History AwesomeBosses / Pokemon

* The Delta Episode in ''Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire'', which the post-game immediately throws you into. [[spoiler:You're out to stop a giant meteoroid that's hurtling towards the planet, and throughout the story, you have to go through various locations like Meteor Falls, Team Magma/Aqua's hideout, and other parts. But you meet Zinnia, a female Dragon-type trainer with a very cool personality. After everything, you and her arrive at the Sky Pillar, where you catch Rayquaza and it gets Dragon Ascent, a new move introduced that allows it to Mega Evolve without a Mega Stone. Then, you fight Zinnia once more, except this time she comes equipped with two more Pokémon and a Mega Salamence.]] But the true awesomeness comes in right after that: [[spoiler:You take the Team Magma/Aqua suit you used in the Seafloor Cavern '''AND RIDE RAYQUAZA INTO ACTUAL OUTER SPACE!!!!!''' There, you fight Deoxys, and can capture it for your very self. And as a reward for saving the world, you get a [[Heartwarming/PokemonRubyAndSapphire very touching montage]] of moments to watch that unfold.]]

* The climax of the first game. After using the Sun/Moon Flute at the Altar of the Sunne/Moone, [[spoiler:Nebby of all things jumps out of Lillie's bag, flies up and ''evolves into the mascot legendary!'']] This is the first time an [[spoiler:evolving legendary has been introduced,]] and of course, you get to fight and capture them right after. Their battle is fairly easy, but after that buildup, it's still amazing.
* The final boss battle against [[spoiler:Aether President Lusamine.]] After you beat her once and chased her into [[spoiler:Ultra Space,]] she decides that she's had enough and [[spoiler:''freaking fuses with a Nihilego'' to become the EldritchAbomination known as the Mother Beast.]] She has a team of rather powerful Pokemon, which are [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard all under totem boosts that boost all their stats.]] Which makes it all the more awesome when you still manage to beat her.
* The post-game battles against the [[spoiler:Ultra Beasts]] are amazing, partially because they're under a permanent stat buff, go unnamed when first met and have monstrous stats in one or two regards. It's even better when you finally catch the things that have been giving you trouble for most of the game and [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge sic them on every Pokemon in the area.]]
** [[spoiler:Nihilego]] is especially great to battle since [[spoiler:it's responsible for the entire conflict in the game]]. While it had just sat in the background causing events to happen most of the time, most players will learn now that it's perfectly able to hold its own in battle, with very high Sp. Atk and Sp. Def stats and a typing that's nearly impossible to guess just from looking, [[spoiler:Rock/Poison]].
** [[spoiler:Buzzwole or Pheromosa]] are also great to fight since they were in one of the trailers, the former being a MightyGlacier with extremely high physical Attack power, while the latter is a FragileSpeedster who outspeeds everything and has extreme Attack and Special Attack. They can and will punish the unprepared with a flurry of OneHitKill attacks, especially the latter, [[FragileSpeedster who will be faster than anything you have]][[note]]its base Speed is '''151''' — for comparison, Electrode's base Speed is 150. The only faster Pokémon are Ninjask and Speed Forme Deoxys[[/note]].
** [[spoiler:Xurkitree]] symbolizes a massive DifficultySpike in comparison to the last two: with an insane Special Attack stat (which is further boosted by its aura), Electric Terrain to further boost its attacks and keep you from stopping it with sleep, Power Whip to punish people that brought Ground-types (because it was pretty obvious what type it is), and due to its Sp. Atk, possibly the most devastating Discharge in the game (which is boosted even further by Electric Terrain). This thing can OneHitKill nearly anything, even if it resists Discharge, which makes it all the more amazing to sic it on your opponents after the fight.
** [[spoiler:Kartana and Celesteela.]] The former is a GlassCannon that can OneHitKill anything with its insane Attack stat, while the latter is a MightyGlacier with extreme defenses. Unlike [[spoiler:Buzzwole/Pheromosa,]] their battles vary a lot, meaning it's a totally different experience if you got ''Sun'' or ''Moon''.
** All of these pale to the fifth one, though: [[spoiler:Guzzlord]]. The thing has an insane amount of HP, good defenses, and a monumental Attack stat meaning it can tank everything you throw at it while dishing out near instant-death attacks like they're nothing. Combine this with its menacing appearance, and you have a monster many [=RPGs=] would be begging to have as a FinalBoss.
** Both [[spoiler:Kartana and Pheromosa]] can turn into {{Anticlimax Boss}}es, though, if you know that [[spoiler:their catch rate is 255, meaning you can just throw your Beast Ball at them from get-go with guaranteed success]].
* The Pokémon League is a massive step up from the previous entries. It's not just that the Elite Four are [[spoiler:people you've met and battled throughout your journey]]. It's not just that [[spoiler:after defeating them, you get to face off against Professor Kukui himself]]. It's not just about the fantastic battle music. The biggest thing is that [[spoiler:by doing this, you are officially recognized as the first Alola League Champion. Kukui wasn't the champion, oh no; he was your first challenger for the title, and every time you enter the League, a new trainer shows up to try and take the title from you. For once in the series, '''you''' get to be the FinalBoss that other trainers aspire to overcome — which also means that the Champion's battle theme is ''your ThemeMusicPowerUp'']]. How does it feel? ''Pretty darn awesome.'' And [[spoiler:Professor Kukui's]] team is one of the first genuinely decent teams an NPC has ever had, even setting up [[ThatOneAttack Stealth Rock]] right at the start to limit your switches.
* In ''Ultra'', first you fight a fusion of Solgaleo/Lunala and Necrozma, in the form of Dusk Mane/Dawn Wings Necrozma. It's a strong enough foe, but then you ride through the Ultra Wormhole and make way to Ultra Megalopolis, where you fight [[spoiler:Ultra Necrozma]], an opponent that will make you rethink everything you ever thought about Cynthia and BW Ghetsis. This foe has offensive stats on par with Kyurem's fused forms, is very fast, has wide coverage, a signature move that bypasses abilities (meaning no Sturdy for you), and worst of all, the Totem Aura boosts all its stats, making it VERY difficult to defeat without the usage of Toxic stalling or something else. At the same time, it reeks of epicness.
* ''Ultra''[='=]s post-game arc features [[spoiler:'''every villanous team leader from every previous generation''' in a massive BossRush. They're all from universes where their goals were successful [[ForWantOfANail because the Player Character didn't exist to stop them]], and they all have their game's respective box legendaries at their disposal.[[note]]Cyrus, Ghetsis, and Lysandre's legendaries differ depending on which version you're playing; if you're playing Ultra Sun, they'll have Dialga, Zekrom, and Xerneas, respectively. If you're playing Ultra Moon, they'll have Palkia, Reshiram, and Yvetal. Archie and Maxie, on the other hand, aren't version dependent--you fight both, but they're from the original Ruby and Sapphire, so sadly no Primal forms.[[/note]] Not epic enough? ''Giovanni can Mega-Evolve his Mewtwo.''[[note]]Also version-dependent--Mega Mewtwo X in Ultra Sun, Y in Ultra Moon.[[/note]]]]
* Also in ''Ultra'', there's a BaitAndSwitch where you're led to believe you'll be battling [[spoiler:Kukui again]], but instead he steps aside and [[spoiler:''Hau'' challenges you instead]]. Unlike in the originals, he has a full team of 6--he swapped his Komala for a far more formidable Tauros (meaning he conquered his implied fear of it from earlier in the game) and added a ''Noivern''--and instead of his starter holding the generic type-based Z-Crystal, it will be holding the species-exclusive one. His team also pushes level ''70'' the second time you fight him, making him one of the strongest trainers in the game apart from you and Red. [[spoiler:His strategy might not be much to write home about compared to Kukui's Stealth Rock+Whirlwind combo, but it's awesome to see how far Hau has come alongside you.]]

* The seventh Gym Leader, Piers, has an especially notable battle for several reasons. Firstly, he's the first Dark-type Gym Leader in the entire series, and he definitely pulls his own weight — his Pokémon have more strategies than you might expect, such as his Scrafty having its ''Hidden Ability,'' Intimidate and his Skuntank (which has only one weakness - Ground) combining Toxic and Sucker Punch. Secondly, his battle comes right after the revelation that [[spoiler:Team Yell isn't even an evil team; it's just made up of the Gym Trainers of Spikemuth. This makes him, essentially, the team leader (his battle theme is even called Team Yell Captain in-game), making the showdown more climactic — and since Piers isn't even evil, it feels like the perfect reversal of the Giovanni fight from the original ''Red and Blue'' games]]. Third of all, due to Spikemuth's location, your Pokémon can't Dynamax (though neither can his, not that he'd Dynamax them anyway), making the battle feel more nostalgic — like a classic Gym Leader fight. ''Fourth'' of all, Piers regularly cuts into the fight to hype up the crowd and TrashTalk you, adding an extra level of cinematic energy to an already fantastic battle. And finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeFJRaH2Mz8 his battle theme is amazing!]]
* The initial battle against [[spoiler:Eternatus]] isn't anything special; sure, it looks cool, and it might be higher-leveled than you if you didn't go out of your way to grind; but barring the fact that you can't capture it, it plays out much like any other endgame legendary battle. That is, until you knock it out, at which point it goes OneWingedAngel; it surpasses Dynamax and Gigantamax to [[spoiler:''Eternamax'']], turning from what's basically a skeletal dragon (which is already pretty cool-looking), to a coiled skeletal spiral around a glowing core, with one end extending out into a bony hand with an ''eye'' on the tip of each "finger" and black crystals on its "palm". Hop immediately joins the battle with you, only for your opponent's mere presence to prevent either of your Pokémon from moving. Three turns later, just when all seems lost Hop remembers the earlier {{MacGuffin}}s, [[spoiler:which the two of you then use to summon ''both'' of this generation's cover legendaries, which prove capable of knocking Eternatus out of "can't touch this" mode]]. What follows is basically a Max Raid battle with you, Hop, and [[spoiler:the cover legendaries]] ganging up on this EldritchAbomination until it's knocked out, at which point you're made to capture it in a Pokéball of your choice. All while on an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield courtesy of [[spoiler:Eternatus]] warping reality around it to show flashes of various locations on your journey. Finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3l2SRFVi28 there's the music]] packing [[AutobotsRockOut Electric Guitars]] and even howling-esque noises.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'': The battle against [[spoiler:Primal Dialga]] and the preceding cutscenes in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness]]'' were epic. No arguments. Although you might not appreciate it that much after [[spoiler:Primal Dialga wipes out your whole team with [[ThatOneAttack Roar of Time]]]].
* In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers PMD2]]'', [[spoiler:battles with Dusknoir seem to be magnets for Awesome Moments.... that is, if you're not busy having a HeroicBSOD from the plot developments]]. ''[[EnhancedRemake Explorers of Sky]]'' adds to this with the final secret mission. [[spoiler:[[FutureBadass Grovyle]], [[HeelFaceTurn Dusknoir]], and [[{{Tsundere}} Celebi]] versus Primal Dialga as they all slowly disappear due to the timestream repairing itself. It ends with all of them being revived by [[{{God}} Arceus]] and getting to see the first sunrise of their lives. A perfect end to Grovyle's story.]]

* If you want an awesome moment, in Colosseum, try [[spoiler:Evice]]. Not just for the amazing music, but for the fact that when you work out just how well your key Pokémon fit against his ([[spoiler:Entei beats Scizor, Suicune beats Salamence, Raikou beats Slowking, Espeon beats Machamp, Umbreon walls Slaking to death]]), you realise you've truly mastered the game.
* [[spoiler:Mewtwo]] as the final boss of ''VideoGame/PokemonRumble''. [[spoiler:Every time you clear a rank, you can see his silhouette in the background, and you finally find out why in the Rank S Battle Royale... [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere When he comes out of absolutely nowhere]] in the middle of your battle with the Legendary Bird Trio, accompanied by [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic an awesome remix of the original wild Pokemon battle theme]] from [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokemon Red and Blue]], [[ThatOneBoss as he focuses all of his most powerful attacks on you, while swarms of enemy Pokémon try to destroy you themselves]]. This is made even more awesome in Advanced Mode, where his silhouette is replaced by those of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina... And he's still the final boss.]]

** Both [[spoiler:Kartana and Pheromosa]] can turn into AnticlimaxBosses, though, if you know that [[spoiler:their catch rate is 255, meaning you can just throw your Beast Ball at them from get-go with guaranteed success]].

* [[CrazyAwesome Miror B.]] Hard? No. Epic? No. But he's a disco dude with an enormous Poké Ball-colored afro and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAHHFc-gIeI the most hilarious]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGI4kSdUOJQ Pokémon battle music ever]]. What's not to like?

* Leon, the aforementioned undefeated champion of the region, deserves some kudos for being arguably the first legitimately challenging champion since Cynthia. With his team being surprisingly well-balanced and at a noticeably high level compared to the other trainers up to that point in the game (his highest-level Pokémon being level 65). On top of that his team consists of multiple powerhouses, including the residential pseudo, with varied move-sets to cover their weaknesses. It is safe to say, if you don't come prepared, he can easily catch you off guard with how strong he really is. That being said, having a legitimately challenging champion in a mainline Pokemon game is a pleasant surprise and quite a refreshing challenge for a relatively easy game.

* Facing Legendaries, though for most[[GottaCatchThemAll the goal isn't to]] ''[[GottaCatchThemAll defeat]]'' [[GottaCatchThemAll them...]]

** [[spoiler:Kartana and Celsteela.]] The former is a GlassCannon that can OneHitKill anything with its insane Attack stat, while the latter is a MightyGlacier with extreme defenses. Unlike [[spoiler:Buzzwole/Pheromosa,]] their battles vary a lot, meaning it's a totally different experience if you got ''Sun'' or ''Moon''.

** Both [[spoiler:Kartana and Pheromosa]] can turn into AnticlimaxBoss though, if you know that [[spoiler:their catch rate is 255, meaning you can just throw your Beast Ball at them from get-go with guaranteed success]].

* Also in ''Ultra'', there's a BaitAndSwitch where you're led to believe you'll be battling [[spoiler:Kukui again]], but instead he steps aside and [[spoiler:''Hau'' challenges you instead]]. Unlike in the originals, he has a full team of 6--he swapped his Komala for a far more formidable Tauros (meaning he conquered his implied fear of it from earlier in the game) and added a ''Noivern''--and instead of his starter holding the generic type-based Z-Crystal, it will be holding the species-exclusive one. His team is also pushing level ''70'', making him one of the strongest trainers in the game apart from you and Red. [[spoiler:His strategy might not be much to write home about compared to Kukui's Stealth Rocks+Whirlwind combo, but it's awesome to see how far Hau has come alongside you.]]

* The battle with Opal is a delight, because in a case of StoryAndGameplayIntegration, she still throws her quizzes at you in the middle of her battle. You don't know when you're going to be buffed or debuffed, and instead of making the fight annoying, it makes the fight endearing as you learn more about the little old lady fighting you. Plus, many of the responses are silly and Opal just has a generally fun team to fight against. This is the first time ''Pokémon'' has ever tried to incorporate a gym gimmick into the gym leader's fight, and it is done seamlessly and with aplomb.
* The seventh Gym Leader, Piers, has an especially notable battle for several reasons. Firstly, he's the first Dark-type Gym Leader in the entire series, and he definitely pulls his own weight — his Pokémon have more strategies than you might expect, such as his Scrafty having its ''Hidden Ability,'' and his Skuntank combining Toxic and Sucker Punch. Secondly, his battle comes right after the revelation that [[spoiler:Team Yell isn't even an evil team; it's just made up of the Gym Trainers of Spikemuth. This makes him, essentially, the team leader (his battle theme is even called Team Yell Captain in-game), making the showdown more climactic — and since Piers isn't even evil, it feels like the perfect reversal of the Giovanni fight from the original ''Red and Blue'' games]]. Third of all, due to Spikemuth's location, your Pokémon can't Dynamax (though neither can his), making the battle feel more nostalgic — like a classic Gym Leader fight. ''Fourth'' of all, Piers regularly cuts into the fight to hype up the crowd and trashtalk you, adding an extra level of cinematic energy to an already fantastic battle. And finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeFJRaH2Mz8 his battle theme is amazing!]]
* The initial battle against [[spoiler:Eternatus]] isn't anything special; sure, it looks cool, and it might be higher-leveled than you if you didn't go out of your way to grind; but barring the fact that you can't capture it, it plays out much like any other endgame legendary battle. That is, until you knock it out, at which point it goes OneWingedAngel; it surpasses Dynamax and Gigantamax to go [[spoiler:''Eternamax'']], turning from what's basically a skeletal dragon (which is already pretty cool-looking), to a coiled skeletal spiral around a glowing core, with one end extending out into a bony hand with an ''eye'' on the tip of each "finger" and black crystals on its "palm". Hop immediately joins the battle with you, only for your opponent's mere presence to prevent either of your Pokémon from moving. A few turns in, Hop remembers the earlier {{MacGuffin}}s, [[spoiler:which the two of you then use to summon ''both'' of this generation's cover legendaries, which prove capable of knocking Eternatus out of "can't touch this" mode]]. What follows is basically a Max Raid battle with you, Hop, and [[spoiler:the cover legendaries]] ganging up on this EldritchAbomination until it's knocked out, at which point you're made to capture it in a Pokéball of your choice. All while on an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield courtesy of [[spoiler:Eternatus]] warping reality around it to show flashes of various locations on your journey. Finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3l2SRFVi28 there's the music]] packing [[AutobotsRockOut Electric Guitars]] and even howling-esque noises.

* Facing Legendaries, though technically [[GottaCatchThemAll the goal isn't to]] ''[[GottaCatchThemAll defeat]]'' [[GottaCatchThemAll them...]]

* Also in ''Ultra'', there's a BaitAndSwitch where you're led to believe you'll be battling [[spoiler:Kukui again]], but instead he steps aside and [[spoiler:''Hau'' challenges you instead]]. Unlike in the originals, he has a full team of 6--he swapped his Komala for a far more formidable Tauros (meaning he conquered his implied fear of it from earlier in the game) and added a ''[[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons Noivern]]''--and instead of his starter holding the generic type-based Z-Crystal, it will be holding the species-exclusive one. His team is also pushing level ''70'', making him one of the strongest trainers in the game apart from you and Red. [[spoiler:His strategy might not be much to write home about compared to Kukui's Stealth Rocks+Whirlwind combo, but it's awesome to see how far Hau has come alongside you.]]

** Ghetsis and more specifically, his '''Hydreigon'''. That meta-gaming jerk has a mid-50s Hydreigon [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard (the game mechanics have it evolving at 64)]], plus it's loaded down with [[KillItWithWater Surf]], [[KillItWithFire Fire Blast]], [[KamehameHadoken Focus Blast]], and... [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Dragon Pulse]]?... [[note]]Technically, it would be possible for Hydreigon to know Dark Pulse as an alternative STAB move, but Dark Pulse was removed from the TM list in Gen V, so the only way for Hydreigon to learn Dark Pulse in the original ''Black'' and ''White'' was to inherit it as an Egg Move from an Ekans/Arbok (no other Pokémon in the Dragon Egg Group could know Dark Pulse) — and, of course, using an Egg Move requires [[LevelGrinding training a Pokémon up all the way from Level 1]]. Even worse, the Ekans line could only learn Dark Pulse through its TM in Gen IV (of which [[TooAwesomeToUse only a single copy could be obtained per game, back when [=TMs=] were still single-use]]) and then had to be imported into ''Black/White'', which can only be done in the post-game. TL;DR: if getting a Hydreigon at all is an ordeal (which it is), then getting a Hydreigon with Dark Pulse was an ''odyssey''. The only other Special Dark-type moves were Night Daze (which was [[SecretArt exclusive to Zoroark]] at the time) and Snarl (which was the TM equivalent of a Mythical Pokémon — it could ''only'' be obtained through a limited-time event). Hydreigon's Attack is quite good, and it can easily learn physical Dark-type moves such as Crunch and Payback, but its Special Attack is ''better'', which is why Ghetsis' Hydreigon has an all-special moveset — and, as the next sentence makes note of, this moveset makes up for sacrificing a STAB option by having excellent type coverage.[[/note]] Anyway, so yeah (in addition, before the advent of Fairy-types, this combination of moves was able to achieve perfect neutral coverage). It'll just about one-shot ''anything'' it can line up a type weakness against. So your list of types to fight it with are slim. Best option is a ''pure'' Fighting-type, as it is a Dark[=/=]Dragon. Barring that, a Water-type with Ice moves (Samurott and/or Jellicent) works, too.

* Also in ''Ultra'', there's a BaitAndSwitch where you're led to believe you'll be battling [[spoiler:Kukui again]], but instead he steps aside and [[spoiler:''Hau'' challenges you instead]]. Unlike in the originals, he has a full team of 6--he swapped his Komala for a far more formidable Tauros (meaning he conquered his implied fear of it from earlier in the game) and added a ''[[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons Noivern]]''--and instead of his starter holding the generic type-based Z-Crystal, it will be holding the species-exclusive one. His team is also pushing level ''70'', making him the strongest trainer in the game apart from you. [[spoiler:His strategy might not be much to write home about compared to Kukui's Stealth Rocks+Whirlwind combo, but it's awesome to see how far Hau has come alongside you.]]

* N and Ghetsis from ''Black and White'' play things a lot more differently than the villains in the other main Pokémon games. They are fought ''right'' after defeating the Elite Four. You first fight the mascot legendary — which respawns if it faints, forcing you to catch it — then you fight N, who has the other version's mascot legendary as part of his team, then you fight six more Pokémon from Ghetsis. It helps that N is easily one of the most compelling rivals you've ever had.

* [[KnightTemplar Cy]][[BigBad rus]] in the [[EldritchLocation Distortion World]] in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Platinum]].'' You're at the end of a confusing world where the laws of physics as you knew them have no meaning, led through the puzzles by [[OlympusMons Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf]], and before you get to go capture [[EldritchAbomination Giratina]], you gotta beat a guy who, if you fail, will [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt destroy existence]] and remake it in his own image as a world [[EmptyShell without emotion, thought, or free will]]. Just that alone should point to how epic the buildup is, and the boss usually doesn't disappoint, especially not with the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic epic music]].

* N and Ghetsis from ''Black and White'' play things a lot more differently than the villains in the other main Pokémon games. They are fought ''right'' after defeating the Elite Four. You first fight the mascot legendary — which respawns if it faints, forcing you to catch it — then you fight N, who has the other version's mascot legendary as part of his team, then you fight six more Pokémon from Ghetsis. It helps that N is easily one of the most compelling rivals you've ever had, and that Ghetsis turns out to be [[CompleteMonster an utter monster of a human being]].

** Then there's the solo battle in ''Pokémon Stadium''. That he challenges you is his way of saying, "Hey. I can beat you and your whole team by myself. Bring it on!" The arena is made of a bunch of transparent crystalline material, and he has music befitting a final boss. And because the balancing issues hadn't been sorted out yet, he stood a pretty good chance of actually wrecking your team all by himself.

* Steven in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Ruby/Sapphire]]'' (he apparently abdicated his Champion position to Wallace in ''Emerald'', but he remained in the game as an even stronger BonusBoss). Although he was the first FinalBoss in the series to not have a direct connection to the player (as opposed to your rival in the first generation and the below-mentioned Red in generations two and four), he overcame that disappointment with an ''incredibly'' difficult-to-defeat team and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcOIQwqCl7s a kickass battle theme]]. He also had a pretty cool, easygoing personality... and an interior as hard as the Steel-types he uses. Pretty badass.

* Fighting [[BigBad Maxie]] and [[TheDragon Tabitha]] at the same time alongside Steven in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokemon Emerald]]'' was pretty cool, and the music only made it better.

* The Giratina fight following it also is very awesome, due no doubt to the music and just the fact that you're fighting a powerful being that probably isn't too happy with what Cyrus was doing and probably thinks you're part of it. It's also a pretty tough fighter in its own right and won't give up easily.

** In ''Black 2 and White 2'', Ghetsis is back. His Hydreigon was dumbed down quite a bit[[note]]its moveset is physical-based instead of special-based and is walled by Steel-types, not to mention you have plenty of other options to combat it with thanks to the New Unova Dex[[/note]], and two of his former Pokémon (Bouffalant and Bisharp) were replaced with Poison-types from Sinnoh, but it still makes for a cool fight. His theme was also revamped pretty hardcore, too.

* Benga, Alder's grandson also from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'', is a pretty awesome fight as well. You battle him at the top of the [[BonusDungeon Black Tower/White Treehollow]], which gives the battle with him a unique background. Getting to him is a long and arduous trek through extremely high leveled trainers with very limited chances to heal. When you finally do reach him, he comes flying at you with three extremely powerful Pokemon with good hold items that are even higher leveled than Iris'. One of them (depending on the version) is even a [[OlympusMons Latios or Latias]]! Finally, during the battle, him and his grandpa's [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic heroic and triumphant theme]] is blasting in the background, giving the fight an incredible feeling of grandeur. Oh, and if you defeat him? He rewards you with a ''shiny'' Dragon-type (Gible or Dratini depending on the version)!

** Yeesh, is this guy a joke? Mega Blaziken took all of them down with ease! Oh, wait, a Gyarados? Ah, no worr- ''The foe Gyarados's Gyaradosinite is reacting to Lysandre's Mega Gauntlet!'' And you thought only you could use Mega Evolution. '''NOPE!'''

** Another way to make it an anticlimax boss is to fight him with a Dark-type in FRLG/HGSS, allowing you to catch him with baseline Poké Balls with total ease, if a bit of a time investment. As Dark-types are unaffected by Mewtwo's Psychic-type offensive moves, almost the only thing you have to worry about is Mewtwo running out of PP.

** Ghetsis and more specifically, his '''Hydreigon'''. That meta-gaming jerk has a mid-50s Hydreigon [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard (the game mechanics have it evolving at 64)]], plus it's loaded down with [[KillItWithWater Surf]], [[KillItWithFire Fire Blast]], [[KamehameHadoken Focus Blast]], and... [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Dragon Pulse]]?... [[note]]Technically, it would be possible for Hydreigon to know Dark Pulse as an alternative STAB move, but Dark Pulse was removed from the TM list in Gen V, so the only way for Hydreigon to learn Dark Pulse in the original ''Black'' and ''White'' was to inherit it as an Egg Move from an Ekans/Arbok (no other Pokémon in the Dragon Egg Group could know Dark Pulse) — and, of course, using an Egg Move requires [[LevelGrinding training a Pokémon up all the way from Level 1]]. Even worse, the Ekans line could only learn Dark Pulse through its TM in Gen IV (of which [[TooAwesomeToUse only a single copy could be obtained per game, back when [=TMs=] were still single-use]]) and then had to be imported. TL;DR: if getting a Hydreigon at all is an ordeal (which it is), then getting a Hydreigon with Dark Pulse was an ''odyssey''. The only other Special Dark-type moves were Night Daze (which was [[SecretArt exclusive to Zoroark]] at the time) and Snarl (which was the TM equivalent of a Mythical Pokémon — it could ''only'' be obtained through a limited-time event). Hydreigon's Attack is quite good, and it can easily learn physical Dark-type moves such as Crunch and Payback, but its Special Attack is ''better'', which is why Ghetsis' Hydreigon has an all-special moveset — and, as the next sentence makes note of, this moveset makes up for sacrificing a STAB option by having excellent type coverage.[[/note]] Anyway, so yeah (in addition, before the advent of Fairy-types, this combination of moves was able to achieve perfect neutral coverage). It'll just about one-shot ''anything'' it can line up a type weakness against. So your list of types to fight it with are slim. Best option is a ''pure'' Fighting-type, as it is a Dark[=/=]Dragon. Barring that, a Water-type with Ice moves (Samurott and/or Jellicent) works, too.

* Battling the Champion, Iris, in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2''. After an outstanding battle intro scene, which is the only one the series has had yet to feature full body VS sprites, the battlefield is a bunch of multicolored beams flying through the starry sky. You know you're in for a fun fight when the Champion's first Pokémon is a Hydreigon. ''[[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Another]]'' [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard underleveled one, no less]], which, in fact, if you're playing on Challenge Mode or a rematch, has the same moveset that Ghetsis' had in the originals [[note]]In a regular initial battle, it has Flamethrower and Charge Beam instead of Focus Blast and Fire Blast[[/note]]. And that's just the beginning. She also has a Haxorus with Dragon Dance and a Focus Sash, along with lots of other strong hitters. While she's not the hardest Champion battle you'll face, it still makes for an awesome fight, especially with the pure undiluted [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic awesome]] that is her [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb9ee9lWSbg battle theme]]. And on Challenge Mode it's [[UpToEleven even more intense]], because her entire team gets redesigned and are given much more powerful movesets consisting of 100-120 and even 150 power STAB moves.

* Benga, Alder's grandson also from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' is a pretty awesome fight as well. You battle him at the top of the [[BonusDungeon Black Tower/White Treehollow]] which gives the battle with him a unique background. Getting to him is a long and arduous trek through extremely high leveled trainers with very limited chances to heal. When you finally do reach him, he comes flying at you with three extremely powerful Pokemon with good hold items that are even higher leveled than Iris'. One of them (depending on the version) is even a [[OlympusMons Latios or Latias]]! Finally, during the battle, him and his grandpa's [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic heroic and triumphant theme]] is blasting in the background, giving the fight an incredible feeling of grandeur. Oh, and if you defeat him? He rewards you with a ''shiny'' Dragon-type (Gible or Dratini depending on the version)!

** Yeesh, is this guy a joke? Mega Blaziken took all of them down with ease! Oh, wait, a Gyarados? Ah, no worr- ''The foe Gyarados's Gyaradosinite is reacting to Lysandre's Mega Gauntlet!'' And you thought only you could use Mega Evolution. NOPE!

** [[spoiler:Nihilego]] is especially great to battle since [[spoiler:it's responsible for the entire conflict in the game.]] While it had just sat in the background causing events to happen most of the time, most players will learn now that it's perfectly able to hold it's own in battle, with very high Sp. Atk and Sp. Def stats and a typing that's nearly impossible to guess just from looking, [[spoiler:Rock/Poison]].
** [[spoiler:Buzzwole or Pheromosa]] are also great to fight since they were in one of the trailers, the former being a MightyGlacier with extremely high physical Attack power, while the latter is a FragileSpeedster who outspeeds everything and has extreme Attack and Special Attack. They can and will punish the unprepared with a flurry of OneHitKill attacks, especially the latter who will be faster than anything you have.
** [[spoiler:Xurkitree]] symbolizes a massive DifficultySpike in comparison to the last two: with an insane Special Attack stat (which is further boosted by its aura), Electric Terrain to further boost its attacks and keep you from stopping it with sleep, Power Whip to punish people that brought Ground types (because it was pretty obvious what type it is), and due to its Sp. Atk, possibly the most devastating Discharge in the game (which is boosted even further by Electric Terrain). This thing can OneHitKill nearly anything, even if it resists Discharge, which makes it all the more amazing to sic it on your opponents after the fight.
** [[spoiler:Kartana and Celsteela.]] The former is a GlassCannon that can OneHitKill anything with its insane Attack stat, while the latter is a MightyGlacier with extreme defenses. Unlike [[spoiler:Buzzwole/Pheromosa,]] their battles vary a lot, meaning it's a totally different experience if you got Sun or Moon.
** All of these pale to the fifth one though: [[spoiler:Guzzlord.]] The thing has an insane amount of HP, good defenses, and a monumental Attack stat meaning it can tank everything you throw at it while dishing out near instant-death attacks like they're nothing. Combine this with its menacing appearance and you have a monster many [=RPGs=] would be begging to have as a FinalBoss.
** Both [[spoiler:Kartana and Pheromosa]] can turn into AnticlimaxBoss though, if you know that [[spoiler:their catch rate is 255, meaning you can just throw your Beast Ball at them from get go with guaranteed success]].
* The Pokémon League is a massive step up from the previous entries. It's not just that the Elite Four are [[spoiler: people you've met and battled throughout your journey]]. It's not just that [[spoiler:after defeating them, you get to face off against Professor Kukui himself]]. It's not just about the fantastic battle music. The biggest thing is that [[spoiler:by doing this, you are officially recognized as the first Alola League Champion. Kukui wasn't the champion, oh no; he was your first challenger for the title, and every time you enter the League, a new trainer shows up to try and take the title from you. For once in the series, '''you''' get to be the FinalBoss that other trainers aspire to overcome - which also means that the Champion's battle theme is ''your ThemeMusicPowerUp''.]] How does it feel? ''Pretty darn awesome.'' And [[spoiler: Professor Kukui's]] team is one of the first genuinely decent teams an NPC has ever had, even setting up [[ThatOneAttack Stealth Rock]] right at the start to limit your switches.

* ''Ultra''[='=]s post-game arc features [[spoiler: '''every villanous team leader from every previous generation''' in a massive BossRush. They're all from universes where their goals were successful [[ForWantOfANail because the Player Character didn't exist to stop them]], and they all have their game's respective box legendaries at their disposal.[[note]]Cyrus, Ghetsis, and Lysandre's legendaries differ depending on which version you're playing; if you're playing Ultra Sun, they'll have Dialga, Zekrom, and Xerneas, respectively. If you're playing Ultra Moon, they'll have Palkia, Reshiram, and Yvetal. Archie and Maxie, on the other hand, aren't version dependent--you fight both, but they're from the original Ruby and Sapphire, so sadly no Primal forms.[[/note]] Not epic enough? ''Giovanni can Mega-Evolve his Mewtwo.''[[note]]Also version-dependent--Mega Mewtwo X in Ultra Sun, Y in Ultra Moon.[[/note]]]]

* The battle with Opal is a delight, because in a case of StoryAndGameplayIntegration, she still throws her quizzes at you in the middle of her battle. You don't know when you're going to be buffed or debuffed, and instead of making the fight annoying, it makes the fight endearing as you learn more about the little old lady fighting you. Plus, many of the responses are silly and Opal just has a generally fun team to fight against. This is the first time ''Pokemon'' has ever tried to incorporate a gym gimmick into the gym leader's fight, and it is done seamlessly and with aplomb.
* The seventh Gym Leader, Piers, has an especially notable battle for several reasons. Firstly, he's the first Dark-type Gym Leader in the entire series, and he definitely pulls his own weight - his Pokemon have more strategies than you might expect, such as his Scrafty having its ''Hidden Ability,'' and his Skuntank combining Toxic and Sucker Punch. Secondly, his battle comes right after the revelation that [[spoiler: Team Yell isn't even an evil team; it's just made up of the Gym Trainers of Spikemuth. This makes him, essentially, the team leader (his battle theme is even called Team Yell Captain in game), making the showdown more climactic - and since Piers isn't even evil, it feels like the perfect reversal of the Giovanni fight from the original Red and Blue games]]. Third of all, due to Spikemuth's location, your Pokemon can't Dynamax (though neither can his), making the battle feel more nostalgic - like a classic Gym Leader fight. ''Fourth'' of all, Piers regularly cuts into the fight to hype up the crowd and trashtalk you, adding an extra level of cinematic energy to an already fantastic battle. And finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeFJRaH2Mz8 his battle theme is amazing!]]
* The initial battle against [[spoiler: Eternatus]] isn't anything special; sure, it looks cool, and it might be higher leveled than you if you didn't go out of your way to grind; but barring the fact that you can't capture it, it plays out much like any other endgame legendary battle. That is, until you knock it out, at which point it goes OneWingedAngel; it surpasses Dynamax and Gigantamax to go [[spoiler: ''Eternamax'']], turning from what's basically a skeletal dragon (which is already pretty cool looking), to a coiled skeletal spiral around a glowing core, with one end extending out into a bony hand with an ''eye'' on the tip of each "finger" and black crystals on its "palm". Hop immediately joins the battle with you, only for your opponent's mere presence to prevent either of your Pokémon from moving. A few turns in, Hop remembers the earlier {{MacGuffin}}s, [[spoiler: which the two of you then use to summon ''both'' of this generation's cover legendaries, which prove capable of knocking Eternatus out of "can't touch this" mode]]. What follows is basically a Max Raid battle with you, Hop, and [[spoiler: the cover legendaries]] ganging up on this EldritchAbomination until it's knocked out, at which point you're made to capture it in a Pokéball of your choice. All while on an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield courtesy of [[spoiler: Eternatus]] warping reality around it to show flashes of various locations on your journey. Finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3l2SRFVi28 there's the music]] packing [[AutobotsRockOut Electric Guitars]] and even howling-esque noises.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'': The battle against [[spoiler:Primal Dialga]] and the preceding cutscenes in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness]]'' were epic. No arguments. Although you might not appreciate it that much after [[spoiler:Primal Dialga wipes out your whole team with Roar of Time.]]
* In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers PMD2]]'', [[spoiler:battles with Dusknoir seem to be magnets for Awesome Moments.... that is, if you're not busy having a HeroicBSOD from the plot developments.]] [[EnhancedRemake Explorers of Sky]] adds to this with the final secret mission. [[spoiler:[[FutureBadass Grovyle]], [[HeelFaceTurn Dusknoir]], and [[{{Tsundere}} Celebi]] versus Primal Dialga as they all slowly disappear due to the timestream repairing itself. It ends with all of them being revived by [[{{God}} Arceus]] and getting to see the first sunrise of their lives. A perfect end to Grovyle's story.]]

* If you want an awesome moment, in Colosseum try [[spoiler: Evice]]. Not just for the amazing music, but for the fact that when you work out just how well your key Pokémon fit against his ([[spoiler: Entei beats Scizor, Suicune beats Salamence, Raikou beats Slowking, Espeon beats Machamp, Umbreon walls Slaking to death]]) you realise you've truly mastered the game.
* [[spoiler: Mewtwo]] as the final boss of ''VideoGame/PokemonRumble''. [[spoiler: Every time you clear a rank, you can see his silhouette in the background, and you finally find out why in the Rank S Battle Royale... [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere When he comes out of absolutely nowhere]] in the middle of your battle with the Legendary Bird Trio, accompanied by [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic an awesome remix of the original wild Pokemon battle theme]] from [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokemon Red and Blue]], [[ThatOneBoss as he focuses all of his most powerful attacks on you, while swarms of enemy Pokemon try to destroy you themselves]]. This is made even more awesome in Advanced Mode, where his silhouette is replaced by those of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina... And he's still the final boss.]]

[[AC:[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Generation I: Red, Blue and Yellow]], plus [[VideoGameRemake FireRed and LeafGreen]] ]]

[[AC:[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Generation II: Gold, Silver and Crystal]], plus [[VideoGameRemake HeartGold and SoulSilver]] ]]

* To some, ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver HeartGold]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver SoulSilver]]'' have some of the best battles in the series. [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo Red?]] Check. [[TheRival Blue?]] Check. [[{{Jerkass}} Clair]] [[DualBoss and Lance]] while teamed up with [[TheRival Silver]] Check. [[BigBad Giovanni?]] Check. [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters Too many legendaries to count?]] Check. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Eusine?]] Sure.

[[AC:[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Generation III: Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald]], plus [[VideoGameRemake Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]] ]]
* Tate and Liza in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald]]''. They're the only double-battle Gym Leaders in the main games (rematches in ''Emerald'' notwithstanding) and require the player to push their double-battle strategies to their limits--or to come with one on the spot--if they haven't been LevelGrinding. The battle may take longer than most battles up to that point (even though there are only two Pokémon (four in Emerald), but that's part of the charm of [=RPG=]s bosses for some players.

* The Delta Episode in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which the post-game immediately throws you into. [[spoiler:You're out to stop a giant meteoroid that's hurtling towards the planet, and throughout you have to go through various locations like Meteor Falls, Team Magma/Aqua's hideout, and other parts. But you meet Zinnia, a female Dragon-type trainer with a very cool personality. After everything, you and her arrive at the Sky Pillar, where you catch Rayquaza and it gets Dragon Ascent, a new move introduced that allows it to Mega Evolve without a Mega Stone. Then, you fight Zinnia once more, except this time she comes equipped with two more Pokémon and a Mega Salamence.]] But the true awesomeness comes in right after that: [[spoiler: You take the Team Magma/Aqua suit you used in the Seafloor Cavern '''AND RIDE RAYQUAZA INTO ACTUAL OUTER SPACE!!!!!''' There, you fight Deoxys, and can capture it for your very self. And as a reward for saving the world, you get a [[Heartwarming/PokemonRubyAndSapphire very touching montage]] of moments to watch that unfold.]]
* The battle with Wally at Victory Road in ORAS. In the original games, he was just one last trainer before traversing Victory Road/challenging the Pokemon League. Here, he has his own epic battle music, the battleground is a field of red spider lilies and instead of Gardevoir, he's evolved his Ralts into a Gallade, and he can Mega Evolve it too. He gets even better in the Battle Maison, to the point where his team wouldn't look at all out of place in a pro-league tournament.

[[AC:[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Generation IV: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum]] ]]
* The Sinnoh Elite Four. Hell, the battle with Cynthia alone. You can't exploit type weaknesses against her Spiritomb, ''because it has no weakness''. Her team is the most balanced of any NPC EVER. A revenge killer, a special wall, a mixed wall, and a sweeper as well. It is telling that this is considered the best of the champion fights in the series. She fights like an actual player, with a much more balanced team than any other NPC in the series.

* N and Ghetsis from ''Black and White'' play things a lot more differently than the villains in the other main Pokémon games. They are fought RIGHT after defeating the Elite Four. You first fight the mascot legendary - which respawns if it faints, forcing you to catch it, then you fight N, who has the other version's mascot legendary as part of his team, then you fight six more Pokémon from Ghetsis. It helps that N is easily one of the most compelling rivals you've ever had, and that Ghetsis turns out to be an utter monster of a human being.

** Ghetsis and more specifically, his HYDREIGON. That meta-gaming jerk has a mid-50s Hydreigon [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard (the game mechanics have it evolving at 64)]], plus it's loaded down with SURF, FIRE BLAST, FOCUS BLAST, and... Dragon Pulse?... Anyway, so yeah (in addition, before the advent of Fairy-types, this combination of moves was able to achieve perfect neutral coverage). It'll just about oneshot ANYTHING it can line up a type weakness against. So your list of types to fight it with are slim. Best option is a PURE Fighting-type, as it is a Dark / Dragon. Barring that, a Water-type with Ice moves (Samurott and/or Jellicent) works, too.
** In ''Black 2 and White 2'', Ghetsis is back. His Hydreigon was dumbed down quite a bit[[note]]its moveset is physical-based instead of special-based and is walled by Steel-types, not to mention you have plenty of other options to combat it with thanks to the New Unova Dex[[/note]], and two of his former Pokemon (Bouffalant and Bisharp) were replaced with Poison-types from Sinnoh, but it still makes for a cool fight. His theme was also revamped pretty hardcore, too.

* The initial battle against [[spoiler: Eternatus]] isn't anything special; sure, it looks cool, and it might be higher leveled than you if you didn't go out of your way to grind; but barring the fact that you can't capture it, it plays out much like any other endgame legendary battle. That is, until you knock it out, at which point it goes OneWingedAngel; it surpasses Dynamax and Gigantamax to go [[spoiler: ''Eternamax'']], turning from what's basically a skeletal dragon (which is already pretty cool looking), to a coiled skeletal spiral around a glowing core, with one end extending out into a bony hand with an ''eye'' on the tip of each "finger" and black crystals on its "palm". Hop immediately joins the battle with you, only for your opponent's mere presence to prevent either of your Pokémon from moving. A few turns in, Hop remembers the earlier {{MacGuffin}}s, [[spoiler: which the two of you then use to summon ''both'' of this generation's cover legendaries, which prove capable of knocking Eternatus out of "can't touch this" mode]]. What follows is basically a Max Raid battle with you, Hop, and [[spoiler: the cover legendaries]] ganging up on this EldritchAbomination until it's knocked out, at which point you're made to capture it in a Pokéball of your choice. All while on an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield courtesy of [[spoiler: Eternatus]] warping reality around it to show flashes of various locations on your journey. Finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3l2SRFVi28 there's the music]] which is essentially a ThemeMusicPowerUp.

* The initial battle against [[spoiler: Eternatus]] isn't anything special; sure, it looks cool, and it might be higher leveled than you if you didn't go out of your way to grind; but barring the fact that you can't capture it, it plays out much like any other endgame legendary battle. That is, until you knock it out, at which point it goes OneWingedAngel; it surpasses Dynamax and Gigantamax to go [[spoiler: ''Eternamax'']], turning from what's basically a skeletal dragon (which is already pretty cool looking), to a coiled skeletal spiral around a glowing core, with one end extending out into a bony hand with an ''eye'' on the tip of each "finger" and black crystals on its "palm". Hop immediately joins the battle with you, only for your opponent's mere presence to prevent either of your Pokémon from moving. A few turns in, Hop remembers the earlier {{MacGuffin}}s, [[spoiler: which the two of you then use to summon ''both'' of this generation's cover legendaries, which prove capable of knocking Eternatus out of "can't touch this" mode]]. What follows is basically a Max Raid battle with you, Hop, and [[spoiler: the cover legendaries]] ganging up on this EldritchAbomination until it's knocked out, at which point you're made to capture it in a Pokéball of your choice. All while on an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield courtesy of [[spoiler: Eternatus]] warping reality around it to show flashes of various locations on your journey.

* The seventh Gym Leader, Piers, has an especially notable battle for several reasons. Firstly, he's the first Dark-type Gym Leader in the entire series, and he definitely pulls his own weight - his Pokemon have more strategies than you might expect, such as his Scrafty having its ''Hidden Ability,'' and his Skuntank combining Toxic and Sucker Punch. Secondly, his battle comes right after the revelation that [[spoiler: Team Yell isn't even an evil team; it's just made up of the Gym Trainers of Spikemuth. This makes him, essentially, the team leader (his battle theme is even called Team Yell Captain in game), making the showdown more climactic - and since Piers isn't even evil, it feels like the perfect reversal of the Giovanni fight from the original Red and Blue games.]] Third of all, due to Spikemuth's location, your Pokemon can't Dynamax (though neither can his), making the battle feel more nostalgic - like a classic Gym Leader fight. ''Fourth'' of all, Piers regularly cuts into the fight to hype up the crowd and trashtalk you, adding an extra level of cinematic energy to an already fantastic battle. And finally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeFJRaH2Mz8 his battle theme is amazing!]]

* The battle with Opal is a delight, because in a case of StoryAndGameplayIntegration, she still throws her quizzes at you in the middle of her battle. You don't know when you're going to be buffed or debuffed, and instead of making the fight annoying, it makes the fight endearing as you learn more about the little old lady fighting you. Plus, many of the responses are silly and Opal just has a generally fun team to fight against. This is the first time Pokemon has ever tried to incorporate a gym gimmick into the gym leader's fight, and it is done seamlessly and with aplomb.

* The initial battle against [[spoiler: Eternatus]] isn't anything special; sure, it looks cool, and it might be higher leveled than you if you didn't go out of your way to grind; but barring the fact that you can't capture it, it plays out much like any other endgame legendary battle. That is, until you knock it out, at which point it goes OneWingedAngel; it surpasses Dynamax and Gigantamax to go [[spoiler: ''Eternamax'']], turning from what's basically a skeletal dragon (which is already pretty cool looking), to a coiled skeletal spiral around a glowing core, with one end extending out into a bony hand with an ''eye'' on the tip of each "finger" and black crystals on it's "palm". Hop immediately joins the battle with you, only for your opponent's mere presence to prevent either of your Pokémon from moving. A few turns in, Hop remembers the earlier [[MacGuffin MacGuffins]], [[spoiler: which the two of you then use to summon ''both'' of this generation's cover legendaries, which prove capable of knocking Eternatus out of "can't touch this" mode.]] What follows is basically a Max Raid battle with you, Hop, and [[spoiler: the cover legendaries]] ganging up on this EldritchAbomination until it's knocked out, at which point you're made to capture it in a Pokéball of your choice. All while on an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield courtesy of [[spoiler: Eternatus]] warping reality around it to show flashes of various locations on your journey.

* N and Ghetsis from ''Black and White'' play things a lot more differently than the villains in the other main Pokémon games. They are fought RIGHT after defeating the Elite Four. You first fight the mascot legendary - which respawns if it faints, forcing you to catch it, then you fight N, who has the other version's mascot legendary as part of his team, then you fight six more Pokémon from Ghetsis. It certainly helps that N is easily one of the most compelling rivals you've ever had, and that Ghetsis turns out to be an utter monster of a human being.

* N and Ghetsis from ''Black and White'' play things a lot more differently than the villains in the other main Pokémon games. They are fought RIGHT after defeating the Elite Four. You first fight the mascot legendary - which respawns if it faints, forcing you to catch it, then you fight N, who has the other version's mascot legendary as part of his team, then you fight six more Pokémon from Ghetsis.

* The TrueFinalBoss of the second generation and its fourth-generation [[VideoGameRemake remakes]]. You've obtained sixteen badges, and defeated every Gym Leader within your reach. Your team of {{mons}} is fully-evolved and totally ready and pumped to kick some ass. You've literally defeated every other trainer in the two regions. Who could possibly be left to challenge you? [[ContinuityNod Who else but]] ''[[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo Red, the protagonist of the previous game]]'', who after five generations still wields the highest-leveled Pokémon in the series. [[note]]His HGSS and GSC teams are the first and fourth-highest leveled trainers respectively, excluding Battle Frontier facilities but including Benga's Challenge Mode team from ''[=BW2=]'', who is tied for second with Barry from ''Platinum''.[[/note]] He's got some of the most famous and traditional Pokémon: the three fully evolved Kanto starters, Snorlax, Pikachu, and either Espeon or Lapras depending on version. As if all that wasn't enough, [[HeroicMime he doesn't even '' say'' anything as you fight him, speaking only in ellipses as a reference to his own silence in the original games.]] It was an incredible way to tie the first two generations together and bring everything full circle. It speaks volumes of how awesome this fight is when there is ''absolutely no dialogue or context involved'' and it ''still'' manages to feel epic based solely on the PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo. To make it even better, the battle theme (which he shares with Lance, the Pokemon League Champion) is a ''driving'' BossRemix of the classic theme song.

** [[spoiler:Xurkitree]] symbolizes a massive DifficultySpike in comparison to the last two: with an insane Special Attack stat (which is further boosted by its aura), Electric Terrain to further boost its attacks and keep you from stopping it with sleep, Power Whip to punish people that brought Ground types (because it was pretty obvious what type it is), and due to its Sp. Atk, possibly the most devastating Discharge in the game(which is boosted even further by Electric Terrain). This thing can OneHitKill nearly anything, even if it resists Discharge, which makes it all the more amazing to sic it on your opponents after the fight.