
What if fromis_9 were Pokémon Gym Leaders? It’s probably not a question asked often, but now that it has, what would a fromis_9 Pokémon Gym League be like? In this region, evolution stones are nowhere to be found and Gym Leaders are not bound to one type, being able to use any Pokémon that suit their personality and traits.
1st Gym Leader: Jiheon
Patrat
Jiheon likes to stay home. A lot. In fact, according to the members, it seems to be all she does in her free time. As a result, they nicknamed her ‘watchdog,’ as she watches over the dorm just like a Patrat who keeps constant watch over their own nest.
Oshawott
Jiheon has had a recent love for freckles, putting them on her face on a few occasions. The adorable Oshawott fits perfectly for Jiheon. Not only because it has freckles of its own, but its creation was inspired by a sea otter, an animal Jiheon has been compared to.
Igglybuff
It’s pretty obvious that the main similarity the ‘Balloon Pokémon’ shares with Jiheon is that they’re both cute babies and they constantly practice in order to improve. Just like our maknae, who worked especially hard to debut at the young age of 15 while also being a high-scoring student.
2nd Gym Leader: Nagyung
Torchic
Nagyung’s representative animal has always been a little chick as she is fromis_9’s ‘forever chick,’ with her cute diamond-shaped lips. So what better Pokémon to represent this than the literal ‘Chick Pokémon’ Torchic (holding an everstone forever of course)?
Furfrou
Long black hair, long brown hair, long blonde hair, short blonde hair, short pink hair, and of course half blue half pink hair. These are all the different hairstyles that Nagyung has had since debut. Similar to the Pokémon that can be styled in 10 possible ways, Nagyung’s hair always shows great variety.
Skitty
Even though she is our forever chick, Nagyung has been recently channeling the image of a kitten, matching the ‘Kitten Pokémon.’ Skitty also has the tendency to growl at foes, and growling is something Nagyung has been doing for quite some time.
3rd Gym Leader: Chaeyoung
Rockruff
While it may not be her representative animal, Chaeyoung has been called a puppy on a few occasions (mainly by Jisun who seems to be her owner). According to the owner, she “often comes back with mud all over her,” which sounds exactly like the playful ‘Puppy Pokémon’ that Ash owns in the Pokémon anime.
Girafarig
The tallest member of fromis_9 clearly deserves the honour of using the ‘Long Neck Pokémon.’ However, not only are they both giraffes, Girafarig having two sides to it is reflective of Chaeyoung having the ability to do both light-hearted and girl-crush concepts amazingly.
4th Gym Leader: Seoyeon
Pancham
What is Pancham? Well, a panda, of course. And what is Seoyeon and also her representative animal? That would also be a panda. It’s safe to say that this choice is a no-brainer.
Heat Rotom
When it comes to iconic fromis_9 clips, one of the most famous ones is Seoyeon almost setting fire to their dorm by trying to microwave a foil package. So why not honour that amazing decision-making by giving her a sentient microwave whose main job is to light things on fire? Seems like a great idea.
Kricketune
When it comes to music, Seoyeon isn’t just a rapper and vocalist, but she’s also a producer that creates music just like how Kricketune is known to compose melodies. Seoyeon’s producer debut came in the form of the song ‘Starry Night’ on the My Little Society album, which is her first of hopefully many more songs to come in the future.
5th Gym Leader: Jisun
Eevee
It has been said by many flovers that Jisun looks very similar to an Eevee. Judging by all the Eevee plushies she was gifted and how well she keeps them, Jisun seems to own the comparison.
Alcremie
Jisun is undoubtedly fromis_9’s café queen. With one look at her Instagram, it becomes very evident that she visits cafes quite often, trying sweets and drinks at every location. Alcremie would be a great fit for her as they come in 63 possible versions, each with their own distinct look.
6th Gym Leader: Jiwon
Jigglypuff
An adorable pink ball with cute round eyes who’s most famous for singing? Sounds like a perfect fit for Jiwon. The only difference is that Jigglypuff puts its foes to sleep, while it seems impossible to fall asleep while Park Megan is talking, let alone singing or shouting.
Exploud
Apparently, Exploud’s voice can be heard from six miles away and may also result in the ground shaking around it when it roars. Yeah, that sounds exactly like the human speaker and eardrum-killer that is Jiwon.
Scorbunny
This Pokémon is just too perfect for Jiwon to evolve. It’s a bunny, which is Jiwon’s representative animal; its feet are said to bring good luck, just like Jiwon does to fromis_9; and it’s always bursting with energy, bouncing around as often as Jiwon shakes her legs (which is all the time).
7th Gym Leader: Gyuri
Rapidash
Something Gyuri loves to do is run around yelling “let’s get it!” She has also shown to be fairly quick, as she has represented fromis_9 in the 60m Sprint during the Idol Star Athletics Championships (3rd place is good, right?).
Castform (Sunny)
‘Gyul’ in Korean means ‘tangerine.’ Castform, when exposed to sunlight, turns into a big tangerine with seven smaller ones around it. Who wouldn’t want to just pluck a piece of either one of them to eat, just like Chaeyoung did?
8th Gym Leader: Hayoung
Azurill
One of Hayoung’s more interesting skills is that she is unusually good at balancing on an exercise ball and can even play guitar while on one. Azurill is always seen on its ball-shaped tail showing a similar level of stability to our Vice-Captain.
Medicham
The ‘Meditate Pokémon’ is based on a yoga instructor and gains its power through harsh yoga training. It’s a little known fact that Hayoung has a yoga instructor license and has even proven her skills on a few occasions.
Meloetta
Hayoung is known for her vocals and songwriting, while simultaneously being a great dancer. Meloetta has two forms: an ‘Aria Forme,’ based on a singer, complete with a headset microphone, and a ‘Pirouette Forme,’ based on a dancer. This makes it the perfect Pokémon for the multi-talented Hayoung.
Champion: Saerom
Milotic
The Pokédex reads: “Milotic is said to be the most beautiful of all the Pokémon. It has the power to becalm such emotions as anger and hostility to quell bitter feuding.” Both Saerom’s beauty and her strong leadership are represented in the ‘Tender Pokémon.’
Lucario
While based on a wolf, Lucario gives off fox-like vibes just like Saerom does. A fox being her representative animal, mixed with the strength both physically and mentally she shows, makes her very similar to the ‘Aura Pokémon.’
After defeating Saerom, one would have conquered fromis_9 region. Congratulations! You are now the fromis_9 region’s new Pokémon League champion!
Although, there is a rumour that an even stronger trainer lies at the top of the K-pop mountain, regarded as the mentor of all the trainers you’ve already beaten. One can only imagine how strong they must be…
Writer: JJ
Designer: Adam
Editors: Adam, Bruno and Mitch
Follow us on Twitter.
aahh this is so cute!!
Thanks for the support! We’re glad you like it!