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Gen VIII

Pokémon Sword & Shield

The Galar Gym Challenge is a televised sporting event — and you're its newest underdog.

The Path

The intended order — follow this and you'll stay at the right level all game.

  1. 1

    Turffield Stadium

    Gym

    Grass · Milo · recommended Lv. 18–20

  2. 2

    Hulbury Stadium

    Gym

    Water · Nessa · recommended Lv. 22–24

  3. 3

    Motostoke Stadium

    Gym

    Fire · Kabu · recommended Lv. 25–27

  4. 4

    Stow-on-Side Stadium

    Gym

    Fighting · Bea (Sword) / Ghost · Allister (Shield) · recommended Lv. 34–36

  5. 5

    Ballonlea Stadium

    Gym

    Fairy · Opal · recommended Lv. 36–38

  6. 6

    Circhester Stadium

    Gym

    Rock · Gordie (Sword) / Ice · Melony (Shield) · recommended Lv. 40–42

  7. 7

    Spikemuth Gym

    Gym

    Dark · Piers · no Dynamax allowed · recommended Lv. 42–44

  8. 8

    Hammerlocke Stadium

    Gym

    Dragon · Raihan · double battle with weather · recommended Lv. 46–48

  9. 9

    Champion Cup

    Elite Four

    Tournament bracket vs. Hop, Marnie, and the semifinalists · recommended Lv. 50–55

  10. 10

    Champion Leon

    Champion

    The unbeaten Champion and his Gigantamax Charizard · recommended Lv. 60–65

The Story

Welcome to Galar, a region modeled on the UK where the Gym Challenge is the biggest televised sport in the land. You and your childhood friend Hop — kid brother of the unbeaten Champion Leon — set out to collect eight badges, win the Champion Cup, and earn the right to face Leon himself in front of a roaring stadium crowd.

Along the way you'll cross paths with your rivals: Hop, whose confidence cracks under his brother's shadow; Bede, an arrogant prodigy backed by the Chairman himself; and Marnie, the fan-favorite punk with the region's loudest supporters, Team Yell. The Gym Leaders are celebrities with distinct personalities, and each stadium battle — complete with roaring crowds and Dynamax transformations — feels like a title fight.

Beneath the spectacle, Chairman Rose is quietly pursuing a dangerous solution to Galar's energy future, and his plan awakens Eternatus — the cause of the ancient 'Darkest Day.' The climax brings the legendary wolves Zacian and Zamazenta into the story for one of the series' most cinematic finales.

Sword and Shield are the most 'event' feeling Pokémon games: even random trainer battles happen in stadiums, and the Wild Area between cities offers a taste of open-world catching that paved the way for later games.

Good to Know

  • The Wild Area opens early and its Pokémon can outlevel you — check levels before engaging, but grabbing one strong catch there can carry your team.
  • Dynamax in Gym battles: you get three turns of doubled HP and powered-up moves — save it for the Gym Leader's ace, and remember they Dynamax too.
  • Camp and cook curry with your team: it heals, and high friendship from camping boosts battle performance.
  • Raid dens in the Wild Area give rare Pokémon and experience candy — even losing a raid still pays out useful items.
  • Piers' Gym bans Dynamax and Raihan uses double battles with weather, so keep a non-Dynamax strategy and weather answers ready.
  • Version exclusives matter for your Pokédex: Sword gets Bea, Gordie, and Deino; Shield gets Allister, Melony, and Larvitar — trade to complete the set.

After the Credits

  • Battle Tower: the classic win-streak gauntlet with rental and ranked formats for competitive-minded players.
  • Isle of Armor & Crown Tundra DLC: two full expansions with new stories, the Kubfu legendary, Dynamax Adventures, and returning legendaries from every generation.
  • Galarian Star Tournament: team up with Gym Leaders and rivals in multi-battles at Wyndon Stadium.
  • Shiny hunting via Masuda Method breeding and raid dens, plus completing the full 400-species Galar Pokédex.

My caught checklist

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Want the full step-by-step walkthrough? This page is the roadmap — for turn-by-turn directions, Bulbapedia and Serebii both have detailed per-route guides.