One eager fan of the belovedPokemonfranchise notices a speedrun of one of the games being streamed on a TV in their local, real-life gym. Although different from the many different gyms thatPokemonfans will recognize across the several regions in thePokemonworld, one fan that presumably works at the facility seemed keen to express their passion for the series in one of the most humorous ways they could think of.
Almost anyone who has played any of thePokemongames in the nearly 28 years since they first hit the shelves in Japan will befamiliar with a Pokemon Gym, a facility where rising Trainers will visit to test their strength and aim to defeat the Gym’s leader. Gyms were first introduced to the world ofPokemonwith the very first installments of the franchise,Pokemon Red and Blue, and nearly every region since Kanto has each featured its own set of 8 gyms. Every Gym in thePokemonworld has a leader, often a noteworthy character that the player will cross paths with multiple times on their journey, who will provide Trainers with League badges after being defeated by them in battle.
RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Fan Changes Gym Leaders, Team Star Members to Look Like Larry
A member of the community known as p4755166 on Reddit shared their sighting with other fans on the site, including an image of the stream while it was on the TV. While it’s hard to tell from the screenshot, it appears that the speedrun was of the original Generation 3 games,Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire,due tothe Pokemon seen being used in the battle, one of which being a Marshstomp. The user also went on to claim that they’ve seenSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatestreamed on the monitors in the gym before, leading some to speculate that the gym’s staff are likely enthusiastic gamers themselves.
Although Pokemon Gyms have been a keystone of the fictional universe since its beginning, some fans may remember that the facilities were absent in thePokemon Sun and MoonandPokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moontitles, being replaced instead by Trials in the Generation 7 games which tasked fans with defeatingpowerful Totem Pokemon instead. These power-infused Pokemon somewhat replaced Gym leaders, presenting a new and arguably more traditional type of “boss” to the series.
Although Pokemon Gyms have made theirreturn in more recent generations including inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, the latest titles have gone even further in developing the gameplay mechanics and challenges. AlthoughScarlet and Violethave received substantial criticism due to the many technical errors that fans have experienced with them, the Generation 9 games have also received their fair amount of praise thanks to the adventurous new open-world experience they offer alongside the many new gameplay features.
