How to Defeat Psychic Gym Leader Tulip

Struggling against Psychic Gym Leader Tulip in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet? Get the best team, type advantages, and strategies to beat her and earn the Psychic Badge!

Alright, let's get you ready to take on Psychic Gym Leader Tulip in Alfornada! She's rocking some tough Psychic and Fairy types, so we need to make sure your team is prepped. This is likely the seventh gym you'll be challenging, and her Pokémon are around Level 45.

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Type Advantages: Bug, Ghost, and Dark types deal x2 damage against Psychic Pokémon.
• Type Disadvantages: Avoid Fighting and Poison types, as they are weak to Psychic moves. Also, avoid Fighting, Dragon, and Dark types against Tulip's Fairy-type moves.
• Recommended Level: Aim for your team to be Level 45 or higher.

Phases:

1. Farigiraf (Level 44, Normal/Psychic): This Pokémon starts the fight. It uses Crunch and Reflect. Reflect boosts its defense against physical attacks, so switch to special attacks when it's active. Reflect wears off after a few turns.
2. Gardevoir (Level 44, Psychic/Fairy): This dual-type Pokémon knows Dazzling Gleam (Fairy) and Psychic. Be aware that Dark-type moves won't get their x2 damage bonus here due to its Fairy typing.
3. Espathra (Level 44, Psychic): It uses Psychic and Shadow Ball (Ghost). Shadow Ball has a 20% chance to lower the target's special defense. Espathra is fairly tanky, so powerful Dark-types or Pokémon with high critical hit rates are effective.
4. Florges (Level 45, Fairy with Psychic Tera-Type): This is Tulip's ace. It uses Moonblast (Fairy) and Psychic. Moonblast is incredibly powerful, and if you're using a Dark-type Pokémon, you could be one-shot by it.

Strategy:

• Against Farigiraf: Focus on special attacks if it uses Reflect.
• Against Gardevoir & Espathra: Strong Dark-type moves are generally good, but remember Gardevoir resists them due to its Fairy typing. Espathra can be chipped down with strong attacks or critical hits.
• Against Florges: This is the trickiest part. You have two main options:
  • Whittle it down: Use a tankier Pokémon and healing items to slowly wear down its HP.
  • One-shot strategy: Bring a very fast Pokémon with a powerful attack that can knock out Florges before it can use Moonblast. The guide specifically mentions Meowscarada (Sprigatito's final evolution) with its Flower Trick move, which is fast and always critically hits, as a great option.
• General Tip: Since Florges has a Psychic Tera-Type, remember that its Fairy-typing is its primary defense against Dark-types. If it Terastallizes, it becomes purely Psychic, but its Moonblast is still a huge threat.