If Lavender Town had a gym...

[sabrina_diamond]

I really wished that Lavender Town from Pokemon Red/Blue had a gym. If so, would the gymleader train ghost Pokemon or other types of Pokemon? Please explain your answer?

 

[Fairy]

Honestly, I think if Lavender town had a Gym it would very likely be run by Mr. Fuji who, iirc, fosters abandoned Pokémon. Which doesn't lend at all to any specific type of Pokémon for this hypothetical Gym but still.. he seems like the most likely contender for a leader imo.

Maybe Mr. Fuji could be a unique entity in the Kanto Gym challenge and use a combo of Normal/Ghost types with a Cubone ace? Or allowing the orphaned Pokémon he volunteers to watch over decide if they want to battle? So there wouldn't be any specific type associated with his gym.

 

[Orion☆]

Looking at the issue from a historical point of view, I want it too, but I don't think it will happen until after the Johto games.

By the time of the Alola games, there are likely at least two Gym Leaders who could have vacated their posts; Blaine, who was already near retirement age when we first met him in RBY, and Sabrina, who went to Unova to try her luck in Pokestar and likely stayed there due to her success. That's not even factoring in Viridian Gym, which I assumed was also vacated after Blue left for Alola with Red. Unless some kind of regulation was passed to allow Trainers to challenge the Indigo League with a mix of 8 Kanto and Johto badges, the Kanto region needs a new Gym. That's where Lavender Town comes in.

Although Ghost is the obvious answer, I feel like the Gym could also be Dark-type, given the town's proximity with the bikers' turf. Alternately, as Fairy said, the Gym could be dual-typed, or not have a type speciality at all.

 

[Devalue]

Could be any type, really. Never noticed much connection between location and gym type besides Blaine. Stuck Erika in a major city, rather than anywhere grassy. Could justify Dark and Ground with the nearby Rock Tunnel. Argues for Water with the nearby route, Poison for the bikers (as mentioned by Vielleroue), or Electric for the eventual radio tower as well.

Brings up another reason for no Ghost gym: zero support for Ghosts in Red/Blue. Offered only the Gastly line and three Ghost moves (Confuse Ray, Lick, and Night Shade). Hardly says "Ghost Gym". Looking at you, Morty.

 

[Corveone]

Normal type

Lore background: when the gym leader was a child, he was a rookie trainer from Lavender who used to underestimate Normal type Pokémon, allways saying they were kinda boring and not as cool and interesting as other types.

However, one day this kid had a bizarre event involving a Drifloon that appeared in Lavender Tower and carried him somewhere else (Don't ask for details). Thing is: somehow, an ordinary Rattata appeared in the darkness and bit the Drifloon, scaring it away, and guided the kid out of that strange place.

So he returned home with the Rattata, still shocked. Few days later paid a visit to Professor Oak and had this conversation:
Kid: "Wait, how could this Rattata bite a Ghost? Wasn't Bite a Normal type move?"
Oak: "No."
Kid: "Really? but I think I've seen another trainer using it on a Haunter and it didn't..."
Oak: "No no no no, you must have confused it with Super Fang or something. Now go back to filling my Dex, you have a lot to learn."

Moral of story: the kid never underestimated any Pokémon since then. He started training the Rattata and decided to become a Normal type specialist, so he'd never have to be affraid of Ghost attacks anymore.

 

[Orion☆]

Normal type

Lore background: when the gym leader was a child, he was a rookie trainer from Lavender who used to underestimate Normal type Pokémon, allways saying they were kinda boring and not as cool and interesting as other types.

However, one day this kid had a bizarre event involving a Drifloon that appeared in Lavender Tower and carried him somewhere else (Don't ask for details). Thing is: somehow, an ordinary Rattata appeared in the darkness and bit the Drifloon, scaring it away, and guided the kid out of that strange place.

So he returned home with the Rattata, still shocked. Few days later paid a visit to Professor Oak and had this conversation:
Kid: "Wait, how could this Rattata bite a Ghost? Wasn't Bite a Normal type move?"
Oak: "No."
Kid: "Really? but I think I've seen another trainer using it on a Haunter and it didn't..."
Oak: "No no no no, you must have confused it with Super Fang or something. Now go back to filling my Dex, you have a lot to learn."

Moral of story: the kid never underestimated any Pokémon since then. He started training the Rattata and decided to become a Normal type specialist, so he'd never have to be affraid of Ghost attacks anymore.

Awesome idea! I admit, though, this made me think of Youngster Joey. Hey, now that I think about it, he never really said he was from Johto, did he?