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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe recommended Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Gym order is Cortondo, Artazon, Levincia, Cascarrafa, Medali, Montenevera, Alfornada, then Glaseado. You can challenge the Gyms in any order, but their teams have fixed levels, making this the most natural progression for a first playthrough.
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet let you challenge Paldea’s eight Gyms in any order. Gym leaders do not scale their teams to your badge count, however, so the smoothest first-playthrough route follows their fixed levels: Cortondo → Artazon → Levincia → Cascarrafa → Medali → Montenevera → Alfornada → Glaseado.
This is a recommended level order, not a mandatory sequence. You can explore elsewhere or deliberately take on a tougher Gym early; just expect its full, fixed-level team. Aim for a party near each leader’s highest-level Pokémon rather than viewing the number as a strict cap.
Recommended Paldea Gym order
| Order | Gym leader and specialty | Team levels | Tera ace | Good team target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cortondo — Katy, Bug | 14–15 | Teddiursa (Bug) | About Lv. 15 |
| 2 | Artazon — Brassius, Grass | 16–17 | Sudowoodo (Grass) | About Lv. 17 |
| 3 | Levincia — Iono, Electric | 23–24 | Mismagius (Electric) | About Lv. 24 |
| 4 | Cascarrafa — Kofu, Water | 29–30 | Crabominable (Water) | About Lv. 30 |
| 5 | Medali — Larry, Normal | 35–36 | Staraptor (Normal) | About Lv. 36 |
| 6 | Montenevera — Ryme, Ghost | 41–42 | Toxtricity (Ghost) | About Lv. 42 |
| 7 | Alfornada — Tulip, Psychic | 44–45 | Florges (Psychic) | About Lv. 45 |
| 8 | Glaseado — Grusha, Ice | 47–48 | Altaria (Ice) | About Lv. 48 |
Why this order works
Paldea is open enough to make “where do I go next?” a real question, but the Gym Challenge has a hidden practical gradient: every leader’s roster is set. Katy’s Lv. 15 Teddiursa is the lowest Gym ace; Grusha’s Lv. 48 Altaria is the highest. Following that progression avoids sudden jumps such as moving from Brassius’s Lv. 17 ace straight to a leader in the 30s or 40s.
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Every leader Terastallizes their final Pokémon into the Gym’s specialty type. That means the ace is not necessarily naturally that type. Prepare for the displayed Tera type at the end of the battle, while still respecting the Pokémon’s usual typing, stats, abilities, and likely coverage before it Terastallizes.
1. Cortondo Gym: Katy’s Bug team
Gym Test: Olive Roll. Push the oversized olive through the course and into the goal.
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Party: Nymble Lv. 14, Tarountula Lv. 14, and Teddiursa Lv. 15. Teddiursa is Katy’s Bug-type Tera ace.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11This is Paldea’s gentlest Gym battle by level. Fire-, Flying-, and Rock-type attacks are useful against Teddiursa after it becomes Bug-type, but use moves and Pokémon that fit the rest of your team rather than assuming one counter solves every matchup.
2. Artazon Gym: Brassius’s Grass team
Gym Test: Find and return ten Sunflora scattered around Artazon.
Party: Petilil Lv. 16, Smoliv Lv. 16, and Sudowoodo Lv. 17. Sudowoodo is normally Rock-type, then Terastallizes into Grass.
This is the first clear lesson in Tera aces. Sudowoodo’s normal Rock identity does not tell you its final defensive typing: when Brassius Terastallizes it, assess it as a Grass-type target. Bring sensible answers to Grass rather than planning only around Sudowoodo’s ordinary weaknesses.
3. Levincia Gym: Iono’s Electric team
Gym Test: Find Director Clavell in three crowd scenes and defeat the trainers connected to the search.
Party: Wattrel Lv. 23, Bellibolt Lv. 23, Luxio Lv. 23, and Mismagius Lv. 24. Mismagius is Iono’s Electric-type Tera ace.
The jump from Lv. 17 to Lv. 24 makes Iono a meaningful step up. Ground attacks are ordinarily an excellent answer to Electric Pokémon, but Mismagius has Levitate before it Terastallizes, so Ground moves do not hit it at that stage. Do not build your whole plan around a single Ground-type answer; have alternatives for the Ghost Pokémon that becomes Electric.
4. Cascarrafa Gym: Kofu’s Water team
Gym Test: Return Kofu’s wallet to Porto Marinada, then win an auction on his behalf.
Party: Veluza Lv. 29, Wugtrio Lv. 29, and Crabominable Lv. 30. Crabominable is Kofu’s Water-type Tera ace.
Grass and Electric attacking options are relevant once Crabominable becomes Water-type. Its normal Ice/Fighting characteristics and battle options still make this more complicated than a simple elemental chart answer, so avoid treating one Grass or Electric Pokémon as automatic insurance.
5. Medali Gym: Larry’s Normal team
Gym Test: Gather the clues for the secret menu item at the restaurant. The correct order is Grilled Rice Balls, medium serving, extra crispy, with lemon.
Party: Komala Lv. 35, Dudunsparce Lv. 35, and Staraptor Lv. 36. Staraptor is Larry’s Normal-type Tera ace.
Fighting attacks are useful against Staraptor after it Terastallizes into Normal. But Staraptor retains Flying coverage, including Aerial Ace. A Fighting Pokémon can be effective without necessarily being safe, so consider its vulnerability to Flying damage before leading with it.
6. Montenevera Gym: Ryme’s Ghost team
Gym Test: Win a series of Double Battles. Ryme’s leader battle is also a Double Battle, with audience mechanics.
Party: Banette Lv. 41, Mimikyu Lv. 41, Houndstone Lv. 41, and Toxtricity Lv. 42. Toxtricity is Ryme’s Ghost-type Tera ace.
This Gym needs more than a conventional type-counter checklist. Bring two battle-ready leads, consider who each Pokémon can target, and be careful with spread moves that can harm your own partner. Partner safety, speed, and switching decisions matter far more here than in the earlier single-battle Gyms.
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Gym Test: Complete Dendra’s emotional-spectrum training prompts, then defeat the required trainers.
Party: Farigiraf Lv. 44, Gardevoir Lv. 44, Espathra Lv. 44, and Florges Lv. 45. Florges is Tulip’s Psychic-type Tera ace.
Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type attacks are obvious ways to pressure Psychic targets, but use them thoughtfully. Gardevoir and Florges bring Fairy typing and Fairy attacks, which can punish a careless Dark-type choice. A flexible team with coverage is safer than committing to one nominal advantage.
8. Glaseado Gym: Grusha’s Ice team
Gym Test: Finish the Snow Slope Run within the required time.
Party: Frosmoth Lv. 47, Beartic Lv. 47, Cetitan Lv. 47, and Altaria Lv. 48. Altaria is Grusha’s Ice-type Tera ace.
Altaria is normally Dragon/Flying, but its ace phase turns it into Ice. Fire-, Fighting-, Rock-, and Steel-type attacking options are all useful against the Ice Tera type. The important preparation is recognizing the Tera change instead of bringing a plan that assumes Altaria will remain Dragon/Flying throughout the battle.
What Gym badges actually do: obedience and catches
Badges are more than a route to the Pokémon League. They raise the level limit for Pokémon you catch that will obey you. The key phrase is caught at: if you caught a Pokémon when it was within your current limit, it remains obedient even after it later levels beyond that threshold.
| Gym badges held | Caught Pokémon that will obey |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lv. 25 or lower |
| 2 | Lv. 30 or lower |
| 3 | Lv. 35 or lower |
| 4 | Lv. 40 or lower |
| 5 | Lv. 45 or lower |
| 6 | Lv. 50 or lower |
| 7 | Lv. 55 or lower |
| 8 | Any level |
This distinction matters in an open-world game. You can encounter or receive a high-level Pokémon long before you have enough badges for it to obey reliably. A Pokémon that was caught under the applicable threshold is different from one caught above it.
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With all eight badges, you can take the Champion Assessment. It begins with an interview and, if you pass, proceeds to the Elite Four: Rika’s Ground team at Lv. 57–58, Poppy’s Steel team at Lv. 58–59, Larry’s Flying team at Lv. 59–60, and Hassel’s Dragon team at Lv. 60–61. Top Champion Geeta follows at Lv. 61–62.
Glaseado’s Lv. 48 Gym is therefore not the end of your preparation. Before beginning the assessment, build a broadly useful party into the low 60s, refresh moves and held items, and make sure your team is not dependent on one narrow type matchup.
Version and scope notes
This route covers the eight base-game Paldea Gyms in both Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. Scarlet’s Koraidon and Violet’s Miraidon, along with other version differences, do not change the Gym leaders or this recommended level order.
Nintendo’s support history lists Version 4.0.0, released June 3, 2025, as its latest listed update. Its stated changes concern Nintendo Switch 2 image quality and frame-rate improvements; there is no stated change to the eight-Gym structure or these leader level ranges.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have a required Gym order?
No. You can challenge all eight Paldea Gyms in any order. The recommended route is based on the leaders’ fixed team levels, not on an enforced badge sequence.
Do Gym leaders scale to my badge count?
No. Gym leader teams remain at their set levels. Taking a high-level Gym early is allowed, but it will be substantially harder than beginning with Katy or Brassius.
What does a Gym leader’s Tera ace mean?
It is a Tera ace: the leader’s final Pokémon Terastallizes into that Gym’s specialty type. For example, Grusha’s Altaria is normally Dragon/Flying but becomes Ice-type when Terastallized.
What happens after earning all eight Gym badges?
After all eight badges, you can take the Champion Assessment. Passing its interview leads to the Elite Four and then Top Champion Geeta, whose teams range from the high 50s into the low 60s.
The Bottom Line
You are free to take Paldea’s Gyms in any order, but following the fixed-level route from Katy to Grusha keeps the challenge steady. After badge eight, plan for the low-60s Champion Assessment rather than stopping your training at Lv. 48.
