Gym leader shirt numbers in Pokemon Sword and Shield are all puns based on Japanese wordplay

Pokemon sword and Shield Gym
(Image credit: Nintendo)

An observant Pokemon Sword and Shield fan has shared an insight into the gym leaders in the g🅠ame, noticing that their numbers are a referen𝔍ce to a type of Japanese wordplay. 

In a post shared to the , one user shared an obscure Pokemon fact which details what the numbers assigned to each gym leader means. According to the post, the gym leaders' numbers aren’t random and are instead based on a form of Japanese wordplay known as Goroawase. &🌱nbsp;

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To briefly explain, Goroawase translates to "phonetic matching" meaning it is the techn🌜ique where a word - that is pronounced the same way as another w𝓡ord but differs in meaning - is assigned letters, numbers, or symbols so that they are now associated with a new meaning.

It can be a little confusing to understand at first but one example is the number four - which is pronounced as "shi" in Japanese - and the word for death⭕ which is pronounced the same. This means some Japanese natives are superstitious about the number four just like some people in🅷 the west are about the number 13. 

With this understanding in place, if you take the numbers assigned to gym leaders in 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Sword and Shield (eg: Milo = 831, Nessa = 049, etc.) you end up with seemingly random words a🍸ssigned to each gym leader. This means Milo’s number = "Vegetable", Nessa’s number = "Swim", Kabuꦅ’s number = "Sparks", and so on. If you’re already familiar with these notorious gym leaders, you’ve probably already noticed that the Goroawase meanings have a connection to the leader’s personality or Pokemon type. 

Looking for a new Pokemon game to play? Find out everything you need to know about 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Legends: Arceus before it releases on January 28, 2022. 

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