In the world of Pokémon, the Gym Leaders are the people to beat if you want to make it to the top of the ranks and get a chance to compete in the Pokémon League or against the Elite Four, the toughest trainers in their regional Pokémon League. However, Gym Leaders are more than figures to beat, they are caretakers to their gym and Pokémon and possible teachers to trainers that go against them. For each region/league there are are a total of eight gym leaders to get a badge from. But with so many different types of gyms, different kinds of gym leaders are to be expected.

For the most part, gym leaders are either strong, weird, or both; safe to say, they’re a mixed bag. There are so many to go against them and the amount of rants about some of them could fill a book. But with so many different Gym Leaders and so many interesting characters presented from them, it safe to say that the fandom can get pretty… creative with them.

The fandom of just about anything can be both amazing and scary at the same time. In terms of fanart, you never know what to expect from fans, yet weirdly enough when it comes to the girls, there is always that one person who does weird feet art on them. On the other hand, there are those people who show real appreciation for the characters. They not only make them stand out but also show them for the battlers that they are.

24 No More Miss Nice Girl

A confidant to Elesa and a girl who hopes to fly to a faraway region, Skyla is noted to be like many good trainers, a compassionate person with big dreams and skills to back it up. She’s the gym leader of Mistralton City and specializes in Flying-type Pokémon. When you meet with he in the game for battle, she first asks you to help her with an injured Pokémon. Doesn’t she just sound nice? But even the nicest of people can have a dangerous side to them as shown by sadnobody. This is the look of someone just pulled the last straw, or after someone got on her bad side and she’s gearing for a fight with them. Either way, when a girl’s got that kind of face, just pray it’s not because of you.

23 Be One With The Birds

Known as the "Bird User Taking Flight Into the World", Winona is the Gym Leader of Fortree City and specializes in Flying-type Pokémon. Her passion for her bird Pokémon is so deep that she has bonded with them to the point of “becoming one of them.” From the way that shamrob has drawn her, it is as if she has found out some tragic news if that bloody feather has anything to say. With hair flowing in the wind and a bird friend at her side, it is as if she is one with the sky. Well, as close as she can get as it is noted in the game that she likes to hang out at the transmission towers of Mauville City, to “feel the wind in her hair.”

22 A Poised Performer

Mikuri may seem like a rather flamboyant man at first glance, but behind his rather flashy attire lies accomplishments which he earned. More than being a gym leader of Sootopolis he had earned the title of Pokémon League Champion and is the only one with the title of Trainer class Sootopolitan. Throughout the games there have been different story revisions involving him; mainly, he passes down the title of gym leader to his mentor Juan while he maintains the title of Champion. It is said that he also occasionally enters a few Pokémon beauty contests and with the way that FrenchVanilla tea illustrated him, he looks like a performer opening a show to his crew of water Pokémon with the way he is bowing to an invisible audience.

21 How’s It Hangin?

Now this is a real jock right here, from hiking to bike racing, Grant excels in any sports that he tackles. Gym Leader to the Cyllage Gym, he specializes in rock-type Pokémon. Compared to the other male gym leaders of the franchise, Grant is a trendsetter who likes to keep his weight down but misses the opportunity to eat sweets. He is also a fashionable man as emphasized with Inesanemona’s image of him in a snazzy suit with him still having his rolling stones hair style, something that is apparently popular with young people. Well, there have been crazier things that have been deemed as popular in the world of fashion. It’s a bit of a surprise that there isn’t more art of him given that he seems to be a rather interesting character.

20 Thoughts As Deep As The Sea

Brawly is the type of who always looks ready to ride the waves, his very title is, "A big wave in fighting." but while he may seem like a typical surfer jock at first glance, he is actually a deep thinker who often compares the scene of battle to everyday life and vice-versa. Mujinai portrays this concept of him perfectly with a dark moonlit sky and him standing by the sea and looking back in a thoughtful manner, seeming as if he is remembering something. Ok, time to reel back before we go in any deeper. More than a deep thinker he’s a wave chaser, constantly looking for the next big chase, so essence he is at least part surfer jock, at least when he isn’t being the gym leader of Dewford Town with a specialization in Fighter-type Pokémon.

19 To The Sky He Fights

Gym Leader of Violet City and specialized in flying-type Pokémon, Falkner is known as the "The Elegant Master of Flying Pokémon." Admired by many as a cool and handsome trainer, he aspires to be as great bird Pokémon Master like his father. Nilampwns shows his desire for this by presenting an image of him looking to be struggling in a battle with his Pidgeotto at his side. If that look of struggle on his face should be any indication along with the way his Pokémon seems to be angry, he may just be on the losing side of the battle. But even he were to lose who knows how many battles, he would still have the admiration of fans both in the series and real life.

18 All The Beautiful People Gather ‘Round

A lady who holds an appreciation for beauty should have her own beautiful portrait courtesy of Sangcoon. The overall feel of the image just gives this leader a rather soft feel; it might just be the style or the way the artist drew her eyes, but there is just something about this image that draws people in and holds a gentle tone to it. As a character, she is described to be a fashion designer and former model who seems to favor dressing like a Pokémon and is able to walk on high heels. She’s a slim and classy lady who is the Gym Leader of the Laverre City Gym and specializes in fairy-type Pokémon. From the way her outfit looks she may as well be a fairy herself.

17 A Teacher And His Student

Here we have another dad on the list, and this time it’s Koga of the Fuchsia City gym with a specialization for poison-type Pokémon. Described to be a Poisonous Ninja Master, he mainly battles with poison-type Pokémon because he apparently likes the despair and horror that they can inflict on others… creepy. Aside from being a Gym Leader he is also a teacher of the art of ninjitsu. According to Kazer-Renato, his portrayal of Koga has him trying to teach a Swalot to be patient and not eat everything in sight. A most trying feat even for the man who ended up being one of the Elite Four. But hey, if he does accidentally get poisoned, at least he studied medicine and antidotes and even has his own version of healing potions.

16 They Believe They Can Fly

Twins, they can be the most annoying type of character or the most fun, Tate and Liza seem to be a toss-up depending on the player. Gym Leaders to the Mossdeep Gym, they specialize in psychic-type Pokémon and main Solrock and Lunatone. While they may be tough trainers though, they’re not that much older than most trainers. And even the toughest of trainers need to have some fun. Courtesy of popyfriend, we have a beautiful art piece presenting the twins flying through the air with the Pokémon at their side and smiles on their faces; they just look as happy as can be to be up in the sky. Well, that is until they’re family discovers what they’re doing and end being chased down by them.

15 One With The Cosmos

Olympia is described as a rather unique leader who speaks in haikus and often talks about fate and the future. With the way that QuantumJinx has drawn her, it’s as if she is becoming one with the universe as her cloak seems to take part of the stars. But you know there is a chance that the cosmos could take her away seeing as she has a bracelet that can tell her the future of the person who touches it and with her cloak having anti-gravitational abilities which increases psychic powers, there should be at least a handful of conspiracy theories about her. Other than this she is Anistar City Gym Leader and specializes in psychic-type Pokémon. Hold it, Ani... STAR, wow, the puns are real.

14 He Needs More Appreciation

Many know Brock from his animated persona, where he's a flirt and Ash’s best friend. Others may remember him as the shirtless gym leader from the game side of the franchise. Either way, this is a characters that needs more appreciation. Surprisingly, there isn’t a whole lot of flattering art for this guy. But when one does pop up courtesy of Khaliqa, it shows a lot of his good sides, from the fact that he in reality is a chill guy who cares for both his Pokémon and family. If he wasn’t so heavy handed with his flirting he may have an actual chance at finding a nice girl for himself. After all, he was just a teen when he took over the gym and built himself quite a strong reputation.

13 He Just Needs A Spark of Something

One of the many electric-type Pokémon users on this List, Volkner is the Gym Leader to the Sunyshore Gym and holds a strange quality to him that has all Pokémon no matter the level obey him. As there has been no worthy trainers that come to his gym, Volkner has become listless and even considered pitting himself against the mighty Elite Four. He’s presented as a simple sort of male who’s friends with Flint and ends up building things for his gym when bored. But when a worthy opponent does finally appear, there is a spark lit (no pun intended) and Volkner’s abilities come flying out. R-SRaven presented just the perfect image to capture the idea of an excited Volkner and from the look of his eyes, he’s far more than ready.

12 A Tough Guy With Skills To Back It

Here’s a man who’s just the epitome of a tough guy. He’s large and if the uniform didn’t already give it away, was once a man of the army and had fought in one of the wars. A strict but cautious man, he once was a pilot as well and used electric-type Pokémon to power his plane, something saved his life more than once. He’s a gym leader who likes a trainer’s guts and is based at Vermilion City Gym. With such a background it is no wonder that ccayco drew him the way he is. From that confident smirk to that Raichu looking ready for a command, this is a legitimate tough guy to not only be intimidated by but also admire.

11 Hot To The Touch

She's a lady of fire and passion and OppaiHobby shows just that with a volcanic background and a sultry look from the leader herself. Flannery is the Flanneridge Gym Leader and is titled as "One with a fiery passion that burns!" Passionate for her Pokémon and admired by others for her beauty and strength, this is a lady that has a lot going on for her. The only bad thing that can be said about her is that she tries to hard at her job, seeing as she was only a gym leader for a short time. Looking at her fiery red hair and eye-catching looks, it's no surprise that she is one of the many females in Pokémon franchise that has a lot of fans.

10 She's Ready For Her Closeup And Battle

Elesa is one of those ladies who knows how to strut her stuff while also decking it out on the battlefield. Based at the Nimbasa City Gym, she specializes in Electric-type Pokémon and is one of the more tedious leaders to go against, as the only way you can challenge her is by riding a series of roller coasters to her location, a process involving the flipping of multiple switches. It can’t be denied though that she is one of the prettier leaders in the franchise as shown by designDG, it looks like she’s heading down a walkway and showing her style before entering into battle. All it needs is some flashing lights and a mic and we have a real model runway scene, but then it could also a grand entrance too.

Gym Leader to the Blackthorne Gym, Clair is a leader that specializes in dragon-type Pokémon. She’s a confident lady with the skills to back it up, seeing as she holds her own against the might Elite Four. Naming herself as the “world’s greatest dragon master”, she knows her stuff. Based in Blackthorne Gym, she will not acknowledge another trainer's talents unless they undergo the “Dragon Master Challenge.” She’s a particular lady but she does at least give encouragement to the trainer’s goals. As a lovely lady needs some lovely art, he we have her looking ready for action courtesy of ViViVooVoo. From the way she is framed to the flares of light emphasizing the scene, she and her Pokémon look ready to attack.

9 The Steel Lady

Amongst this list, Jasmine is, to put it simply, a gentle flower. She’s shy and has difficulty talking to people but is a compassionate person who cares deeply for her Ampharos. Acting as the gym leader of the Olivine Gym, she specializes in steel-type Pokémon. Though she may be shy and she may even refuse to battle so to care for her Pokémon, there’s a reason that she has the title of "The Steel-Clad Defense Girl.” And if she didn’t have her gentle appearance and instead had the appearance that Sa-Dui made of her, she may as well be called the “Steel Queen” instead. From her crown to that giant Pokémon behind her while she’s holding a cool look of indifference, she’s the complete image of a regal lady.

8 He's Seen Things

7 Big Strength, Big Appetite

This is a gal that takes on the concept of “big things come in small packages” far too well. As the gym leader of the Veilstone Gym, she specializes in Fighting-type Pokémon, and she in turn also knows her way around a fight. This is where the saying comes in. She’s described to be so strong that she not only has the respect of the town but even she doesn’t know the exact extent of it. From the way that Yilx has illustrated her, she looks like she’s just about to strike someone in the face. But the fact that this little lady could strike someone twice her size down is not her only asset as apparently, with her great strength there also lies a great appetite, as she is seen to enter eating competitions and even win.

6 It's Always The Quiet Ones

He may not look like the toughest of gym leaders, but he is certainly one of the smartest. As the gym leader of the Lumiouse Gym he specializes in electric-type Pokémon and is also an inventor on the side. He’s bad at running but his smarts make up for that, and while he may not seem tough and his inventions don’t always work, his appearance as Ash’s companion that at lot of his personality as a friend makes up for that. But if this image done by Meyly is any indication, it’s those you underestimate that end up being the scariest when mad. And when you see a glasses character with glinted glasses and no expression and had Electric Type Pokémon? Run, just, don’t think about it and run.

5 Don't Mess With This Gal

This is a gym leader whose entire persona is literally looking sweet on the outside, and being tough as nails on the inside. Korrina is the gym leader of Shalour City and specializes in fighting-type Pokémon. Looking from a very general point of view she seems like a happy yet heavily determined type of character. But having a knack for handling fighting Pokémon and the strength to shatter rocks with a well delivered kick is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. And that thought is deeply empathized by Yilx, who presents the blonde looking ready for a fight. But with the looks of that background and the state of her outfit, she may have already gone through the ringer and left her opponent in a sorry state.