Gardenia fans, where y'all at??? And again! Big thanks to MANSCAPED for sponsoring today's video! Get 20% OFF + Free International Shipping with my promo code "LOCKSTIN20" at manscaped.com/lockstin

Another thing to note: The kanji for forest is literally just the kanji for tree, but aligned the same way as the forest badge (one big one on the top, two smaller ones on the bottom)

I think the Relic Badge is definitely supposed to be a religious reference. Hearthome has what seems to be an actual church, one with a mural of a golden light shining from the peak of Mt. Coronet, so maybe the city used to be some kind of major religious center, especially with its proximity to the undeniably sacred Mt. Coronet and the Spear Pillar (formerly known as the Temple of Sinnoh). Maybe the badge is supposed to be a reference to the Lake Guardians? They're not ghost types, but they do embody the three aspects of the spirit and are said to have hatched from a single egg, which might be what the badge is depicting. Either way, the number 3 definitely has significance in Sinnoh's mythology: the three members of the Creation Trio, the three Lake Guardians, the three Regis needed to awaken Regigigas in Snowpoint Temple…

I still really like how crasher wake is partly there to show off one of the new features of the gen 4 games: the physical/special split. it's why he has a team full of physically offensive water pokemon even though the water type was purely special before the split.

Yeah i think the Cobble badge looks not just like cobbled stones, but also like a simplified fist, with the thumb blocking some of the fingers.

Another interesting thing about the Forest Badge: the Japanese kanji for "forest(森)" is the kanji for "tree(木)" stacked in the same way.

The coal badge looks kind of like a cross between a Pokeball and treasure chest to me. Might just be a me think, but Roark does teach you how to how to do stuff in the underground, where you dig up treasure.

Another thing about the Forest Badge is that it also resembles the kanji for, well, forest.

This was even deeper than I expected. I hadn't really noticed how most of the gym leaders resemble their badges. I really loved that comparison to our journey at the end. Keep rocking, Lockstin!

All the badges seem to relate to nearby landmarks. The coal mines, forest, mountains, etc. Even the relic badge could be associated with either the hallowed tower or, perhaps more likely, spear pillar.

Maylene parried an aura sphere with her bare feet, she's more than earned the privilege of being called whatever the hell she wants as long as it relates to feet

This is how I realized I've been misreading Maylene's badge as the Clobber badge 😂 Thinking it was super stylized fist

The best set of Gym Leaders. Always enjoyed shining the Badges and this gen had the best Badge designs imo.

You could also say that the Cobble Badge resembles a pair of punching bags; & as for a likeness to the GymLeader, they could also be seen to resemble the "bandages" that she wears on her face and arms

I always imagined that the Cobble Badge depicted bricks, as a reference to martial artists breaking bricks

I'd say the main benefit of playing BDSP over Platinum is having Fairy types and not having to deal with the Gen 4 engine and it's general slowness.

Interestingly given hindsight, maybe inuniverse the icicle/glacier badge is a callback to Hisuian Avalugg which used to roam what would become Northern Sinnoh

For the cobble badge, it's also 2 people's feet. If you are in a karate stance, close together... CLOSE COMBAT. Also... the barefoot thing keeps a connection between you and the earth... for energy/aura...

Ok, that turning the theming of all the gyms into the story was utter brilliance. Thanks for another awesome video!

The Cobble Badge not only looks like cobblestone and tatami mats, it also looks like two outstretched fists. The larger rectangle is the forearm, the smaller one is the hand. Also, it's mentioned she is a new gym leader, so it's possible this is Veilstone Gym's old badge, from when the gym was of another type specialty

I would obsessively clean my badges right before fighting the elite 4

Your ending monologue about the gym badges symbolizing the trainer's journey through typing and leader/town connections is probably not at all something that tge devs were thinking when designing these gyms, badges and their order, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Also this is my favorite set of badges aesthetically. I like that they all have a shared universal... I guess artstyle is the word here lol. The shiny metallic detail on all of them.

The relic badge might also be a reference to a mitsudomoe, which is basically three commas in a circle.

Also in kanji forest is written by combining the symbols for 3 trees. So it is litreally the japanese symbol for forest.

6:00 First and only. You don't see that kind of focus with Bea and Battle Girls (who came first BTW) wear slippers. Also you don't wear footwear on tatami mats to keep them clean, not to avoid damaging them. They're used for sitting, sleeping and eating so it's important to keep them clean as possible.

I think the cobble badge also looks like to fists (long part is the arm, short part is the fist itself) next to each other.

you can also see the Cobble Badge as 2 rectangular foot patterns the small rectangles being the toeds and the big parts being the rest of the foot

I've had the Gen 4 games since roughly day one, and it took me this long to realize that the Icicle Badge largely resembles a Sailboat. Snowpoint is the only City in Sinnoh that has a Ferry.

A luchador priest is something I didn't know was a thing but I'm glad it is. That's just cool and metal. Like a fighter cleric/monk class. Good on that priest for his charitable deeds and also entertaining the crowds. Hope he's doing well.

The Steel-Badge could also be anchors when its at a port

0:53 The gen 4 badge-polishing noise lives rent-free in my brain, right next to DELEELEEWOOOOP~

I am an adult yet only ever played up to OG Gen 3 Ruby Sapphire Emerald, this is all new territory for me.

The coal badge also looks like a chest you might find in a cave in a video game

I loved seeing that scene of Maylene actually practicing martial arts with Lucario. It shows true dedication to the type. Am now picturing Maylene in Smash adequately holding her own against Ryu, Kazuma, and Terry.

Fascinating to see how the badges reflect growth and advancement.

Also I love the mention of glaciers in Hokkaido. It's funny, because I constantly joke about Hokkaido being Japanese Wisconsin. Both sitting underneath pivots in air currents and having basically the same climate (due to longitude & the Great Lakes/ocean proximity), both known for their dairy industry, both geographically formed by glaciers (although they have very different makeups from it). Very fun stuff to me

9:05 If I wanted the pick, I would have picked the pick. But instead I pick the shovel, because the shovel's my pick.

8:12 ARTAX YOU'RE SINKING

another cool detail about this set of badges is that at their different stages of polish, tapping them in order plays a different musical scale. i used to leave my badges at varying levels of polish to play melodies 😂 rusted - E-flat major dull - F major normal - G major 2 sparkles - B-flat major 4 sparkles - C major

Another thing I remember noticing was that some of the Badges resemble or reference the (DP) Gym puzzles themselves: the Forest Badge could be seen as a reference to the tree-puzzle that made use of the new perspective play possible with the DS, the Relic Badge had three spirits just like three were the doors of most of the quizzes you had to answer to go forward in the Gym and the Cobble Badge is I think also referencing the structure of the Gym itself, with the puzzle being various tatamis and doors on rails you have to push in the right way to create a path forward. I think, stretching things much more, the Coal, Mine and Beacon Badge also had aspects that recall their Gyms: Coal *kind* of resembles the structure again with the forced perspective and the two possible paths to get to the Leader, the gemstones in Mine could resemble the buttons in the Gym amongst the steel structure of it and the split light from the lighthouse could reference the various paths you have to line up in Volkner's Gym to progress, but again, I think these are huge stretches and/or far weaker connections that are almost certainly unintentional on the part of the designers. And yes, I had also noted the Snover-like structure of the Icicle Badge but, again, I do think this one falls in the latter group of "we noticed a pattern for some of the Badges and so are now speculating on what the others might be possibly referencing in their designs which are much less evident".

I get people are into them for the Pokémon themselves, but I love the world building with the gyms and badges, bummer these ones aren’t as viewed.

The Cobble badge could be a pair of feet. Fitting both the "bare foot" martial artist angle and the cobbled street angle also the Icicle Badge is pig-tails

I always saw the Fen badge a a representation of lakes that are in sinnoh. The bit that you coloured green gave me mt.cornet vibes

The mine badge also kinda resembles a drill, like the type of drill used to bore large tunnels 🤔

Also... 'Fighting "On the cobbles"' is a way to refer to illegal boxing matches that boxers compete in for quick cash.

That last bit tying a story to the badges is really cute

Fun fact: the coal badge was designed based off the heavy ball in legends arceus

All of the badges are locations to find the type. Coal badge is also the entrance to a mine, grass is in forests, ghosts in relics, fighters are people who can live in cities, water is found on fens, ice is in glaciers, and electricity is used in many lighthouses

I'm surprised you didn't mention that The gen 4 badges can be used as a xylophone, you just tap on the badge in the same screen where you can polish them.

Definitely my favourite region in terms of badges, all have many many meanings and interpretations (even some you didn’t cover), and they all look aesthetically pleasing too. The bold colours, the shining mechanic, the silver trim, it’s all so perfect. I miss well designed badges

My mind is running on empty: I thought the thumbnail just said “THE SINNER”.

Icicle Badge; Actually, if you look at the two top corners, it kinda looks like a Sailor Fuku dress, which it looks like she's wearing.

First thing I saw in the Icicle badge was the Abominable Snowman, or a monstrous face

I'll be honest, for the longest time I always thought the Mine Badge was referencing an explosive mine, like what is used in the military and such, I thought this because they are made of metal and/or project metal (shrapnel) out of them, and are at least vaguely shaped like the badge is. Now that you mention it being an ore mine it finally clicked in my head on why Byron specifically would have that badge and why it makes way more sense than an explosive mine. Awesome video, glad you are continuing with this series, and I hope you continue with the other related series of Gym Leader Names and City Names as well.

The fen badge to me looks like coronet over the lake and marsh, the mine badge could also be an ore from mining on Iron island, and candice's looks like Mt coronet when viewed from the snowy regions of sinnoh. Love the heritage of sorts around the mountain in the badges

Went and cleaned my badges right after I watched this😂

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl was one of the first Pokemon games I ever beat. I am so happy to see the badges!

Ground badge also looks like the side of a treasure chest. Steel badge looks like a shield or shovel head in the middle/behind the pickaxes.

I will always be irrationally upset by my inability to polish badges in the 3DS games

1:17 I personally see a treasure chest. It has a defined lid and a lock. I guess that could symbolize how not to judge a book by its cover. We have terms like "diamond in the rough" for a reason, and then there's the concept of geodes. I'm kind of a rock nerd, so I can find a value in rocks, minerals, and gems that most people can't see. Guess that's my autism showing.

Came from the new ursaluna video! Don’t know why this is getting slept on, so good

8:32 honestly I thought that was a mountain with a cute little pond or lake at the base kind of like the one in the hoenn intro

Whenever I hear about Relics, I can't help but remember the Tsukumodo Antique Shop series, its signature copypasta-type thing (sth like "there are certain objects in the world known as Relics”, or so), and all those examples of them at the beginning and end of every volume, lol.

9:30 _“the orange bits are the islands”_ lol, I hear what you did there! 👏🏻🍊🏝️

To me, the Beacon Badge also looks kind of like a Van de Graaf generator (a thing that took me way too long to find the name of), those pillars topped with an orb that make your hair stick out when you touch them, and are often shown in medias projecting electricity arcs all over the place.

Also! The cobble badge does have something else: Cobble sounds similar to clobber which means to beat up! Fighting types!

I also noticed that the 1st, 4th and 8th gym badges have a prevailing theme of resembling pokeballs. Obviously the first badge just has the shape, then you beat crasher quake, marking the midway point and giving you a badge a round, blue badge seperated in rhe middle, almist like a Great Ball. Then you beat the final gym, Vulcner, and earn a black and yellow badge, even having a button in the middle, like the Ultra Ball. Its almost certainly coincidence but it lines up really nicely so its my personal headcanon

I never saw the pickaxes in the mine badge, I always saw it as a landmine, ie the metal plate that you put underground to go boom I also saw the cobble badge as a representation of the interior labyrinth of the gym, all the arenas and dojos all cobbled together by the hallways/ corridors that connected them

I love your in depth videos! You should make a video of how Ecologically correct each pokedex is for each region!

The icicle badge also looks like bergmite and avalugg in some aspects. slight resemblance but shapes. fits well with how back in hisui that is where the lord avalugg was. of course though, the badge was designed before the idea of hisui somewhat

9:10 Someone tell that to Steve from Minecraft who mines cobblestone with pickaxes made entirely from wood, iron with pickaxes that have a blade made of cobblestone, gold with pickaxes that have a blade made of iron (gold is pretty weak, this might actually check out but I can't be bothered to check) and *_DIAMONDS WITH PICKAXES THAT HAVE A BLADE MADE OF GOLD._*

2:44 They also have ones no one has found said to hold special powers like the Arc of the Covenant, the Lance of Longinus (there's actually four relics claimed to be this one, the problem is no one knows for sure which one it is, one of them has been claimed to be fake by a Roman cardinal, the one in Rome the church makes no claims that it's authentic and the one a in Vienna that certain WWII leader had his eyes on was _scientifically_ debunked) and the motherlode of all ancient relics, the Holy freaking Grail. And speaking of that WWII leader, Indiana Jones had the idea of the Ark being cursed and melted the faces of said leader's forces.

A few of my thoughts: Cobblestone is similar to brick. One common Fighting type move is Brick Break. The Cobble badge looks like two broken bricks. The Spirit badge looks similar to the Mitsudomoe symbol, which represents 3 spirits. Eneru from One Piece has this symbol on the drums he wears. The Icicle badge does look an upside-down Icicle, but it also looks like an Iceberg, or the Pokémon Bergmite. While Bergmite didn't originate in Sinnoh (it came in Kalos, I believe), Bergmite was found in Hisui, so illustrations of it may have led to the design in modern Sinnoh.

Generation 4 is my favorite so I'm glad you made a video on it! Even though I spent a ton of time polishing my badges as a kid (anyone else actually like the noise?), I didn't realize what half of the shapes were supposed to be. Didn't even notice the pickaxes for the steel gym, which makes me feel pretty silly. Can't wait for Gen 5!

Love this video dude and all the Pokémon gym badges story's are interesting.

Engaging for the algorithm since you said this vid was way underperforming

I always enjoy your videos! Sinnoh is my favorite region so when I saw you were doing Gym Badge Videos I was counting the days for this one LOL Loved it!

Lockstin makes the exact same face as I did when I discovered I could shine my badges in Brilliant Diamond (my first exposure to the gen 4 pokemon game)

This is one of my favorite videos you've done, probably in part to my love for gen 4. So it's a shame it's so low performing. Really good video!

I always liked the Mine Badge's design, if you dissect it, you can see the ore and the pickaxes. However, if you take the Mine Badge's design as a whole, it looks like a shield; a perfect representation, of Byron's ace Pokemon Bastiodon, and the steel type's defensive nature in general.

During that last bit I was like "Isn't Sunyshore powered by photovoltaic roads?"

This is the only video i wasnt recommened that may be why u said its not peforming well

Fun fact: tha japanese kanji for forest 森 is made of 3 characters for wood(or tree), hence the three trees on the badge

12:22 Or more realistically, get PTSD from cynthia.

I’ll keep rewatching this video for you, your kinda the only KZfaqr I rewatch this much. so I hope I can help

Oh, come on! Roark's badge looks like a treasure chest, because in this series we're introduced to the Underground. Volkner's badge is clearly a lighthouse with two streams of light working like, well, beacons.

5:14 I mean, there's also a fighting type move literally called "brick break"

The florest kanji is three tree Kanji positioned like the forest badge. I think that might be why it is like that. Maybe other badges have inspiration on Kanji but I don't know enough to know.

I always saw the cobble badge as 2 fists from opposite fighters passing each other as their throwing punches, like that scene where these 2 people punched each other in the jaw at the exact same time.

I also see the Fen badge as a big lake with mountains around

Relic badge Sukunas fingers have entered the chart

6:12 I like the fact that a human can kick aura spheres.

12:17 Our true power has awakened, and shines on as we face off against our greatest challenges yet... and then get destroyed by Cynthia.

man, that last bit. even if its him able to BS his way with these, still got to me. keep up the great work Lockstin

The Kanji for forest is just three trees 木 - Tree 森 - Three trees

Oh, wow, the Mine Badge's pickaxes are so obvious, but I never realized them.

Thank you for always being so amazing Austin

"fly away on the zephyr" - RHCP

No wonder you came up with the conjoined theme of gym badges. There's a lot of time to think about most convoluted stuff when you look at Blissey's health bar going down in Victory Road. An amazing time to reflect on your whole Sinnoh journey.

I like how Sinnoh had alternative energy sources with coal, wind and solar.