Early Pokemon gyms were a bit lacklustre. Most towns have one and while they play an important role in helping you grow as a trainer, they aren’t anything special. Misty, for example, is done particularly dirty when you look at her anime gym. They’re basically there to teach you the ins and outs of types and the rock paper scissors synergy that defines the battle system - if a Water gym is coming up, you’d better prepare your Grass-type. While gyms always succeed in eliciting this kind of response, they often feel small in scale, failing to capture how beloved the culture of battling ‘mons has become across regions.

In Sword & Shield, however, each and every gym is full of life - they’ve become as ingrained in the world’s cultural identity as football is in the UK.

When you first walk into a Galarian gym, it’s a lot like the older Pokemon games. You’re met with a series of trials like you’re in a ‘90s game show on CBeebies. You solve some puzzles, maybe fight some fellow trainers, and push toward the exit where you’re led to a giant grassy turf. The personality of your opponent is as loud as the bustling crowd around them. Then it begins, the two of you doing an orchestrated walk to the centre of the pitch - it’s actually a lot like the anime.

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Sword & Shield is modelled after Britain, so it’s only natural that our football culture bleeds into its design. Gyms in Galar are more like sports stadiums than traditional Pokemon arenas, right down to the uniforms our character and other competitors are obliged to wear. Just swap out Manchester United for Mienfoo FC and Chelsea with Oshawott Athletic. I don’t know much about football, but they’re the same colours, aye? Much like St. James’ Park for Newcastle or Anfield and Goodison for Liverpool, Galar towns feel built around the stadiums - they are the centrepiece. Familiar chanting starts to ramp up the longer the battle goes on - you can’t make out the words, but there’s a feeling of familiarity. At any moment, they might as well start singing “Ole’s at the wheel!”

Nessa sending out a partner in Pokemon Sword & Shield

It makes sense. In the world of Pokemon, battling is a sport. It’s what takes us from kids at our mam’s house to heroes who duke it out with evil corporations and giant, Legendary ‘mons. But prevailing over the Pokemon League never really never feels like earning a Champion’s League medal - I mean, obviously. You go from town to town with little fanfare, taking on a bunch of nobodies, and eventually find yourself at the final fight. Sure, it’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a bit like comparing the local dojo to a Las Vegas Octagon.

In Sword & Shield, gyms are different. They’re giant arenas with rafters full of fans picking sides. That’s because it goes beyond the physical location, which is something Sword & Shield fundamentally understands about Pokemon - it’s a culture deeply imbued in the world itself. After picking up a few badges, you’d be a recognisable B-list celeb. We see local gym leaders on TV - even your dad in Sapphire has a reputation. But why? People in Hoenn can hardly sit on the sidelines on little blue mats. You’d fit maybe ten people in Petalburg gym - that’s not an audience.

Bea entering battle in Pokemon Sword & Shield

The anime understood that. It’d be a bit boring if every battle was in a little room at the end of a corridor. Hell, Detective Pikachu expressed the ferocity of battles with its makeshift underground arena - it’s like the Vegas Octagon mentioned above, except extremely seedy and with added fireballs. Okay, so it’s exactly like the Vegas Octagon. Gyms have become more of a title than a physical descriptor, so they shouldn’t be limited to the traditional idea established in earlier games. It’s not a little room with dumbbells, an exercise bike, and maybe a rowing machine. It’s the place where wannabe champions go to fight. It’s a huge occasion when kids fly the nest and start their Pokemon adventure, but that idea has rarely been reflected after the introductory section of each game - until Sword & Shield.

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