There are eight Gym Leaders you must face so you can collect the eight badges necessary to challenge the Pokemon League. Each one specializes in a specific elemental type, so you are encouraged to keep a well rounded team to be able to conquer them all.
Location: Rustboro City
Gym Leader: Roxanne
Specialty: Rock-type
Reward: Stone Badge, TM39
Method:
The first gym challenge is just a short walk to the first Gym Leader, Roxanne, who specializes in Rock-type Pokemon. Roxanne is student of Trainer's School and an easy enough first opponent with all three starters: Treecko and Mudkip have super-effective STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves, and Torchic gains a powerful second type which is super-effective upon evolution. Watch out for her Pokemon's attack Rock Tomb, because it always lowers your speed. If you win you get TM39 (Rock Tomb) and the Stone Badge. You can also use Cut outside of battle now.
Gym Leader Roxanne | Geodude | Nosepass |
Battle Type Single Battle | Level 14 | Level 15 |
Location: Dewford Town
Gym Leader: Brawly
Specialty: Fighting-type
Reward: Knuckle Badge, TM08
Method:
This time you must search for the Gym Leader in a dark gym. Each trainer you beat illuminates your path a bit more. Along the way you will learn the specialty of this gym is Fighting-type. Brawly himself uses a move called Bulk Up on his Pokemon, which buffs their Attack and Defence one level. Watch out for their high Attack stats and moves like Knock Off and Arm Thrust, which are hard to survive after a few Bulk Up boosts. Should you beat him you get TM08 (Bulk Up) and the Knuckle Badge. You can now use Flash to light up caves outside of battle now.
Gym Leader Brawly | Machop | Makuhita |
Battle Type Single Battle | Level 17 | Level 18 |
Location: Mauville City
Gym Leader: Wattson
Specialty: Electric-type
Reward: Dunamo Badge, TM34
Method:
In this gym you must get past electric fences by standing on switches. These switches are guarded by trainers who challenge you with Electric-type Pokemon. Wattson is at the end and will gladly meet your challenge. He uses the paralysis-condition with his Electric-type move Thunder Wave and will never miss with Shock Wave, except to the unaffected Ground-type. This makes Marshtomp or Geodude great Pokemon to have. Both the magnet Pokemon will fall to Fire-type, as they are also part Steel - which also makes Fighting-type attacks helpful. If you win you get TM34 (Shock Wave), and the Dynamo Badge. Plus, you can also now use Rock Smash to destroy rocks in your way. After getting Surf, go back to Mauville City and Wattson will give you access to New Mauville. If you finish a job for him, he will reward you with TM24 (Thunderbolt).
Gym Leader Wattson | Magnemite | Voltorb | Magneton |
Battle Type Single Battle | Level 22 | Level 20 | Level 23 |
Location: Lavaridge Town
Gym Leader: Flannery
Specialty: Fire-type
Reward: Heat Badge, TM50
Method:
This gym is a maze of heat vents which shoot you between the two floors of the gym. Everyone uses Fire-types in this gym. Flannery's team is fairly easy to beat with a lot of common types but uses the powerful Overheat technique - though each time, they lower their Special Attack two levels, limiting the amount of damage each of her Pokemon can inflict. Her strongest Pokemon, Torkoal, doesn't take a lot of damage even from Rock-type and Ground-type moves as they are physical and it has titanic Defense. If you win you get TM50 (Overheat) and the Heat Badge. You also now have access to Strength outside of battle now.
Gym Leader Flannery | Slugma | Slugma | Torkoal |
Battle Type Single Battle | Level 26 | Level 26 | Level 28 |
Location: Petalburg City
Gym Leader: Norman
Specialty: Normal-type
Reward: Balance Badge, TM42
Method:
Your father Normal heads the fifth gym, which has a series of doors with trainers using Pokemon focusing on one strong stat like Attack, Speed, etc. Norman himself uses two Slaking, which have some of the best stats in the game, but a terrible ability called Truant, which makes them totally inactive every other turn. He also uses the pre-evolution of Slaking, Vigoroth, which has high attack and speed and can't be put to sleep. If you beat him you you get TM42 (Facade) and the Balance Badge. You can also Surf across water now.
Gym Leader Norman | Slaking | Vigoroth | Slaking |
Battle Type Single Battle | Level 28 | Level 30 | Level 31 |
Location: Fortree City
Gym Leader: Winona
Specialty: Flying-type
Reward: Feather Badge, TM40
Method:
This gym has a door puzzle you must solve before facing the Flying-type bird user Winona. Her powerful bird team features a mixture of types and skills. Swellow and Pelipper have physical-oriented and special-oriented skill sets, respectively. Skarmory can't be scratched by physical moves. Altaria has only two weaknesses and takes little from other special-type attacks. All her Pokemon use the STAB move Aerial Ace, which deals a fair amount to a few common types. Aerial Ace is another move that cannot miss. If you win, you get TM40 (Aerial Ace) as well as the Feather Badge. You can also use the move Fly to get around on the map now.
Gym Leader Winona | Swellow | Pelipper | Skarmory | Altaria |
Battle Type Single Battle | Level 31 | Level 30 | Level 32 | Level 33 |
Location: Mossdeep City
Gym Leader: Tate & Liza
Specialty: Psychic-type
Reward: Mind Badge, TM04
Method:
This gym has two Gym Leaders, Tate and Liza, who fight with Psychic-types in a double battle format. The main puzzle is a set of conveyors that force you to move in a set path. The two Gym Leaders come at you with Solrock and Lunatone, the celestial body Pokemon who are Rock-/Psychic-types. Solrock will try and draw out the sunshine using Sunny Day, which weaken your super effective Water-type attacks and boost both its Flamethrower and Solar Beam attacks. Meanwhile Lunatone will put up shields like Light Screen and use Calm Mind to further its Special Attack and Special Defense. Dark-type Pokemon are helpful as they resist its Psychic attack and strike back with super effective moves. If you win you get the Mind Badge along with TM04 (Calm Mind). Plus, you can Dive while Surfing on the water now.
Gym Leader Tate & Liza | Solrock | Lunatone |
Battle Type Double Battle | Level 42 | Level 42 |
Location: Sootopolis City
Gym Leader: Wallace
Specialty: Water-type
Reward: Rain Badge, TM03
Method:
Wallace, who you met earlier in your fight with the Legendary Pokemon, runs a Water-type Gym where the puzzle is an ice path that you must cross by walking on each patch one and only once to fill the route to the staircases above. On the top level is Wallace, who packs a team full of unique Water-types of all kinds. Two have special dual-types, Sealeo and Whiscash - Ice-type and Ground-type respectively. There are a lot of powerful attacks going around on this team, with the popular choice being Water Pulse. Water Pulse has a 30% chance of confusion. If you win you get TM03 (Water Pulse) and the Rain Badge, as well as the ability to climb Waterfalls. Use this to your advantage and go challenge the Pokemon League at Ever Grande City now!
Gym Leader Wallace | Luvdisc | Whiscash | Sealeo | Seaking | Milotic |
Battle Type Single Battle | Level 40 | Level 42 | Level 40 | Level 42 | Level 43 |