10 Toughest Battles In Pokémon History

3. Winona - Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire

Flying Types tend to get a bad rap from a lot of people. Perhaps because they're often the cannon fodder that appear on routes early in the game there's a general perception that they're typically weak Pokémon. But this certainly isn't a fair assessment, and one Gym Leader in particular proves this.

In Ruby & Sapphire Winona is on hand to show players just how tricky a team of birds can really be. Building her team around their acrobatic prowess and their ability to heighten evasiveness or diminish your Pokémon's accuracy, Winona's team can be seriously difficult to even land a glove on. Skarmory and Swellow will frustrate like this until ultimately succumbing to a lack of longevity, but the final member of the team is capable of finishing you off from there.

Altaria is a Dragon and Flying Type mix, meaning it's able to make the most of stronger attacks than Flying Types traditionally would. Dragon Dance will increase its Attack and Speed stats early on, and from there you'll desperately be hoping to get a lucky Critical Hit to take it down. Its Dragonbreath and Earthquake can be deadly after a few turns and the battle can be over before you know it.