Alfornada Gym presents one of the most memorable and challenging psychic-type battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. But reaching this glittering cliffside gym can be tricky, especially early in your journey when options are limited.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore multiple routes to access Alfornada Gym so you can take on leader Iono and her dazzling puzzles.
Overview of Alfornada Gym
As the fifth of Paldea’s eight gyms, Alfornada provides a mid-game test of your psychic mastery. Defeating the specialist Iono here will earn you:
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Mind Badge – Needed to control higher level traded Pokemon up to level 70.
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TM Psychic Fangs – Powerful psychic-type attack with flinch chance. Great counter to poison, fighting, and dark-types.
The gym is situated high up on the western sea cliffs, accessible only by a single curving path along the seaside. Inside, neon lights, spinning walkways, and light beam puzzles evoke a dance club aesthetic.
Iono herself is a rising pop star who trains psychic Pokemon alongside her music career. She utilizes their powers of telekinesis and extrasensory perception in her gym challenges.
Battling through Alfornada’s flashy tests of focus prepares you for even greater psychic opponents ahead like Annihilape. Its unconventional location makes reaching the gym an adventure in itself early on.
Challenges Reaching Alfornada Gym
Alfornada’s isolated position presents some difficulties for initial access:
- Situated high up on sheer sea cliffs
- Blocked by cave requiring rock climb ability
- No nearby Pokemon Center to heal
- Surrounded by strong wild psychic, dragon, and dark-types
This makes traversing to the gym more convoluted before obtaining certain HM abilities later on.
The rock climb TM is especially vital, as it allows easy passage through the cave entrance. But this isn’t accessible until after defeating the sixth gym and Titan Pokemon.
So how can you gain entry earlier? There are a few creative solutions.
Accessing Alfornada Gym Early On
While challenging, players have discovered methods to reach Alfornada Gym fairly soon after starting their adventures:
Sneak Around the Back
By traveling east from Mesagoza, you can access cliffs allowing a safely-executed hop down to a lower seaside path. Follow this path as it winds along the cliffs to reach the gym‘s rear side.
Here are the steps:
- From Mesagoza or Cascarrafa, surf east across the Paldean Sea to reach the sheer cliffs (see map above).
- Walk off the cliff edge here to safely drop down to the lower path below.
- Follow this path as it curves along the seaside cliffs.
- Pass under natural stone arches and across small bridges.
- The bright Alfornada sign will soon come into view around a bend.
This route provides a walking path accessible as soon as you obtain the ability to cross water. Just be cautious of tough wild Pokemon like Dragonite along the way.
Fly Over on a Rideable Pokemon
Once you gain access to flying Pokemon like Braviary, you can easily soar up the cliffs and directly into Alfornada. This completely bypasses the longer walking route.
Certain climbing Pokemon like Clauncher and Clawitzer are options too. Have them scale the cliff wall right below the gym to carry you up.
Just be aware that no Pokemon Center is available nearby to heal your team after tiring out these Pokemon.
Swim Along the Coast
For an scenic route, you can actually swim along Paldea‘s west coast to eventually reach Alfornada‘s cliffs. Along the way you‘ll pass:
- The Isle of Armor – Small deserted island with cave
- Hidden beach alcove – containg TM Rock Climb after solving puzzle
- Lighthouse ruins – Guiding landmark to locate gym cliffs
While slower, this route provides some interesting scenery and useful pickups. Just be ready for constant random encounters swimming in the sea.
Use Local Taxi Service
Once certain conditions are met, NPC character Irsha will provide taxi rides between select locations, including directly to Alfornada. This can expedite access substantially later on.
Easier Access After Obtaining Rock Climb
The most direct entryway to Alfornada Gym is by climbing through the cave along the cliffs via the rock climb ability. But this isn‘t available until fairly late in the story.
Here‘s an overview of prerequisites for unlocking rock climb:
- Defeat 6th Gym Leader Ryme
- Defeat False Dragon Titan
- Activate Waypoint south of Medali
- Exit Glaseado Mountain
Only after completing these milestones can you challenge the Three Treasures sidequest for access to rock climb. This then opens a quick passage to the gym through the cave.
Strategizing Your Alfornada Gym Battle
Once you’ve reached the glittering doors of Alfornada, you’ll need a solid battle plan against Leader Iono. Here are some tips:
- Mind the entry hazards – Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes are likely, bring a spinner/defogger
- Watch out for Trick Room – Slow bulky Pokemon will thrive here
- Target her ace Delibird first – Has Destiny Bond and analytics ability
- Dark, ghost and bug moves are key – Hit psychic types super effectively
- Bulk up and sweep late game – Setup strategies can overpower her mono-type team
Some ideal Pokemon to counter Iono include Bisharp, Aegislash, Scizor, Crawdaunt, and Drapion. Stack your team with strong dark, ghost, and bug types to linguistically out-maneuver her psychic partners.
Unlocking New Areas After Earning Mind Badge
Like any gym badge, besting Alfornada Gym opens up new opportunities to explore Paldea further:
- Power Plant – Restore electricity here after solving gym puzzles
- Auction House – Bid on rare Pokemon with Watts currency
- Cortondo – Trade Mind Badge for climbing gear to access new areas
- West Province Area 2 – Mind Badge now scares away obstructing Pokemon
You‘ll also gain the ability to catch Pokemon up to Level 55 through traded Pokemon obedience. This allows you to seek out more powerful partners like Metagross.
The Mind Badge paves the way for even greater challenges like the ice and dark-type gyms ahead. But first, you‘ll need to illuminate the path to Alfornada itself.
Conquering Alfornada – A Dazzling Mid-Game Test
While its glittering heights may seem unreachable at first, this guide provides all the insight needed to spot the shining beacon of Alfornada Gym.
From cliffside hops to soaring dragon flights, multiple creative routes exist to access Iono’s neon-lit challenges. The trip grows far smoother once you unlock the rock climb ability later on.
Just be sure to pack dark and ghost-type allies in preparation for this psychic specialist‘s mind-bending trials. Defeating Iono will prove your skills for greater battles ahead on the road to the Pokemon League.
Let us know in the comments if you need any extra tips getting to Alfornada Gym in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet!
