Galar
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
TheGalar region (Japanese:ガラル地方Galarregion) is aregion of thePokémon world, and the eighthcore series region to be introduced. It is the setting ofPokémon Sword and Shield.
Etymology and design concept
Etymology
Galar may involve the wordgala (a special public celebration). In British English, gala also denotes "sports competition"[1] (seen in usage withswimming gala), relating to the theme of sports in the region. It may also involve the wordgallant (heroic; chivalrous), a word that is also etymologically related to gala.
The name of the region may also be influenced by γίγαςgĭ́gās (Ancient Greek for "giant"), in relation to phenomena ofDynamax,Gigantamax, andEternamax as well as the names of variousWild Area sites relating to giants. The latter half of the name may be derived fromstellar (pertaining to stars), in reference to theWishing Star serving as a source of Dynamax energy andDynamax Crystal being named after abbreviated names ofIAU designated constellations.
Given the basis of the region, it may also allude to theArthurian Legends withGalahad being one of the knights in theRound Table as well as theHoly Grail (known in French asSan-Graal) being a central element of the legends.
Incidentally,galar is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for "disease," possibly evoking the resemblance ofBlighty (slang term for Great Britain) to the word "blight" (disease in plants).
Design concept
- Main article:Pokémon world in relation to the real world → Galar
Galar is based on theUnited Kingdom. According toShigeru Ohmori, the UK was chosen as the basis for Galar to reflectPokémon Sword and Shield's theme of "strength"—the pursuit of becoming the strongest—highlighting the spirit of competitiveness that defines Pokémon battles.[2]
The main part of Galar focuses heavily on the island of Great Britain, especiallyEngland and (to a lesser extent)Wales. However, the orientation of the landmass is rotated 180° compared to real-world Great Britain: for example, northern Galar is based on southern England. The parts of Galar introduced in thePokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass are based on other parts of the British Isles: theIsle of Armor is based on theIsle of Man, a self-governingcrown dependency of the British Crown, and theCrown Tundra is based onScotland.[3]
The industrial infrastructure of the region is also influenced by theIndustrial Revolution,[4] a transitional period of technological innovations that began in Great Britain around the 1760s. The architecture ofMotostoke serves as a prominent example of such motif, along with GalarianWeezing inspired bysteam engines.[5]
Sports playing an important role in British culture is also alluded withPokémon battles treated as spectator sports in Galarian culture[4], as well as the various settlements in the region named after terminologies related to sports.Team Yell also resemblefootball hooliganism, a real-life phenomenon of violent behaviors perpetrated by spectators at association football events in England and Scotland.
The region also reflects themulticulturalism in the United Kingdom with variousethnic groups coexisting in British society, in part due tohistorical immigration from theformer colonies of theBritish Empire. Cultural elements of non-British origin includecurry (a dish popular in the United Kingdom with its root inIndian cuisine) and martial arts motif inThe Isle of Armor (a possible allusion tokung fu films inHong Kong). TheGalarian forms of certain Pokémon also allude toNorse influences in the United Kingdom withViking traits of GalarianMeowth andPerrserker as well as GalarianYamask andRunerigus resemblingrunestones.
History
Prehistory
20,000 years prior to the events ofPokémon Sword and Shield, a meteorite containingEternatus fell in Galar. 3,000 years prior, Eternatus awakened for the first time and started an event known as theDarkest Day, causing a black storm to spread across Galar, but Eternatus was stopped bytwo humans and thelegendary heroes, resulting in the boys being crowned as the kings of the region. During the battle, pieces of Eternatus's body were scattered across the region, giving origin to theWishing Pieces andWishing Stars, and consequently, to theDynamax Bands. Statues of the two kings and the two Pokémon were also built at some point inStow-on-Side. Over time, the wolves were forgotten by time.
At some point, the heavily injuredCalyrex was found by a group of humans in theCrown Tundra who, after gaining its trust, took care of it and healed it back to its full strength. In gratitude for the humans, Calyrex used its powers to turn the frozen tundra they lived in into a habitable land filled with lush and rich soil. Since then, Calyrex was worshipped as the king of bountiful harvests. At some point later, Calyrex saved its worshippers from the lord of the Crown TundraGlastrier/Spectrier, forcing it to become its steed. Over time, however, Calyrex was slowly forgotten, greatly weakening it as a result. As it continued to grow weaker, its steed eventually abandoned it, leaving the king with a mere fraction of its original power.
Galar has historically had a strained relationship with theKalos region.[6]
70 years prior,Opal inherited theBallonleaGym Leader from her mother. 50 years prior,Mustard defeated Opal and went on to become Galar'sChampion, which he succeeded in doing. He held his position for 18 years, longer than any other League Champion before or since. However, Mustard loses his position as Galar's Champion after the death of his Pokémon partner. After retiring from the Pokémon League and traveling the world, Mustard returned to Galar, bought an island, named it theIsle of Armor, and founded theMaster Dojo in it.
Contemporary history
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Victor/Gloria and their best friend,Hop, receive theirfirst partner Pokémon fromLeon, the undefeatedChampion and Hop's brother. Shortly thereafter, they meet a mysteriousPokémon in theSlumbering Weald. As they begin theirjourney, they receivePokédexes fromSonia,Dynamax Bands fromProfessor Magnolia, andendorsements from Leon to enter theGym Challenge. They travel across Galar, challengingGyms to earn the eightBadges they need to enter the Champion Cup. Over the course of their journey, they encounter a group calledTeam Yell, whose members supportMarnie in the Gym Challenge. They also encounter another group calledMacro Cosmos, a conglomerate led byRose, who has endorsed his wardBede in the Gym Challenge. During the Champion Cup inWyndon Stadium, Rose interrupts the Championship Match by reawakeningEternatus, bringing about theDarkest Day in an attempt to provide energy for Galar for 1,000 years. To stop Rose's plan, Victor/Gloria and Hop search for theRusted Sword andRusted Shield in the Slumbering Weald, and with thoseitems in hand, they head to theEnergy Plant inHammerlocke to face Rose. Victor/Gloria battles and defeats Rose, then joins Leon and Hop to face Eternatus; in the course of the battle, the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield summonZacian andZamazenta (respectively) to their aid. After defeating Eternatus, Victor/Gloria manages to catch it. They then return toWyndon to defeat Leon in the Championship Match, becoming the new Champion of Galar.
After becoming Champion, Hop and Victor/Gloria travel back to the Slumbering Weald to return the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield. While there, they encounter an odd pair of brothers,Sordward andShielbert, who proclaim themselves descendants of the original kings of Galar and steal the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield. The brothers seek to undermine Zacian and Zamazenta's reputation as saviors of Galar by turning them instead into threats. As an experiment to further their plan, they release Dynamax particles across Galar, sending multiple Dynamax Pokémon out of control across multiple stadiums. Victor/Gloria, Hop, and then-formerGym LeaderPiers set out to stop the rampaging Pokémon, while Sonia tracks the brothers. The group finds them at the Hammerlocke Energy Plant, where they attempt to use Dynamax particles to send ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh into an uncontrollable fury. ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh resists, instead attacking ShielbertSw/SordwardSh. With the help of Hop and ZacianSw/ZamazentaSh, Victor/Gloria successfully calms ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh. ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh then flees, pursued by Hop, while ZacianSw/ZamazentaSh allows Victor/Gloria to catch them by defeating them in battle. Victor/Gloria and their new Pokémon return to find Hop in the Slumbering Weald. There, Hop successfully calms and catches Zamazenta/Zacian, and challenges Victor/Gloria to one final battle.
The Isle of Armor
Victor/Gloria travels to theIsle of Armor off the coast of Galar and becomes an apprentice in the localMaster Dojo, abattle facility run by former ChampionMustard. They also develop a newrivalry with a Gym Leader-in-training and fellow apprentice namedKlaraSw/AverySh. Victor/Gloria enrolls and takes part in a series of trials, first chasing a trio of fast GalarianSlowpoke, searching for Max Mushrooms, and having a final showdown with Klara/Avery. In doing so, Victor/Gloria proves to be Mustard's best student sinceLeon, as claimed by Mustard himself. As a reward for completing Mustard's trials, they are given aKubfu as a companion to raise, with the goal of raising it into a greatUrshifu. After developing a strong bond withKubfu, Victor/Gloria heads to theTower of Darkness or theTower of Waters, and completes a rite of passage to ultimately earn the right to evolve Kubfu into Urshifu. After Victor/Gloria become Champion of Galar, they are tasked by Mustard to findMax Honey for Urshifu to achieveGigantamax transformation, and work alongside Hop to find it. Once Urshifu has achieved the ability to Gigantamax, Victor/Gloria have a final showdown with Mustard, who now holds nothing back, and prevails. Mustard congratulates them, and tells them to be ready forwhat's to come.
The Crown Tundra
Victor/Gloria travels to theCrown Tundra in southern Galar, where they meetPeony, an enthusiastic formerSteel-type Gym Leader and Champion as well as the younger brother ofRose, and take his daughterPeonia's place in his explorations of solving the legends lurking around the Tundra, since Peonia refuses to do so. As such, Peony assigns Victor/Gloria as the leader of his "expedition team" and tasks them with searching for variousLegendary Pokémon who are known to reside in the Crown Tundra. One of these Pokémon is the King of Bountiful Harvests, a known figurehead in the Crown Tundra and its small town ofFreezington, but one whose stories are now only known to a few. Victor/Gloria eventually meets this Pokémon after restoring its statue, who reveals its name to beCalyrex, while it usesPeony as a means to communicate with them. It reveals that it had lost its power over the years as less and less people believed in it, and it eventually lost the ability to bring bountiful harvests. Calyrex tasks Victor/Gloria with creating the Reins of Unity (which Peony successfully creates) and planting either an Iceroot Carrot or Shaderoot Carrot in hopes of reclaiming its long lost steed, who is later revealed to beGlastrier/Spectrier. They eventually lure the steed into the Crown Shrine, and Calyrex takes its Reins of Unity and bonds with Glastrier or Spectrier once more, achieving its full power again. Now having regained its power, Calyrex allows Victor/Gloria to challenge it to a battle to catch it, and they succeed in doing so. Calyrex thanks the player and looks forward to the journeys they will share.
In the midst of doing so, Victor/Gloria explores the entirety of the Crown Tundra, discovering several ruins that uncover thelegendary giants, including two newly discovered ones inRegieleki andRegidrago. They also discover a tree whereGalarian forms of thelegendary birds come, and chases them all around Galar, one in the Crown Tundra itself, one in the Isle of Armor, and one in Galar's own Wild Area.
In doing all this, Victor/Gloria eventually reports these back to Peony, and eventually they go all the way to theMax Lair and rejoin Peonia, in which they all partake inDynamax Adventures. In the midst of these, it is revealed a strange Pokémon appeared in the Max Lair and multipleUltra Beasts came as well: eventually, Victor/Gloria discover that it was in factNecrozma, and reports it to Peony, which is then noticed by the scientist running theMax Lair.
After having explored theCrown Tundra, Victor/Gloria receives a call fromLeon, who formally invites them to theGalarian Star Tournament in Wyndon, which involves two-on-twoMulti Battles, and Victor/Gloria partners with either Hop or Marnie in a series of battles against all of Galar's Gym Leaders and emerges victorious.
Geography
The Galar region is an expansive region, including varied environments such as idyllic countrysides, contemporary cities, and snow-covered mountains. Galar comprises a long mainland area as well as an outlying island area, theIsle of Armor, east of the mainland.
The extreme south of the Galarian mainland includes theCrown Tundra. This area is isolated from the rest of the mainland by a tall mountain range, which extends north along both mainland coasts. However, the Galarian train system allows for travel through these mountains.
Just north of the southern mountains, in the broad valley between its coastal spurs, lie the denseSlumbering Weald and nearby village ofPostwick. This valley also marks the beginning of a long stretch of plains dotted with hills, ending just north ofHammerlocke, that cover the majority of mainland Galar. These plains are home to two of the three main cities in Galar: Hammerlocke andMotostoke. Various arid, rocky environments sit at the northern edges of the plains, including the cliffs outsideStow-on-Side onRoute 6 and the ruins south ofCirchester onRoute 8. In northwest Galar, surroundingBallonlea, is theGlimwood Tangle, a thick, gloomy forest. East of this forest lies a broad tundra that includes the city of Circhester and a range of snowy and jagged mountains that separates the metropolis ofWyndon from the rest of Galar.
The Isle of Armor sits in the sea to the east, closest to the mainland town ofSpikemuth. Much of the isle consists of lush forests, caves, rolling hills and tree-filled valleys that rise from its long beaches. Despite being an island, it is connected to mainland Galar's train system with dedicatedFlying Taxis.
In theanimated series, it was revealed Galar is far enough away from Kanto (and presumably Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh) to require airplanes for travel between them. Dialogue inthe games reveals that Galar is within swimming distance of Kalos.
Demographics
The Galar region has a total population of 727, including all towns, cities, and other areas. Upon its introduction inGeneration VIII, it was thefourth largest region by population. Currently, it is the fifth.
Notable locations
Galar has 12 cities and towns. Like inUnova,Kalos, andAlola, Galarian route numbers start from 1, likely due to the geographical isolation of these regions from both the original four regions and each other. There are 10 routes in total, all on the Galarian mainland, divided into four groups:
- Route 1 &Route 2 in southern Galar, aroundWedgehurst and surrounding locations;
- Route 3,Route 4, &Route 5 in central Galar, forming a loop betweenMotostoke and the nearby towns;
- Route 6,Route 7,Route 8, &Route 9 in central Galar, aroundHammerlocke and the nearby towns; and
- Route 10 in northern Galar, connecting to the southern gates ofWyndon.
Unlike in most other regions, it is impossible to travel through Galar using just these routes. Instead, a train system connects different cities and towns, and thus connects the different sets of routes.
The Galar region also has an extensive area called theWild Area which adjoins several towns and cities in the region.
Settlements
| Map | Name | Population | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Postwick | 5 | A farming town since days of old, where people and their Pokémon live in close harmony. |
 | Wedgehurst | 31 | Our quiet borough is home to the esteemed Pokémon Research Lab. |
 | Motostoke | 120 | An industrial city studded with steam-powered marvels of modern engineering. |
 | Turffield | 36 | A town nestled within the nurturing bowl of our many terraced farming fields. |
 | Hulbury | 54 | A bustling seaport that many visit to see its lively market stalls and famed restaurant. |
 | Hammerlocke | 102 | A city of great history, living and thriving within castle walls that date back to the Middle Ages. |
 | Stow-on-Side | 44 | A vibrant town that has grown up around an ancient mural tucked away in the mountains. |
 | Ballonlea | 31 | A charming town where the people make their homes among the trunks of the towering trees. |
 | Circhester | 97 | Buildings from an age long gone still stand about the steaming hot spring that covers the town. |
 | Spikemuth | 29 | This rocking town has a punk vibe and streets crammed with shops lined up cheek by jowl. |
 | Wyndon | 157 | This booming metropolis was designed and developed by our very own Chairman Rose. |
 | Freezington | 9 | None |
Landmarks
Animated series-exclusive
| Picture | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Ancient castle | An ancient castle located nearHammerlocke that serves as one ofDiana's hideouts. |
 | Karna's Poké Ball factory | A factory run byKarna that produces customPoké Balls. |
Appearance
In-game
 | The picture used in this section is unsatisfactory. Please feel free to replace it so it conforms to Bulbapedia conventions. Reason: DLC map stitch lacks location markers outside of IoA and the rough texture/clouds/waves that the game adds 'post-production' to the map |
 |  |
| Galar as seen inPokémon Sword with theExpansion Pass (Version 1.3.0+) | Galar as seen inPokémon Shield (Version 1.1.1 or earlier) |
 | |
| Victor'ssync move mindscape from Pokémon Masters EX | |
- BetweenPokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, the two version-exclusiveGyms show up in different colors on the map. After the release ofThe Isle of Armor, an extra set of train tracks and a train station were added to the main part of the Galar map. After the release ofThe Crown Tundra, an additional set of train tracks was added. These train tracks appear even if the player has not purchased thePokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass.
Galar League
- Main article:Galar League
The Galar League is the regionalPokémon League of the Galar region. Trainers who have received a letter ofendorsement may compete in the Gym Challenge. After obtaining the eightBadges of the region, a Trainer may participate in the annual Champion Cup atWyndon Stadium.
Gym Leaders
| Galar League | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation VIII | Region:Galar | |||||
| Gym Leader Japanese | Location Japanese | Type | Badge | |||
 Milo ヤロー Yarrow | Turffield ターフタウン Turf Town |  Grass |  Grass Badge | |||
 Nessa ルリナ Rurina | Hulbury バウタウン Bow Town |  Water |  Water Badge | |||
 Kabu カブ Kabu | Motostoke エンジンシティ Engine City |  Fire |  Fire Badge | |||
 Bea サイトウ SaitouSw |  Allister オニオン OnionSh | Stow-on-Side ラテラルタウン Lateral Town |  Fighting |  Ghost |  Fighting Badge |  Ghost Badge |
 Opal ポプラ Poplar |  Bede ビート Beet | Ballonlea アラベスクタウン Arabesque Town |  Fairy |  Fairy Badge | ||
 Gordie マクワ MakuwaSw |  Melony メロン MelonSh | Circhester キルクスタウン Circus Town |  Rock |  Ice |  Rock Badge |  Ice Badge |
 Piers ネズ Nezu |  Marnie マリィ Mary | Spikemuth スパイクタウン Spike Town |  Dark |  Dark Badge | ||
 Raihan キバナ Kibana | Hammerlocke ナックルシティ Knuckle City |  Dragon |  Dragon Badge | |||
Champion Cup
| Galar League | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| GenerationVIII | |||
| Member Japanese | Type | ||
| Semifinals | |||
 Marnie マリィ Mary | Dark | ||
 Hop ホップ Hop |  Various | ||
| Interruption | |||
Bede ビート Beet | Fairy | ||
| Finals | |||
Nessa ルリナ Rurina | Water | ||
Bea サイトウ SaitouSw | Allister オニオン OnionSh | Fighting | Ghost |
Raihan キバナ Kibana | Dragon | ||
| Championship Match | |||
 Champion Leon ダンデ Dande |  Various | ||
Trivia
- Galar is the onlycore seriesregion to:
- Not have aPokémon academy.
- Not have anElite Four.
- A similar role is fulfilled by the Champion Cup.
- Contain a single landmass with a map that does not fit on a single screen. Previous regions with maps spanning multiple screens eithercontained orwere archipelagos.
- Introduce fourfossils, the most of any region so far.
- Despite this, the region does not beat the record for most Fossil Pokémon introduced (five inKanto) due to the Galarian Fossil Pokémon being unable to evolve.
- Have twoGym Leaders resign from their posts over the course of a single game's plot.
- Have aDark-type Gym.
- Galar is the first region to:
- Contain no settlements that end in "City" or "Town" in their English names.
- Not have aVictory Road.
- To introduce Fossil Pokémon that are notRock-type, incapable ofbreeding, and do not have genders.
- Introduce noMythical Pokémon at the time of its release.
- Not have aseries ofPokémon the Series solely dedicated toAsh Ketchum fully exploring the region in a journey.
- In keeping with the sports theme of the region's Gyms, the names of the cities and towns in Galar are derived from sports terminology.
- Galar has the second fewest numberedroutes of any core series region, with a total of ten.Paldea has none at all.
- Galar is tied withUnova as the region that has the mostGym Leaders, with a total of 14.
- InPokémon Journeys: The Series, Galar is often depicted with a cloudy, gray sky, similar to the common weather of the country it's based on, theUnited Kingdom.
- Galar having a rough history with theKalos region, as revealed inPokémon Legends: Z-A, is similar to the history between England and France, the latter of which Kalos is based on.
- Theadjectival form of Galar is "Galarian", as seen in the term "Galarian form".
In other languages
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| German, European Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, Italian, Catalan, Indonesian | Galar | From its Japanese and English name |
| Korean | 가라르Galar | Transcription of its Japanese name |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 伽勒爾Jiālè'ěr /Gālahkyíh | Transcription of its Japanese name |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 伽勒尔Jiālè'ěr | |
| Hebrew | גאלארGe'alar | Transcription of its English name |
| Hindi | गलारGalar | Transcription of its English name |
| Russian | ГаларGalar | Transcription of its English name |
| Thai | กาลาร์Galar | Transcription of its Japanese name |
References
- ↑Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
- ↑We Interview Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori aboutPokémon Sword andPokémon Shield | Pokemon.com
- ↑Tweet regarding Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra's inspiration
- ↑4.04.1Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Galar Expedition Guide
- ↑(November 15, 2019). "「ポケットモンスター ソード・シールド」インタビュー。「最強」をテーマに，子供たちが楽しめるものを目指して."4Gamer.net.
- ↑Lumiose Museum, The Commander's Armor:"However, it is difficult to verify such claims, given relations between Kalos and Galar during the era." (Legends: Z-A)
Related articles
| Galar | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
|
 | This article is part ofProject Locations, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world. |
