Gaia walkthrough
9 parts, one per checkpoint Gaia’s own documentation defines: the areas each one opens, the wild Pokémon and trainers in them, and the fight at the end of it. Everything here is read off the game’s own files, so anything it doesn’t state isn’t claimed.
Part 1: Just started
13 areas · 21 trainers · Rival Coulter (Chimchar), Rival Coulter (Piplup), Rival Coulter (Turtwig) and 3 more
Part 2: Beat Fernando, Seros Gym — Mystic Badge
14 areas · 40 trainers · Rival Coulter (Chimchar), Rival Coulter (Piplup), Rival Coulter (Turtwig) and 1 more
Part 3: Beat Aria, Nestpine Gym — Plume Badge
14 areas · 30 trainers · Elder Knight Eunice, Nina, Elder Sage Morgana
Part 4: Beat Nina, Windmist Gym — Ember Badge
14 areas · 41 trainers · Elder Knight Enoch, Successor Belle, Vernon and 1 more
Part 5: Beat Vernon, Valoon Gym — Honeycomb Badge
10 areas · 27 trainers · Rival Coulter (Chimchar), Rival Coulter (Piplup), Rival Coulter (Turtwig) and 2 more
Part 6: Beat Sid, Telmurk Gym — Pollution Badge
10 areas · 46 trainers · Will, Elder Knight Ezekiel, Rival Coulter (Chimchar) and 2 more
Part 7: Beat Will, Precimos Gym — Focus Badge
18 areas · 33 trainers · Marina
Part 8: Beat Marina, Atsail Gym — Scale Badge
17 areas · 29 trainers · Richter, Elder Sage Morgana
Part 9: Beat Richter, Loamas Gym — Tectonic Badge
14 areas · 29 trainers · Rival Coulter (Chimchar), Rival Coulter (Piplup), Rival Coulter (Turtwig) and 5 more
It also doesn't say when Rimewood Forest opens up, so it is in no part above; it has its own route page.