10 Toughest Battles In Pokémon History

7. Norman - Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire

Aside from being memorable for being the only father that fledgling trainers have ever had in the main series Pokémon games, Norman is also one tough cookie. One of very few Gym Leaders to rely totally on Normal Types, it may first seem as though Norman's a bit of a bore and a pushover.

However, facing players as the fifth Leader in the third generation games, Norman quickly establishes himself as an opponent who can teach you a lot about frustrating battles. Filling his team with two Slaking that are both able to halt your attacks and regularly regain lots of HP very quickly, Norman's team is almost a parallel of that online player you'll face who relies heavily on a beast of a Snorlax.

With you Pokémon likely to be around level 35 at this point, it's difficult to have a team full of battlers that can finish these guys off quickly. And when that doesn't happen the battle can quickly become a test of endurance. Norman can make you waste so many attacks even before he gets going, but all of his Pokémon can also pack a heck of a punch (literally) when you least expect it.