Hammerlocke: Raihan's Walled City, Galar's Last Gym and Eternatus

Behind its ramparts, Hammerlocke is home to the very last Gym of Galar's Gym Challenge. The player returns here several times over the course of the adventure and battles Dragon-type Gym Leader Raihan; it's also above its stadium that the chairman of Macro Cosmos rouses Eternatus from its slumber.

Contents

• Hammerlocke, a fortified city in Galar
• Raihan and Hammerlocke's final Gym
• The player's visits to Hammerlocke
• Hammerlocke Stadium and the awakening of Eternatus
• Items, a trade and a Trainer not to miss
• Hammerlocke in Pokémon Journeys
• Hammerlocke at a glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

Hammerlocke, a fortified city in Galar

Hammerlocke is one of the cities of Galar, the region of Pokémon Sword and Shield. Its sign presents it as a city proud of its ramparts that still stand, which tell of its medieval past. It draws inspiration from both Birmingham and Edinburgh Castle.

You can reach the city from several directions: Route 6 to the west, Route 7 to the east and, to the south, Hammerlocke Hills, one of the zones of the Wild Area. It also has its own train station.

As for services, you'll find a Pokémon Center, a Poké Mart, a clothing store, a hair salon and a Battle Café. Two judges, one who rates effort and one who rates friendship, also welcome Trainers, and a tutor for the Pledge combination moves stands to the west, by the river.

Raihan and Hammerlocke's final Gym

Hammerlocke Stadium hosts the eighth stage of the Gym Challenge, the last one on the route. The Gym Leader who defends it, Raihan, fields Dragon-type Pokémon.

Yet the player meets him long before that battle. On the very first visit, Raihan invites the player into the vault: stepping inside earns the player the Gym Leader's League Card, and Sonia hands over two Revives on the spot. A TM29 also awaits as a bonus on the building's ramparts.

Beating Raihan completes the set of Badges. The victory is celebrated with Magnolia and Sonia, who reveals to the player the truth about the Darkest Day, the source of Dynamax in the region. Magnolia then passes her title of Professor on to her granddaughter.

The player's visits to Hammerlocke

The first stop comes after the third Badge, earned in Motostoke. In front of the stadium, the player witnesses a conversation between Chairman Rose, Oleana, his assistant, and Bede.

On the way back, with the fifth Badge in hand, Bede shows up to belittle the player once again, even though he himself has lost his Challenge band and is no longer competing. Opal cuts him off and takes him away for an audition. Shortly after, a tremor shakes the city: Sonia suspects the chairman of being behind it and sets off to investigate with Leon.

After the seventh Badge, the player comes back with Hop and finds Leon, Sonia and Magnolia deep in discussion. The talk turns to the Perrserker that had grown giant shortly before, the Darkest Day and Chairman Rose's schemes. Leon nonetheless sends the two friends back to their Badges: in his eyes, a red glow shouldn't jeopardize their Challenge.

Hammerlocke Stadium and the awakening of Eternatus

The final that should pit the player against Leon is interrupted: Chairman Rose rouses Eternatus from its slumber right above the stadium, and chaos spreads across the whole region.

With Hop at their side, the player must then go down beneath the stadium to put an end to the chairman's plans. The building hides two locations of its own, the Energy Plant and the Tower summit, where the main story's crisis comes to a head.

👑 Eternatus, awakened above Hammerlocke Stadium, is one of Galar's Legendary Pokémon: find the saga's great figures in our Legendary Pokémon collection.

Items, a trade and a Trainer not to miss

The streets hide plenty of items: a Rare Candy behind the Poké Ball statue, a Nugget where the Flying Taxis land, Wise Glasses on the raised platform. A resident also gives out one rock a day, Heat Rock, then Damp Rock, Icy Rock and Smooth Rock, four held items tied to the weather.

To the west, near the exit, a young man asks to borrow an Applin. In return, he hands over a Tart Apple in Sword or a Sweet Apple in Shield, the items that evolve Applin into Flapple or Appletun.

Across from the vault, a Trainer trades a Togepi at level 25, nicknamed Snips, for a Toxel. Black Belt Brian, for his part, relies on a Cottonee holding a Focus Sash to make the most of the move Endeavor, and gives that item to the player who beats him.

Hammerlocke in Pokémon Journeys

The city appears as early as episode JN042 of season 23. Viewers discover the Energy Plant, where Chairman Rose and Macro Cosmos power the core that holds Eternatus. In JN043, the Pokémon releases a surge of excess energy that makes Pokémon grow giant all over the region, and Leon takes up a post in front of the Stadium to investigate.

In JN044, Eternatus breaks free and triggers a new Darkest Day. Leon battles it at the top of the Tower, Ash Ketchum takes on Chairman Rose inside the Stadium, and Goh arrives with Sonia, carrying the Rusted Sword and the Rusted Shield. Left without Pokémon against Macro Cosmos's henchmen, Sonia is rescued by Raihan and his Duraludon, while Goh has to beat Oleana to reach Ash.

In JN045, Riolu becomes Lucario and Raboot becomes Cinderace. With backup from Zacian and Zamazenta, the group defeats Eternatus, which Goh catches. The city returns in JN108 of season 25: in front of the Stadium, Raihan promises his fans he'll beat Ash. In JN109, however, it's Ash who wins after a close battle and climbs to 8th place, which earns him a spot in the Master Class.

Hammerlocke at a glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• What type of Pokémon does the Hammerlocke Gym use?
  Dragon type. It's Raihan's Gym, the eighth and final stage of Galar's Gym Challenge.
• When does the player pass through Hammerlocke in Sword and Shield?
  Several times: after the third Badge, earned in Motostoke, then after the fifth and the seventh, before challenging Raihan there. The player returns one last time when the chairman rouses Eternatus from its slumber.
• What happens at Hammerlocke Stadium at the end of the story?
  As the final against Leon is interrupted, Chairman Rose rouses Eternatus from its slumber, right above the stadium. With Hop at their side, the player heads down beneath the building to stop the chairman.
• How do you get the Hammerlocke Togepi?
  A Trainer standing across from the vault trades it for a Toxel. This level 25 Togepi is nicknamed Snips.
• Where do you find the Tart Apple or the Sweet Apple?
  West of Hammerlocke, near the exit, a young man gives it to you if you lend him an Applin: Tart Apple in Sword, Sweet Apple in Shield.

In short

Hammerlocke isn't just another stop on the road to the Badges: the city comes back at several turning points in the story, from the first meeting with Raihan to Eternatus's awakening above its stadium. With its ramparts, its well-hidden items and its Darkest Day episodes in Journeys, it's a must-visit for anyone who wants to understand Galar.