Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: All Gyms, Ranked By Difficulty (2024)

Like the majority of the rest of the Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet challenges the player to face eight gyms across the region of Paldea in the hope of becoming a champion of Paldea. Unlike other titles in the franchise, there is no set route on which gym a player should face first. However, some options are recommended before others due to not only the level but also the type.

Although each gym leader has their own interesting style and set of Pokemon this is every gym in the title rated by how hard it is to complete their battle, as well as their gym test.

Updated May 24, 2024 by Ben Painter: Scarlet & Violet had a new lease on life with the release of the DLC Hidden Treasures of Area Zero and its two parts, The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk. Gym Leaders are an iconic part of the Pokemon franchise. It is the goal of any budding trainer to beat the Gym Leaders to beat the game.

Although there are no new Gym Leaders in the DLC, there are still plenty of other challenges to take on. With the DLC being out for some time now, it may be a good idea for gamers to replay Scarlet & Violet with another playthrough. This update adds some more information about each gym challenge, including the best order to take them on.

8 Cortondo Gym

Katy

See Also

Pokémon Go map trackers that still work▷ Exploring Encounters at This Gym of Mine in PokemonMatch the Pokémon gym leader to their type and city

• Type: Bug
• Strongest Pokemon: Teddiursa
• Highest level: 15
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Fuecoco, Fletchling, Paldean Wooper
• Ideal order to challenge: First

Players are encouraged to complete this gym first when they are finally free to explore the region of Paldea and this is for a good reason. The Cortondo gym is by far one of the easiest for players to complete due to the combination of Bug-type Pokemon and also being the lowest level of the gyms. Trainers can face this gym with ease from the minimum level of fifteen.

Besides this, the gym test that a player must complete first before facing the boss is also very easy as they just need to roll a large olive through a track, where players can even avoid battling people on it.

Katy's Team (First Battle):

*Katy will Terastallize her Teddiursa at the first opportunity.

Katy's Team (Rematch):

*Katy will Terastallize her Ursaring at the first opportunity.

7 Artazon Gym

Brassius

• Type: Grass
• Strongest Pokemon: Sudowoodo
• Highest level: 17
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Fletchinder, Crocalor, Growlithe
• Ideal order to challenge: Second

Once hitting the level milestone of seventeen, players will then wish to bring their attention to pursuing the Grass gym leader in Artazon. This is another simple gym to beat due to the leader Brassius type matchup being also one of the weakest.

Players are likely to have Bug-type Pokemon in their roster if they have gone to the other gym first, and therefore, they are more likely to have an easier time. However, those who choose Fuecoco as their starter are also in for a simple battle.

Brassius' Team (First Battle):

*Brassius will Terastallize his Sudowoodo at the first opportunity.

Brassius' Team (Rematch):

*Brassius will Terastallize his Sudowoodo at the first opportunity.

6 Levincia Gym

Iono

• Type: Electric
• Strongest Pokemon: Mismagius
• Highest level: 24
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Clodsire, Cyclizar, Floragato
• Ideal order to challenge: Third

Increasing in difficulty slightly, the Levincia Gym increases the number of Pokemon players will need to battle against by one, as now they will be expected to defeat four Pokemon instead of three.

As an Electric gym, the only true weakness this type has is to ground. However, this won't be as easy as the first Pokemon she brings out is Wattrel, which is also a flying type, and therefore, ground does not work on them. This would then require either an ice or rock type instead. Once this hurdle has been crossed, the battle will go a lot smoother.

Iono's Team (First Battle):

*Iono will Terastallize her Mismagius at the first opportunity.

Iono's Team (Rematch):

*Iono will Terastallize her Mismagius at the first opportunity.

5 Cascarrafa Gym

Kofu

• Type: Water
• Strongest Pokemon: Sudowoodo
• Highest level: 30
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Pawmot, Floragato, Breloom
• Ideal order to challenge: Fourth

By level 30, players will have officially started to travel further north of the map and, therefore, the next best gym to travel to is Cascarrafa's Water gym. Unlike the Electric-type gym, this battle will only include three Pokemon, but this doesn't mean that it isn't a challenge to complete.

Both Grass and Electric are beneficial here, which players are sure to have interacted with on their journey north. The only issue is that some of Kofu's Pokemon use Ground-type moves which are highly effective against electric types.

Kofu's Team (First Battle):

*Kofu will Terastallize his Crabominable at the first opportunity.

Kofu's Team (Rematch):

*Kofu will Terastallize his Crabominable at the first opportunity.

4 Medali Gym

Larry

• Type: Normal
• Strongest Pokemon: Staraptor
• Highest level: 36
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Pawmot, Quaquaval, Crabominable
• Ideal order to challenge: Fifth

Normal-type gyms are rather rare in Pokemon. Although they have been used before, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are no different in introducing the much-loved new gym leader Larry. This average run-of-the-mill businessman enjoys normality and that's why his team consists of three Normal-type Pokemon.

This can be quite a problem for the player, as this type lacks many weaknesses, though it also isn't strong against anything either. Therefore, players will wish to focus on Fighting types if they wish to succeed in this battle. An early option for this is Pawmot or the water starter, the final evolution of Quaquaval.

Larry's Team (First Battle):

*Larry will Terastallize his Staraptor at the first opportunity.

Larry's Team (Rematch):

*Larry will Terastallize his Staraptor at the first opportunity.

3 Montenevera Gym

Ryme

• Type: Ghost
• Strongest Pokemon: Toxtricity
• Highest level: 42
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Grafaiai, Grimmsnarl, Cyclizar
• Ideal order to challenge: Sixth

Mixing up the way that battles are done with the sixth gym. Players, instead of taking on the gym leader with a single Pokemon, engage in duo battles, and therefore, players will want to focus on two Pokemon that are strong against Ghost-type Pokemon.

Ghost types are completely immune to Normal, though they also can't attack them. This is one avenue to take during this battle. An easier solution would be to use dark types such as the new Dark-type Pokemon Mabosstiff. This gym is by far one of the most traditional, as players will need to beat several other trainers in duo Pokemon battles before taking on Ryme.

Ryme's Team (First Battle):

*Ryme will Terastallize her Toxtricity at the first opportunity.

Ryme's Team (Rematch):

*Ryme will Terastallize her Toxtricity at the first opportunity.

2 Glaseado Gym

Grusha

• Type: Ice
• Strongest Pokemon: Altaria
• Highest level: 48
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Talonflame, Armarouge, Ceruledge
• Ideal order to challenge: Eighth

Although the final gym that many players face, Ice is much easier to deal with than the other gyms available. Two out of the three starters players choose from can be used to flawlessly deal with the four Pokemon that Grusha uses against the trainer.

Besides this, the gym test is by far one of the most entertaining, as players race down the extreme snowy slopes of the mountain to prove their skills to the gym leader, an ex-snowboarding pro.

Grusha's Team (First Battle):

*Grusha will Terastallize his Altaria at the first opportunity.

Grusha's Team (Rematch):

*Grusha will Terastallize his Altaria at the first opportunity.

1 Alfornada Gym

Tulip

• Type: Psychic
• Strongest Pokemon: Florges
• Highest level: 45
• Best Pokemon to take to challenge: Skeledirge, Meowscarda, Lokix
• Ideal order to challenge: Seventh

By far the most challenging gym in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is the Psychic gym found in Alfornada with the beautiful gym leader Tulip. Compared to the other gyms, Tulip is such a challenge due to firstly her Farigiraf, which when using Zen Headbutt can cause the player's Pokemon to flinch, or the fact that she possesses a Gardevoir.

Players will need the emotional training before the battle to prepare themselves for the four Pokemon they will face, but as long as players bring forward types such as Dark, Ghost, or even Bug they are sure to succeed.

Tulip's Team (First Battle):

*Tulip will Terastallize her Florges at the first opportunity.

Tulip's Team (Rematch):

*Tulip will Terastallize her Florges at the first opportunity.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Platform(s)

Switch

Released

November 18, 2022

Developer(s)

Game Freak

Genre(s)

RPG