As fans of the Pokémon series will know very well, the Gym Challenge is the ultimate test of a trainer’s abilities. Gym Leaders are the boss encounters of the games, the strongest, most talented, and outright powerful battlers in their respective regions besides the Elite 4 and Champion.
This familiar system has been tweaked a little as the series has gone on, however. Pokémon Sun & Moon revolved around the Island Challenge, with its trials and captains, while Pokémon Sword & Shield introduced minigames and/or challenges dubbed gym missions before each leader battle. Here’s every gym mission ranked, from the worst to the best.
10 Kabu’s Mission (Motostoke Gym)
In the game, the fiery and determined Kabu is renowned as the ender of gym challenges, the roadblock that many young trainers just can’t defeat. He’s the third leader the player encounters, and his gym mission doesn’t really live up to that fearsome reputation of his.
It’s clear enough what they were trying to do here: a good ol’ fashioned Pokémon capturing challenge against fellow trainers. The fact is, though, the arena is so small and the encounters so ‘staged’ that the experience is just too short-lived and easy.
9 Piers’ Mission (Spikemuth Gym)
Piers’ Spikemuth Gym is a super unique one in many ways. For one thing, it’s the first Dark-type gym in the series, which is quite incredible considering that this typing has existed since Generation II. For another, its leader, Piers, refuses to Dynamax his Pokémon. It’s not even an option during the battle with him.
The other thing that stands out about Spikemuth Gym is that there isn’t really a gym mission to be had here. Instead, finding the way to Piers amid a gauntlet of Team Yell members is the order of the day. Less than creative, certainly, but the dialogue from the team members is top-notch and the atmosphere and vibe of Spikemuth elevate this one a little. Perhaps things will be different now that Marnie has taken over as the leader of this gym?
8 Opal’s Mission (Ballonlea Gym)
Speaking of gym takeovers, another of the master battlers of the Galar region is seeking a replacement: the Fairy-type specialist Opal. Ballonlea Gym’s mission is also a very different beast as a result.
This mission comprises a sort of audition, as Opal searches for a successor. It’s a straightforward series of trainer battles, with the addition of questions being asked by your opponent. These will pertain to Fairy-types as well as more random topics, with a correct answer giving your active Pokémon a stat buff and a wrong answer having the opposite effect. An interesting concept, but it barely did more than Spikemuth Gym when it comes to switching things up.
7 Bea’s Mission (Stow-on-Side Gym)
Generation VIII marks the first time that the two versions of the games have some different gym leaders. In the cases of Stow-on-Side and Circhester gyms, the leader will be different depending on whether you’re playing Pokémon Sword or Shield. In Stow-on-Side, Fighting-type specialist Bea is Sword’s leader.
Her gym mission is an odd sort of funfair ride, in which the player rides a giant cup around obstacles by spinning their sticks to reach the next area. Naturally, there’s a battle or two along the way, as well as big mechanical boxing gloves (a reference to Bea’s team of proud, powerful pugilists, of course) to launch the player further in trickier sections. It’s harmless fun, but there isn’t much to it and it’s over in a trice. It makes the middle spot of this list, along with its Shield counterpart.
6 Allister’s Mission (Stow-on-Side Gym)
As promised, Stow-on-Side Gym’s Shield mission is up next. In this version of the game, the creepy Allister and his team of Ghost Pokémon are the player’s opponent, which means that the gym mission needs a bit of rejigging.
Only a bit of rejigging, sadly. This mission is just a reskin of Bea’s, seeing the player spinning their sticks to dodge around walls and obstacles while seated in a giant cup. This fairground ride ranks slightly above Bea’s, simply because it fits Allister’s theme a lot better with its spooky, ghost train color scheme and the fact that the cup is modeled on a Sinistea.
5 Melony’s Mission (Circhester Gym)
Next, we arrive at the second of two pairs of version-exclusive gyms. Later in the game, in Circhester, the player must contend with the Ice-types wielded by Melony in Shield and Gordie’s rugged Rock Pokémon in Sword. First up, we have Melony’s gym mission.
Here, the player must traverse a treacherous, icy area armed with a Trap Detector, which indicates where the invisible holes in the ground are. Falling will set the player back, and the whole thing can be quite frustrating if you’re impatient. Nevertheless, this actually feels like a true ‘mission,’ a challenge that’s quite new to the series and briefly hands the player a piece of brand-new gear to boot. It doesn’t top the list compared to the remaining missions, though, including Gordie’s.
4 Gordie’s Mission (Circhester Gym)
As was the case with Bea and Allister, there’s little to choose between Gordie and Melony’s gym missions. The core concept (using the Trap Detector to find a path through a series of treacherous areas) is unchanged throughout, with just a different coat of paint to set the two apart.
How to pick the better of the two? Well, as before, Gordie’s mission, with its sandstorm/desert vibe, seems to fit the concept a little better than Melony’s snowscape. It brings to mind the familiar concept of using the Item Finder to detect hidden items in Pokémon’s sandy routes. By the narrowest of squeaks, Gordie takes this spot on the list.
3 Nessa’s Mission (Hulbury Gym)
Nessa of Hulbury Gym is a real fan-favorite. She has a quiet dignity, elegance, and confidence that befits a gym leader, a powerful young woman whose Pokémon are no pushover. All of this is reflected in her gym mission, which is certainly worthy of the name.
Hulbury Gym offers a traditional Pokémon Gym puzzle. It tasks the player with finding their way around a maze-like area, hitting switches to alter the flow of all the water so they can reach the leader. It’s very, very Nessa, but it can be a bit of a slog for younger players and maybe isn’t as challenging and creative as it may seem. Well designed, yes, but that crucial fun factor is a little lacking.
2 Milo’s Mission (Turffield Gym)
Next, we have an impressive second-place showing from the game’s very first gym leader, the humble Grass-type specialist Milo. What is it about the game’s initial gym mission that makes it so good?
It’s a riot of silly fun, that’s what.Pokémon fans around the world immediately fell in love with Wooloo when it was first announced, so a minigame that sees the player herding the goofy floofers by chasing them around a small arena was sure to go down well. Dashing after the critters, avoiding the Yamper, and battling the odd trainer is a perfect example of what a gym mission should be. It’s not too long, not too short, not too easy, not too frustrating, sure to bring a smile to your face, and a great representation of the leader’s own fun-loving, good-natured personality. Only the final gym mission really tops this one.
1 Raihan’s Mission (Hammerlocke Gym)
As players might expect, Sword & Shield saved something very special for the final gym mission. In fact, Raihan’s mission is unlike anything we’ve really seen in the series before.
On the face of it, battles against a series of gym trainers are about as standard as it gets. What Raihan brings to the table, however, are doubles battles featuring weather strategies such as Drizzle Pelipper. Raihan’s own team utilizes various different forms of weather all in one (despite being a Dragon-type specialist), which fans have never seen before. This, it seems, is a bit of a nod to the competitive crowd. Simple on the surface, but this gym mission is a lot of fun and brings so much of significance to the table. A worthy winner.
NEXT: Pokémon Sword & Shield (5 Other Gym Leaders That Raihan Could Defeat (& 5 He’d Lose To)
