintendo logic.
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Then practically every gym type is wrong ._.

Brock should be Bug
Misty should be Rock
Surge should be Water
Eirika should be Normal (because there's nothing special)
Sabrina should be Electric (because it's a big city)
Koga should be Grass (because of safari zone)
Blaine should be Ice (because of the Seafoam Islands)
Giovanni should be Bug too (because of the forest)

Faulkner should be Rock (because of Union Cave)
Bugsy should stay Bug (because of the forest)
Whitney should be Electric (because of city)
Morty should stay Ghost (because oldness)
Chuck should be Water (because it's on an island)
Jasmine should stay steel (because city)
Pryce should be Water (because of the Lake of Rage)
Clair should stay Dragon (because of the dragon cave thing)

Roxanne should be Bug (because of forest)
Brawly should be Water (because he's on an island)
Wattson should stay Electric (because of New Mauville)
Flannery should stay Fire (because of volcano)
Norman should stay Normal (because of nothing)
Winona should be Grass (because giant forest)
Twins should be Water (because giant island)
Juan/Wallace should be Water (because island again)

Roark should stay Rock (because mine)
Gardenia should be Rock (because Mt. Coronet mountain range)
Maylene should be Rock (because it's a rocky city)
Wake should be Ground (because marsh)
Fantina should be Normal (because nothing else?)
Byron should be Water (because port)
Candice should stay ice (snow)
that last guy should be Water (because port)

Point is, types are in no way dependent on city. They have some little bit of correlation, but no full dependence (otherwise you could get like 4 water leaders in Hoenn or 4 rock leaders in Sinnoh ._.) Needs some balance in game.

also games came first, then animanga.
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Is it Nintendo logic?
I don't think so, because aren't the games based off of the manga?
I think its the other way around. Red/Blue were released in Japan 1996 and the manga in 1997.
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Ah, okay. I wasn't sure if that was true or not, BUT about the gyms listed above:
Brock: yep
Misty: Yep
Surge: Yep
Erika: Explained only in the anime; I guess that doesn't count
Sabrina: She has Psychic power
Koga: No, there are many types in the Safari Zone. He considers poisoning a "Ninja Technique
Blaine: There's VOLCANO on the island
Giovanni: Right next to Mt. Moon and Nidoran and Nidorina are easy to catch

Remember: I'm not saying they ARE wrong, I'm just saying that they MIGHT be. I want to know what you guys think.

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Koga: No, there are many types in the Safari Zone. He considers poisoning a "Ninja Technique
Brock considers rock types awesome, Misty considers water types cool. Lt. Surge considers zapping stuff the most efficient way of battling. You're contradicting yourself here by using places as explanations for why things should change, but people as explanations for why they shouldn't.

Blaine: There's VOLCANO on the island

I don't see it.

Giovanni: Right next to Mt. Moon and Nidoran and Nidorina are easy to catch
Viridian City is RIGHT NEXT to Mt. Moon yet Pewter is far away? lolwut.

I'm not saying you're wrong either, I'm just pointing out that you might want to not contradict yourself. I'm only stating my opinion beyond that, my opinion that this idea is rather silly. Also, three other regions you might want to counter-argue.
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Have you never played Gold and Silver? The Volcano has destroyed everything in the town but the Pokemon Center. So that argument is so out.
Koga argument: Fair enough. I should have mentioned that Grimer can be caught on Cycling Road instead.
I think they could have had the same gym leaders, just in different towns.

And I don't know what I was thinking about Viridian City. Brain fart I guess. XD

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If you're going to talk about where you can catch what, Eirika should be a fire-type trainer, as she's the closest to those bushes with fire-types in them on Route whatever-it-is.

Plus Blaine's on the Seafoam Islands in GSC, so more the reason for Ice-type? :D

The position of the gym leaders doesn't really mean much to be honest :\
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PlatinumDude

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Gym locations don't matter for the gyms' type specialties, IMO. But Oreburgh City and Eterna City are close to mines and a forest respectively. City aesthetics may also play a part, such as Sunyshore City being known to use electricity frequently.

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I think the gyms are the types they are so that they are strong against the Pokemon caught in that area so that it's more of a challenge for the trainer if they catch Pokemon there. That is why there are a lot of Rock gyms after a place where lots of Bug type Pokemon available.
Such as in Kanto:
Brock (Rock) strong against the Bug Pokemon in Viridian Forest.
Misty (Water) strong against the Rock Pokemon like Geodude in Mt. Moon.
Lt. Surge (Electric) strong against the Water Pokemon available by fishing in Vermillion City.
Erika (Grass) strong against the Ground Pokemon available in Rock Tunnel.
Koga (Poison) strong against the Grass Pokemon available on Route 14.
Sabrina (Psychic) strong against the Fighting Pokemon got at the Fighting Dojo.
Blaine (Fire) strong against the Ice Pokemon available at the Seafoam Islands.
Giovanni (Ground) strong against the Fire Pokemon available at the Abandoned Mansion.
Lorelei (Ice) strong against the Ground Pokemon available in Victory Road.
Bruno (Fighting) strong against the Rock Pokemon available in Victory Road.
Agatha (Ghost) resists the Fighting Pokemon available in Victory Road.
Drake (Dragon) and Blue (Mixed) no obvious advantage.

Kenshin5

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I realized something about the Kanto region gym leaders. At least, the first three. Okay, there's Brock who uses Rock types, then Misty, who uses water types, and then there's Lt. Surge, who uses electric types.
Nothing new, but think about this. Pewter City is in close proximity to the forest, while it's a longer trek to Mt. Moon. Cerulean is surrounded by more caves than Pewter City; Cerulean Cave, Rock Tunnel, and even Mt. Moon is closer to Cerulean than it is to Pewter. And Vermillion city is on a port! It's got a lot of water and ships coming and going.
So, I think that Brock's gym should have used bug types,

I guess in the Manga it makes more sense about Surge, since Team Rocket set him up there.....but it doesn't in the anime.

Anyway, I don't know. It's just a thought.
Misty Gym is also closer proximity too the Power Plant. So Surge being located in that area based on area pokemon makes more sense(of course if it was location based). Also Cerulean City doesn't have much Water in the area? Cerulean Cave has a river running in front of it. Cerulean Cape is located North of Cerulean right by Bills house. Just East of Cerulean Cape is the Ocean. So I wouldn't say Cerulean doesn't have much water surrounding the area.

Then practically every gym type is wrong ._.

Brock should be Bug
Misty should be Rock
Surge should be Water
Erika should be Normal (because there's nothing special)
Sabrina should be Electric (because it's a big city)
Koga should be Grass (because of safari zone)
Blaine should be Ice (because of the Seafoam Islands)
Giovanni should be Bug too (because of the forest)

Faulkner should be Rock (because of Union Cave)
Bugsy should stay Bug (because of the forest)
Whitney should be Electric (because of city)
Morty should stay Ghost (because oldness)
Chuck should be Water (because it's on an island)
Jasmine should stay steel (because city)
Pryce should be Water (because of the Lake of Rage)
Clair should stay Dragon (because of the dragon cave thing)

Roxanne should be Bug (because of forest)
Brawly should be Water (because he's on an island)
Wattson should stay Electric (because of New Mauville)
Flannery should stay Fire (because of volcano)
Norman should stay Normal (because of nothing)
Winona should be Grass (because giant forest)
Twins should be Water (because giant island)
Juan/Wallace should be Water (because island again)

Roark should stay Rock (because mine)
Gardenia should be Rock (because Mt. Coronet mountain range)
Maylene should be Rock (because it's a rocky city)
Wake should be Ground (because marsh)
Fantina should be Normal (because nothing else?)
Byron should be Water (because port)
Candice should stay ice (snow)
that last guy should be Water (because port)

Point is, types are in no way dependent on city. They have some little bit of correlation, but no full dependence (otherwise you could get like 4 water leaders in Hoenn or 4 rock leaders in Sinnoh ._.) Needs some balance in game.

also games came first, then animanga.
For Blaine I would also include Ocean and if we are including anime then it would definitely be Fire, since the match between Blaine and Ash was conducted in a Volcano. Koga I would consider I bit of water and ice due to him being close Seafoam Islands which are slightly south west of Saffron. Jasmine could also be considered Water since Olivine is a port city. Pryce seems more close to Mt. Motar then Lake Rage. Regardless he could double for both Water and Rock. Browly is right next to Granite Cave. Gardenia Gym seems equal distance from Eterna Forest and Mt. Coronet. So I would say Grass, Bug, Ghost(Old Chateau), and Rock. I'd still go with Water over Rock with Wake or Water/Ground since Marshs are dirty Water type areas. Bryon I will still say Steel even though Iron Island is a bit off, but definitely Water. I agree Volkner for Water but also with electric. Since he set up a Electric grid for Sunyshore City if I remember right.

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Who cares about Gym typing - ITS A FRICKING GAME!!! Plus, the gyms are those types to be CHALLENGING, not logically relevant to their location. Also, that means that ALL 5 members of the Elite Four (4 Elites, Champion) must be Rock type cos its right after Victory Road. It also means that almost EVERY trainer must have either Normal, Grass/Bug or Rock Pokemon.
Location is nothing - any trainer can start anywhere, and end up anywhere - Brock could have come from Cerulean, Misty could have come from Cinnibar, Erika could have come from Floroma! It has no relevance! A Gym is that type because of the leader's choice, not the location.
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It wouldn't; Gym leaders travel. It's shown in the later games. I wanted someone to yell at me about that, but they never did.
LOL

Oh, and why would Blaine change types just because the volcano moved him to Seafoam Islands?
"I like them thar ice types I been meetin' up with. I guess I'll use them now instead!"
"Sir, ice is weak to fire..."
"Shaddup, Burglar!"

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The gyms got their typing because the creators felt like it, the backstory came later.

Let's take the Blaine example. So, Cinnabar was, in generation 1, an island, notable for two things: 1. Research Laboratories 2. Missingno.
Now, arguments were brought like "In the Anime...", "Generation 2" or "Mt Ember". All of them came later. Maybe volcanism was added to Cinnabar to justify Blaine's fire typing. Or just because why not.
As for the wild Pokemon argument... Well, while there are some Fire types in Cinnabar mansion (heavily outnumbered by the hordes of Poison types, but they ARE there), I don't think there is a deeper sense behind their presence. Ponyta and Magmar probably must had to be put SOMEWHERE. Which doesn't make much sense as Cinnabar is way too small to have some kind of wildlife that could invade the abandoned mansion, they're probably just there for difficulty. Searching for a key with exploding overleveled Weezings around is both more difficult and more interesting than searching for it without anything spawning or random people roaming around and battling you.
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Hmm, I was always of the opinion that gym leaders were weak to a specific type of pokemon that could only be found recently, for the most part. At least for a certain point.

Brock - Weak to 2/3 starters, and a butterfree can take care of him pretty efficiently which can be caught in the immediate area. Same with a Nidoran. Yeah, bad typing, but meh. It forces you to learn about typing, as well.

Misty - Immediately north of Cerulean is the first Grass type you can get in the game. Good chance to train it against Misty?

Lt. Surge - You can go out and get Diglett immediately before battling him for sure, even assuming you didn't get Geodude when you had the chance, and somehow hate Sandshrew.

Erika - First fire type can be caught immediately preceding meeting her, ignoring the boatloads of flying types in first gen.

Blaine - Surf. If you wanted to raise a specific water pokemon, here's an excellent chance, especially where every single water pokemon just became available to you.

Koga, Sabrina, and Giovanni - I can't figure any of these guys out, at least not in such a concrete sense.

Psychic had no exploitable weakness in Gen 1, you fought it out the hard way. Interestingly enough, it was put next to a massive, massive dungeon for powerleveling that needed to be cleared before you could fight them, and there was another gym to show just how powerful psychic is. Originally ghosts were meant to be good against Psychic as well, which is next door. Overall meant to force you to use your best pokemon, as opposed to type cruising like most gyms allow.

I can't figure out any sort of explanation in this sense as to poison and ground being where it is. I think at this point in the game, the designers assumed if you were going to use typing, you'd go back and get a ground or psychic type in poison's case, and in ground's case... you just beat blaine. You must have a water.

This might only be half an argument, though. It's possible to subvert this and say that to some extent, pokemon were placed based on who you had to fight next. This isn't as important in later generations and in later points in first gen because, well, you could catch more. You could have all three elements and another powerhouse before you so much as fought the first gym.
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The only mistakes they've made in gym types is the lack of a Dark-type gym. :(

Anyway on the Kanto topic . . . I really like Vamaar's post and have to back him up on this one: gym placement is a lot about the convenience of it rather than the sense it makes.
More significant still though is the similarity (or contrast, such is the IRONY of Jasmine being a Steel-type trainer, har) between a gym leader and her Pokémon of choice. I mean, even if I lived way high up in the sky, I would still prefer Ground-type Pokémon to Flying-types. My personality does not change because of the Pokémon that are available to me~

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Kenshin5

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Personality seems too play more of a role then anything. The type of person they are influences the type of pokemon they run with. Sure the area they start out with probably plays an role since that area they started their journey is more then likely they area they caught their first or several of their pokemon at. So just because their gym ends up in a location where the pokemon they own is not associated with doesn't mean they obtain in some other location during their journey(eh this seems not to make much sense). Any who, it does play a role in Leaders like Clair and Elite Four members like her cousin Lance. As too the unfairness against Dark Types we have had 3 Elite Four Members since the introduction of Dark Type in Generation II which is Karen, Sidney, and Giima. Sure I would like too see a Dark Type gym, but they haven't fared too bad with 3 Dark type Elite 4 members.

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One of the NPC's in Pewter City says something about Brock using different types from the bug catchers. But Brock isn't going to use bug types just because every other trainer uses bugs, they want you to catch some more diverse Pokemon so it's not as easy to get through the whole game with just your starter if you picked Charmander.
Misty...well, she Cerulean is near a bridge. With water underneath. Water. You know, the clear stuff you swim in, drink etc. So I don't see why Misty can't get a rod (lol) and fish for some water types. Beats going all the way to Rock Tunnel or Mount Moon. And besides, there are ledges on the way back to Mt Moon, and none of her Pokemon know Surf.
And Lt. Surge is a soldier. He uses guns, real guns, not Water guns. What use would those do in a war? Drown the enemies? Get them wet? Or he could just whip out a real gun and, well, you get the idea.

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Brock considers rock types awesome, Misty considers water types cool. Lt. Surge considers zapping stuff the most efficient way of battling. You're contradicting yourself here by using places as explanations for why things should change, but people as explanations for why they shouldn't.



I don't see it.



Viridian City is RIGHT NEXT to Mt. Moon yet Pewter is far away? lolwut.

I'm not saying you're wrong either, I'm just pointing out that you might want to not contradict yourself. I'm only stating my opinion beyond that, my opinion that this idea is rather silly. Also, three other regions you might want to counter-argue.
U cant see it in the 1st gen map
coz the upper right of town (coincedentaly where the fire type gym happens to be place
Anyway wwhen the volcano erupted it rised from the ground causing the town to be destroyed

anyway ...
Brock - As fat guy says in pewter city Brock likes to be different
Misty - As well as being near caves Route 25 (bill' home) is right next to he sea
Lt.Surge - Eletric type represents toughness and strength as Lt.surge tries to amplify as of a ex army man
Erika - When i get to that point in the game there's lots of grass Pokemon to catch so its not surprising she is grass.
Koga - At this point of the you can go safari zone where venonats can be caught and he obviously goes to the poke mansion for his Poison-type since his badge allows you to see surf.
Sabrina - To be honest i have no idea where she can get her pokemon close to her. theres abra's on route 24 but thats as close as she'll ever get.
Blaine - Kind of obvious he goes to the Pokémon Mansion for his fire pokemon.
Giovanni - As we know Giovanni is the leader of team rocket so for him we must think of the places team rocket show up ... Mt.Moon (Rock / Ground pokemon) Lavender town (Cubone found here - ground) Team .R Base Most members of Team R have Ground types here ... And Silph Co in Saffron city. Saffron City is in the center of Kanto and has a cave on three sides of it North = Ceruelean Cave East = Rock tunnel and South = Diglett cave
This shows that team rocket have visited various gorund type areas Giovanni being the leader would have had to check up on teh team and proballly cuaght some pokemon ;D

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