Pokémon: Gyms, Elite Fours, Champions, and Climbing Hierarchies (Video Game Analysis)
Why are the Pokémon games so popular? Because it’s a game of hierarchies, and humans love climbing hierarchies.
Pokémon is easily one of the most popular video game series of all time. It has transcended multiple gaming generations and has created millions of loyal fans. However, if you look at the core set of games through each generation, the concept still remains the same, and the basic story mode remains the same: start in a small village, collect Pokémon, face off against other trainers as you travel around the region. So how is Pokémon so popular despite it’s simplicity, and why is it still popular after so many decades?
Well, the answer is straightforward: the Pokémon trainers within the Pokémon world are organized into a hierarchy, and people love climbing and reaching the top of hierarchies. The Pokémon games are incentivized in a way that will make players want to play them over and over again. Each new game is a new hierarchy to climb.
So the first question is: what kind of hierarchy is the Pokémon world structured as? Let’s start there…
The Pokémon Hierarchy
First, we must point out that the games are structured in a way that you defeat progressively stronger opponents as you progress, much like how you conquer levels in other video games. So the stronger the opponents you take down on your journey, the higher your status and your position in the hierarchy will be. So here are the levels of hierarchy you must face in the Pokémon world…
Pokémon Trainer
The Pokémon Trainer is the lowest level in the Pokémon Hierarchy. They are also the weakest, which is why the average trainer does not get noticed by anyone on their journey. You will find plenty of Pokémon trainers roaming about the world, training their Pokémon. The Pokémon they carry is also extremely weak compared to the Pokémon of more experienced and accomplished trainers.
In the games, you start off as a simple trainer, and they will cover the majority of your foes throughout the game. The Pokémon trainers of the world represent the beginning of one’s journey. They represent the bottom rung.
In any endeavour in life, we all start as a humble Pokémon trainer. We need to start by learning the ropes and working our way up. In the games, the Pokémon trainers are usually faceless and unmemorable, much like most of the people of the world. The Pokémon trainer is symbolic of the average person on planet Earth.
Pokémon Gym Leader
The Pokémon Gym Leaders represent the level above average Pokémon Trainers. A Gym Leader is almost always stronger than an average Pokémon Trainer, and they are more skilled in combat and in their knowledge of Pokémon. All Gym Leaders have specialized in a certain Pokémon Type, and as a result have proven to be difficult foes for the unprepared trainer.
The Gym Leaders are your most frequent opponents, and their defeat will mean you achieving a Gym Badge, which symbolizes your move up the Pokémon Hierarchy. The defining characteristic in Gym Leaders is their knowledge of a specific Pokémon type, which mirrors the specialization into different careers among today’s professionals.
As a member of society, we start our path up the hierarchy by choosing what to specialize in and moving down that path. The Pokémon Gym Leader represents those that are beyond the average person of the world, and they represent those that are skilled enough to contribute to society in a meaningful way, but whose impact is limited by their small number of skills and their inexperience.
Elite Four
The Elite Four are as what the name suggests: the four most Elite Pokémon trainers in the region. They have mastered their specialty Pokémon-type, and they represent the best of the best the region has to offer. Many trainers have tried to defeat even at least one Elite Four, but many have failed. They are formidable obstacles on a trainer’s path to conquering the region’s Pokémon League.
The Elite Four can only be challenged once a trainer has collected all eight Gym badges of a certain region, which means it requires alot of skill and experience for a trainer to have the ability even to challenge an Elite Four. The Elite Four is symbolic of the most influential, powerful and capable members of society. They are some of the most important members of the region, and as a result, command the most respect, much like the most capable members of our society.
Reaching the level of an Elite Four in terms of skill and expertise should be the aspiration of any serious Pokémon Trainer. This is similar to all those that wish to make a major impact in our world within their respective field should strive to be as skilled and qualified as those that make the most contribution to society, such as businessmen, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Much like a trainer prior to facing off against the Elite Four, you must practice your craft intensely and push past your limits before you can be welcomed into the upper echelons of civilization.
Pokémon Champion
The Pokémon Champion is the most powerful trainer in the region. They reign supreme over all other trainers, and the command the respect and fear of all that challenges them. Facing a champion is a daunting task, even more so for the inadequately-prepared trainer. They occupy the position all ambitious trainers strive for.
In every hierarchy, there is always one at the very top. In a sports team, it is the team captain. In a company, it is the CEO. In a kingdom, it is the king. In a family unit, it is the father. The top of any hierarchy is what all compete for. This is symbolized in the Pokémon Champion, as he faces a rush of new challengers day in and day out.
To be the very best, to be the top of the pecking order, requires skill and years of experience. You must become a completely new and improved version of yourself everyday, much like what every Pokémon Champion does. As a result of their consistent effort, they retain their keen instincts and sharp, strategic powers, which gives them an edge over the competition.
Pokémon Master
Not much is known of Pokémon Master. Even now, many struggle to explain what entails a Pokémon Master. However, many agree that the title of a Pokémon Master is the most difficult honorific for any trainer to achieve. To become a Pokémon Master, you must transcend the limits of a trainer, and become so powerful and outer-worldly, that your very existence is considered mythical.
Pokémon Master is the most difficult position to occupy, because no one can really describe a Pokémon Master. However, one way it can be described is when one becomes a legend and is remembered forever, not just in one Pokémon region, but in all regions. They may be champion many times over, maybe even in several regions, and when their name is uttered, it invokes reverence and awe.
In our society, those like Pokémon Masters change the course of history. The reason being is because they are so skilled at their craft and their fervent belief in their purpose is so great, that they can mobilize many people to join their cause and change the world with the strength of their character. To be a master in our day and age and to go down in history, many qualities must be mastered: a great passion for your field, a strong purpose that drives you to make things better, and an ability to make people remember your name.
In our world, we are all competing to reach the top of our own hierarchy. We humans are cooperative, but we are also competitive. Competition, status, power and hierarchy are in our blood. The journey to the top is long and arduous, but it pays off in the end. Much like Pokémon Gyms, Elite Fours and Champions, climbing hierarchies is just what we do.
