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Do you want to know how to defeat the gyms in Pokémon Emerald, Ruby, or Sapphire? This article will take you through each gym and will provide step-by-step instruction to beating those gym leaders.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Building The Best Team

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  1. By the end of the game, you should have most of your Pokémon near level 50. Check out the levels of each gym leader below to see where you should be -- you want most of your party of 6 Pokémon to be at or above the level of the gym leaders to be assured of victory.
  2. Build your party with dual-type Pokémon. A dual-type is a Pokémon with two primary types like Magneton, who is Electric and Steel Type, rather than just one type like Pikachu, who is only electric type. When you use dual-type Pokémon, they have the ability to learn two or more different types of moves. The more dual type Pokémon you have, the more move types you have under your belt.
    • You want to cover your weaknesses. If you are wondering what Pokémon are strong/weak against other types, check out this comprehensive chart.
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  3. Make sure you have a Pokémon who knows a move that would be considered super effective against the gym leader's primary type of Pokémon. For example, you would want to use water or grass type moves against a rock type gym leader like Roxanne.
  4. Make sure that the Pokémon you use is the same type as the move you want to use. This makes your move 25% more effective. For example, a water type move done with a water type Pokémon is more effective against rock than a grass type Pokémon using that same water type move, if it can even be learned. [1]
  5. Throughout the game, you should be collecting items, whether as part of scripted events or by scavenging stray Poké Balls. Certain items can be given to Pokémon to increase certain attributes or to help in battle. Try and have all of your Pokémon holding a helpful item.
    • You'll need to purchase several potions and revives at the Poké Mart. It's best to be smart about whether to use regular, super, hyper, or max potions depending on how much money you have and what each of your Pokémons' max hp's are. These helpful items can give you that extra edge during battle. [2]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Beating Each Gym

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  1. The first gym is the easiest to get past and a few Pokémon trained up to level 15 or higher should be enough to beat Roxanne. If you started with a fire-type Pokémon, you may need to train your other Pokémon extra hard.
    • Rock types are weak to Grass, Water, Ground, Steel and Fighting.
    • Rock types are strong to Flying, Bug, Fire and Ice, so avoid using these Pokémon when possible. [3]
  2. You want Pokémon around level 20, likely 3-4 of them.
    • Fighting types are weak to Flying and Psychic.
    • They are strong against Dark, Ice, Steel, Rock and Normal Pokémon .
  3. Train your Pokémon enough to handle Wattson's level 23 Magneton, and you'll be okay. You need to make sure, however, that you aren't relying on flying or water types, which will be quickly disposed of.
    • Electric types are weak to Ground (Ground is immune to Electric)
    • They are strong against Water and Flying.
  4. Any Water, Ground, or Rock Type move will work well. Fire Pokémon have a variety of weaknesses that are easily covered by common Pokémon, but a water Pokémon is usually your best bet. Your Pokémon should be able to fight against level 26-28 Pokemon.
    • Fire types are weak to Water, Ground and Rock.
    • They are strong against Bug, Grass, Ice and Steel.
  5. Use almost any of your moves for this gym, since they all hit neutrally with very few exceptions. Norman, the gym leader, has three Pokemon, the strongest of which is only level 31.
    • Normal types are weak to Fighting but immune to Ghost attacks. [4]
  6. All of the Pokémon you fight here are around level 30, so make sure your team matches that. With a balanced team, flying Pokémon are a cinch.
    • Flying types are weak to Electric, Rock and Ice.
    • They are strong to Bug, Grass and Fighting and immune to Ground. [5]
  7. Some of the best Pokémon in the game are Psychic, and they don't have many weaknesses. That said, a solid team above level 40-45 will handle the battle easily.
    • Psychic types are weak to Dark (doesn't effect), Bug and Ghost.
    • They are strong against Fighting and Poison.
  8. By now, you should have a strong, well balanced team that can get through the Water Gym. If you've got a solid electric Pokémon, like Raichu, you can usually get by with very few others. You will be fighting Pokémon from level 40-43.
    • Water types are weak to Electric and Grass
    • They are strong against Fire, Ground and Rock. [6]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Which is the best starter in Hoenn?
    Ishrak
    Gaming & Video Expert
    Ishrak is a Gaming & Video Expert specializing in sharing Pokémon and Minecraft videos. With over seven years of gaming and streaming experience, Ishrak has a follower base of over 30,000 YouTube subscribers and over 8 million views. He is also a Pokémon ROM-Hacker and some of his most popular videos highlight tips and advice for people learning how to play Pokémon games.
    Gaming & Video Expert
    Expert Answer
    The gym fights get much easier if you start your journey by choosing Mudkip. Your Mudkip can beat the Rustboro City gym, and your Marshtomp can take down the next 3 gyms singlehandedly.
  • Question
    What is the best Pokémon team in Gen 3?
    Ishrak
    Gaming & Video Expert
    Ishrak is a Gaming & Video Expert specializing in sharing Pokémon and Minecraft videos. With over seven years of gaming and streaming experience, Ishrak has a follower base of over 30,000 YouTube subscribers and over 8 million views. He is also a Pokémon ROM-Hacker and some of his most popular videos highlight tips and advice for people learning how to play Pokémon games.
    Gaming & Video Expert
    Expert Answer
    You can easily defeat all 8 Gyms using a simple team of 5: Swampert, Swallow, Haiyama, Manectric, and Absol.
  • Question
    When I have lost to a gym leader, how can I try again?
    Lugia2453
    Top Answerer
    Just go back to the gym and talk to the gym leader again. You can retry as many times as you need to until you win.
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      Tips

      • Catch other Pokémon as well to back up your starter, especially if it is at a type disadvantage.
      • Get your starter Pokémon (the first Pokémon you use) at least 2 levels higher than the Gym's Pokémon. All the back-up Pokémon (Pokémon you catch throughout the game) should be no more than 2 levels lower than your starter Pokémon.
      • Feel free to pick the other starters. With strong Pokémon and enough training you should be able to beat all of the gyms.
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      Warnings

      • Not all of these moves will work to defeat the other Pokémon. If not, use common logic to find out the best moves to use. E.g., Water beats Fire. If you can't figure it out, consult a type chart.
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