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| source// Nintendo |
Nothing compares to the intensity of taking on a Pokémon gym leader for the first time, especially after training profusely and exploring a new area to properly prepare yourself. After storming the tall grass for hours and amassing a team of valiant fighters, you are as ready as ever to march into battle and take them down.
Serving essentially as the various Pokémon games’ equivalent to boss fights, gym leaders specialise in one main type of Pokémon and exist as the primary obstacle in the towns and cities you’ll encounter across your journey. Over the last 20 years they’ve served as a great exercise in ensuring that your team are highly skilled in defeating a range of different Pokémon. Beat eight of these guys and you’ll be presented with the opportunity to fulfil your childhood dream of becoming Pokémon League Champion.
After two decades years and six generations, the series has thrown over 50 gym leaders our way, making for many nail-bitingly intense moments. To celebrate the series’ twentieth anniversary and the announcement of upcoming instalments Sun and Moon, here’s 10 Most Intense Pokémon Gym Leader Battles…
10. Brock (Generation 1)
Okay, so Brock may not be the toughest on the list, but for many of us the spiky haired casanova was all that stood in the way of gaining our very first gym badge. Players who opted for Charmander may be quick to regret their choice, as its primarily normal and fire type moves prove to be ineffective against Brock’s team of rock-solid Pokémon.
First to face you is Geodude, a floating bolder with a sullen expression and pair of chiseled muscular arms. Fortunately, Geodude doesn’t pose much of a threat, but its defense curl move works to make the rock-type even more impenetrable. Onix is next to follow, using bide to suck up any damage you are able to inflict and then vent it out in one punishing blow.
After defeating Brock and wiping away your tears of joy, the Boulder Badge is yours for the keeping.
9. Norman (Generation 3)
After being deeply patronising and refusing to battle you until your first four gym badges have been gathered, you are more determined then ever to take down your father Norman.
First to be sent out from his party of three is Slaking, an oversized ape that lulls opposing Pokémon to sleep by yawning on them… lovely! Slaking can be a pain to take down as his yawn attack is usually effective, and he’s able to land a number of punishing blows while your Pokémon are fast asleep.
Vigoroth is next, lashing out with facade; a move that doubles in strength if it is burnt, poisoned or paralysed. Your blood will begin to boil as Norman unleashes his final Pokémon, a more powerful version of the highly obnoxious Slaking.
Nothing feels more satisfying then erasing the smug look off of your father’s face after his final Pokémon bites the dust.
8. Misty (Generation 1)
Following an exhausting trek through the dreary depths of Mt. Moon, you’ll stumble upon Cerulean City, home to a criminally over-priced bike store and beloved gym leader Misty. You may have grown to love her as ash’s friend and travelling companion from the anime series, but here she is almost unrecognisable, as a troublesome obstacle in your path to become Pokémon Champ.
Misty specialises in water-types and unlike Brock who came before her, she has no filler Pokémon. Staryu and Starmie both pose as considerable threats unleashing powerful water-type moves water pulse and bubblebeam.
Be sure to stock up on grass and thunder types before heading in, as they prove to be Misty’s greatest weakness.
7. Byron (Generation 4)
After shattering rock-type gym leader Roark earlier on in the game, you are then tasked with taking on his father Byron, who is hailed as the master of steel-types.
Boasting high levels of HP and defence, Byron’s Pokémon prove to be arduous and show very little weakness. Among the toughest is Steelix, a metallic evolution of Onix that is capable of variety of menacing attacks. Last to take the battlefield is Bastiodon, a bulldozer shaped Pokémon, that can easily demolish your team with it’s powerful flash cannon attack.
Make sure to inflict as much fire-type moves as possible as they prove to be the most effective against Byron’s team of steel-types.
6. Sabrina (Generation 1)
Before even reaching Sabrina I was moments away from smashing my Gameboy against the wall in a blind fit of rage.
For me at least, Saffron City Gym easily wins as the most frustrating gym puzzle in a Pokémon game, period. Scattered across the floor are a number of warp squares, which must be stood on in particular order to be able to reach Sabrina. Sounds easy enough, but getting lost is a certainty, as all of the switches look the same and trainer battles only work to distract you.
Sabrina proves to be especially difficult, as back in Generation 1, the only type of moves that were super effective to psychic Pokémon were bug-type. Alakazam is the toughest of the pack, dishing out the destructive psybeam and cowardly using recover when nearing its last inch of health.
Venemoth can also make things a disaster, startling your Pokémon with stun spore and unleashing powerful psychic attacks.
5. Lenora (Generation 5)
Oh man, if there was ever to be an award for the most obnoxiously difficult Pokémon, it would hands down go to Lenora’s Watchog.
The fire-eyed meerkat shamelessly uses hypnosis on your team at any available opportunity, before massacring them in their sleep. Its other moves include crunch and retaliate, which can prove deadly against psychic-types. Luckily, Lenora’s first Pokémon Herdier struggles to put up much of a fight, so you should be left with a full party to take on Watchog.
Be sure to use fighting type moves to inflict extra damage and pack plenty of Chesto Berries to combat the frequently used hypnosis.
4. Wulfric (Generation 6)
After overcoming an irritating struggle to correctly align the gym’s platforms you’ll finally reach Wulfric, the Kalos Region’s final and most difficult gym leader.
First up is Abonasnow, who instantly transforms the battlefield into a savage hailstorm with its vexatious Snow Waring ability. Upon the first five turns, none ice-types will be struck with hail, working to chisel down their HP. Also within Abomasnow’s arsenal of attacks is the chillingly powerful ice beam, which can risk the chance of your Pokémon freezing.
It is Avalugg that proves to be the hardest however, effectively signing your death warrant with curse, a move that causes your Pokémon to lose a quarter of their health upon each turn. Additionally, it possesses the power of avalanche, a devastatingly powerful ice-type move that holds 100% accuracy.
3. Tate And Liza (Generation 3)
Ruby and Sapphire were the first to bless the series with the wonder of double battles, a feature that would later become a staple of future instalments. Twins Tate and Liza showed us how truly exhilarating these battles could be, existing cohesively as the first double gym leaders.
Unfortunately for players, opposing Pokémon Solrock and Lunatone are both incredibly tough, so facing them both at once proves to be a bit of a nightmare. Firstly, both Pokémon possess the ability of levitate, making them immune to otherwise powerful ground-type attacks.
Solrock’s dual status of fire and psychic types allows it to pack a varied range of moves and will often use sunny day to enhance them. Lunatone on the other hand, frequently uses hypnosis to send enemies off to sleep before inflicting substantial damage.
2. Whitney (Generation 2)
As a pink-haired little girl who specialises in the cutest Pokémon she can get her hands on, Whitney may not appear the most challenging foe, but its her infamously difficult encounter that has sparked the creation of a number of online memes.
First up is the pitifully weak Clefairy that exists purely to lure you into a false sense of security. Miltank is next to follow and simply refuses to go down, using milk drink to replenish itself if you remove so much as a fraction of its health. Additionally, it knows the move attract to charm your Pokémon into refusing to attack and rollout, which becomes progressively stronger with each use.
Upon winning the battle and taking home the Plain Badge, Whitney is reduced to nothing but a puddle of tears.
1. Clair (Generation 2)
Lance may be regarded as the true dragon master, but his cousin Clair certainly gives him a good run for his money.
As the Jhoto Region’s final gym leader, Clair is all that stands in your way of storming the Pokémon League and sailing back to Kanto. “I am Clair. The world’s best dragon master”, she proclaims before the screen flashes violently and the battle commences.
Three Dragonairs and a Kingra make up Clair’s team of four, showing a surprising lack of variation for a final gym leader. Although each Dragonair is essentially the same they are each gifted with a range of different move types, increasing Clair’s chance of landing a super effective blow. Kingra is where the real difficulty of the fight lies, as moves surf and hyper beam prove to have devastating effects.
Which gym leader battle provided the most challenge? Let us know in the comments!
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