Although running around the region to catch and battle Pokémon is definitely one of the most fun parts of Pokémon games like Pokémon Sword & Shield, another huge part of the game is battling against the Gym Leaders and other major trainers in the region that the game is set in. Sword & Shield has multiple Gym Leaders, and then a single Champion named Leon.

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Beating Leon can be pretty tough, as anyone who has gotten to the later stages of the game and attempted to take him down will be well aware of. First, you have to make your way through smaller battles, which are typically no problem. But once you reach Leon, it gets tough. Luckily, taking the right Pokémon with you can make it a little bit easier. But before you even try, make sure your Pokémon are in the high 60's or early 70's.

To see 10 Pokémon to consider putting into your party before you face Leon, keep reading!

10 Grimmsnarl

Although a couple of the Pokémon that Leon has in his party may change based on the starter Pokémon that you chose, a lot of his Pokémon will be the same no matter what. Several of the Pokémon that Leon has in his party are weak against Dark-type and Fairy-type Pokémon, so bringing some of those with you is always a good idea.

And since his Pokémon are weak against Dark and Fairy-type Pokémon, why not bring one that's a combination of the two? Grimmsnarl is the final evolution of Impidimp and is a dual-type Dark/Fairy Pokémon and definitely one of the best to bring to battle Leon.

9 Galarian Weezing

Weezing hasn't always been among the strongest Pokémon, or one that many people put into their party before they head out for a big battle. But, since Galarian Weezing has had some major changes, this Pokémon is a pretty good one to battle Leon.

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Galarian Weezing is a dual-type Poison/Fairy Pokémon, meaning that it can be really helpful against some of the Pokémon that Leon has in his party, like Rillaboom (if you chose Sobble), and Dragapult and Haxorus, both of which are weak to Fairy-types.

8 Pikachu

Pikachu is a classic Pokémon that many people want to find and keep in their party for the nostalgia factor. But since this Pokémon is one that can now Gigantamax, it makes it even stronger and definitely one of the best choices for beating Leon's party. If you've played (or can borrow a friend's copy of) Let's Go Pikachu!, you can complete a quest to get a Pikachu that can Gigantamax.

Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon, making it really strong against some of Leon's like Inteleon (if you chose Scorbunny), and that massive Gigantamax Charizard that Leon is going to pull out at the end of the battle.

7 Drednaw

Drednaw is a dual-type Water/Rock Pokémon that was introduced as a brand new Pokémon in Generation VIII. Considering the fact that there are so many cool new Pokémon, it's likely that you're going to want to have a few in your party, especially to battle Leon.

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Because Drednaw is a dual-type Pokémon with Water and Rock as types, this Pokémon is a pretty versatile one. It's strong against a few of Leon's Pokémon, including Cinderace (if you chose Grookey), Rhyperior (if you chose Sobble), and Charizard.

6 Hatterene

Hatterne is a dual-type Psychic/Fairy Pokémon that was introduced as a new Pokémon in Generation VIII. It's the final form of Hatenna and a Pokémon that has a Gigantamax form, something that will definitely be helpful when battling against Leon.

Leon has a couple Pokémon that are weak against Fairy-type Pokémon, like Dragapult and Haxorus, and Hatterene has some pretty high stats, so this Pokémon is definitely one that will help take the Champion down.

5 Tyranitar

Introduced in Generation II, Tyranitar is a dual-type Rock/Dark Pokémon. This Pokémon is a pseudo-legendary Pokémon because of the fact that it tends to be somewhat tough to find, but it's not impossible to get one into your party.

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Being a Rock/Dark Pokémon, Tyranitar is a Pokémon that is pretty strong against some of Leon's Pokémon. Some of the Pokémon in Leon's party that Tyranitar can help take down include Aegislash, Dragapult, and Mr. Rime (if you chose Scorbunny).

4 Coalossal

Among the new Pokémon that were introduced with Generation VIII of the Pokémon franchise is Coalossal. This Pokémon is a dual-type Rock/Fire Pokémon and is the final form of Rolycoly. Because this Pokémon has a Gigantamax form, it's definitely a useful one to take to battle Leon.

And being a Rock/Fire Pokémon, it's pretty strong against some that Leon has in his party. Among the Pokémon that this Pokémon can help take out are Mr. Rime (if you chose Scorbunny), Rillaboom (if you chose Sobble), and Aegislash.

3 Kingler

Kingler has been in the Pokémon franchise since Generation I. But, this Pokémon received a major upgrade in Generation VIII when it became one of the Pokémon to get a Gigantamax form. Being a Water-type Pokémon, this Pokémon is already pretty strong against some of Leon's, but the Gigantamax form definitely helps.

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Some of the Pokémon that Leon has that are weak against a Water-type like Kingler include Charizard, Cinderace (if you chose Grookey), and Rhyperior (if you chose Sobble).

2 Sylveon

Sylveon is a Fairy-type Pokémon that was introduced in Generation VI, and is one of many different Pokémon that Eevee can evolve into.

Because Sylveon is a Fairy-type Pokémon, this is definitely a good one to take to battle Leon, because it's a really strong Pokémon. Leon's Pokémon that will struggle to keep up with Sylveon include Dragapult and Haxorus.

1 Mimikyu

Have we mentioned lately that you should take some Fairy-type Pokémon to battle Leon? Considering the fact that so many Fairy-type Pokémon tend to be so strong and Leon has a few that are weak against them, they're very good choices.

Mimikyu is a dual-type Ghost/Fairy Pokémon that doesn't have a super high base HP, but has some pretty tough moves. Leon's Pokémon that will be weak against Mimikyu include Aegislash, Dragapult, and, if you chose Scorbunny as your starter, Mr. Rime.

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