Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Gym: Definitive Guide

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are a bit more flexible when it comes to the order in which you beat the Gyms. But there is a recommended order to defeat every Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym, which we will talk about shortly.

For developing a good strategy against Gym leaders, you’ll need to take a look at their specialty. However, just the type effectiveness isn’t enough. You need to take into account the Abilities, move sets, as well as Levels of the Gym Leader’s different Pokemon.

So with that being said, here is our ultimate guide to the Gyms in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. We go over the 8 different Gyms, their recommended order, their weaknesses, as well as the right strategy to defeat them.

Here is a summary table for the Gyms in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet:

No.	Location	Type Specialty	Gym Leader	Pokemon	Tera Type	Recommended level	Weakness
1	Cortondo	Bug	Katy	Nymble, Tarountula, Teddiursa (Terastalized)	Bug	14-15	Fire, Flying, Rock
2	Artazon	Grass	Brassius	Petilil, Smoliv, Sudowoodo (Terastalized)	Grass	16-17	Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug
3	Levincia	Electric	Iono	Wattrel, Bellibolt, Luxio, Mismagius (Terastalized)	Electric	23-24	Ground
4	Cascarrafa	Water	Kofu	Veluza, Wugtrio, Crabominable (Terastalized)	Water	29-30	Grass, Electric
5	Medali	Normal	Larry	Komala, Dudunsparce, Staraptor (Terastalized)	Normal	35-36	Fighting
6	Montenevera	Ghost	Ryme	Banette, Mimikyu, Houndstone, Toxtricity (Terrasatilzed)	Ghost	41-42	Dark, Ghost, Poison, Steel
7	Alfornada	Psychic	Tulip	Farigiraf, Gardevoir, Espathra, Florges (Terrasatilzed)	Psychic	44-45	Dark, Bug, Ghost, Steel
8	Glaseado	Ice	Grusha	Frosmoth, Beartic, Cetitan, Altaria (Terrasatilzed)	Ice	47-48	Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel

Pokemon Scarlet And Violet Gym Mechanics Explained

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet reintroduces the concept of Gyms. These are facilities in which the player can battle a Gym Leader and acquire a Gym Badge. The format is pretty much the same as in previous games.

However, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gyms have a new mechanic called the Gym Test. In some cases, this replaces the Gym trainers that you had to fight in other games. Certain Gyms in the games include Trainer battles as part of their Gym Tests.

In addition to that, the games changed how Gym Badges work. In previous Pokemon games, specific Gym Badges let you control Pokemon below a specific level. However, in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, what Gym Badges you have doesn’t matter, only the number.

Here are the number of Gym Badges you need for Pokemon to obey you up to certain levels:

• 1 Gym Badge – up to Level 25.
• 2 Gym Badges – up to Level 30.
• 3 Gym Badges – up to Level 35.
• 4 Gym Badges – up to Level 40.
• 5 Gym Badges – up to Level 45.
• 6 Gym Badges – up to Level 50.
• 7 Gym Badges – up to Level 55.
• 8 Gym Badges – all Pokemon will obey you.

Recommended Pokemon Scarlet And Violet Gym Order

Although you can take on the Gyms in any order in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, here’s the recommended order:

• Cortondo Gym – Level 15.
• Artazon Gym – Level 17.
• Levincia Gym – Level 24.
• Cascarrafa Gym – Level 30.
• Medali Gym – Level 36.
• Montenevera Gym – Level 42.
• Alfornado Gym – Level 45.
• Glaseado Gym – Level 48.

Cortondo Gym – Bug Type

• Location: Cortondo
• Type Specialty: Bug
• Gym Leader: Katy
• Recommended Level: 14-15
• Tera Type: Bug

The first Gym that you should take on is the Cortondo Bug-type Gym. The reason is simple: it has the simplest Gym Test and the Gym Leader has lower-level Pokemon. Additionally, you can battle her with ease given that most of her counter Pokemon can be found nearby.

Gym Test

Cortondo’s Gym Test is pretty easy. The test involves traveling to a tiny field right next to the gym and pushing an olive through a maze. The maze isn’t too difficult to work your way through.

However, the olive will bounce off from the ramps and walls. Hence, you’ll need to take extra care when rolling it through the maze. Eventually, when you do get it through the maze, you can battle the Gym Leader Katy straight away.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Nymble	Bug	14	Swarm	Double Kick Struggle Bug	None
Tarountula	Bug	14	Insomnia	Assurance Bug Bite	None
Teddiursa (Terastalized)	Normal	15	Pickup	Fury Swipes Fury Cutter	None

Katy has 3 Pokemon in her party. She will send out Nymble followed by Tarountula, two pure Bug-type Pokemon. Her ace is Teddiursa, which she will Terrastalize. She will use the Tera Type Bug, meaning that Teddiursa will acquire the Bug typing.

Weaknesses And Strategy

For Katy’s first two Pokemon, you’ll want to use Fire, Flying, and Rock-type Pokemon. These are super-effective against the Bug-type. Hence, Fuecoco and Fletchling are solid choices.

You should avoid using Grass, Fighting, and Ground-type Pokemon. Thus, if you chose Spirigatito as your starter, you should look for a different Pokemon. Similarly, if you have any Ground or Fighting-type Pokemon in your party, replace them immediately.

The same can be said for Teddiursa. Even though it’s naturally a Normal type, Katy will Terastalize it, turning it into a Bug-type Pokemon. Hence, you can apply the same strategy to her ace Pokemon.

Reward

After you defeat Katy at the Cortondo Gym, you will receive the Bug-type Gym Badge. And more importantly, you will receive the TM021, Pounce. Pounce is a strong early-game move as it deals damage and lowers the opponent’s Speed.

Artazon Gym – Grass Type

• Location: Artazon
• Type Specialty: Grass
• Gym Leader: Brassius
• Recommended Level: 16-17
• Tera Type: Grass

After the Cortondo Gym, you should battle the Artazon Gym. Here, it’s recommended to have Pokemon that are at least level 16. But you can get away with lower-level Pokemon if you have the right typing.

Gym Test

Artazon’s Gym Test is not as straightforward as Cortondo’s. This Gym Test requires that you find 10 Sunflora around Artazon and bring them to Brassius. Once you find some Sunfloras, they will start to follow you.

However, be careful as some will also battle you. Once that’s done, go to the base and you can now battle Brassius head-on.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Petilil	Grass	16	Own Tempo	Mega Drain Sleep Powder	None
Smoliv	Grass/Normal	16	Early Bird	Razor Leaf Tackle	None
Sudowoodo (Terastalized)	Rock	17	Sturdy	Rock Throw Trailblaze	None

Much like Katy, Brassius also has 3 Pokemon in his party. The first two are his Petilil and Smoliv, of which Smoliv is a dual Grass/Normal-type Pokemon. Then his ace is Sudowoodo, which is originally a Rock-type but will be Terastalized into a Grass-type.

Weaknesses And Strategy

Since Brassius’s main typing is Grass, you should opt for Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, and Bug-type Pokemon. This Gym has the most options for you to choose from. Unfortunately, only one of the starters, Fuecoco, is of use here.

You can easily take down Brassius’s Gym with a Starly, Squawkabilly, and Nymble. Unluckily, the other super-effective types are not really present in abundance this early on in the game.

Additionally, Brassius’s Smoliv has a dual Grass/Normal typing. This means that you can use Fighting-type moves against his Smoliv too. But Ghost-type attacks will not affect his Smoliv.

Be very careful of Petilil’s Sleep Powder and Mega Drain. This move combi can be fatal if you don’t have Awakenings in your bag.

Reward

Once you defeat Brassius he will give you your rightfully-earned Gym Badge as well as the TM020. This is the Grass-type move Trailblaze. It deals damage while also increasing the Pokemon’s Speed.

Levincia Gym – Electric Type

• Location: Levincia
• Type Specialty: Electric
• Gym Leader: Iono
• Recommended Level: 23-24
• Tera Type: Electric

The next Gym that you should tackle is the Gym in Levincia, which is an Electric-type specialty Gym. This gym is your first Gym which requires Trainer battles and will be more difficult compared to previous Gyms.

Gym Test

Unfortunately, battling Iono is not as easy as the Gym Test for Levincia Gym requires battling Trainers. This is similar to how the previous Pomeon games used to work.

First, you should look for Director Clavell in the crowd. Once you distinguish him from other people, you will have to battle and defeat a Trainer. You’ll need to repeat this procedure 3 times. Hence, you’ll need to battle 3 Trainers before you can battle Iono.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Wattrel	Electric/Flying	23	Wind Power	Quick Attack Spark Pluck	None
Bellibolt	Electric	23	Electromorphosis	Spark Water Gun	None
Luxio	Electric	23	Intimidate	Bite Spark	None
Mismagius (Terastalized)	Ghost	24	Levitate	Hex Charge Beam Confuse Ra	None

Iono is the first Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader you will battle that will have 4 Pokemon. This automatically makes her a tougher opponent than previous Gym Leaders. Additionally, she will Terastalize her Mismagius, making it an Electric-type Pokemon.

Weaknesses And Strategy

Since Iono’s Pokemon are all Electric types, Ground-type moves will be extremely effective against them. Hence, Pokemon like Diglette, Rolycoly, and Silicobra are perfect for defeating Iono’s Pokemon.

You should avoid using Electric, Flying, and Steel-type Pokemon. These are not very effective against Iono’s Pokemon.

Additionally, Iono’s Wattrel has a dual typing of Electric and Flying. This means that Ice and Rock-type moves will also be extremely effective against this Pokemon. Electric attacks will have normal effectiveness. However, avoid Grass, Fighting, and Bug-type moves.

Be extra wary of Iono’s Mismagius and its Confuse Ray. Additionally, the other three Pokemon have the move Spark. This move may cause paralysis, which can render your Pokemon completely useless in battle.

Reward

After you defeat Iono, you will get the Gym Badge and also be awarded the TM048. This is the move Volt Switch which deals damage and lets you switch out your Pokemon after attacking.

Cascarrafa Gym – Water Type

• Location: Cascarrafa
• Type Specialty: Water
• Gym Leader: Kofu
• Recommended Level: 29-30
• Tera Type: Water

After a tough battle with Iono, Cascarrafa Gym takes a step back. This Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym has a pretty easy Gym Test. And there aren’t many Trainers to battle either. However, the Pokemon used by the Gym Leader will have higher levels.

Gym Test

The Gym Test in Cascarrafa Gym features an auction-style puzzle. First, you must go to the Cascarrafa Gym. There, you will find Kofu who will leave the Gym in a hurry. Kofu will leave behind his wallet, which you will receive through his assistant.

You must bring the wallet to Kofu in Porto Marinada. Once you do so, you’ll need to take part in an action for Kofu. You must win this auction to battle Kofu. To win the auction, you just need to keep bidding higher until you get the seaweed that’s up for auction.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Veluza	Water/Psychic	29	Mold Breaker	Slash Aqua Cutter Pluck	None
Wugtrio	Water	29	Gooey	Bug Bite Assurance	None
Crabominable (Terastalized)	Fight/Ice	30	Iron Fist	Fury Cutter Fury Swipes	None

Kofu has 3 Pokemon that are all Water types. Of these, only Wugtrio is a pure Water-type Pokemon. Veluza is a dual Water/Psychic-type Pokemon. Moreover, he uses Terastalization on his Crabominable and converts it to a Water-type Pokemon.

Weaknesses And Strategy

Since most of the Pokemon in Kofu’s party are Water-type, you should stockpile on Grass-type Pokemon. It is here that your Spirigtatito will come in handy if you picked that starter at the very beginning.

If you didn’t pick Spirigatito, don’t worry. You can also catch some Skiddos and Capsakids which will handle Kofu’s Pokemon quite well.

Electric-type Pokemon like Flaaffy will also fare perfectly against Kofu. However, you should avoid Water, Fire, Ice, and Steel-type moves. So the other two starters won’t be of much help here.

Moreover, Kofu’s Veluza is a dual Water/Psychic-type. This means that Bug and Ghost-type attacks will also be super-effective against it. Additionally, Fighting and Psychic-type moves won’t be very effective against the Veluza.

Reward

Once you beat Kofu, you will get the respective Gym Badge along with TM022 (Chilling Water). This is a damage-dealing physical attack that also reduces the Attack of the target Pokemon.

Medali Gym – Normal Type

• Location: Medali
• Type Specialty: Normal
• Gym Leader: Larry
• Recommended Level: 35-36
• Tera Type: Normal

At Medali Gym, you will have to battle Larry. This will be your hardest Gym up until now as it has the most number of Trainers to be battled. Additionally, Larry’s Normal-type specialty makes him a very hard Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader to counter.

Gym Test

The Gym in Medali also features multiple Trainers to battle. You must first find out the right secret menu item to order in the restaurant. For this, you must first battle some students in the locality.

After you defeat the students, each student will give you a hint about what the secret menu item is. Long story short, you should order the Extra Crispy Medium Grilled Rice Balls served with Lemon. After that, you can battle Larry.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Komala	Normal	35	Comatose	Sucker Yawn Punch Slam	None
Dudunsparce	Normal	35	Serene Grace	Glare Hyper Drill Drill Run	None
Staraptor (Terastalized)	Normal/Flying	36	Intimidate	Aerial Ace Facade	None

Larry’s Pokemon are all Normal-type, with his Starapctor being the one that gets Terasatlized. Normal-type Pokemon are the hardest to counter as you specifically need Fighting-type moves to deal double damage.

Weaknesses And Strategy

You should pick out some Fighting-type Pokemon with good moves of the same type. Good options that you have at this point in the game include Primeape and Breloom. These will be super-effective against Larry’s Pokemon.

However, do not make the mistake of using any Ghost-type Pokemon against Larry. The Normal type is not affected by Ghost-type attacks.

Luckily, all other types deal the usual amount of damage that they’re supposed to deal. Hence, you’re not exactly worse off with other types.

Reward

If you manage to defeat Larry’s Pokemon, then you will get the corresponding Gym badge and the TM025. This is the move Facade which deals twice the damage it normally would if your Pokemon is paralyzed, burned, or poisoned.

Montenevera Gym – Ghost Type

• Location: Montenevera
• Type Specialty: Ghost
• Gym Leader: Ryme
• Recommended Level: 41-42
• Tera Type: Ghost

Rym’s Gym in Montenevera presents its own challenge to players. It features a series of Double Battles followed by a showdown with Ryme herself. She uses Ghost-type Pokemon, which only have 2 weaknesses.

Gym Test

Montenevera’s Gym test requires you to face off against certain players in Double Battles. This means that you’ll need to develop a good type strategy to counter both Pokemon that the opponent sends out.

But you won’t be battling privately. Instead, you’ll need to battle in front of an audience. And depending on your performance, the audience may occasionally grant you special stat boosts. After you defeat the Trainers, you go ahead and battle Ryme.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Banette	Ghost	41	Insomnia	Icy Wind Shadow Sneak Sucker Punch	None
Mimikyu	Ghost/Fairy	41	Disguise	Shadow Sneak Light Screen Slash	None
Houndstone	Ghost	41	Sand Rush	Crunch Play Rough Phantom Force	None
Toxtricity (Terrasatilzed)	Electric/Poison	42	Punk Rock	Hex Discharge Hyper Voice	None

Ryme has a total of 4 Pokemon in her party. She has stronger Pokemon when compared with previous Gyms, both in level and in stats. But most importantly, she has Toxtricity, a highly powerful Pokemon that she will also Terastalize.

Weaknesses And Strategy

Ryme’s Type specialty is Ghost. Hence, you must counter her with Ghost and Dark-type Pokemon. For this purpose, Sneasel is a great option. You can find one with ease in Glaseado Mountain. It’s both Dark and Ice. Hence, it has a significant type advantage over her Pokemon.

Additionally, in the same area where you find Sneasel, you can also find Greavard. You can even level up your Greavard and evolve it into a Houndstone. These two Pokemon are pure Ghost-type and will put up well against Ryme.

Unfortunately, you can’t use Normal and Fighting-type moves against Ryme’s Pokemon. This is because these two types have no effect on Ghost-type Pokemon. Additionally, Poison and Bug-type moves will not be very effective against the Ghost typing.

You should also learn some Poison and Steel-type moves, as these will help with Mimikyu’s dual Ghost/Fairy typing. Additionally, avoid using Fighting, Bug, and Dark-type moves against Mimikyu. You may use Fighting and Dark-type moves against the other Pokemon, though.

Reward

After you defeat the Gym at Montenevera, you will receive the Gym Badge as well as TM114. This is the Ghost-type move Shadow Ball. This is a physical move that deals damage. Moreover, it has a 20% chance to reduce the opponent’s Special Defense by a stage.

Alfornada Gym – Psychic Type

• Location: Alfornada
• Type Specialty: Psychic
• Gym Leader: Tulip
• Recommended Level: 44-45
• Tera Type: Psychic

The next Gym that you should battle is the Psychic-type Gym in Alfornada. Here, you’ll need to battle with a few Trainers before moving on to Tulip. She is a model and influencer and will battle you with mostly dual-type Pokemon.

Gym Test

Alfornada Gym also has its own test. In this, you must go through a simple puzzle. Dendra, the instructor, will suggest some emotions and you must guess correctly by hitting the correct button. Once you match the right emotions, you’ll have to battle a Trainer.

You will need to repeat this twice, meaning you’ll need to battle two Trainers before you can battle Tulip.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Farigiraf	Normal/Psychic	44	Armor Tail	Crunch Reflect Zen Headbutt	None
Gardevoir	Psychic/Fairy	44	Synchronize	Energy Ball Psychic Dazzling Gleam	None
Espathra	Psychic	44	Opportunist	Quick Attack Psychic Shadow Ball	None
Florges (Terrasatilzed)	Fairy	45	Flower Veil	Fury Cutter Fury Swipes	None

Tulip has a total of 4 Pokemon, a trend you will now start to see with the remaining Gym leaders. She has two dual-type Pokemon, so countering her won’t be as easy as you might think.

Weaknesses And Strategy

To counter Tulip’s Espartha and Florges, you will be better off with Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type attacks. Some Pokemon that are perfect for this include Drifblim, Sableye, and Deino. These can also be found in South Providence Area Six.

You should avoid using Fighting and Psychic-type attacks against her Espartha. This also means that you should ditch your starter Pokemon and train other Pokemon that have a type advantage.

For her Farigiraf, which is a dual Normal/Psychic-type Pokemon, you should also ditch Ghost-type moves. Fighting-type moves will have normal effectiveness against Tulip’s Farigiraf.

Lastly, for Tulip’s Gardevoir, you should also use Poison and Steel-type moves. These will deal twice the damage than other moves.

However, you should avoid Fighting-type moves against her Gardevoir as they will only deal a quarter of the damage. Bug and Dark-type attacks will only have normal effectiveness. And Dragon-type attacks won’t affect Gardevoir at all.

Reward

Once you’re done battling Tulip, you will get the proprietary Gym Badge along with TM120. This is the Psychic-type move Psychic. It not only deals damage but also has a 10% chance of reducing the opponent’s Special Defense.

Glaseado Gym – Ice Type

• Location: Glaseado
• Type Specialty: Ice
• Gym Leader: Grusha
• Recommended Level: 47-48
• Tera Type: Ice

Finally, you should take on Grusha’s Ice-type Gym in Glaseado last. This is because his Pokemon have the highest level of any Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader. Fortunately, his typing is a bit easier to counter, though his Pokemon have strong move sets.

Gym Test

Perhaps the only time-intensive Gym Test in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Glaseado Gym has you sliding down the mountain. You must use your legendary mount (Koraidon or Miraidon). And you must hit the target gates.

But the twist is that you must complete this task within a time limit of 1 minute and 30 seconds. Hence, you must be quick and complete the challenge.

Luckily, there are no Trainers. Thus, once you’re done with the Gym Test, you can battle the leader, Grusha, right away.

Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Level	Ability	Moves	Held Item
Frosmoth	Ice/Bug	47	Shield Dust	Blizzard Tailwind Bug Buzz	None
Beartic	Ice	47	Snow Cloak	Icicle Crash Aqua Jet Earthquake	None
Cetitan	Ice	47	Thick Fat	Liquidation Ice Spinner Ice Shard	None
Altaria (Terrasatilzed)	Dragon/Flying	48	Natural Cure	Dragon Pulse Hurricane Moonblast Ice Beam	None

The last Gym, Grusha’s Gym, features 4 Pokemon. His ace is Altaria, which he will Terstalize. Additionally, his Altaria is the first and only Pokemon used by a Gym Leader to have 4 moves. Hence, he will be harder to battle, despite the Gym Test being relatively easy.

Weaknesses And Strategy

For Grusha’s Ice-type Pokemon, you should use Fire, Fighting, Rock, and Steel-type moves. Hence, your Fuecoco (which should’ve evolved by now) will be of great use in this battle.

Other Pokemon that you can use include Magneton, Carbominable, and Bronzong. All of these can be found in Glaseado Mountain.

On the other hand, you should avoid using Ice-type moves and Pokemon. These will not be very effective against Grush’a Ice typing.

Additionally, you’ll want to use Fire, Flying, and Rock-type moves against Grusha’s Frosmoth. It has a dual Ice/Bug-typing. Hence, Fire and Rock-type moves will deal four times the damage.

However, for his Frosmoth, you should avoid Grass and Ground-type Pokemon. Fighting-type moves will only have normal effectiveness against Frosmoth due to its Bug typing.

Reward

After you finish the last Gym, you will be awarded the Gym Badge. Additionally, you will receive TM124, which is the Ice-type move Ice Spinner. This move, along with dealing damage, also removes the terrain present in the field.

Final Word

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet provide more flexibility and let you decide your own path in the games. However, there is a recommended order in which you should take on the Gyms.

Additionally, you should know all of the different Gym Tests as well as the Gym Leader’s specialties. You should train Pokemon that know moves that will help you fight against the Gym Leader’s Pokemon.

And that’s it for our definitive guide on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Gyms. So waste no more time and complete Victory Road!

Want to know about the right order to take on the Titans? Then head on over to our definitive Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Titan order guide.

Do you want to complete other story paths? Then take a look at our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet story paths guide. We talk about the different story paths and the right order to complete them.