Recommended Level: 15+
Recommended Pokémon Types: Fire, Ice, Flying, Bug, Poison
Although the Cortondo Gym Challenge is the lowest-level step you can take when undertaking the Victory Road Treasure Hunt, heading east of Mesagoza first is just as feasible a move. Not only is this gym doable early in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you'll get a chance to tackle a Titan as you make your way to Artazon. The choice is, of course, yours.
To reach Artazon you'll first need to travel through South Province (Area Three), a sprawling maze of stony pathways. There are a fair number of Pokémon on the route that will make your Gym Challenge much easier - particularly Flying-types - so you should probably take your time gathering up some fresh faces before you move on to Artazon. If you want to skip straight to the Gym Challenge, though, just stick to the main path that leads you first to a Pokémon Center, then down into a valley, then east to the city. There are dozens of signs pointing you to Artazon.
Artazon is no Mesagoza, but there are still a few things to see around town before you step into the Pokémon Gym:
- Spread throughout Artazon are food vendors, vending machines, and shops that provide the usual range of services and bonuses. Nothing special.
- On the north side of Artazon is a hedge maze that, thanks to the miracle of camera angles, is easy to conquer. Near the middle is a side path that will take you to TM 026 Poison Tail. If nothing else you may want to grab TM 026, as Poison Tail can dominate the Artazon Gym Challenge.
- There are a series of boardwalks surrounding the hedge maze. On the east side of the hedge maze you'll find a Quick Claw between the boardwalks. Check the north end of the boardwalks and you'll find TM 043 Fling.
- Next to the Pokémon Gym on the south side of town there's a huge jungle gym covered in art pieces. Climb onto it via a ladder on the west side and you can make your way to the east side, where you'll find TM 098 Skill Swap at the end of the path across the jungle gym.
Sunflora Hide-and-Seek
Done looking around? Head to the Pokémon Gym. Nemona is inside if this is your second gym, and she'll give you three Ethers for challenging the gym. Register at the desk and you'll be tasked with completing something called Sunflora Hide-and-Seek. Head to the Sunflora Lawn beside the gym and the attendant will send ten Sunflora out into Artazon for you to find. Bring them back to the Sunflora Lawn to complete the Gym Test.
- There are three Sunflora lounging right near the starting point. Easy peasy.
- There's a Sunflora hiding behind a tree to the east of the Sunflora Lawn.
- A Sunflora hides behind some barrels in the alley behind the southern buildings on the west side of Artazon. Across the street and down the opposite alley you'll find another Sunflora, sitting on a pot. Between the two sets of buildings is a third Sunflora, hunched beside a Sunflora statue and a large flower display.
- In the northeast of Artazon is an art display that resembles free-standing teeth. Hiding between four of them is a Sunflora.
- There are two Sunflora by the boardwalk in the north of Artazon. Both are near the south end of the boardwalk.
- Petilil, level 16
- Smoliv, level 16
- Sudowoodo, level 17
A Grass-type trainer, Brassius is fairly easy to conquer so long as you brought in something that can take on Grass-types. Two of his Pokémon are fairly weak, with only the third picking up the slack. That said, the third Pokémon is a bit of a whopper if you can't handle Grass-type attacks yourself.
- Petilil is a pure Grass-type Pokémon. It will put your Pokémon to sleep if you're not careful, but otherwise can't do much damage. Expect it to restore its health rather minutely with Mega Drain. Exploiting any Grass-type weakness will make short work of the thing.
- Second is Smoliv, a Grass- and Normal-type Pokémon. Smoliv is a little more offensively-minded with Razor Leaf, but it doesn't have the power to do much damage. Ignore its Normal-typing and focus on destroying its Grass-type side.
- Last is Sudowoodo. Normally a Rock-type Pokémon, Sudowoodo will Terastallize into a Grass-type. It will then use Trailblaze to inflict copious amounts of Grass-type damage while increasing its own speed. Stick with your Grass-type counters, preferably sending out something that can resist the damage output of Trailblaze. A Poison- or Fire-type Pokémon will do nicely against this powerhouse on both fronts.
