Now that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been out for a while, players probably dabbled with the Victory Road path that sends them against gym leaders and searched for a general order to follow. They might have also noticed that, while this is an open-world game, there is still a certain order you should follow. If you’re in the midst of facing your foes and wondering who to approach first, here are some suggestions.
In What Order Should You Face Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leaders?
While there isn’t any specific order for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet gym leaders and there is some leeway, there are certain ones you should leave for later in the game. I mean, in some cases, you’d have a lot of trouble even reaching them, due to the level of the Pokemon round them and perhaps needing your legendary mount to gain new abilities to easily get there. Both the Glaseado and Montenevera gyms might be better approached later, due to the mountain being easier to handle with a higher jump and gliding abilities and surrounding Pokemon being in the level 40 vicinity.
The two gyms leaders that are easiest to handle first are the Artazon grass-type and Cortondo bug-type ones. Both Katy and Brassius both only use three Pokemon, and they’re all under level 20. Katy sends out a level 14 Nymble, a level 14 Tarountula, and a level 15 Teddiursa she’ll immediately Terastallizes into a bug-type. Brassius sends out a level 16 Petilil, level 16 Smoliv, and level 17 Sudowoodo he’ll Terastallizes into a grass-type.
After those two gyms are beaten, someone could reasonably head to Cascarrafa or Levincia. Cascarrafa is home to the water-type gym leader Kofu. He’ll use three Pokemon. First is a level 29 Veluza, followed by a level 29 Wugtrio and water Terastallized level 30 Crabominable. Levincia’s gym leader is the electric-type Iono, who is the first to bump her roster up to four Pokemon. She’ll start things with a level 23 Wattrel, followed by a level 23 Bellibolt and level 23 Luxio. She ends her fight with an electric Terastallized, level 24 Mismagius.
Once you beat those two gym leaders, you should really go face Larry. He’s the normal-type gym leader in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in Medali and orders around three Pokemon. The match starts with a fight against a level 35 Komala. After that, a level 35 Dudunsparce appears. It ends with him Terastallizes his level 36 Staraptor into a normal type.
After facing those five, you’d probably be ready for either the Alfornada or Montenevera gym. However, I’d recommend Alfornada first, since Montenevera’s proximity to Glaseado means it’s easy to beat it, then immediately go there, and Glaseado is the one with the highest level Pokemon.
So at Alfornada, you’ll face Tulip. She uses psychic-type Pokemon. A total of four will be sent out. First, there will be a level 44 Farigiraf. That’s followed by a level 44 Gardevoir and level 44 Espathra. The fight ends against a Terastallized level 45 Florges.
At Montenevera, the gym leader is the ghost-type specialist Ryme. She has four Pokemon as well. Her first three are a level 41 Banette, a level 41 Mimikyu, and a level 41 Houndstone. However, since this gym uses the double battle format, it will begin with your first two Pokemon facing Banette and Mimikyu. The fourth one she’ll send out is a ghost-type Terastallized Toxtricity. This is the only gym that goes with that format, so don’t worry about Grusha sending out multiple Pokemon at once.
Finally, it’s best to end things with the ice-type trainer Grusha in Glaseado. There are four to face in this final challenge. A level 47 Frosmoth shows up first. Level 47 Beartic and Cetitan follow it. Finally, the match ends against an Altaria Grusha Terastallizes into an ice-type.
Which Pokemon Might Be Handy for the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leaders’ Fights?
For both Artazon and Cortondo, a good fire-type Pokemon is key. If you started out your adventure with Fuecoco, you’re good. That Paldean starter is perfect for both the grass-type and bug-type gym. Fletchling is a common spawn around the areas, and it is also a huge help in both fights.
When you go to face Cascarrafa’s water-type gym, grass and electric types can be a big help! If you picked Sprigatito, you’ll be in a good place. Training up a Smoliv from around the Cortondo area can help too. Also, if you picked up a Pawmi in your journeys, it and its evolutions are quite effective.
When going against Levincia’s electric-type Pokemon, you’ll want a ground type. If you picked up a Diglett or Rockruff before this point, they’ll be super helpful. When I reached Iono, I basically powered through with a Mabosstiff and a Greavard I taught Dig. (Also, make sure you have Paralyze Heal on hand, just in case!)
For Medali’s normal-type gym, you need Pokemon with fighting-type moves. Primeapes roam around the wild around here, so you could always catch one for the match. Beware of Dudunsparce, as it is a tank and gave me the most trouble of the three Larry sent out.
With the Alfornada match against Tulip, your favorite dark-type Pokemon or dark-type moves are what you need to beat those psychic-type opponents. Mabosstiff is fantastic. However, if you ended up picking up any dog-type Pokemon along the way, like Fidough or Rockruff, they’ll probably know Bite or Crunch and be able to assist you.
When you reach Montenevera, you’ll also want Pokemon with dark-type moves on your side. So again, Mabosstiff is the boss. If you picked Fuecoco as your starter, you probably have Skeledirge right now with a Shadow Ball or Hex attack. Just be careful if you use that starter, as it will take extra damage from Ryme’s ghost-type attacks.
Finally, going up against Grusha at Glaseado is much easier if you have fire or rock-type Pokemon to attack the ice-type team. Again, the final form of Fuecoco is a real champ here. Torch Song and its other fire-type moves will be great against all four opponents. If you picked up a Rockruff that evolved into Lycanroc, it’s good to keep in reserve too.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is available for the Nintendo Switch.
