Medali Gym is the sixth gym that most Pokemon Scarlet & Violet players will visit and the home of the Normal-type Gym Leader, Larry. Like his Pokemon, Larry is incredibly normal, with those who know him best describing him as a bit of an everyman. He dresses like a salaryman and complains about his boss quite a lot given the short amount of time that players spend in his presence.
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Given how neutral Normal-type Pokemon are when it comes to type effectiveness, players have a lot of different options when it comes to putting together a team to take on the Medali Gym. Fighting-types tend to be pretty high up on the list though, as too are Rock and Steel-types on account of Normal-type attacks being ineffective against them. With this in mind, players may want to scout the surrounding areas before they challenge Larry to a battle.
If Medali is the fifth gym that players choose to take on, Nemona will show up when they first arrive at the gym and challenge them to a battle. This battle ends up taking place immediately after players have beaten Larry, meaning they won't have a chance to change their team up in advance. Nemona's team will consist of Lycanroc (level 36), Goomy (level 36), Pawmo (level 36), and the final stage evolution of the starter Pokemon that she chose at the beginning of the game (level 37), so players will need to keep this in mind when picking a team to battle Larry.
How to Prepare for the Medali Gym
Larry's team is made up of Normal-type Pokemon, meaning that players should bring along a few good Fighting-type Pokemon as counters. Those who chose Quaxly as their starter Pokemon should hopefully have evolved it into Quaquaval by now, but there are still a few good options for those without the Water/Fighting-type. To the west of Medali, players will find West Province (Area Three), where they'll be able to find powerful Fighting-types like Hariyama and Primeape, both of which can come in handy against Larry.
In addition to Fighting-types, it wouldn't hurt to bring along a bulky Rock-type like Sudowoodo, as this will help players to stand up to Tera Staraptor's powerful Facade attack. Also, if this is the fifth gym battle that they're taking part in, players should make sure to bring along their starter Pokemon to deal with Medali's Tera Pokemon in the battle that takes place immediately after (see above).
How to Complete the Medali Gym Test (Order the Secret Menu Item!)
In order to complete the Medali Gym test in , players will need to order a secret menu item from the Treasure Eatery nearby. After speaking to the gym's lobby staff, the first step toward figuring out what this secret item is involves battling the small child outside. Once his Gumshoos and Greedent (both level 34) are defeated, he'll suggest looking for the odd one out at the nearby ice cream stand. Sure enough, Grilled Rice Balls are on the menu, which is players' first clue.
Next, players should look for a student standing near two benches and take down his level 34 Dunsparce. He'll suggest listening to the blue bird Pokemon (Squakabilly), which can be found perched on a man's head not too far away. If players hang around it for a little while, it will eventually shout out "Meedyum," which is the serving size that they'll need to order at the Treasure Eatery.
To find out how to get the dish cooked, players should battle the female student near the gym, who has a level 34 Ursaring. She'll tell them to look for a dark spot, and heading down the stairs of the nearby amphitheater and looking behind the grate will lead them to some faint writing which says "Fire Blast." After that, it's finally time to head for the Treasure Eatery. Before placing their order, players should talk to the office worker sitting at the bar, who'll let them know that Lemon is the seasoning they need.
Now that they have all of the information that they need, players should speak to the server near the entrance and get ready to place their order. To order the secret menu item and complete the Medali Gym test, players should choose the options below. After doing so, the seating area behind the server will be transformed into a battle area, and speaking to the server again will trigger the battle with Larry.
- Grilled rice balls.
- Medium serving.
- Extra crispy, Fire Blast style.
- Lemon.
Those who are in a hurry and just want to know what to order for the Medali Gym test can save themselves some time by heading straight for the Treasure Eatery, speaking to the server, and choosing "Grilled rice balls," "Medium serving," "Extra crispy, Fire Blast style," and "Lemon" when prompted.
How to Beat Larry at the Medali Gym
Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Komala (Level 35)  | Slam |
Sucker Punch | |
Yawn | |
 Dudunsparce (Level 35) | Drill Run |
Glare | |
Hyper Drill | |
 Tera Staraptor (Level 36)  | Aerial Ace |
Facade | |
Other than Ghost-types, players can use just about any Pokemon they want to take on Larry's team, but Fighting, Rock, and Steel-types will work best. A good Fighting-type should be able to take out Komala and Dudunsparce fairly quickly, but Tera Staraptor may prove to be a bit more challenging depending on the player's Pokemon's Defense stat.
Those having trouble should try switching to a Rock or Steel-type Pokemon at this point to mitigate the damage from Facade, Sudowoodo works well here, particularly if still has access to Hammer Arm or if players taught it Low Kick using a TM. If not though, brute force should also work well enough providing players aren't too under-leveled and are willing to sacrifice a Pokemon or too for the cause.
After Tera Staraptor is defeated, Larry will hand over ₽6,480 in prize money as well as the Medali Gym badge and TM025, Facade. Assuming it's their fifth, the badge will allow players to catch and train Pokemon up to level 45, while Facade is a physical Normal-type attack with 70 Power and 100% Accuracy. Players who are following will then need to take on Nemona (see above), after which, they can make their way northeast to Montenevera Gym and the game's Ghost-type Gym Leader, Ryme.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.
