Yes, but technically no
In past mainline Pokemon games, rematching gym leaders was a staple of the endgame experience. These were reliable ways to grind for Pokedollars and experience, plus a single Pokemon with a Type advantage could sweep them. That said, rematches have been inconsistent across the franchise. Some games let you rematch gym leaders endlessly, others lump the rematches in with other sections of the game.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet do allow you to rematch gym leaders. That said, the way it’s implemented here is a little different than what series fans might be used to. Here’s what you can expect.
How to rematch gym leaders
To unlock gym leader rematches, you’ll have to complete the entirety of the main story. This includes the three core story paths: Victory Road, Starfall Street, and Path of Legends. Once these stories reach their respective conclusions, you will unlock one final storyline that will bring the game to its dramatic conclusion.
After the credits roll, you will be thrust into a postgame quest to unlock a tournament at the academy. Geeta will assign you the task of defeating all the gym leaders again as part of this process. Just visit every gym again like you did in the Victory Road story path to begin each fight. This will be a particularly quick process since you have every relevant fast travel point unlocked.
Like in past games, each gym leader will come equipped with five Pokemon between level 65-66. That may seem tough, but you will have faced tougher enemies than this to get this far. Sweep every team like you did before and remember that the last Pokemon they send out will always terastallize into the Type of their corresponding leader.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to challenge the gym leaders again after this. Make sure to enjoy the new nuggets of dialogue you’ll get here, especially from leaders like Larry.
Consider running the Academy Ace Tournament
After you fight every gym leader again, you’ll be on the cusp of unlocking the Academy Ace Tournament. This tournament will pit you against notable trainers from the three core story paths, as well as a few challengers you have never faced before. Unlike the gym leaders, the Academy Ace Tournament can be repeated as many times as you want.
In other words, this is the content you’ll want to grind in place of the eight gym leaders. While it is a shame that you can’t visit the gym leaders again, give your lead Pokemon an Amulet Coin and you’ll be racking up Pokedollars before you know it.
Related: How to Get Tofu in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet on Twinfinite
