Now that the dust has settled on Pokémon Sword and Shield, it’s interesting to look at the position it leaves the franchise in. Did it take bold new directions, or did it settle and play things too safe? Well, that depends on how you look at things. One element players have fallen in love with, however, is its quirky cast of NPCs, including the new crop of Gym Leaders.
They each brought their own vibrant personalities to the table, but how do they stack up with previous generations’ leaders when it comes to intelligence? Whether it’s outright brainpower, Pokémon smarts or emotional intelligence they have in spades, here are some of the cleverest Gym Leaders in Pokémon history.
10 Bugsy
As the young leader of Azalea Town’s Bug-type gym in Pokémon Gold and Silver, Bugsy is a young man who would be easy to underestimate (we all know how players tend to feel about Bug-types, after all).
He’s no great genius, true enough, but Bugsy is surprisingly intelligent. Before and after he’s defeated, he explains how rigorously he’s studied his beloved Bug-types, and claims that Fury Cutter (which his Scyther uses to devastating effect, catching many a player off guard as its damage builds) is a move he “discovered” himself. On the negative side, though, he does seem to think that both Metapod and Kakuna are appropriate Pokémon to defend his gym with (limited as his options were), so he’s not rising any higher on our list.
9 Cheren
Like Bugsy, Cheren is committed to his studies. In Pokémon Black and White, he serves as an enthusiastic rival for the player, and by the time of Black and White 2, he has risen to become a Gym Leader himself.
From the moment he actually picked the starter with a type advantage, we knew we were looking at somebody with some decent Pokémon chops (not all rivals do that, after all). In the sequel, he really shines, having become the Normal-type expert of Aspertia City and also educating students at the Trainer School. He gives the player advice on what to do next (and certain mechanics) several times throughout the game, both in person and through the Xtranseiver. Another sharp Pokémon mind you don’t want to underestimate.
8 Whitney
Ah, Whitney. When it comes to the most notorious Gym Leader battles in the series, Goldenrod Gym’s is known as one of the worst of all. This young woman may look sweet and innocent, but she’s got a devious strategy and she certainly isn’t afraid to use it.
Whitney’s Miltank is one of the most fearsome foes in all of Pokémon. Boasting Milk Drink to heal, Attract to befuddle male foes and Rollout to… well, steadily increase in power and crush challengers’ hopes and dreams into sad, salty shards of defeat, this Pokémon has it all. Whitney may well be playing up her adorable persona in order to lull foes into a false sense of security.
7 Milo
Sweet, lovable Milo is the first Gym Leader players face on their Pokémon Sword and Shield journey. He calls Turffield Stadium home and isn’t the most challenging opponent to face, with his modest team of Grass-types. If you read his League Card, though, you’ll get an interesting little insight into his emotional intelligence.
The card explains that Milo hates trying too hard against weaker opponents, hence he’s the first Gym Leader of the region. This is important, because it indicates that he’s recognized the importance of not discouraging budding trainers. The first hurdle is often the most important, and the Pokémon Trainers of Galar surely appreciate that Milo is wise enough to understand that.
6 Giovanni
Ever since Generation I, this enigmatic villain has pulled all kinds of strings from behind the scenes (and occasionally jumped into the fray himself). Those schemes have had such mixed results, though, that there’s nobody better for the middle spot of our list than Team Rocket’s infamous Giovanni.
In Kanto, he was the leader of Viridian City’s Ground-type gym. As hard as he tried (and continues to try) to be a criminal mastermind, he just can’t seem to help being thwarted by youngsters. His team is famously, hilariously inept, but Giovanni does have rare flashes of brilliance.
5 Sabrina
Though Sabrina’s true intelligence is only really alluded to, she certainly has a brilliant mind. All that time spent with those curious Psychic-types must have rubbed off on her, because she is known to have psychic powers herself.
In generation II, she hints that she has an ability to see the future, commenting that she saw the approach of more strong challengers to come. She can also speak with her Pokémon through telepathy. Perhaps the only thing holding her back from rising higher on this list is the fact that we don’t know the true extent of her powers.
4 Blue Oak
If you’re a fan from way back in the day, you might well know this young man as Gary instead. Regardless, all that really matters is that he’s the smell ya later rival of the player from the original game, and Professor Oak’s grandson.
In Gold, Silver, and Crystal, he has taken Giovanni’s vacated position as Viridian Gym’s leader, and devised an ingenious plan that no other Gym Leader has attempted since: not actually hampering himself with a monotype team. A bold idea, in the grand scheme of things, but the result was a team that actually presents a challenge. Blue’s team in Generation II features Pidgeot, Gyarados, Arcanine, Exeggutor, Rhydon, and Alakazam, a varied selection of early-series heavyweights. In that sense, he demonstrates more of a Pokémon IQ than the Gym Leaders we’ve seen so far, but he’s not quite in the highest tier.
3 Raihan
When we first meet Raihan, it’s immediately clear that he’s one cool guy. His funky poses and energetic demeanor radiate coolness, but intelligence? That’s not a particular vibe we can feel from him.
If we’re talking about creating brilliant Pokémon strategies, though, he truly is one of the most intelligent Gym Leaders in the series. Like Blue, Raihan doesn’t restrict himself to his beloved Dragon-types. Instead, he incorporates weather in his battles. Not just one type of weather, either, but several in turn. His gym battle plays out in the doubles format, and he uses strategies similar to those competitive players would. In terms of conventional smarts, though, he doesn’t stand out from the pack.
2 Blaine
Some Pokémon players like to use intricate, underhanded strategies in battle. Others, meanwhile, prefer more of a straightforward, hyper-offensive approach. Blaine, another Gen I Gym Leader, definitely falls into the latter camp.
The master of Cinnabar Gym might favor a simple all-out offensive with Fire-type Pokémon, but he’s got all the brains he needs to match that brawn. He’s a quizmaster renowned for his intelligence, but he’s just pipped to the top spot by a young man from Kalos’s Lumiose City.
1 Clemont
That’s right, friends. Our pick for the smartest Gym Leader of all is none other than Pokémon X and Y’s Clemont. He’s your typical bumbling inventor, but despite his failures, it’s clear that he has a brilliant mind.
An Electric-type specialist, Clemont is battled in Lumiose City’s gym. It, too, boasts a quiz theme, in keeping with its owner’s thirst for knowledge. Clemont is regarded as a genius by some in Kalos, and it’s said that he actually devised the concept of Super Training. We don’t get to see a lot of the Gym Leaders’ intelligence (in the conventional sense), but Clemont is the best example of one of them using their brilliance outside of a simple battling context.