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Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire Gym Leaders
This Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire Gym Leaders guide gives you all the information, resources, and strategy you need to navigate the gyms and defeat all 8 Gym Leaders in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.
Gym #1 Rustboro Gym - Leader Roxanne
#1 Geodude
Type: 
Lv: 14
Ability: Sturdy
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Tackle 
Defense Curl
Rock Throw
Rock Tomb
#2 Nosepass
Type:
Lv: 15
Ability: Sturdy
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Tackle
Harden
Rock Throw
Rock Tomb
Strategy
Rustboro Gym is Rock type, and there's two trainers you'll have to face before the gym leader. If you haven't been training your Pokémon outside of trainer battles, you'll probably need to do that before defeating this gym leader, depending on what type of starter you have. Unless you picked Torchic as your starter, you shouldn't have difficulty defeating Roxanne. Even with a lower level Mudkip or Treecko, your type advantage is immensely useful. Torchic users will have to either catch another Pokémon or train Torchic to much higher levels to win. If you let Geodude or Nosepass's health get too low, Roxanne may use potions to heal.
Roxanne will give you the Stone Badge and TM39 - Rock Tomb upon admitting defeat. You'll now also be able to use HM01 - Cut outside of battle.
Gym #2 Dewford Gym - Leader Brawly
#2 Makuhita
Type: 
Lv: 18
Ability: Thick Fat
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Bulk Up
Knock Off 
Arm Thrust
Sand-Attack
Strategy
Fighting type Pokémon are weak to Flying, Psychic, and Ghost but strong against Normal, Dark, Rock, and Steel. Ralts and Tailow are good choices for this gym, and available as well in the areas preceding the gym. Brawly has two Pokémon, Machop and Makuhita. If you have the type advantage, Brawly should be defeated very easily since both of his Pokemon are the same type.
You'll receive the Knuckle Badge and TM08 - Bulk Up for winning. You'll also be able to control Pokémon up to level 30 and use HM05 - Flash outside of battle.
Gym #3 Mauville Gym - Leader Wattson
#1 Voltorb
Type: 
Lv: 20
Ability: Soundproof
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Spark
Sonic Boom
Rollout
Self Destruct
#2 Magnemite
Type: 
Lv: 22
Ability: Magnet Pull
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Thundershock
Supersonic
Sonicboom
Thunder Wave
#3 Magneton
Type:
Lv: 23
Ability: Magnet Pull
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Shockwave
Supersonic
Sonicboom
Thunder Wave
Strategy
Mauville City Gym is Electric type, so the best strategy for anyone is to bring one or more Ground type Pokemon. The only moves that could potentially hit a Ground type at this gym are Rollout, Sonic Boom, and Self Destruct. Be careful for self destruct since it always does a significant amount of damage, but otherwise sonic boom and the status moves that come with this set of Pokemon are weak if you have multiple Pokemon, one of which is ground.
You'll receive the Dynamo Badge and TM34 - Shockwave for winning. You'll also be able to control Pokémon up to level 40 and use HM06 - Rock Smash outside of battle.
Gym #4 Lavaridge Town Gym - Leader Flannery
#1 Slugma
Type: 
Lv: 26
Ability: Magma Armor
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Overheat
Smog 
Light Screen 
Sunny Day
#2 Slugma
Type:
Lv: 26
Ability: Magma Armor
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Flamethrower
Rock Slide
Light Screen
Sunny Day
#3 Torkoal
Type:
Lv: 28
Ability: White Smoke
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Overheat
Body Slam
Flail
Attract
Strategy
Lavaridge Gym has a speciality of Fire type Pokémon. Water, Rock, and Ground are all super effectives against this type, and the lack of dual-typing Pokemon means that these types will all be 2x. Avoid any Grass, Bug, or Steel types. The quickest way to navigate the gym is to enter the holes as follows: left, left, top-left, right, left, top, top-right, right, bottom-left, bottom. This should take you to the gym leader, Flannery. The two Slugmas shouldn't give you much trouble. Torkoal becomes problamatic with Attract, which will render all your male Pokémon basically useless. Watch out for Overheat which is a heavy hitter. As always, take into account the nasty use of super potions just when you think you've sealed the deal.
You'll be awarded with the Heat Badge (All pokémon up to Level 50 will obey you, you can use HM04 - Strength outside of battle) and TM50 - Overheat.
Gym #5 Petalburg Gym - Leader Norman
#2 Vigoroth
Type:
Lv: 30
Ability: Vital Spirit
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Slash
Faint Attack
Facade
Encore
#3 Slaking
Type:
Lv: 31
Ability: Truant
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Focus Punch
Slack Off
Facade
Faint Attack
Strategy
Fighting, Rock, and Steel types are all good choices for Petalburg Gym. Ghost is also an excellent choice if the Pokémon knows non-ghost moves (Normal and Ghost types can't affect each other). Each room in the gym focuses on a different stat (attack, accuracy, speed, ect.) and the trainer will use items that boost that stat. You'll need to face three trainers of your choice before taking on the fifth gym leader, your father.
Norman can be a fairly tricky gym leader because his Pokémon all boast a heavy HP stat. Be careful about burning, poisoning, or paralyzing, because all of his Pokémon know Facade which deals double damage under these conditions. Just when you're about to KO a Pokémon Norman will use a Hyper Potion, so plan accordingly.
Upon winning your father will state both his fatherly pride and gym leaderly dissapointment and give you both the Balance Badge and TM42 - Facade. The balance badge will allow you to use HM03 - Surf outside of battle.
Gym #6 Fortree Gym - Leader Winona
#1 Swellow
Type: 
Lv: 31
Ability: Guts
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Quick Attack
Aerial Ace
Double Team
Endeavor
#2 Pelipper
Type:
Lv: 30
Ability: Keen Eye
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Water Gun
Supersonic
Protect
Aerial Ace
#3 Skarmory
Type:
Lv: 32
Ability: Keen Eye
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Sand-Attack
Fury Attack
Steel Wing
Aerial Ace
#4 Altaria
Type: 
Lv: 33
Ability: Natural Cure
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Earthquake
DragonBreath
Dragon Dance
Aerial Ace
Strategy
Fortree Gym specializes in Flying type Pokémon. Electric is the best type to use; Rock and Ice are also very effective. Avoid using any Bug or Fighting types. You'll have to solve switching gate puzzles to navigate this gym. Use the above Fortree Gym Map and the following instructions for the quickest route: gate 1 right, gate 2 right, gate 2 down, gate 3 up, gate 3 right, gate 4 right, gate 3 up, gate 3 right, gate 3 down, gate 4 left, gate 5 right, gate 6 right, gate 6 down, gate 7 down, gate 5 up, gate 6 right. You'll face four trainers along the way with 1-3 Pokémon each.
If you have a type advantage, Winona is a piece of cake. Even if you don't, she shouldn't be too much trouble. However, Altaria's Earthquake can deal massage damage if you're not careful and Winona has two Hyper Potions to use if you let her.
You'll get the Feather Badge for winning which allows you to use HM02 - Surf outside of battle and all Pokémon up to Level 70 will obey you. Winona also awards you with TM40 - Aerial Ace.
Gym #7 Mossdeep Gym - Leaders Tate & Liza
#1 Lunatone
Type:
Lv: 42
Ability: Levitate
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Light Screen
Psychic
Hypnosis
Calm Mind
#2 Solrock
Type:
Lv: 42
Ability: Levitate
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Sunny Day
SolarBeam
Psychic
Flamethrower
Strategy
Mossdeep Gym Leaders Tate and Liza specialize in Psychic type Pokémon, although the unique dual-typing, moveset, and abilities of Lunatone and Solrock make it very hard to gain any sort of type advantage over them; Water and Ghost will be your best bets. Navigating the gym can be tricky, you'll need to take the directional moving paths and hit switches along the way. Use the map above and follow the numerical directions for the easiest route.
For the first time in the series, there's actually two gym leaders. You'll fight both of them at once in a 2 vs. 2 double battle. This battle is fairly difficult, you'll need to watch out for Lunatone's Hypnosis and the multiple Hyper Potions that will be used just when you think you've won. We recommend a Pokémon that knows Surf, as you'll have the type advantage and be able to attack both Pokémon at once (although Sunny Day does reduce the effectiveness of Water attacks). As long as you've trained your Pokémon well enough, you should be able to defeat Tate & Liza.
You'll get the Mind Badge and TM04 - Calm Mind for winning. The Mind Badge raises the Special Attack and Special Defense of all of your Pokémon and allows you to use HM08 - Dive outside of battle.
Gym #8 Sootopolis Gym - Leader Wallace
#1 Luvdisc
Type:
Lv: 40
Ability: Swift Swim
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Flail
Attract
Sweet Kiss
Water Pulse
#2 Sealeo
Type: 
Lv: 40
Ability: Thick Fat
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Encore
Body Slam
Aurora Beam
Water Pulse
#3 Seaking
Type:
Lv: 42
Ability: Swift Swim
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Horn Drill
Fury Attack
Rain Dance
Water Pulse
#4 Whiscash
Type:
Lv: 42
Ability: Oblivious
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Amnesia
Rain Dance
Earthquake
Water Pulse
#5 Milotic
Type:
Lv: 43
Ability: Marvel Scale
Hold Item: N/A
Moves:
Recover
Twister
Ice Beam
Water Pulse
Strategy
Sootopolis Gym is under the control of Leader Wallace, who specializes in Water type Pokémon. This means a solid Grass type will do really well in his gym. Be careful about relying on only Electric types, as he has a Whiscash whose part Ground typing will give him immunity. To navigate the gym, you'll need to walk along every tile on the icy path without backtracking over the same tile. If you fail this, you'll fall below and need to face a gauntlet of trainers. The above map gives a route that will get you through the path without falling.
The fight with Wallace isn't a particularly tricky one. The level of his Pokémon are on par with the previous gym, but he does have nearly a full team of five Pokémon. The biggest nuisance is that his signature move Water Pulse (which all of his Pokémon know) can confuse you. Moves like Attract, Amnesia, and Recover also might mess with your plans. He also has two Hyper Potions at his disposal. But a strong Grass type and a little bit of patience should get you through this final gym battle.
For winning, you'll get the Rain Badge and TM03 - Water Pulse. The Rain Badge will allow Pokémon of any level to obey you and allows you to use HM07 - Waterfall outside of battle.
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