Every Gym Leader in Pokemon Generation 9 (Paldea)

Most Pokemon games tell you exactly where to go. You beat Brock, then Misty, then you head north. The path is clear, the gyms are locked in order, and the whole thing unfolds like a train schedule. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet threw that out entirely. In Paldea, you can walk to any of the eight gyms in whatever order you want. The world is open, the gyms don't scale to your level, and nothing stops you from heading straight to the Ice-type gym at level 10 and getting completely destroyed. It's the first mainline Pokemon game to genuinely commit to an open-world structure, and the gym leaders reflect that spirit - each one has a distinct personality, a weird gym test to clear before you can fight them, and a team that makes no apologies for the level they're pitched at.

Released in November 2022 for the Nintendo Switch, Scarlet and Violet introduced Terastallization - a mechanic where a Pokemon's type changes to its Tera type during battle, glowing like a crystalline gem. Gym leaders each Terastallize their ace Pokemon, which frequently has a different Tera type than its natural typing. Katy's Teddiursa, for instance, is normally a Normal-type - but it Terastallizes into a Bug-type to match her specialty. These aren't just cosmetic surprises; they shift the damage calculation and can catch unprepared trainers badly off guard.

Katy

The first gym you'll likely encounter is in Cortondo, a small farming town whose claim to fame is olive production. Before you can fight Katy, you have to complete the Olive Roll - a gym test that requires you to push a giant olive through a maze by walking into it. It is exactly as strange as it sounds, and it sets the tone for a game that takes its gym tests seriously as spectacle. Katy herself is a cheerful young woman who runs her own patisserie (Patisserie Soapberry) in Cortondo and battles as a gym leader on the side, and specializes in Bug-types with the kind of enthusiasm that makes you wonder if she's the most dedicated person in Paldea. Her team runs Nymble and Tarountula at level 14 before she throws out a Teddiursa at level 15 - which, right at the moment you think you've figured her out, Terastallizes into a Bug-type. It's a small trick, but effective, and players who aren't paying attention to the Tera mechanic get stung by it often. The Bug Badge she awards is the first of eight, and Cortondo's gym challenge doubles as the game's introduction to how the whole Terastallization system works in practice.

Brassius

Brassius runs the Grass-type gym in Artazon, a picturesque town whose residents are extremely serious about art. Brassius himself takes the aesthetic angle several steps further - he's known as the Verdant Virtuoso, treats his Pokemon battles as a form of performance art, and has a gym test that involves rounding up 10 Sunflora that have scattered around town. Some of the Sunflora will battle you before they'll follow. It's chaotic in exactly the way that makes sense for an eccentric artist. His battle team features Petilil and Smoliv at level 16, followed by a Sudowoodo at level 17 that Terastallizes into a Grass-type - a particularly sharp trick, since Sudowoodo normally looks like a tree but is actually Rock-type. The Grass Tera type removes that Rock-type weakness entirely, which tends to surprise players who brought Water or Grass moves specifically to exploit it. Brassius is the second gym leader in the recommended order but hits harder than his level suggests if you walk in underprepared.

Iono

The Electric-type gym leader in Levincia is the one Paldea calls its own celebrity. Iono is a streaming content creator with a massive online following, and she runs her gym test like a live broadcast - you have to find Director Clavell hidden somewhere in the crowds of Levincia while Iono narrates for her audience, then defeat a trainer each time you locate him, three times in total. It is chaotic and loud and exactly what you'd expect from someone who built a platform on being chaotic and loud. In battle, she sends out Wattrel, Bellibolt, and Luxio, all at level 23, before finishing with a Mismagius at level 24 that Terastallizes Electric. Mismagius is ordinarily a Ghost-type, so the Tera transformation flips its entire defensive profile. It's the most disorienting move Iono makes, which tracks. Bellibolt, her personal mascot Pokemon, is a new Generation 9 species that resembles a wide-mouthed frog covered in fake eyes - it's strange-looking, it has good bulk, and players regularly underestimate it.

Kofu

Kofu, the Water-type gym leader in Cascarrafa, has the most elaborate gym test of any leader in Paldea - and it starts before you even reach the gym. You arrive in Cascarrafa to find that Kofu has already left in a rush, abandoning his wallet at the reception desk. His assistant hands it to you and asks you to bring it to him in Porto Marinada, a coastal market town some distance away. When you get there, Kofu is already at the auction house and asks you to win an auction on his behalf, competing against other bidders for an ingredient he wants. Win the auction, return to Cascarrafa, and you can finally battle him. His team includes Veluza and Wugtrio at level 29 before he finishes with a Crabominable at level 30 that Terastallizes into Water-type. Crabominable is an Ice/Fighting type in its normal form, so the Tera transformation plugs its Fire and Steel weaknesses. Kofu is a professional chef who speaks entirely in food metaphors, which sounds exhausting but lands as genuine charm in practice.

Larry

Larry may be the most quietly interesting character in the entire game. He's the Normal-type gym leader in Medali, a city known for its food culture, and he presents as a tired, slightly defeated office worker who would rather be anywhere else. He wears a plain business suit. He does not appear to enjoy his job. His gym test sends you hunting for clues to decode a secret menu item at a local restaurant - the answer is Grilled Rice Balls, Medium, Extra Crispy with Lemon - and the whole thing is more enjoyable than it has any right to be. In battle, Larry uses Komala and Dudunsparce at level 35 before bringing out a Staraptor at level 36 that Terastallizes Normal. Staraptor's Close Combat is a genuine problem for anyone who walked into this fight thinking Normal-type gym leaders don't bite. What makes Larry particularly notable is what comes after the credits: he reappears as a member of the Elite Four, now using Flying-type Pokemon. He's the same man, just as tired, with a completely different team. It implies that being a gym leader is his day job and Elite Four member is the overtime he never asked for.

Ryme

The Ghost-type gym in Montenevera, high up in the snowy Glaseado Mountain area, belongs to Ryme - an older woman with silver locs who raps her way through every conversation and every battle. Her gym test consists of a series of Double Battles against opponents, with the crowd reacting to big moments in the fight. When you finally face Ryme, the battle itself is a Double Battle, which is unusual for a gym leader encounter and makes her genuinely harder than her level implies. She runs Banette, Mimikyu, and Houndstone at level 41 before finishing with a Toxtricity at level 42 that Terastallizes into Ghost-type. Toxtricity is normally Electric/Poison, so the Tera type is a real left turn for anyone expecting those weaknesses. Houndstone is a Generation 9 Pokemon, a Ghost-type dog that carries its own gravestone. Ryme talks to it like a close friend, which is either touching or unsettling depending on your perspective. The gym's atmosphere - foggy, theatrical, set against mountain snowfall - is one of the better visual sequences in the game.

Tulip

The Psychic-type gym in Alfornada, a small town tucked into the southwestern hills of Paldea, belongs to Tulip, a model and makeup influencer who runs her own cosmetics brand. Her gym test involves an emotion-matching exercise where you respond to prompts from an instructor by pressing the correct button, then battle a trainer at intervals. It is, charitably, not the most thrilling gym test in the game. But Tulip herself makes up for it - she has the largest team of any gym leader you'll face before the Elite Four, and her final Pokemon has a genuine surprise attached. She uses Farigiraf, Gardevoir, and Espathra at level 44 before finishing with a Florges at level 45 that Terastallizes into Psychic-type. Florges is ordinarily a Fairy-type, which has a completely different set of strengths and weaknesses, so the shift matters. Espathra is a new Generation 9 species - a tall, ostrich-like Psychic-type with an unsettling gaze that has become something of a fan favorite despite its odd design.

Grusha

The last gym on the recommended path is the Ice-type gym, and it's located not in a city but on Glaseado Mountain itself, isolated and difficult to reach. Grusha, the gym leader, is a former professional snowboarder who retired from competition and took the gym leader job - he's young, pale, and gives the impression of someone who would genuinely rather be on a slope. His gym test requires you to ride your legendary mount Pokemon down the mountain through a series of gates in under 90 seconds, which is the most physically involved gym test in the game. In battle, Grusha uses Frosmoth, Beartic, and Cetitan at level 47 before finishing with an Altaria at level 48 that Terastallizes into Ice-type. Altaria is a Dragon/Flying-type under normal circumstances, which is a very different defensive profile, and players who brought Dragon-type moves to exploit the Ice-type gym are going to have a bad time. Grusha's gym is the one that most rewards actually preparing for the Tera mechanic rather than ignoring it, and clearing it feels like a genuine accomplishment given how far away it sits from everything else in Paldea.