Academy Ace Tournament: How to Unlock It

Winning through Paldea can make you feel ready for anything, but this final test has a way of exposing weak spots fast.

I prefer building a balanced team before entering, because relying on a single attacker can fall apart in a bad matchup.

The academy ace tournament throws four students and faculty members at you in a row, with no chance to swap Pokemon between battles.

That rule changes everything, from move coverage to healing items and team order. Mixed types, surprise counters, and damage can turn an easy opening round into a tense finish.

Before you step onto the academy battlefield, it helps to know the entry requirements, opponents, rewards, and team choices that can carry you through all four rounds.

Inside the Academy Ace Tournament

Nemona set this event up herself, with help from Director Clavell, right after you become Champion.

She wants proof that beating the Elite Four was not a fluke. So she gathers the strongest students and staff at the academy in Mesagoza for four fights in a row. The event sits at the very end of the postgame progression that follows your Gym Leader rematches.

Clearing the Academy Ace Tournament is one of the requirements for unlocking the hardest Tera Raid content in the game.

After your first tournament victory, you must also complete several high-level 4-star and 5-star Tera Raid Battles. Once those raids are finished, Jacq will contact you about mysterious black crystal raids, unlocking 6-star Tera Raids.

Skipping the tournament means you cannot begin this final unlock process, and you’ll miss access to rewards such as Ability Patches and other valuable items.

How Do You Unlock the Academy Ace Tournament?

Access to the Academy Ace Tournament requires several postgame steps completed in sequence.

Becoming Champion alone is not enough because you must also finish the main story in Area Zero before the tournament becomes available.

• Step 1: Complete the Main Story – Finish Victory Road, Starfall Street, and Path of Legends, then complete The Way Home storyline in Area Zero to roll the end credits. This is required before the postgame begins.
• Step 2: Complete the Gym Leader Rematches – Return to Naranja Academy in Pokémon Scarlet or Uva Academy in Pokémon Violet, then defeat all eight Gym Leaders again as part of the academy assessment.
• Step 3: Speak to Director Clavell – After reporting back to the academy, complete the remaining postgame events that lead to the Academy Ace Tournament becoming available.
• Step 4: Register for the Tournament – Speak to the attendant in the Academy Entrance Hall to enter the Academy Ace Tournament. Once unlocked, it remains available for unlimited repeat runs.

Once these requirements are complete, the Academy Ace Tournament becomes available for repeat challenges and rewards.

What Happens in Your First Run?

Your first Academy Ace Tournament has a fixed lineup: Arven, Jacq, Dendra, and Geeta. Similar to a Mario Kart Tournament, every player faces the same four trainers on their first run, making it easier to prepare for specific matchups.

Your Pokemon’s HP, PP, and status conditions fully reset between battles, so focus on team balance and type coverage rather than conserving resources.

The Fixed First-Run Lineup

Arven and Jacq are the first two opponents, and most teams that defeated the Elite Four should handle them without much trouble.

Dendra is more challenging because her team relies heavily on physical attacks. Bring Pokemon with strong Defense, useful resistances, or moves that reduce physical damage.

Geeta is the biggest difficulty spike. Her team has strong base stats and broad type coverage, which can punish poorly balanced lineups. Pokemon with solid Special Defense and resistance to Ice- and Dragon-type attacks are especially useful.

Review Geeta’s team before entering the final battle. Many first attempts fail because players prepare for the earlier rounds but underestimate the last matchup.

What “Full Restoration Between Rounds” Actually Means

After each round, your Pokemon’s HP and PP return to full, and status conditions such as paralysis, poison, sleep, burn, and freeze are removed.

Held items do not reset between battles. For example, if a Pokemon consumes a Berry in the first round, that Berry will remain unavailable during later rounds.

Plan one-time items carefully and save matchup-specific Berries for the opponent where they will provide the most value.

How Does the Repeatable Tournament Work?

After your first victory, the Academy Ace Tournament remains available as a permanent repeatable event with randomized opponents.

• Each run still includes four consecutive trainer battles.
• Your Pokemon’s HP, PP, and status conditions reset after every round.
• Opponents are randomly selected from teachers, Elite Four members, friends, and rivals.
• Trainer order is unpredictable, so stronger opponents may appear in any round.
• Later runs do not follow a fixed difficulty pattern.
• A high-level Pokemon with broad move coverage works better than a team built for one opponent.

Since every lineup is different, focus on consistent damage and wide type coverage to clear each run quickly.

Academy Ace Tournament Opponent Pool

After your first Academy Ace Tournament victory, the lineup is no longer fixed. Each run randomly selects four opponents from a pool of academy staff, rivals, Elite Four members, and other key characters, so you never know exactly who you’ll face.

Since the opponents and their order change with every run, a balanced team with strong type coverage is the best way to prepare for any matchup and improve your chances of winning.

How Do You Farm the Tournament for Money and Items?

The Academy Ace Tournament is one of the best repeatable ways to earn money in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The fastest method is to use a high-level Pokemon that can defeat opponents in one hit while holding the Amulet Coin.

Setting Up the Amulet Coin

Give the Amulet Coin to the Pokemon you plan to use throughout the tournament. The item only doubles prize money if its holder takes part in the battle, so avoid switching Pokemon unless necessary.

A single strong sweeper carrying the Amulet Coin is the simplest and most efficient setup for repeated runs.

Choosing Your Speed-Clear Pokemon (Scarlet vs. Violet)

Pokemon Scarlet: Flutter Mane is an excellent choice thanks to its high Special Attack and strong Fairy and Ghost moves. Moonblast and Shadow Ball can defeat most opponents with ease.

Pokemon Violet: Miraidon is the top option. Its powerful Electric and Dragon attacks, such as Electro Drift and Draco Meteor, make quick work of most tournament teams.

Whichever Pokemon you choose, level it up to the mid-to-high 90s and use moves with wide type coverage to keep every run fast and consistent.

How Does the DLC Change the Tournament Difficulty?

After completing The Indigo Disk or the Mochi Mayhem epilogue, Academy Ace Tournament opponents become stronger.

Their Pokemon have higher levels, deal more damage, and may survive attacks that previously would have resulted in one-hit knockouts.

This change can slow farming because weaker sweepers may require multiple attacks per opponent. A faster, bulkier Pokemon with strong move coverage becomes more reliable for repeat runs.

After the difficulty increase, some older one-hit knockout farming builds may become less consistent. If your usual sweeper starts missing knockouts, consider switching to a higher-level Pokémon with stronger move coverage or better overall bulk.

Mochi Mayhem was released as a free epilogue, so players may notice the tournament becoming harder even if they did not expect a major difficulty change.

What You Actually Get for Winning

Your first tournament victory gives you two guaranteed rewards: the Hall of Fame Ribbon: Every Pokemon in your current party receives this ribbon, and the Sporty Cap: Nemona gives you this wearable accessory after your first win.

After the first victory, you can enter the tournament as many times as you like. Each new run features random opponents and a chance to earn useful items, including Bottle Caps, vitamins, mints, Tera Shards, and rare Ability Patches.

The biggest long-term benefit is repeatable prize money. Four battles against high-level trainers can produce a strong payout, especially when you use a Pokemon holding an item that increases battle earnings.

This makes the tournament one of the better places in Paldea for earning money while collecting training items.

Strategy Tips to Win Every Round

A few simple habits can turn a difficult four-round run into a much more controlled tournament win:

• Terastallize in every round because your Tera Orb refills before each battle, so saving it provides no benefit.
• Build a mixed-type team, since opponents use varied lineups that can quickly stop a team focused on a single damage type.
• Train your Pokemon beyond level 65 because later faculty battles can reach level 80 and punish underleveled teams.
• Check move coverage before entering, as resistant Pokemon can still take heavy damage from unexpected secondary moves.
• Carry Rock, Fighting, or Dragon coverage to handle changing matchups, especially when opponents counter your starter after the opening turn.
• Keep a Steel- or Fairy-type available because both can handle many later-round attacks and give you time to adjust.

You do not need a perfectly competitive team, but balanced typing, useful coverage moves, and healthy levels will make all four rounds far easier.

Conclusion

Preparation makes the difference between a smooth run and an early loss. I would rather bring a balanced team with reliable type coverage than rely on a single overpowered favorite.

Level your Pokemon past 65, plan for random matchups, and use Terastallization because the Tera Orb resets after every round.

The academy ace tournament becomes easier once you understand each possible opponent and adjust for updated teams added after the Indigo Disk content.

Your first win unlocks rewards, but repeat runs make the event valuable for money, rare items, and access to tougher raids.

Which four trainers did you draw, and which matchup gave you the most trouble? Share your lineup and results in the comments so other players can compare strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many battles are in the Academy Ace Tournament?

The tournament consists of four consecutive single battles. Your Pokémon’s HP and PP are fully restored between each round, so you enter every battle at full strength. The structure is identical whether you are playing your first run or your fiftieth, four rounds, full restore in between, no exceptions.

Can you lose the Academy Ace Tournament?

Yes. If you lose any of the four battles, the run ends immediately, and you receive no reward for that attempt. There is no penalty beyond the lost time; you can re-enter and begin a new run straight away. A successful first tournament victory is required before you can unlock 6-star Tera Raids. Afterward, you must also complete several 4-star and 5-star Tera Raid Battles before Jacq contacts you about black crystal raids.

Do you need the DLC to access the Academy Ace Tournament?

No. The tournament is part of the base game and is available to any player who completes the required postgame progression. However, owning either DLC expansion, The Teal Mask or The Indigo Disk, or completing the free Mochi Mayhem epilogue will permanently scale up the opponent strength in all subsequent runs, making the tournament harder whether or not you intended to engage with the DLC content.

What is the best Pokémon for the Academy Ace Tournament?

For Pokémon Scarlet players, Flutter Mane is one of the best choices thanks to its high Special Attack and powerful Fairy- and Ghost-type moves. For Pokémon Violet players, Miraidon is an excellent option with its strong Electric- and Dragon-type attacks. Equip either Pokémon with an Amulet Coin to maximize prize money during repeated tournament runs.