PBG has two gym systems running side by side:
- Zenith Gyms — the eight-leader NPC progression and Royal League in the Zenith Region. Covered in full on the Zenith Gyms page.
- Player Gyms & the PBG League — eight gyms run by players, the PBG League, and a rulebook that changes every three months. That's this page.
What it is
Each gym has one type, one leader and a badge. Beat all eight in a season and you unlock the PBG League: a PBG League Elite Four and a PBG League Champion, all players too.
Every season a new Regulation Set decides which Pokémon and which battle gimmick are legal. Badges reset, teams get rebuilt, and the ladder starts fresh.
Season 1 at a glance
| Regulation Set | Z — Z-Moves are the gimmick |
| Runs | 5 October 2026 → 4 January 2027 |
| Not allowed | Legendary, Mythical, Paradox and Ultra Beast Pokémon |
| Format | Singles · six Pokémon · level 100 |
| Clauses | Sleep · Evasion · OHKO · Species |
Challenging a gym
Open the gym list
Type /playergyms, or open /gymhub → Player Gyms (the Gym Guide NPC at the Pokémon Center opens it too).
Pick a gym
Its tile shows the type, the leader, whether the gym is open, and whether you've beaten it this season.
Send the challenge
Click Challenge while the leader is online and the gym is open. The leader accepts and the battle starts at the gym's arena.
Win the badge
Win, and the badge is yours for the season.
Cooldowns: 30 minutes between any two gym battles, and six hours before you can re-challenge the same gym.
Gyms only take challenges while the leader is online. Leaders are prompted to open up when they log in, and gyms close automatically on logout.
Badges and the League
- All 8 badges opens the PBG League for the rest of the season.
- The PBG League Elite Four are dual-type specialists. You fight them in order, seat 4 up to seat 1, and each is allowed one gimmick. They get stronger as you go.
- The PBG League Champion comes last and can use any gimmick the Regulation allows.
- Lose anywhere in the run and you start the PBG League again from seat 4. Your badges stay.
- Beat the Champion and you're a League Winner for the season.
Becoming a Gym Leader
Apply now — staff review applications in Discord and reply there.
What you're signing up for:
- A mono-type team of six, legal under the season's Regulation. Staff will ask for your team in Discord after you apply, store it, and you battle with exactly that team, so every challenger faces the same gym.
- Being around. Open your gym regularly. No gym battles for 14 days and staff will message you; another 7 days of silence frees the slot. Holidays and illness are fine, just say so first.
- Playing it straight. No throwing matches, no stalling, no refusing challenges without a reason.
- One team change at the Regulation switch, plus one mid-season swap on request.
- Optional: build a gym town around your arena. Staff can help with a claim and a warp.
Becoming PBG League Elite Four or Champion
A qualifier tournament runs at the start of each season. The top four become the PBG League Elite Four. In Season 1 the top five qualify and the winner is PBG League Champion. From Season 2 the sitting Champion defends the title against the current Four at season end.
PBG League Elite Four seats and the Champion can't also hold a gym.
The Grand Tournament
Twice a year, at the end of every second season, everyone who has been PBG League Elite Four, Champion or a League Winner fights for the title of Monarch. It runs under Regulation X: everything allowed, up to two restricted Pokémon per team, any gimmick but only one per battle.
Regulation Sets
| Set | What's allowed | Gimmick |
|---|---|---|
| Z | Everything except restricted Pokémon | Z-Moves |
| T | No Ultra Beasts or Paradox; up to two other restricted Pokémon | Terastallization |
| M | Everything except restricted Pokémon | Mega Evolution |
| X | Grand Tournament only. Everything; up to two restricted | Any, one per battle |
Always banned, every season: Eternamax Eternatus, Arceus, Kyurem-Black, Kyurem-White, Dusk Mane / Dawn Wings / Ultra Necrozma, Hoopa Unbound, Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre.
Restricted means Legendary, Mythical, Paradox and Ultra Beast Pokémon.
Fair play
The game blocks banned species when you send a challenge. Everything else, like "one gimmick per battle" or "max two restricted", is on you. Battle logs are kept, staff spot-check them, and a battle that broke the Regulation gets voided. Repeat offenders lose League access for the season.
Experience gain is off during gym battles, and held items are locked once a challenge starts.
Quick answers
Do badges carry over? No. Badges and PBG League progress reset every season. Titles you've won, Champion and Monarch, are yours for good.
The leader is offline. Can I still battle? Not yet. Check the gym tile for when they're usually around, or ask in Discord. Stand-in battles are planned.
Can I be a gym leader and challenge the PBG League? Yes. Only PBG League Elite Four and Champion seats are exclusive.
Where do I see my badges?
The Journey tile in /playergyms shows your badge count and PBG League progress.