Trials, Gyms or Both?

[PurplePopplio]

IDK if this counts as double posting but it's been a few days and I don't want to just edit my post cause I want the attention.

Anyway, I thought about it and here are some potential gym leaders. I want to retain the trials so I'm not changing the trial captain to gym leaders. Without further ado, the characters that I'm appointing as gym leaders are:

• Molayne - Steel
• Plumeria - Poison
• Guzma - Bug
• Fabas - Psychic
• Ryuki - Dragon

Perhaps a new ice type character can be introduced. There will still be two more types left for the usual eight but I believe every type has been covered by a Trial Captain/Kahuna/Elite 4 already. Maybe the last two can be Flying and Fairy?

Make Nanu a Gym Leader. Finally a Dark-type Gym Leader!

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Make Nanu a Gym Leader. Finally a Dark-type Gym Leader!

But he is already a Kahuna! Well IDK, 3/4 of the Elite 4 has another job so I guess it's possible.

 

[StandbyForBattle]

I wonder if Kahunas will still be in the game since Trials and Gyms will be together?

 

[RJB1987]

What if they keep the trials as the way to get Z-crystals, but do gyms now to challenge the league....

 

[SerenaToAlola]

What if they keep the trials as the way to get Z-crystals, but do gyms now to challenge the league....

That'll be ideal

 

[JAKN]

I think we are sticking with trials. Alola has its own traditions so i don't see them changing that.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

I don't think trials are going away (wouldn't want it either) but gyms could definitely be introduced especially since there are so many plots of land that are under construction in SM.

 

[Guzma]

Yeah, I think we'll be seeing Gyms, honestly. I actually have a theory that since the "league" conveniently won't be "complete" until Lusie is defeated and Team Skull turns face, Gyms will be a "post story" thing; thanks to Charizard flying around, you wouldn't need to have a Pokemon with Fly to fly you around to the Gyms, so it wouldn't be as tedious as it would be in a game where you have HMs, but you have to switch a Fly slave out for your better battling team.

My other theory is that since Trial Captains have to retire when they turn 20, now that there's a more "traditional" league, a Captain has the option to "graduate" to Gym Leader when they grow too old for the position. They could demonstrate this by having Molayne, an ex-Captain, become a Steel-type Gym Leader, and possibly have other ex-Captains we didn't meet in SuMo fill the other positions. They could also give the Gym Leader title to type specialists who are too old to be Captains; thanks to my theory being set after Team Skull is disbanded, I could see Plumeria and Guzma becoming Gym Leaders to show how much they've turned their lives around; Guzma probably wanted to become a Bug-type Trial Captain, so he'd be going one step above his original dream. I'd like to see Faba and Nanu become Gym Leaders, but I can see reasons they wouldn't want to. Faba could be too busy concerning himself with climbing up the corporate ladder at Aether Again and/or possibly think being a "mere" Gym Leader would be "beneath him," and Nanu probably would decline like he declined being Elite Four. Also, Ryuki would probably be a Gym Leader, and we'd hopefully get an Ice-type specialist.

So, here's my wishlist for Gyms. It's kind of in a random order aside from the last one, but it's possible you could choose to challenge them in any order since it'd be post-story stuff and you could fly on Charizard.

Ground-type Gym (Hapu, natch; as the newest Kahuna, I imagine she'd be eager to prove herself further like her challenging the Champion)
Steel-type Gym (Molayne, obviously)
Ice-type Gym (New character)
Psychic-type Gym (Proooooobably a new character and not Faba. He's too busy attempting to worm his way back to the top of Aether... Fruitlessly, I'd imagine, given that Gladion probably isn't fond of him)
Poison-type Gym (Ideally Plumeria)
Dark-type Gym (Hopefully it'd be Nanu. It'll probably be someone new, though, since he'd likely decline...)
Ryuki (or new Dragon-type trainer)
Bug-type Gym (IT'S YOUR BOY, GUZMA!)

Bonus points if Guzma ends up being the strongest Gym Leader.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Bonus points if Guzma ends up being the strongest Gym Leader.

Bug type specialists have always been one of the earlier/easier bosses so this would be amazing!

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

It would also make sense since you need to be strong enough to travel all the way to Poni Island to get the regional bug type fully evolved.

 

[Syrinaris]

... then battle the Trial Captain to earn the right to confront a Totem ...

I literally just had this same thought. It would be nice to be able to battle the Trial Captain first, before we enter the Trial site. Then, if we beat the Trial Captain, we are deemed worthy to enter the site to engage in the Trial battles & face the Totem Poke.

 

[StandbyForBattle]

I don't mind if they put Trials and Gyms together and keep the Grand Trials too, I just want to earn a Z-Crystal instead of being given in Sun/Moon.

 

[Mitchman]

I don't mind if they put Trials and Gyms together and keep the Grand Trials too, I just want to earn a Z-Crystal instead of being given in Sun/Moon.

6 crystals remain after the trials, so yeah it cant be too hard to implement battles for em. Either previous captains, important battles, or otherwise. Route Leaders imo shoul hand out specific Pokemon Crystals as well. Otherwise gyms should feature badges, and with type specialists covered they should center around strategies and stats.

 

[StandbyForBattle]

6 crystals remain after the trials, so yeah it cant be too hard to implement battles for em. Either previous captains, important battles, or otherwise. Route Leaders imo shoul hand out specific Pokemon Crystals as well. Otherwise gyms should feature badges, and with type specialists covered they should center around strategies and stats.

It'll be nice to earn the rest of Z-crystal, instead finding or giving to. Earning Z-crystals from a trials is like earning Gym Badges after winning a Gym Battle, you have to earn a gym badge by beating the gym leader.

 

[Niyuura]

I would personally like to see both trials and gyms being utilized together. I don't see them getting rid of trials in Alola right after introducing them..in Alola. Maybe next gen we will be back to gyms but not earlier.

I'd like to see trials improved and either accompanied by gyms in some form, or expanded in number if they won't bring gyms back

 

[PurplePopplio]

I would personally like to see both trials and gyms being utilized together. I don't see them getting rid of trials in Alola right after introducing them..in Alola. Maybe next gen we will be back to gyms but not earlier.

I'd like to see trials improved and either accompanied by gyms in some form, or expanded in number if they won't bring gyms back

I'd rather like to see the current amount of Trials improved on than have more Trials. Quality over quantity.

 

[Niyuura]

I'd rather like to see the current amount of Trials improved on than have more Trials. Quality over quantity.

I mean, yeah, absolutely, but if they won't improve anything, then I'd take the increased number over nothing

 

[Matleo]

after earning z-crystals and trials there should be gyms and a league, that way it be more interesting, or instead of tms give z-crystals.

 

[PurplePopplio]

after earning z-crystals and trials there should be gyms and a league, that way it be more interesting, or instead of tms give z-crystals.

It would actually be more interesting if they improve the Trials than go back to Gyms.

 

[Matleo]

It would actually be more interesting if they improve the Trials than go back to Gyms.

Im for the same but I want improvement of the gyms:
1. Trial badges + regular battles+mission

What other synonyms of Gyms, Trials are there?
Tribe chalanges, Viking quests,