Discover the 2 Elusive Pokémon Gym Badges Ash Never Conquered

Ash Ketchum, the beloved character from Pokémon, has accomplished a remarkable feat by earning numerous badges across six different regions throughout his career. However, there are two gym badges from the Unova region that Ash never had the opportunity to obtain. Typically, Ash manages to earn all eight badges available in the games of each generation. While he has acquired a few unofficial badges along the way, he has always made sure to secure all eight canonical badges before leaving a region.

The Unova region holds a special distinction as it appeared not only in Pokémon Black and White but also in its sequels, Black 2 and White 2. While other regions have been featured in remakes or enhanced versions, such as Platinum, none have ever had a direct sequel set in the same region but a few years later. This unique setup allowed fans to witness two distinct phases of the Pokémon League in Unova. During this time, some gym leaders from the Black and White versions had retired, making room for new leaders to emerge. There were instances where the gym leader changed, as with the Basic Badge, but the badge itself remained the same. However, in Black 2 and White 2, two new cities were introduced, each with its own set of new gyms, leaders, and, most importantly, badges.

Ash Missed Two Badges Because He Didn't Need Them

In the anime, Ash followed the same path as the original games and collected badges in the same order. However, there was a gym in Opelucid City that presented a challenge. This gym, which awards the Legend Badge, had different gym leaders in each version of the game. In one version, the gym leader was an old man named Drayden, while in the other version, it was Iris, who was Ash's companion at the time and not yet a gym leader. Drayden served as a mentor for Iris, but Ash never battled him and therefore did not earn the Legend Badge.

Instead, Ash traveled to a new city called Virbank City to earn the Toxic Badge as his final badge. Normally, this badge would be the second one in Black 2/White 2. After collecting a total of eight badges, Ash accompanied his friend Cameron to his final gym battle against Marlon in Humilau City for the Wave Badge. Cameron won the match and earned the badge, but Ash did not challenge Marlon and therefore did not obtain the Wave Badge. As a result, Ash ended up with a combination of badges that is not possible in the original games, since the Wave Badge was unique to Black 2/White 2.

Previous suggestions in the anime indicate that there are more than just eight gym leaders in each region, and that eight is significant solely because it is the required number to enter the League. This notion was proven true in the Unova region, as the anime showcased a total of 10 gyms. However, Ash only managed to earn badges from eight of them, leaving him without the Legend Badge and the Wave Badge. These two badges are the only ones from the first six generations of Pokémon games that Ash never obtained.