SwSh Gyms Speculation Thread

[prog rocker]

This leads to a lot of question. 18 gyms definitely means one fore each type, but we know some gyms are exclusive, so does that me each game has about 9 gyms?

No. You'll challenge everyone. The version determines which ones will be in the major league, and which ones are in the minor league.

 

[TheElderKing]

This leads to a lot of question. 18 gyms definitely means one fore each type, but we know some gyms are exclusive, so does that me each game has about 9 gyms?

That piece seem to indicate that Bea and Allister aren’t really exclusive, but they shift their roles in the two games from Major to minor league; as well, it seems to indicate that each year each gym compete to get or maintain its place in the Major league.

I think 8 majors plus 10 minor is possible, but we need more info.

 

[Emmy]

I would laugh so hard if there's a Gym for each Type but the last one is a Type-less Gym and so no Dark Gym just to give the fans the middle finger.

 

[JFrombaugh]

So I'm gonna guess that it works like this: The major league consists of the 8 gyms you need to face to enter the Champion Cup at the end of the game. And the remaining 10 gyms in the minor league will be optional and you don't need to battle them to qualify for the Champion's Cup, but can if you want to test your skills.

I would also assume that the Major League Gyms are the ones that take place in the Stadiums, given that only 6 or so are visible on the Galar map, and the Minor League Gyms will be more like your traditional Gyms in smaller buildings.

This would also partly explain why Milo seems to appear pretty late in the game for the very first Gym Leader, maybe you need to defeat a couple Minor Leaguers in towns closer to home first before he'll battle you?

 

[RileyXY1]

I would also assume that the Major League Gyms are the ones that take place in the Stadiums, given that only 6 or so are visible on the Galar map, and the Minor League Gyms will be more like your traditional Gyms in smaller buildings.

This would also partly explain why Milo seems to appear pretty late in the game for the very first Gym Leader, maybe you need to defeat a couple Minor Leaguers in towns closer to home first before he'll battle you?

I'm thinking that there are 8 Major League Gyms in each version, while the other 10 are Minor League.

 

[JFrombaugh]

I'm thinking that there are 8 Major League Gyms in each version, while the other 10 are Minor League.

Considering how significant the Gym Challenge is to the story of SwSh compared to past Gens, I think it's possible we might see something like a minimum of 12 badges out of the possible 18 needed to enter the final tournament for a chance to battle Leon for the title of Champion. All 6-8 of the Major League ones are required, you can pick the remaining 4-6 badges from the Minor League. And maybe you need to prove yourself by earning at least 2 Minor League badges before you're allowed to challenge a Major League Gym.

 

[Silktree]

I guess that only the major gyms allow for Dynamax. Surely that's the most obvious distinction to make along with the stadiums.

 

[emerson.brant]

Considering how significant the Gym Challenge is to the story of SwSh compared to past Gens, I think it's possible we might see something like a minimum of 12 badges out of the possible 18 needed to enter the final tournament for a chance to battle Leon for the title of Champion. All 6-8 of the Major League ones are required, you can pick the remaining 4-6 badges from the Minor League. And maybe you need to prove yourself by earning at least 2 Minor League badges before you're allowed to challenge a Major League Gym.

This would be excellent.
I was thinking something similar:

We have 6 stadiums - 6 badges required from major league
You need at least 8 badges to qualify - 2 required from minor league before you can challenge the first major league badge.

Or a minor league title is required to challenge the major league. (Like championship and premier league)

 

[Sakuraa]

I would also assume that the Major League Gyms are the ones that take place in the Stadiums, given that only 6 or so are visible on the Galar map, and the Minor League Gyms will be more like your traditional Gyms in smaller buildings.

This would also partly explain why Milo seems to appear pretty late in the game for the very first Gym Leader, maybe you need to defeat a couple Minor Leaguers in towns closer to home first before he'll battle you?

That actually makes a lot of sense. And if that ends up being the case, I assume the Minor League leaders won't use Dynamax.

 

[Minya_Nouvelle]

The thing that really confuses me is that the website specifically says "Participating Trainers strive to collect all eight Gym Badges "

This sort of implies that there are "only" eight badges which would imply only eight major league gyms (But there's still only six or seven stadiums on the map) Unless the website was deliberately misleading to conceal the 18 gym surprise.

I would love to get a little bit more official information, but either way, this news feels like a pretty big bombshell. It makes me feel like there could be tons of stuff they are with-holding because I would have thought that 18 gyms would have been a big marketing feature. It's pretty hype.

 

[prog rocker]

The thing that really confuses me is that the website specifically says "Participating Trainers strive to collect all eight Gym Badges "

This sort of implies that there are "only" eight badges which would imply only eight major league gyms (But there's still only six or seven stadiums on the map) Unless the website was deliberately misleading to conceal the 18 gym surprise.

I would love to get a little bit more official information, but either way, this news feels like a pretty big bombshell. It makes me feel like there could be tons of stuff they are with-holding because I would have thought that 18 gyms would have been a big marketing feature. It's pretty hype.

Maybe they are like the Island Challenge and you have to defeat one or two minor league before a major league Leader?

 

[Almonds]

I'm also with the idea that you challenge 8 Major League gyms as part of the main campaign, and the remaining 10 Minor League gyms are optional or accessible in the post-game.

 

[Myth]

The thing that really confuses me is that the website specifically says "Participating Trainers strive to collect all eight Gym Badges "

This sort of implies that there are "only" eight badges which would imply only eight major league gyms (But there's still only six or seven stadiums on the map) Unless the website was deliberately misleading to conceal the 18 gym surprise.

I would love to get a little bit more official information, but either way, this news feels like a pretty big bombshell. It makes me feel like there could be tons of stuff they are with-holding because I would have thought that 18 gyms would have been a big marketing feature. It's pretty hype.

Plus, even if the badges were not of the same size and shape, I don't believe 18 pieces would fit here? It seems more likely these minor gyms working like some minor requirements for the major league challenges, as prog rocker said.

Spoiler

In fact, I'm still apprehensive about this. It would be amazing to have 18 gym leaders to face, but I would like to have the confirmation. I mean, maybe minor league gym leaders are present in the story, as Ohmori mentions, but can't be challenged? We don't know yet.

On second thoughts, it would be weird for the protagonist, as a beginner trainer, to go straight to the major league without passing through the minor league before. But again, maybe the league system aim to categorize the challenges only (in this case, the gym leaders), and to decide who uses the stadiums.

Edit: Eh, I'm retracting on this. It's kind of obvious, but I just realized that if it weren't possible to challenge the minor league gym leaders, there would be no point in having 18 gym leaders to begin with.

We know 2 gyms that are probably common to both versions (Milo and Nessa). Assuming the "major league" refers to the badges needed to enter the cup, we will need 8 of them only, as mentioned.

Even if only Milo and Nessa weren't exclusive gym leaders, with Allister and Bea, each major league (of each version) could only accommodate 5 more gym leaders each. Totaling 14 gym leaders (Milo and Nessa + Bea + 5 exclusive from Sword and Allister + 5 exclusive from Shield).

If we cannot challenge the minor league gym leaders, 4 from the 18 leaders would be unchallengeable in both versions. The number of stadiums we can see on the map is still intriguing though, since we can't see eight.

 

[MrMeowPuss]

I’m liking the amount of gyms in this game. It would make sense to have X amount as required and the rest as optional for those who want to do them.

it would be even more interesting if there was gyms as usual, then after you become champion the other 8 are post game and an additional challenge.

 

[Matleo]

2 pokemon leagues? would explain Ash new partner in the anime? two different pokemon leagues? one for starting trainers and one fpr advanced ones?

 

[Desdar300]

Plus, even if the badges were not of the same size and shape, I don't believe 18 pieces would fit here? It seems more likely these minor gyms working like some minor requirements for the major league challenges, as prog rocker said.

Spoiler

In fact, I'm still apprehensive about this. It would be amazing to have 18 gym leaders to face, but I would like to have the confirmation. I mean, maybe minor league gym leaders are present in the story, as Ohmori mentions, but can't be challenged? We don't know yet.

On second thoughts, it would be weird for the protagonist, as a beginner trainer, to go straight to the major league without passing through the minor league before. But again, maybe the league system aim to categorize the challenges only (in this case, the gym leaders), and to decide who uses the stadiums.

Edit: Eh, I'm retracting on this. It's kind of obvious, but I just realized that if it weren't possible to challenge the minor league gym leaders, there would be no point in having 18 gym leaders to begin with.

We know 2 gyms that are probably common to both versions (Milo and Nessa). Assuming the "major league" refers to the badges needed to enter the cup, we will need 8 of them only, as mentioned.

Even if only Milo and Nessa weren't exclusive gym leaders, with Allister and Bea, each major league (of each version) could only accommodate 5 more gym leaders each. Totaling 14 gym leaders (Milo and Nessa + Bea + 5 exclusive from Sword and Allister + 5 exclusive from Shield).

If we cannot challenge the minor league gym leaders, 4 from the 18 leaders would be unchallengeable in both versions. The number of stadiums we can see on the map is still intriguing though, since we can't see eight.

My guess is that the minor leagues are just optional that have no story bearing but the major are actually required.
I think this also low-key implies that the map isn't one to one

 

[Deleted member 114145]

I'll predict a Fairy and a Steel ones.

 

[Myth]

My guess is that the minor leagues are just optional that have no story bearing but the major are actually required.
I think this also low-key implies that the map isn't one to one

Yeah, it can be so. They could also alternate over time (similar to the title challengers, something to the post-game). Some of them may be optional, as well, where the player could choose which one to challenge and get the badge of.

About the map, we knew it isn't one to one relying on past trailers, but I think it does represent the exact number of stadiums, though. Of course, the possibilies are endless, there may be unrevealed locations, hidden stadiums, or we can get one of the badges elsewhere. I'm curious to see how all this will work anyway. We should be able to solve this with the next trailer.

 

[nickdt]

What if.... you need to do the Minor League/Gym in a city/town first, to qualify for the major league/gym in that town/city.
Or you need to do the Minor League first as default, before you can challenge the major league.

 

[badwolf1234]

I believe minor leagues would be like the fighting dojo on saffron you could challenge it but it is not required to be... Yet there is definite rewards for defeating them