• Check out the relaunch of our general collection, with classic designs and new ones by our very own Pissog!

The Best and Worst Boss Fights in Pokemon

Penny is an interesting discussion for how they built her team compared to Arven/Nemona/Clavell.
Nemona: 5 mons with broad types, a starter, all with high stats, some of them are rare/powerful, others are iconic to this generation. Mostly 4 attacks with excellent coverage.
Clavell: FWG core including a starter and 2 powerhouses, 3 other mons. The FWG core has 4 attacks each with excellent coverage, the 3 others are bulky setup sweepers and rare/weird choices.
Arven: 5 food themed mons+his dog. Either 4 attacks with excellent coverage or 3 attacks+setup move.
Penny: 6 Eeveeloutions. All have Baby Doll Eyes, Quick Attack, STAB, and one coverage move.

Penny feels like she should be the weakest of the three, and yet she's the only one I've seen people truly consider difficult.
Frankly if I had known about Penny's Baby-Doll Eyes spam I would've led Gardevoir and set up Calm Minds on Umbreon. The fight wouldn't even be annoying at that point, just pedestrian.
 
Last edited:
Frankly if I had known about Penny's Baby-Doll Eyes spam I would've led Gardevoir and set up Calm Minds on Umbreon. The fight wouldn't even be annoying at that point, just pedestrian.
That's why I said that a lot of these fights have to be evaluated under blind run conditions.

It's *extremely* easy for people to pick them apart knowing what's coming, especially veterans like us. Knowing the moves they get makes it trivial to form a gameplan in as little as 60 seconds.
 
Penny is an interesting discussion for how they built her team compared to Arven/Nemona/Clavell.
Nemona: 5 mons with broad types, a starter, all with high stats, some of them are rare/powerful, others are iconic to this generation. Mostly 4 attacks with excellent coverage.
Clavell: FWG core including a starter and 2 powerhouses, 3 other mons. The FWG core has 4 attacks each with excellent coverage, the 3 others are bulky setup sweepers and rare/weird choices.
Arven: 5 food themed mons+his dog. Either 4 attacks with excellent coverage or 3 attacks+setup move.
Penny: 6 Eeveeloutions. All have Baby Doll Eyes, Quick Attack, STAB, and one coverage move.

Penny feels like she should be the weakest of the three, and yet she's the only one I've seen people truly consider difficult.
In Penny’s case I think it’s a story-driven decision. She’s a reclusive hacker, she’s not meant to be good at battle strategy.
 
Having a common move for the team, Baby-Doll Eyes in this case, don’t just help characterize a Trainer more than it would have without, but it can also leave blind playthrough players blinded at first, but can then figure out a strategy to counter it. Whether or not it makes for “Best” or “Worst” depends on the move in question (evasion-rising moves + statuses will make it a nightmare in the worst way possible), but it can help showcase a variety of strategies, even those that’s niche at best in competitive.

The lack of status moves ends up harming Nemona, Clavell and Arven as they got nothing to set up in advance or put the opponent in a bad position beyond damage, even if their team looks strong at a glance.
 
In Penny’s case I think it’s a story-driven decision. She’s a reclusive hacker, she’s not meant to be good at battle strategy.
Right, but she ends up being a surprising roadblock despite her objectively terrible team, and I think that's very interesting. It's also more memorable than something like Nemona, if only because she has a clear theme.

I've said before, but if they want to make trainers who are threats, they need to make fights that teach the player something, even if it's only "have a good mix of coverage with both special and physical moves"
Why does Nemona have a Dudunsparce and a Orthworm in her final battle

Why all the worms
Lycanroc, Goodra: Well-known strong mons
Starter: Starter
Dundunsparce, Orthworm, Pawmot: Clearly intended to be some of the faces of this gen. The early-game electric-type, a meme, and a big threatening steel-type. Like, I don't think GF intended to push any of these mons, but I think they were definitely leaving themselves options in case one of them hit it big.
 
So outside of 4x weak mons in boss fights, wallace seems wimpy. 8th gym, has a luvdisc and sealeo among the five wth. Luvdisc is just doomed unless they give it an Evo, and sealeo should've been walrein. I haven't played old r/s/e in ages, but iirc, it WAS walrein.
 
So outside of 4x weak mons in boss fights, wallace seems wimpy. 8th gym, has a luvdisc and sealeo among the five wth. Luvdisc is just doomed unless they give it an Evo, and sealeo should've been walrein. I haven't played old r/s/e in ages, but iirc, it WAS walrein.
1762730095504.png

Nope. It's Sealeo.

The fact everything uses Water Pulse as Water STAB doesn't help, either. At least a couple mons have Rain Dance?
 
So outside of 4x weak mons in boss fights, wallace seems wimpy. 8th gym, has a luvdisc and sealeo among the five wth. Luvdisc is just doomed unless they give it an Evo, and sealeo should've been walrein. I haven't played old r/s/e in ages, but iirc, it WAS walrein.
Other than Luvdisc's Sweet Kiss, both Wallace (in RS and ORAS) and Juan (in Emerald) can be completely solo'd by a puny Shedinja.
 
Other than Luvdisc's Sweet Kiss, both Wallace (in RS and ORAS) and Juan (in Emerald) can be completely solo'd by a puny Shedinja.
Am I the only one who thinks that's not a bad thing? Virtually zero first-time RSE/ORAS players will obtain a Shedinja, let alone keep it on their team throughout the game. I think it's appropriate that it should get a few easy Ws against important lategame trainers to reward players for discovering and sticking with it.
 
That's a good point! Shed should have some use, since it's still an evolved unique ability mon. It ofc will never be much but...everyone having kit on it seems absurd too.
 
Before I got done with this batch of posting I’m doing right now, the last thing I wanted to post on any thread in particular right now was that I just got done fighting Jacinthe in Legends Z-A (the promotion match, more specifically) and the fact neither her or her assistant use a Mega Altaria is baffling enough for me to want to post about it. I can give Ivor and Corbeau a pass since the base game has no Fighting/Ghost or Poison/Steel Pokémon respectively, but Canari for as much as I don’t like her and fellow Electric streamer Iono at least had an Electric/Ground Pokémon in the form of Stunfisk.

Yeah, yeah, I know, they use their own new Megas instead, cool, but you can’t look at this thing and tell me this wasn’t practically made for them.

:XY/altaria-mega:
 
Before I got done with this batch of posting I’m doing right now, the last thing I wanted to post on any thread in particular right now was that I just got done fighting Jacinthe in Legends Z-A (the promotion match, more specifically) and the fact neither her or her assistant use a Mega Altaria is baffling enough for me to want to post about it. I can give Ivor and Corbeau a pass since the base game has no Fighting/Ghost or Poison/Steel Pokémon respectively, but Canari for as much as I don’t like her and fellow Electric streamer Iono at least had an Electric/Ground Pokémon in the form of Stunfisk.

Yeah, yeah, I know, they use their own new Megas instead, cool, but you can’t look at this thing and tell me this wasn’t practically made for them.

:XY/altaria-mega:

Lisia confirmed for Mega Dimensions!

Well Lebanne does at least use an Altaria in her rematches, which I guess is a soft nod toward its Mega being Dragon/Fairy. Maybe Jacinthe tried to make Lebanne switch to using it but she managed to talk her way out of it.

Jacinthe: Oh Lebanne, I have a fantastique gift for you!
Lebanne: A gun to shoot myself with...
Jacinthe: What was that? You know mumbling is not proper etiquette.
Lebanne: Please pardon me, Lady Jacinthe. I was just overwhelmed with you presenting a gift to myself that I had to take a moment to ponder what is could be.
Jacinthe: I'm so ecstatic that you're excited what I have for you! Here!
(Jacinthe hand Lebanne a Poke Ball, Lebanne sending out a Altaria)
Lebanne: Oh! An Altaria. Thank you so very much, Lady Jacinthe. It'll make a fine addition to my team. Well, that wasn't so bad. Not really my style but Altaria is a pretty bulky dragon...
Jacinthe: ~That's not all!~ Look at what it's holding.
Lebanne: What it's holding? It's a... Altarianite, Altaria's Mega Stone.
Jacinthe: That it is! As you may already know, when Altaria Mega Evolves it becomes a Dragon/Fairy-type! Its transformation reminds me of you, a once basique Dragon-type trainer who I, like a trainer Mega Evolving their Altaria, ascended into the upper echelons of the SBC. I feel it would make a much better Mega Pokemon for you than Mega Dragalge, the beginning of your transformation to a Fairy-type trainer, like moi!
Lebanne: WH-WHAT?! There is no way in the Distortion World I'm switching over from my Dragalge or Dragon-types, especially to Fairy! Gotta think of something fast...
Jacinthe: Huh?
Lebanne: ... Once again, please pardon me, Lady Jacinthe. I was simply once again overwhelmed with emotion from your gift and sentiment. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to become a Fairy-type trainer like yourself. I have no doubt that in time and with your training that I will exceed in become a Fairy-type trainer, probably even excelling beyond yourself; like what any good master would like to see from their disciple.
Jacinthe: Excel beyond... ME as a Fairy-type trainer?
Lebanne: Lady Jacinthe, now it's you whose the one mumbling. How'd you like a taste of you own medicine!
Jacinthe: ... Lebanne, thinking upon it further, while my comparison between you and Mega Altaria is apt, the symbolisme behind it could also be the opposite of what I had stated. For while Mega Altaria gained the Fairy-type, it also had not lost the Dragon-type. Therefore, I believe if you decide to remain a Dragon-type trainer it would still match with Altaria, also meaning you don't need to switch from using Mega Dragalge. It's your choice of course, Altaria is my gift to you.
Lebanne: Thank you, Lady Jacinthe, as always your observational skills are impeccable. C'est la vie, sometimes these things just can't be helped. Altaria will of course have a special place on my team as we work to be the best Dragon-type trainer!
Jacinthe: Who works for and aside the best Fairy-type trainer!
Lebanne: Yeah, sure, whatever.
Jacinthe: HM?!
Lebanne: Ugh, I mean, yes Lady Jacinthe! You and I, the best Fairy- and Dragon-type trainers, standing side-by-side.
Jacinthe: ...
Lebanne: With you a bit more forward, of course.
Jacinethe: Merveilleuse! Now if you'll excuse moi, I just had a great idea: Le Hyper-Tournoi de Jacinthe Infinite! It's like the Le Super-Tournoi de Jacinthe Infinite, but instead of a streak of Single Battles its Tag Battles where both I and my opponent team up with a hologram of myself! But that means I need to train up two copies of my team, so off I go; Au revoir!
Lebanne: Until you need me, my Lady. UGH, as if one wasn't exasperating enough...
 
Last edited:
Am I the only one who thinks that's not a bad thing? Virtually zero first-time RSE/ORAS players will obtain a Shedinja, let alone keep it on their team throughout the game. I think it's appropriate that it should get a few easy Ws against important lategame trainers to reward players for discovering and sticking with it.

Fuck yeah, I've done RSE runs using Shedinja before and the midgame is HELLISH for it. It's virtually no use against Wattson or Flannery or Winona, central Hoenn is full of Bird Keepers and stuff that can poison you, and both Team Aqua and Magma have teams full of Zubat and Poochyena which both effortlessly kill it. The water routes are absolutely where it shines.

...now I'm curious if it's better or worse in ORAS...
 
Fuck yeah, I've done RSE runs using Shedinja before and the midgame is HELLISH for it. It's virtually no use against Wattson or Flannery or Winona, central Hoenn is full of Bird Keepers and stuff that can poison you, and both Team Aqua and Magma have teams full of Zubat and Poochyena which both effortlessly kill it. The water routes are absolutely where it shines.

...now I'm curious if it's better or worse in ORAS...
I used Shed in spot duty for an ORAS Nuzlocke. It can easily deal with most of the Mossdeep Gym trainers with Swords Dance Shadow Claw (useful for experience management since the late-game margins are razor-thin), can solo Wallace after another team member gets rid of the Luvdisc, and hard-counters Wally's Mega Gallade.
 
Am I the only one who thinks that's not a bad thing? Virtually zero first-time RSE/ORAS players will obtain a Shedinja, let alone keep it on their team throughout the game. I think it's appropriate that it should get a few easy Ws against important lategame trainers to reward players for discovering and sticking with it.

I’d argue that 5000 IQ shit like that is pretty much the only reason why gimmick mons like Shedinja even exist
 
Back
Top