How to Beat Arven (Academy Ace Tournament)

Learn how to defeat Arven in the Academy Ace Tournament in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Get team recommendations and strategies for each of his Pokemon.

So, you've made it to the postgame and are ready to take on the Academy Ace Tournament? Nice! This is a single-elimination tournament with 4 rounds, and you'll be facing off against trainers and faculty from Naranja/Uva Academy. To even get here, you needed to finish the Area Zero story and report back to Geeta. Let's get you prepped for Arven!

Arven's team here is the same one he used in his final fight during the Path of Legends story, but his Pokémon are a bit stronger, sitting at Levels 66-67. To make sure you're ready, aim to have a team of Pokémon at Level 66 or higher. If you're looking for some heavy hitters, consider the Level 75 Tera Lucario found in the underground tunnel at Dalizapa Passage – it can handle about four of Arven's Pokémon. For the remaining two, the Level 75 Tera Dragonite northeast of Levincia is a solid choice. And if you've managed to find Chien-Pao, that powerful Dark and Ice Legendary from one of the sealed shrines, it's also a great pick.

What Pokémon Does Arven Use?

Here's the lineup Arven will be bringing to the fight:

Greedent

First up is Greedent, that big ol' squirrel. It's packing moves like Body Slam for Normal STAB (and a chance to paralyze), Psychic Fangs to threaten Fighting types, Bullet Seed to deal with Rock types, and Earthquake for Steel types. Even though it has Psychic Fangs, a strong Fighting type move like Close Combat is your best bet here. Ghost types can also work to avoid that Paralysis from Body Slam, as long as you have some non-Ghost moves to hit back.

Cloyster

Cloyster has some serious Defense but its Special Defense is pretty weak. It's using Liquidation and Icicle Spear for STAB, Rock Blast for coverage, and Light Screen to try and reduce your special attacks. Keep in mind that its Skill Link ability means Icicle Spear and Rock Blast will always hit 5 times! Electric and Fighting types are your safest bets here. If you have Lucario with Aura Sphere, you can really exploit Cloyster's low Special Defense.

Scovillain

This spicy duo is back! Scovillain has Energy Ball and Fire Blast for STAB, Zen Headbutt to counter Poison types, and Crunch for general damage. Flying types are your ideal counter here. Poison types can also do well, especially if they can resist Zen Headbutt, like Skuntank.

Toedscruel

Don't let this one catch you off guard! Toedscruel has Earth Power and Power Whip for STAB, Sludge Bomb to hit other Grass types, and Spore which guarantees a Sleep status. The absolute best way to deal with Toedscruel is with an Ice-type move, as it takes quadruple damage! Fire, Flying, and Bug types will also perform well. If you do get hit by Spore, make sure to use a Full Heal or similar item right away to wake your Pokémon up.

Garganacl

The giant salt golem is back for another round. Its moveset is pretty straightforward: Stone Edge for a powerful STAB attack, Earthquake to mess with Steel types, Body Press for coverage, and Stealth Rock to chip away at your Pokémon when they switch in. Your best bet is to use a reliable Grass, Water, Ground, or Steel type to take it down quickly.

Terastallized Mabosstiff

For the final Pokémon, Arven brings out his loyal Mabosstiff and Terastallizes it. It can use Crunch for STAB and Tera-boosted damage, Psychic Fangs to annoy Fighting types, Fire Fang to hit Bug types hard, and Play Rough which also threatens Fighting types. Plus, its Intimidate ability will lower your Pokémon's Attack stat as soon as it enters the battle. A Fairy type is highly recommended here, as they are super-effective against Dark types and resist Crunch, Mabosstiff's strongest move.