Gladion's Challenge

Master Gladion's Challenge in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon! Learn his team's weaknesses, strategies, and how to defeat him to progress in the Pokémon League.

Alright, so you've made it to Gladion's Challenge! This is a pretty tough fight, so let's break down his team and figure out the best way to take him down. He's got a solid lineup, and you'll need to be prepared for anything.

Gladion's Team:

Strategy & Weaknesses:

• Crobat (Level 53, Poison/Flying): This thing is super fast! It'll hit hard with Acrobatics (Flying) and Cross Poison (Poison), which has a great chance to crit and can poison you. Your best bet here is Electric, Ice, Rock, or Psychic-type moves. Steel-types can also resist its attacks.
• Zoroark (Level 53, Dark): This is where it gets tricky. Zoroark can disguise itself as Lucario, so there's no easy way to tell which is which initially. It's a good idea to lead with a Fighting-type Pokémon just in case it's Zoroark. If it is, watch out for Night Daze (Dark STAB), Hyper Voice (hits anything resistant), and Grass Knot (great against heavy Pokémon). It'll also be holding Darkium Z, so be ready for a powerful Z-Move.
• Silvally (Level 55): Silvally is a bit of a wildcard because it can change its type. Gladion is smart and gives it the Memory Disk that's super-effective against whatever starter you picked. So, if you chose Rowlet, it'll likely be Fire-type; if you chose Litten, it'll be Water; and if you chose Popplio, it'll be Grass. Its main STAB move is Multi Attack, but it also has Crush Claw, X-Scissor, and Crunch. You'll need to adjust your strategy based on its current type.
• Lucario (Level 53, Fighting/Steel): Gladion's final Pokémon is a powerful Lucario. It's got high attack and decent speed. Its key moves are Aura Sphere (special, never misses STAB), Metal Claw (Steel STAB), and Quick Attack (for finishing off low-HP Pokémon). Fire, Ground, and Fighting-types are your best bet against this one.

After you manage to defeat Gladion, he'll give you a PP Max as a gift from Lillie. With this battle won, you're free to head up Mount Lanakila using the stair lift. But hey, before you do that, you might want to wrap up any other business you have!