Gym Leader Brand Concepts
Branding, Logo Design, Mockups
Concept:
With such a rich history of character development and lore behind the Gym Leaders in Pokemon, it's surprising to me that we very rarely see them outside of their day job as a Gym Leader. I thought it would be interesting to explore the different avenues these characters would take if they didn't spend all their time battling trainers, while of course incorporating each of their unique characteristics and quirks into the designs!
Brock - Beloved Boulder
The rock-type Gym Leader Brock has always been infamous in the Pokemon anime as a bit of a "hopeless romantic", falling for almost every woman he comes across but ultimately always getting rejected. This gave me the idea to create the concept for a dating app - rather than failing in his romantic plights in person, he can now (hopefully) have a better shot with his own app online!
Misty - Cerulean Cycle
The water-type Gym Leader Misty has been a fan favourite since the beginning, thanks in part to an iconic episode of the Pokemon anime in which her bike gets destroyed by the protagonist. I thought it would be a nice "full circle" moment for her to go from having her bike destroyed, to running her own bike store!
Lt Surge - Soaring Surge
Lt Surge used to serve in the army before becoming a gym leader and had his life saved by his companion, a Raichu, while serving as a pilot. It only made sense to have him return to his roots and open up his own flight school if he were to ever retire his current profession!
Erika - Rainbotanyx
As a lover of all things botanical, I imagine that the grass type Gym Leader Erika would adore the idea of selling her own plants and seeds when she's not busy battling trainers in Celadon city. The name "Rainbotanyx" comes from "rainbow" (the badge she gives out after defeating her in battle) and "botanics" (the study of plants).
Koga - Soul Stealth School
The mysterious figure Koga is a very studious individual, always sharpening his knowledge on Ninjutsu and medicine. He is also known to teach others, just like the his daughter Janine who becomes his successor, so I thought it only made sense that he could make a profession from teaching the next generation everything he spent years learning himself.
Sabrina - Funtime Phantom
Sabrina is a psychic type Gym Leader with an affinity for dolls & dollhouses, going as far as turning her parents into dolls in the anime. This gave me the idea to create her her own spooky toystore, using one of her favourite Pokemon as its mascot.
Blaine - Big Riddle Inn
Blaine the fire type Gym Leader actually has his own business in the anime called the Big Riddle Inn, so I thought it would be a fun exercise to revamp it with a more stylish and effective look!
Giovanni - The Hidden Persian
Giovanni is the leader of Team Rocket, an evil organization hell-bent on capturing other people's Pokemon and causing chaos. Throughout all his years serving as this team's leader however there has always been one constant - his love for his cat, Persian. I thought it would be funny to create a brand for a Cat Cafe using his beloved cat as the mascot, since it creates a very stark contrast between Giovanni being an evil leader and humble cat enthusiast.