Posted at: 9:42pm on 22nd November 2022
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Becoming Champion: Challenging the Paldean Elite Four and Top Champion Geeta in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
Who are the Gym Leaders in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?
WARNING: This guide contains spoilers for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet!
As with almost every main series Pokémon game, Scarlet & Violet’s Paldea Region plays home to eight powerful Gym Leaders who you will have to defeat and earn the Gym Badges of in order to then make a challenge to become the Paldea Region’s Champion.
For the first time, Scarlet & Violet offer a completely open choice in challenging any of the eight Gyms in any order, so where you choose to explore and who you choose to challenge first is mostly up to you. However, the levels of the Gym Leader’s Pokémon will always be the same, so make sure you are prepared to take them on with an appropriately levelled team.
Also, be aware that as you progress through the Gym Challenge you will meet the members of Paldea’s Elite Four, and be challenged to a battle by Nemona at several stages when you first enter the Gym building.
All Gym Leaders in level order
Cortondo Gym Leader Katy – Level 15
Cortondo is the first area you’ll come across after leaving Mesagoza City if you follow Nemona’s advice to head west and take on the Gym Challenge. The entire area is mostly farmland and is full of grass and bug Pokémon in particular.
Gym Leader Katy’s day job is as owner/pastry chef at Patisserie Soapberry, presumably taking advantage of the abundance of olives and other produce grown around Cortondo.
Her specialty is Bug Type Pokémon and is the easiest of all 18 main-path challenges in the game. She uses a Terastallized Teddiursa with a Bug Tera Type.
Cortondo Gym Test
Before you can take on the Cortondo Gym, you’ll have to complete a Gym Test first.
This test features a giant olive that you must push along an obstacle course maze and into a giant basket. The obstacle course features some Gym Trainers, but you can navigate around them if you don’t want to battle them.
Katy’s Pokémon Team
Artazon Gym Leader Brassius – Level 17
Artazon is a town in the east of the Paldea Region that’s described as “alive with flowers and art”. It’s Gym Leader, Brassius, specialises in Grass-type Pokémon and is known as the ‘Verdant Virtuoso’.
Brassius’ Sudowoodo has the Grass Tera Type, allowing him to Terastallize it into being strong against it’s usual weaknesses as a Rock type.
Artazon Gym Test
The Artazon Gym Test will see you chasing 10 hidden Sunflora down throughout the town. These Pokémon will be hiding in places such as the playground and even around the town’s communal swimming pool so be sure to check around everywhere until you find them all.
Once they’ve all been gathered, you can bring them back to the starting point just opposite the Gym Building and you will have passed the test. There’s no time limit, so there’s no way to fail.
Brassius’s Pokémon Team
Levincia Gym Leader Iono – Level 24
Iono is the Electric Type Gym Leader for Levincia City.
She’s a V-Tuber inspired ‘influencer’ who hosts her own webshow “Iono Zone”.
Her partner Pokémon is Bellibolt, a new Electric type with a new ability, Electromorphosis, which will power up it’s Electric type attacks after taking damage.
Levincia City Gym Test
As Iono is a streamer, her Gym Test actually takes the form of a mini-game that she effectively Let’s Plays through you. You’ll have to play a game of ‘Where in Levencia is Mr. Walksabout’ – a Where’s Wally-like game starring your school’s principal Mr. Clavell as “Mr. Walksabout” because he happened to be in the city at the time Iono randomly chose someone for the role.
In between the three “Where in Levencia is Mr. Walksabout” challenges, a Poké Maniac Iono fanboy will challenge you to a battle for her. Once you’ve completed all the challenges and defeated both of the Poké Maniacs, you’ll have passed the Gym Test and can challenge Iono herself.
Gym Trainer Marti’s Team
#404
Luxio
Lv. 22
Gym Trainer Michael’s Team
#602
Tynamo
Lv. 22
#180
Flaaffy
Lv. 22
Iono’s Team
Cascarrafa Gym Leader Kofu – Level 30
Kofu is a revered community leader in Cascarrafa City. He is, however, slightly forgetful. The first time you run into him, he’s making a quick bee-line for the market in Porto Marinada and completely forgotten his wallet.
Her specialty is Water Type Pokémon and uses a Terastallized Teddiursa with a Bug Tera Type.
Cascarrafa Gym Test
When you first head to the Gym building in Cascarrafa City, Kofu will run right past you in a rush and be followed quickly by one of the Gym’s staff members and his wallet. This staff member will ask you to bring his wallet to him as the Gym Test, requiring you to cross the Asado Desert to reach Porto Marinada where he’ll be waiting along with his assistant, who you will have to defeat first to talk to Kofu.
However, the true gym test will actually be set by Kofu after you’ve brought him his wallet. He will give you the money he meant to bring with him and ask you to take his place in an auction for a special wakame seaweed from the Hoenn Region. You’ll have 50,000 PokéDollars to bid with, and any that you don’t spend you’ll be allowed to keep – if you can win the auction at all that is.
Obtain the seaweed and Kofu will return to Cascarrafa to await your challenge.
Gym Trainer Hugo’s Team
#419
Floatzel
Lv. 28
#692
Clauncher
Lv. 28
Kofu’s Pokémon Team
Medali Gym Leader Larry – Level 36
Medali City, found a little north-east of Cascarrafa City is home to the Normal Type Gym Leader Larry.
Larry is described as the “Exceptional Everyman” and is in fact a standard Pokémon League salaryman that has been assigned the task of acting as Gym Leader for the city.
Larry’s Terastallized ace is a Staraptor with a Normal Tera Type, giving it protection from all types other than the Fighting Type that Staraptor is Super Effective against itself.
Medali Gym Test
To take on the Medali Gym, you’ll have to complete the Gym Test first. This takes the form of ordering a secret menu item from the Treasure Eatery restaurant on the far side of town. To know what the secret menu item is, however, you’ll have to challenge the three other Gym Challengers, hear the different clues they received and then figure out what that clue actually means.
You can also talk to Larry at the restaurant, who anonymously as one of the regulars will give you the final clue.
Challenger Adara’s team
#735
Gumshoos
Lv. 34
#820
Greedent
Lv. 34
Clue: “Look for something that’s the odd one out at one of the ice cream stands”
Larry the restaurant regular’s Clue
“A nice squeeze of lemon gives any dish a refreshing kick”
If you’re struggling with the clues, or simply can’t be bothered to find the other trainers, the secret dish is a medium-serving of grilled rice balls, Fire Blast style, with fresh lemon on the side.
Upon successfully ordering the secret dish, the restaurant will transform into the Gym field and you’ll be able to challenge Larry for his badge.
Larry’s Pokémon Team
Montenevera Gym Leader Ryme – Level 42
The Montenevera Gym can be found on the north-western side of the snowy peaks on the Glasaedo Mountain. The Gym Leader here is Ryme, a professional rapper in her day job and unique amongst the Paldean Gym Leaders in that she performs exclusively Double Battles.
Ryme’s specialty is Ghost Type Pokémon and uses a Low-Key Toxtricity as her Terastallized Pokémon.
Glasaedo Gym Test
The Gym Test for the Montenevera Gym Challenge is mostly to prepare you for the Double Battle challenge to come.
Here you will have to hype up the crowd as opening act for your own battle with Ryme by taking on three other Double Battles, including against Ryme’s assistant, MC Sledge.
If you can beat all three trainers, you will pass the challenge.
Gym Trainer Tas’s Team
#975
Greavard
Lv. 40
#353
Shuppet
Lv. 40
Gym Trainer Lani’s Team
#200
Misdreavus
Lv. 40
#093
Haunter
Lv. 40
Gym Trainer MC Sledge’s Team
#426
Drifblim
Lv. 40
#302
Sableye
Lv. 40
Ryme’s Pokémon Team
Alfornada Gym Leader Tulip – Level 45
Alfornada City is found on the south west peninsula of the Paldea Region and getting there will be one of the tougher challenges in the game as it will require traversing through an extensive cave system populated by very powerful Pokémon.
When you do finally get to the city, you’ll find the Gym is led by Paldean Supermodel Tulip, someone so busy you’ll in-fact only meet them for the first time during your actual battle.
Tulip specialises in Psychic Type Pokémon and uses a Terastallized Florges with the Psychic Tera Type.
Alfornada Gym Test
The Alfornada Gym Test actually features your school’s Pokémon Battle Studies teacher, Dendra, performing a favour for her old school friend Tulip by carrying out the Gym Tests for her.
Dendra’s challenge is called the ‘Emotional Spectrum Practice’ – or ‘ESP’ for short – and while it actually has nothing to do with the psychic phenomena that it’s named after, it does still involve a Simon Says mini game of matching the emotions that Dendra’s Medicham demonstrates using the X, Y, A and B buttons.
In between the ‘ESP’ challenges Dendra will have the participants battle eachother, with two Gym Trainers to defeat to complete the Gym Test.
Gym Trainer Emily’s Team
#575
Gothorita
Lv. 43
#281
Kirlia
Lv. 43
Gym Trainer Rafael’s Team
Tulip’s Pokémon Team
Glasaedo Gym Leader Grusha – Level 47
The Glasaedeo Gym can be found in the snowy peaks to the far North of the Paldea Region. Here you’ll challenge Grusha, a former Professional Snowboarder who now works full time as the Glasaedo Gym Leader.
The Gladaedo Gym specialises in Ice type Pokémon and Grusha’s partner Pokémon is Cetitan – a new land-whale like Pokémon.
His Terastallized Pokémon is an Altaria with an Ice Tera Type.
Grusha is described as “usually coolheaded, but when battles get heated, he starts showing the emotions he usually keeps pushed down”.
Glasaedo Gym Test
The Gym Test for the Glasaedo Gym is to ride either Koraidon or Miraidon down the slopes next to the Gym. Unlike normal Pokémon riding, Koraidon/Miraidon will slip and slide down the path on it’s own, so you will have to try and counteract the sliding to ensure that you go through the center of the flags on the way down.
If you can make it to the bottom of the course within 1:30:00, you will pass the challenge.
Grusha’s Pokémon Team
Next Stop: The Elite Four!
With all 8 Pokémon Gym Badges collected, only one final stop awaits you in the Pokémon League Challenge: The Elite Four.
Don’t forget to also check out our guides on Operation Starfall and The Path of Legends for the other two main story paths in the game.
