Rare biomes are ones which involve a chance to enter. As per the information on rare_biomes, these rare biomes are Island, Wasteland, Fairy Cave, Space, and Laboratory. If you just want to find these biomes, then the information on that page is sufficient. However, if you want to fight the gym leaders in those locations and claim their vouchers, that's another story. These routes are the shortest found by the community to fight gym leaders in these rare biomes.
This guide assumes you are able to find the map item early, or that the routes described happen to be the path you are taken on before finding the map. If you find yourself on a different route before getting the map, you may use the “(gym)” markers in the described routes to orient yourself. Keep in mind, there are only 6 gym fights in a single run.
One important mechanic to keep in mind during standard or challenge gameplay is your first gym leader could be at wave 20 or 30. As such, routes have been created for either scenario.
Island
The only gym leader here is Nessa.
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave in route 50
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Lake |
| 40 | Beach |
| 50 | Island (gym) |
Should one fail the 25% chance of getting into Island from Beach assuming 1st gym at wave 20, waves 50-140
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 50 | Sea (gym) |
| 60 | Seabed |
| 70 | Cave |
| 80 | Lake (gym) |
| 90 | Swamp |
| 100 | Tall Grass |
| 110 | Cave (gym) |
| 120 | Lake |
| 130 | Beach |
| 140 | Island (gym) |
Alternate recovery assuming 1st gym at wave 20, waves 50-140
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 50 | Sea (gym) |
| 60 | Ice Cave |
| 70 | Snowy Forest |
| 80 | Lake (gym) |
| 90 | Swamp |
| 100 | Tall Grass |
| 110 | Cave (gym) |
| 120 | Lake |
| 130 | Beach |
| 140 | Island (gym) |
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 30; final wave in route 90
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains |
| 30 | Lake (gym) |
| 40 | Swamp |
| 50 | Tall Grass |
| 60 | Cave (gym) |
| 70 | Lake |
| 80 | Beach |
| 90 | Island (gym) |
The recovery routes for first gym at wave 20 can be adjusted by adding 40 to each wave number
Wasteland
The gym leaders here are Clair, Draydon, and Raihan.
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave in route 80
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Grassy Field |
| 40 | Tall Grass |
| 50 | Cave (gym) |
| 60 | Badlands |
| 70 | Mountain |
| 80 | Wasteland (gym) |
Recovery for if the 33% chance misses, waves 80-140
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 80 | Volcano (gym) |
| 90 | Beach |
| 100 | Sea |
| 110 | Ice Cave (gym) |
| 120 | Snowy Forest |
| 130 | Mountain |
| 140 | Wasteland (gym) |
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 30; final wave in route 90
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains |
| 30 | Lake (gym) |
| 40 | Swamp |
| 50 | Tall Grass |
| 60 | Cave (gym) |
| 70 | Badlands |
| 80 | Mountain |
| 90 | Wasteland (gym) |
Recovery is basically the same as starting your gym cylce on wave 20, just add 10 waves
Fairy Cave
The gym leaders here are Bede, Opal, and Valerie.
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave in route 110
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Grassy Field |
| 40 | Tall Grass |
| 50 | Cave (gym) |
| 60 | Lake |
| 70 | Swamp |
| 80 | Tall Grass (gym) |
| 90 | Forest |
| 100 | Meadow |
| 110 | Fairy Forest (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Fairy Forest if you fail the coinflip to enter it from Meadow.
The second route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave at wave 110
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Lake |
| 40 | Construction Site |
| 50 | Dojo (gym) |
| 60 | Plains |
| 70 | Grassy Field |
| 80 | Tall Grass (gym) |
| 90 | Forest |
| 100 | Meadow |
| 110 | Fairy Forest (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Fairy Forest if you fail the coinflip to enter it from Meadow.
The third route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave at wave 110
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Grassy Field |
| 40 | Tall Grass |
| 50 | Cave (gym) |
| 60 | Badlands |
| 70 | Desert |
| 80 | Ancient Ruins (gym) |
| 90 | Forest |
| 100 | Meadow |
| 110 | Fairy Cave (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Fairy Forest if you fail the coinflip to enter it from Meadow.
The fourth route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave at wave 170
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Metropolis |
| 40 | Slum |
| 50 | Construction Site (gym) |
| 60 | Dojo |
| 70 | Plains |
| 80 | Metropolis (gym) |
| 90 | Slum |
| 100 | Construction Site |
| 110 | Dojo (gym) |
| 120 | Plains |
| 130 | Grassy Field |
| 140 | Tall Grass (gym) |
| 150 | Forest |
| 160 | Meadow |
| 170 | Fairy Forest (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Fairy Forest if you fail the coinflip to enter it from Meadow.
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 30; final wave in route 120
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains |
| 30 | Metropolis (gym) |
| 40 | Slum |
| 50 | Construction Site |
| 60 | Dojo (gym) |
| 70 | Plains |
| 80 | Grassy Field |
| 90 | Tall Grass (gym) |
| 100 | Forest |
| 110 | Meadow |
| 120 | Fairy Forest (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Fairy Forest if you fail the coinflip to enter it from Meadow.
The second route, with gyms starting at wave 30; final wave in route 120
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains |
| 30 | Grassy Field (gym) |
| 40 | Tall Grass |
| 50 | Forest |
| 60 | Jungle (gym) |
| 70 | Temple |
| 80 | Swamp |
| 90 | Tall Grass (gym) |
| 100 | Forest |
| 110 | Meadow |
| 120 | Fairy Forest (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Fairy Forest if you fail the coinflip to enter it from Meadow.
Space
The only gym leader here is Olympia
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave in route 110
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Lake |
| 40 | Swamp |
| 50 | Tall Grass (gym) |
| 60 | Cave |
| 70 | Lake |
| 80 | Swamp (gym) |
| 90 | Graveyard |
| 100 | Abyss |
| 110 | Space (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Space if you fail the 33% chance to enter it from Abyss.
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 30; final wave in route 110
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains |
| 30 | Grassy Field (gym) |
| 40 | Tall Grass |
| 50 | Cave |
| 60 | Lake (gym) |
| 70 | Swamp |
| 80 | Tall Grass |
| 90 | Forest (gym) |
| 100 | Meadow |
| 110 | Fairy Forest |
| 120 | Space (gym) |
This route does not offer repeated chances to fight a gym leader in Space if you fail the 16.5% chance to enter it from Meadow/Fairy Forest.
Laboratory
The only gym leader here is Giovani.
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 20; final wave in route 80
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains (gym) |
| 30 | Metropolis |
| 40 | Slum |
| 50 | Construction Site (gym) |
| 60 | Power Plant |
| 70 | Factory |
| 80 | Laboratory (gym) |
Recovery route, waves 80-140
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 80 | Plains (gym) |
| 90 | Metropolis |
| 100 | Slum |
| 110 | Construction Site (gym) |
| 120 | Power Plant |
| 130 | Factory |
| 140 | Laboratory (gym) |
The first route, with gyms starting at wave 30; final wave in route 90
| Final wave of area | Area |
|---|---|
| 10 | Town |
| 20 | Plains |
| 30 | Metropolis (gym) |
| 40 | Slum |
| 50 | Construction Site |
| 60 | Dojo (gym) |
| 70 | Plains |
| 80 | Lake |
| 90 | Construction Site (gym) |
| 100 | Power Plant |
| 110 | Factory |
| 120 | Laboratory (gym) |
Recovery if you miss the 25% chance is similar to recovery starting at wave 20, just add 40 to the wave numbers to end at wave 180