As with each new generation of Pokémon, there is a fresh and fierce lineup of Gym Leaders who challenge trainers traveling across the Galar Region in Sword & Shield. The very first Gym Leader who trainers must face is the Grass-type specialist, Milo.
Located in the town of Turffield, Milo is a strong and down-to-earth man who enjoys the life of both a Gym Leader and a farmer. He can often be found working out in the fields alongside his helpful Pokémon pals. And while Milo seems to be a pretty simple guy, there are certain aspects to the farmer that just don’t add up.
10 His Baby Face & Muscular Build
The first thing many people will notice about Milo is his large build. In comparison to the rest of the Galar Gym Leaders, Milo is exceptionally muscular and strong.
However, his muscular build is oddly paired with the face of a young boy. His bright eyes, big smile, and innocent freckles almost give him a more youthful appearance than his fellow Gym Leader, Allister, who is actually a child.
9 Invisible Nose
Another physical trait that might contribute to Milo’s babyface is his invisible nose. When looking at him from the front, he often has no visible sign of a nose. Some may think he has no nose at all.
Upon further review, the Gym Leader does, in fact, have a nose that can be seen from his side profile. Even then, it’s a fairly small nose that disappears into his freckles as soon as he turns his head.
8 The Gym Mission
With each Gym, there is an obstacle or challenge of some sort to test the player before they can battle the Gym Leader. At Turffield Stadium, the Gym mission is to herd some Wooloo in the direction of a haystack. There are also some Yamper that will try to scare the Wooloo away.
What’s strange about this mission is the fact that Milo specializes in Grass-type Pokémon, but Wooloo is a Normal-type and Yamper is an Electric-type. The sheep and herding dog Pokémon may fit Milo’s background as a farmer but definitely not the Grass-type theme of the gym.
7 His Six Pokéballs
Part of Milo’s outfit includes a pair of Pokéball holders on the sides of his shorts. He displays a total of six Pokéballs which are most likely meant to represent a full party of Pokémon.
He will use only two Pokémon in the first Gym battle and five in the Champion Cup rematch. In addition, Milo is shown throwing out his Pokémon in Ultra Balls rather than Pokéballs. Therefore, it’s a wonder why he carries around those six extra Pokéballs.
6 His Original Two Pokémon
In the first Gym battle of the game, Milo only fights with two Pokémon to keep it very simple. He uses the Grass-types, Gossifleur and Eldegoss. These two Pokémon come from the same evolutionary line, essentially giving Milo a weaker and stronger version of the same Pokémon.
It would have made more sense to replace one of those Pokémon with any other Grass-type in the Pokédex to give him a little more variety in his two-man party.
5 Where’s Applin?
Given the fact that Milo is both a Grass-type specialist and a farmer, the tiny apple Pokémon, Applin, would have made the perfect addition to Milo’s starting team. With a weak and similar base stat total, Applin could have easily replaced the Gossifleur. But that isn’t the case.
It isn’t until the Champion tournaments that Milo finally battles the player with one of Applin’s evolutions, Flapple or Appletun, as his signature Pokémon.
4 Doesn’t Get A Chance To Gigantamax Until Post-Game
In the initial Gym battles, most of the Gym Leaders have a signature Pokémon with a unique Gigantamax form. The only exceptions are Piers, who never uses Dynamax or Gigantamax, and Milo.
With only two Pokémon to start out, neither Gossifleur nor Eldegoss have a Gigantamax form. After gaining a Flapple or Appletun in the post-game, he can finally take advantage of the Gigantamax phenomenon in the Champion tournament.
3 Doesn’t Take Battling Seriously
The main role of a Gym Leader is to test and challenge the skills of other trainers. Milo, however, is known to hold back against new trainers due to his softhearted personality. According to his League Card, that is the reason why he’s the first and easiest of the Galar Gym Leaders.
At the same time, if Milo is going to go easy on his opponent, he’s not necessarily doing a good job of what a Gym Leader is expected to do. He should be giving it his all and testing the true strength of his opponent, but he isn’t.
2 Rivalry With Nessa
Because Milo isn’t the type to take battling seriously, he doesn’t have a very competitive spirit like some of his fellow Gym Leaders. One would never expect him to have a rivalry with anyone.
Surprisingly, Nessa, the Gym Leader who comes after Milo, considers him as her rival. Despite having a great match-up with his Grass-types against her Water-types, Milo opts to completely reject Nessa as his rival.
1 Wooloo On The Loose
In Turffield Stadium, there are many Wooloo that roll around throughout the course of the Gym mission. Milo’s Rare League Card reveals that those Wooloo will occasionally escape from the Gym and roll out into the town.
With Yamper and the townspeople backing him up, the Gym Leader will hilariously chase and catch the Wooloo. As an experienced farmer, one would expect Milo to have a better handle on his sheep.
NEXT: Pokémon Sword & Shield: Ranking Every Gym Leader Based On Personality
