Operation Starfall: How to challenge and defeat all 5 Team Star leaders in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s Starfall Street Challenge

As with every other main series Pokémon game, the primary antagonists are made up of a colourful gang of characters – although Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s Team Star are not quite as antagonistic as you might initially think…

To complete the story in the game, you’ll need to take on and defeat all five Team Star Leaders scattered in bases across the Paldea Region. Before you can take the Leaders themselves on, however, first you’ll have to defeat at least 30 of their subordinates’ Pokémon in a timed challenge. Fortunately, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s new Let’s Go auto-battling mode can make this a lot quicker than it sounds, so the real challenge still lies in having the appropriate team ready for the Leader themselves. Use our guide below to ensure you’re prepared at the right level and with the right team members for when you come up against them yourself.

All Operation Starfall Boss fights in level order

Giacomo of the Segin Squad

Giacomo is a newcomer to training the Dark Type Pokémon he now specializes in, making him one of the easier targets in Operation Starfall. He’s described as once being a “straitlaced student” but the formation of Team Star ultimately put him on a very different path.

To reach Giacomo, first you’ll have to take care of the Team Star member guarding the entrance, and then the Starfall Street Challenge of defeating at least 30 Pokémon in 10 minutes.

Team Star Grunt’s Team

#198

Murkrow

Lv. 19

Pokémon you’ll encounter within Team Star’s Base

Giacomo’s Team

Lv. 21

Lv. 20

Giacomo’s Pawniard shouldn’t pose much of a threat, it’s 4x weak to Fighting type attacks and 2x weak to Ground and Fire moves, so there’s a pretty wide range of Pokémon you can bring to this particular battle for a significant advantage.

His customised Revavroom Starmobile will be a pure Dark type, so Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves will secure massive damage against it. Beware it’s unique Wicked Torque attack. This Physical attack will do 80 Dark Type damage.

Mela of the Schedar Squad

Mela is as fiery a character as the Fire Type Pokémon she specializes in. She apparently believes in solving every problem with force, but is, all the same, charismatic and keeps to her word, earning her the trust of her Team Star allies.

To reach Mela, first you’ll have to take care of the Team Star member guarding the entrance, and then the Starfall Street Challenge of defeating at least 30 Pokémon in 10 minutes.

Team Star Grunt’s Team

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Houndour

Lv. 25

Pokémon you’ll encounter within Team Star’s Base

Mela’s Team

Lv. 27

Lv. 26

Mela’s Torkoal has the Drought Ability, meaning that Water Type attacks will be weakened whilst Torkoal is in battle and for up to 5 turns after it’s defeated. However, both it and Mela’s Starmobile will still be just as weak to Ground and Rock type attacks, so as long as you bring those Types of Pokémon along you should have this battle easily in hand.

The Starmobile Revavroom does have the Ability Speed Boost – meaning it’s speed will raise one stage after every turn, and it’s Blazing Torque unique move will do 80 Physical Fire Type damage if lands, but Ground and Rock type Pokémon should still have an easy upper-hand throughout.

Atticus of the Navi Squad

Atticus believes himself to be a descendant of Ninjas and both dresses and acts the part, including his use of Poison Type Pokémon to toy with his opponents.

Pokémon Trainer Youssef’s Team

Lv. 30

Lv. 31

Pokémon you’ll encounter within Team Star’s Base

Atticus’ Team

Lv. 32

Lv. 33

Lv. 32

Lv. 32

Atticus’ team is somewhat unique amongst Team Star’s in that it actually stars Revavroom in it’s normal, Poison/Steel, state. However, being part Steel just makes Atticus’ first Revavroom twice as weak to Ground Type attacks, so you can really lean on Ground type Pokémon throughout this match.

The Poison Type Starmobile has the Ability Toxic Debris – a new Ability for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet which will scatter Toxic Spikes around your team every time it takes damage. This will badly poison any Pokémon you switch in, so be prepared with either plenty of antidotes or come prepared with a Poison Type Pokémon of your own to clear the Toxic Spikes away by switching in. It’s unique move Noxious Torque will also be capable of delivering an extra-powerful 100 Poison Type Physical damage.

Ortega of the Ruchbah Squad

Ortega is the second strongest of the Team Star bosses, with a specialisation in Fairy Type Pokémon. He’s also easily the richest, as his family owns an apparel brand famed worldwide, including in Paldea. Although he’s described as looking down on others due to his upbringing, he also has used his position to help fund Team Star’s operation.

Pokémon Trainer Harrington’s Team

Lv. 48

Lv. 49

Unlike other Team Star bases, to enter this one you’ll have to defeat Ortega’s piano tutor who has come to visit Ortega at behest of his parents. He’s also a little bit more than just a music teacher, but we’ll let him explain that to you…

Pokémon you’ll encounter within Team Star’s Base

Ortega’s Team

Lv. 50

Lv. 50

Lv. 51

Lv. 50

Ortega’s Fairy Type Pokémon can prove a bit of a challenge, particularly as they are all also quite bulky, defensive Pokémon. All four are weak to Poison Type attacks, though, so a Special Poison attack like Venoshock can be especially effective throughout the match.

The Starmobile’s Magical Torque will deliver an extra-powerful 100 Fairy Type Physical damage, so be especially cautious with using Fighting, Dark and Dragon type Pokémon against it.

Eri of the Caph Squad

Eri and her Fighting Type Pokémon are easily the toughest challenge in Operation Starfall. She originally entered the Academy on a sports scholarship and can make as good a use of her own Wrestling moves in a fight as her Pokémon can in a battle.

Team Star Grunt’s Team

Lv. 54

Lv. 55

Pokémon you’ll encounter within Team Star’s Base

As well as featuring lots of very strong Fighting Type Pokémon, unlike other Team Star Bases there’s more or less a single, narrow path to take to progress, and healing Vending Machines are often well behind enemy lines. Be prepared with strong, super-effective Pokémon like Flying and Psychic types and try to balance out how much each of your three Pokémon get into scraps as much as possible.

Eri’s’s Team

Lv. 55

Lv. 55

Lv. 56

Lv. 55

Lv. 56

Psychic, Flying and Fairy type Pokémon are the order of the day here, but be aware that Eri’s varied Type combinations will mean you’ll have to be quite flexible in how you deploy those Pokémon. Toxicroak is 4x weak to Psychic Type attacks, and along with Lucario is vulnerable to Ground Type moves, but both will take Fairy Type moves in their stride despite being Fighting Types.

Annihilape, meanwhile, might be weak to Psychic Type attacks, but conversely as a Ghost Type will have plenty in it’s arsenal to strike back at Psychic Type Pokémon.

Passimian’s high Speed and lethally high Attack stat will also be combined with it’s use of the incredibly powerful Close Combat move, making it a particular threat despite being weak to all three options of Flying, Psychic and Fairy Types.

Although the rest of Eri’s team have been tough, it’s her Fighting Type Revavroom that poses the highest threat. As well as being a generally strong opponent, this Revavroom also has the Stamina ability – meaning every time it takes damage, it’s Defense stat will rise. With it also knowing Shift Gear – which will raise it’s Attack and sharply raise it’s Speed – if you’re not careful, Revavroom’s stats can rapidly rise out of control.

It’s 100 Power Steel Type Physical move, Spin Out will also be a big problem for Fairy Type Pokémon, while Combat Torque will hit with 100 Fighting Type Physical damage, giving it plenty of opportunities all around to hit like the truck it is.

Challenging The Big Boss

Once you’ve defeated all 5 Team Star Leaders, the final challenge in Operation Starfall will be to meet the ‘Big Boss’ at School for a final showdown.

First, though, for reasons that’ll become clear throughout the unfolding narrative of the Starfall Street Challenge, you’ll have to take on Director Clavell – who’ll have in his team the remaining Starter Pokémon you and Nemona didn’t choose at the beginning of the game.

Director Clavell’s Team

Lv. 60

Lv. 60

Lv. 60

Lv. 60

Lv. 60

Lv. 61

Lv. 61

Lv. 61

Clavell will Terastallize his Starter Pokémon at the end of the battle, and carries quite a strong and varied team with him before that. You’ll get quite far with Fire Type attacks throughout half of his team, while Gyarados’ Electric Type weakness and Polteageist’s Dark Type weakness should both be fairly easy to exploit as well.

Team Star’s Big Boss

Finally, to finish Operation Starfall, you must take down the true Big Boss.

Lv. 62

Lv. 62

Lv. 62

Lv. 62

Lv. 62

Lv. 63

Although this is obviously a very varied team, Eevee’s Evolutions are all manageable enough so long as you have a varied team yourself. Make sure you have at least one super effective move to counter all six Types across your party. Ground Types will let you clear both Flareon and Jolteon quite easily, while Bug Type moves will be able to take care of both Umbreon and Leafeon.

Sylveon, with only weaknesses to Poison and Steel Type attacks might prove the toughest challenge – particularly as it will Terastallize with it’s Fairy Tera Type.

Defeating the Big Boss will bring about the end of Operation Starfall, but might not necessarily mean the end of Team Star itself…

Now take on the remaining Main Story paths!

With Operation Starfall complete, make sure to check out our guides on taking on the Pokémon League Challenge and the Titan-filled Path of Legends Challenge.

With all three paths complete, you’ll also be ready to begin an expedition into the crater at the heart of the Paldea Region and complete the main game.