Every Pokemon journey starts the same way. You wake up, pick your starter, leave your mom behind, and venture towards the first gym. This is arguably the most important gym in the entire challenge because it sets your expectations regarding what's about to come. You want someone who is equally charming, supportive, and tough.

RELATED: Pokemon: Every Final Gym Leader, Ranked By Difficulty

However, not all gym leaders are created equal, and that's why there's a ranking system! But even amongst the first gym leaders, there is a definitive hierarchy as to who is the strongest. These are the best first gym leaders in all of Pokemon.

Updated December 7, 2022, by Jeremy Hanna: With every new game comes new beginnings, and Pokemon Scarlet & Violet continues that trend. While the story missions can be challenged in any order, there is still an obvious difficulty curve between each gym. That means we have a new Gym Leader to add to this list!

Katy is a Bug-type specialist who leads the Cortondo Gym. And while she isn't the most famous Katy to be involved with the Pokemon franchise (that honor goes to Katy Perry), she is still a worthy addition to the ranks of beginning Gym Leaders who start new trainers off towards Pokemon League glory.

9 Viola - Kalos Region

Pokemon gym leader Viola  with a camera in a town square

The first of only two women on this list, Viola is a photographer with an affinity for Bug-type Pokemon. She's sweet, has a French accent, and has some of the weirdest hair in the game (and that's saying something). However, none of this translates into a difficult battle.

Viola has two Pokemon, Surskit and Vivillion. Neither is really that threatening and both have plenty of counters found on the route before the gym. While Surskit is meant to counter the Bug-type's Rock and Fire weaknesses, neither is really that prevalent. Plus, Surskit is too weak to do anything anyway. So while there is some thought to her team, it is easily the weakest of all the first gym leaders.

8 Falkner - Johto Region

BAttling Falkner in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Falkner is a Flying-type trainer that is rather underwhelming. A newer Gym Leader, Falkner took over the Violet City Gym after his father left. Not only that, but he took all of his Pokemon as well. So Falkner is really just a bratty kid existing on his father's laurels.

In regard to level, Falkner is by far the weakest Gym Leader since in Gold and Silver. His Pidgeotto is only level nine, even though it is a middle evolution that evolves at level 16. Apparently, his dad is a cheater! But even with all this, there are fewer direct answers to Falkner's team as opposed to Viola's, so he barely edges out the French photographer.

7 Cilan/Chili/Cress - Unova Region (Black & White)

Cilan, Chili, and Cress from Pokemon Black & White's first Gym

The first gym in Pokemon Black and White has an interesting gimmick: the gym leader you face depends on your starter Pokemon. So if you choose the Fire-type Tepig, you'll be facing off against the Water-type Simipour. So, then how do you take on a gym that always has an advantage?

RELATED: Pokemon: Every Main Grass-Type Trainer, Ranked

Easily, that's how. Just go to the Dream Yard east of the city and you'll be given the elemental monkey that is super effective against the gym leader you'll be facing. That means that as long as you explore the routes around the Gym, you'll have a Pokemon that can take on the leader. The concept is cool, but it's easy to work around.

6 Katy - Paldea Region

Katy smiling right before her gym battle

Katy is a baker that focuses on Bug-types, which raises a whole bunch of questions. If you prepare food, shouldn't bugs be kept as far from the kitchen as possible? Well, seeing as bugs are becoming a more common source of protein, maybe Katy isn't too far off.

Katy's team is fairly straightforward. Her Nymble knows Double Kick so that she can threaten Rock-types and her Tarountula is bulky for a first-stage Pokemon, using Bug Bite to steal any berries you might use and Assurance to deal extra damage back. Her ace Teddiursa is the most threatening with its Bug Tera Type and use of Fury Cutter. However, this is still an open-world Pokemon game — if you find any Fire or Flying-types along the way, you'll be just fine.

5 Brock - Kanto Region

 Drying Pan Smiling Rain

Here he is! Brock is easily the most popular gym leader on this list because of his role in the original Pokemon anime. He is also the first of three Rock-type trainers on this list, commanding an Onix as his ace that is very threatening, even though it has a paltry base 40 Attack stat.

RELATED: Pokemon: Every Main Water-Type Trainer, Ranked

However, Brock can be easy to beat, especially if you start with Squirtle or Bulbasaur. Even if you start with Charmander or Pikachu in Pokemon Yellow, there are still options in the route nearby that can give you an advantage like both types of Nidoran, Mankey, or even Butterfree. And if your Rock-type team is weak against a Bug-type Pokemon, you need to work on your team.

4 Milo - Galar Region

Milo Gym Challenge Pokemon Sword SHield

Milo is the first trainer here that is actually pretty decent. He's a muscly, dopey Grass-type trainer that is genuinely one of the sweetest in the entire series. He also happens to have the highest levelled Pokemon on this list with a level 20 Eldegoss.

This is easily the strongest single Pokemon on this list, and it can wreck your team. Fortunately, you have a long time to get there and access to a ton of Pokemon that can handle Milo's team, such as Sizzlipede and Rolycoly as well as a number of Pokemon in the Wild Area. But even still, the sheer power of Milo's team is something to be ready for.

3 Roark - Sinnoh Region

Roark as he appears in Pokemon Masters EX mobile

Roark is another first gym leader that is the son of a gym leader. However, unlike Falkner, Roark set out on his own to prove that he can be a gym leader worth some mettle. And honestly? This team isn't bad.

RELATED: Pokemon: Every Main Steel-Type Trainer, Ranked

Essentially, Roark's team is Brock's team with an additional Pokemon that adds two things none of the other Rock-type gym leaders have: a high attack and speed. Cranidos has a terrifying 125 base Attack. That's more than three times higher than Onix's! The only real disadvantage that Roark has is that all three starters have an advantage against his Pokemon, even the Fire-type. But if Roark takes your starter out, you're going to have a bad time.

2 Roxanne - Hoenn Region

Roxanne Nosepass Gym Rock Tomb

Roxanne is the final Rock-type trainer on this list, and she's easily the toughest. A graduate of the trainer school, none of these other Rock-type trainers have the understanding of the typing that she does. Yes, she starts off with two Geodudes that can easily be defeated by a Grass or Water-type attack, but what's truly dangerous is her ace Nosepass.

Nosepass is one of the rare Pokemon that is purely Rock-type. That means that those attacks that would destroy the likes of Geodude and Onix aren't nearly dealing as much damage. Combine this with its huge bulk, and it can easily destroy any Mudkip, Treeko, or Shroomish that gets in its way. However, if you have a whole team of Pokemon with Super Effective moves against it, you can probably take her out.

1 Cheren - Unova Region (Black 2 & White 2)

Cheren shouting a battle order in the anime

In regard to this list, Cheren takes after Blue in that a former rival easily makes for the strongest gym leader. In Black 2 and White 2, Cheren is a Normal-type trainer that built his team around the move Work Up. This increases the Attack and Special Attack of the user by one stage. This means that if any of Cheren's Pokemon use this for a turn or two, they can easily sweep through your whole team.

This is especially dangerous in Challenge Mode when he also has a Pidove with Quick Attack, meaning that it can attack you with priority. What really seals the deal here is that there are very few Pokemon in nearby routes that can deal Super Effective damage to his team. Because of all this, Cheren is easily the toughest first gym leader in the entire series.

NEXT: Pokemon: Every Dragon-Type Trainer, Ranked