Let's Play! Codraroll plays Pokémon Sun - Alter Ego style (Part 11b: Assembling the final team)

Codraroll

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Hello and welcome to this thread, which will eventually be a Let's Play. I figured I'd post this before I begin playing, since it requires some preparations. And those preparations include asking you for help. So if you're only here to read about my misadventures in Alola, you may go back and wait until tomorrow.

You might have read the title and wondered what "Alter Ego style" means. Put simply, it's a challenge of sorts, but since you can't really lose it, I decided not to call it a challenge. "Style" seems more appropriate. It is challenging, though.

The "Alter Ego" bit is what makes this play style so interesting. Explained in short, you play like this:
  1. Normal play until the first Gym.
  2. When you feel ready to challenge the first Gym, catch a handful of wild Pokémon. Send them straight to Box 2 in your PC without giving them any Experience.
  3. After beating the first Gym, head to the Pokémon Center, deposit your entire team in Box 1. Withdraw your team of freshly caught Pokémon from Box 2. Use them until you've beaten Gym 2. You're also free to catch more Pokémon, but they will belong to your Box 2 team.
  4. After beating Gym 2, deposit your team back in Box 2, and withdraw the team from Box 1. Stick with them until Gym 3. Again, you may catch more Pokémon, but they may only be used on your Box 1 team.
  5. Keep switching teams this way until you reach the Pokémon League. Feel free to mix and match Pokémon from both teams when challenging the Elite Four, at this point you'll be so underlevelled that you'll need all the help you can get.
  6. "Switch points" can be adjusted according to the pacing of the game. This is particularly important in XY, where strict adherence to the rules would be problematic already after the second Gym.
  7. If at all possible in the game, you should also swap clothes after every switch of the team. You're changing your identity, after all.
A longer and more detailed explanation - including my rambling reasoning for playing like this - can be found in the Challenge Run Index thread. The play style seeks to emulate playing Pokémon for the first time, where you try everything, make preparations, and still don't always win.

Dilligent readers may already have spotted the problem here: "But Codraroll, there are no Gyms in Alola! And no Elite Four, for that matter!" Exactly, and that's why I'm here before I have even received my copy of the game.

I need some help figuring out when to switch teams. Ideally, it should be after "milestone battles", as those are the most natural "break moments" in the story.

Looking over XY's Gyms, it seems every Gym uses Pokémon 4-6 levels higher than the previous one. The biggest exception are the first and second Gyms, where Viola's strongest Pokémon is level 12, but Grant's weakest is level 25 (this is why I have a switch point after the rival Multi battle on Route 7). Ideally, I'd like a similar level difference between switches in Sun and Moon too. Switch too often, things become too easy (or worse, one team will continuously outperform the other). Switch too rarely, and your new team will take too long to catch up.

Intuitively, it makes sense to switch after each Trial. Since I'm going to start playing tomorrow, I think I'll at least need to figure out the first two switch points before then. The first point should be when the opponent Pokémon are around level 10-12, no later than 15. The next somewhere around 17-22. And so on. Not sure if the pacing should increase or decrease as the play goes on.


Also, I'm going to abide by a couple of extra rules not listed above:
  • All Pokémon get a nickname. This is meant to have a personal touch, after all.
  • I prefer playing without legendaries. Not sure if this extends to Ultra Beasts, but from what I understand they come so late game that my team is usually "settled" at that point anyway.
  • I prefer to use Pokémon that evolve, and generally steer away from those who don't. Including Legendaries, this rules out 30 of the 51 Gen VII evolution families. Evolving twice is even better (this would rule out 16 of the remaining 21 families, including the two starter families I don't pick). The playthrough WILL be past-gen-heavy, is what I'm saying. But exceptions may happen.
  • Blacking out won't lose me the challenge. Hence why it isn't a challenge. But it will add to a Loss Counter, which I have to include for every update of the Let's Play. I consider myself a seasoned Pokémon player, but still lost 20-odd times when playing Pokémon X this way.
  • No use of healing items in battle. My Pokémon have four moves, using the Bag in-battle is like giving them dozens more.
  • Battle Style Set.
  • Mostly everything else is fair use, including Pokémon Refresh, TMs, Mega Evolutions (oh well, that's post-game, but had it not been I would have used them), hold items, etc. Even the Exp. Share, in a pinch. The reason I invented Alter Ego style was because I wanted to use all the tools and features of the game, without it becoming so easy.
  • Not sure where I stand on trading.

Suggestions and criticism are welcome!
 
Will you be posting screenshots? youtube videos? or is this a text only let's play?

haven't finished the 1rst trial yet (whee Festival Plaza!) but for what I've seen the levels you suggest match up with it so trial=gym seem like a safe assumption

can we suggest nicknames? let's is for "let us" after all o3o

it seems like fun anyway so good luck :D
 

Codraroll

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There may be some screenshots, but mostly text, and videos are completely beyond my capabilities. I'll try to find illustrating pictures whenever my phone can't take good enough shots.

Just got a text from the post office saying my game had arrived, so I'll go pick it up later today.
 

Codraroll

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So, the game arrived in the mail today! Time for a small write-up of my adventures so far:

Part 1: The Holding Hands
Apparently I've moved to Alola from Kanto. And it's hot around here! The first night was so hot I couldn't sleep at all, until I found out that I might as well ditch the duvet and sleep on top of it. Some may think this is a cop-out from some heavenly animators, but it appears to be the only feasible way to get some shut-eye in this region. The sun was getting up before I finally fell asleep...

"Nyarth!"

Oh, Meowth. Great. 3.7 seconds of sleep tonight, then.

Mom is already up, having bought food and everything. She's usually a procrastinator, but some days she has the energy to get a lot of stuff done while the rest of us sleep. I was about to make myself a sandwich, when a guy ran down our door, claiming to be a professor. He wanted me to follow him for a hike - following a very specific path. He ran away into the distance, then shouted at me for wanting to explore my surroundings. Lovely guy, I bet it's going to be great having him as a neighbour... Mom promised to do the unpacking while I was away, though.

We finally arrived in Iki Town, after the good professor spent minutes telling me things I already know. You can meet Pokémon in the tall grass? You don't say?!? Newsflash, professor, that's how it works in Kanto too. All over the world, actually. And I'm eleven. Why don't you tell me the sea is made of water too?

Oh well. We got to Iki Town, and the guy we were supposed to meet wasn't there. Okay, Professor Kukui, maybe you should call him? Or ask somebody where he is? Or... oh, right, send me looking for him. I don't know where anything is. I have no Pokémon to protect me. I have no idea what the guy looks like. And you're just going to stand there? Great. The town is lovely, though, I'll give it that.

I found somebody who appeared to be the kahuna. I didn't see anybody else around, so she must be the right person. She's apparently got her bag full of Pokémon too. We came here to get my starter Pokémon, so she must be the one. Frail-looking young girl, but she can spurt up hills like nobody's business! I was right behind her, and she walked slowly, but when I ran after her I had no chance at all to catch up with her before we reached the top of the hill.

The path ended on top of a great cliff, where the world's sketchiest suspension bridge kept going above a mighty waterfall. Man, look at the flow of that thing! That must be hundreds of cubic meters of water per second! Where does it all come from? I thought MeleMele was a small island with year-round sunshine and very little rain! Anyway, I bet the waterfall looks really nice from that bridge, but it's very poorly maintained. No force on Earth will get me out on that bri-

"Heeeeelp!"

Oh great, my future starter Pokémon had flown out on the bridge and was now attacked by a flock of Spearow. It looks really cool, though! I had expected it to be Fire-, Water- or Grass type, but this thing looks like a Ghost or Psychic Pokémon! I figured such a prize was worth protecting, so I took my chances with the Alolan engineering and went out to save it. It's not like there are any guardians around or anything around here, right?

Turns out my future starter was borderline suicidal, since once I had it in safe cover, it blew up the bridge instead. Luckily, MeleMele's guardian deity on duty, Tapu Koko, came to our rescue, snatching us out of the air right before we fell into the river. I actually think hitting the water would have been less painful than the spine-snapping yank Tapu Koko gave us, but since Pokémon can't harm humans, I didn't get any lasting damage. It would have been worth it for getting a Cosmog, though...

Wait, what do you mean you're not the kahuna? That's not my starter? Yeah, nice to meet you too, but... eh, let's go back to Kukui. He owes me one for this...


I did get my starter in the end, though. A lovely little Rowlet I decided to name Ludwig.

The following day, I was finally allowed to go outside by myself, and catch Ludwig a pal, a Pikipek called Sonny (The name references are pretty obscure, but valiant readers might be able to guess them. Maybe. A hint is that Pikipeck's nickname has a relation to Rowlet's, but not vice versa). That evening, there was a great festibal in Iki Town. One of the ceremonies was a battle to honour Tapu Koko. I'm sure that of all battles they possibly could have held, Tapu Koko preferred watching four unevolved Pokémon sub level 10 controlled by Trainers who barely started their journey. This year's festival must have been one to remember for all the onlookers.

Another day passed. Mom still hadn't unpacked our moving crates. Professor Kukui sent his assistant to take me to his shack on the beach. Great location, but I question the sanity of testing out Pokémon moves indoors, never mind next to an aquarium holding thousands of litres of water. His lab is nicely furnished, though.

The professor insisted to keep me within eyesight of his friend, though. We went to the city, where I picked up a Munchlax known as Roadblock at the Pokémon Center. I was looking forward to seeing the rest of the city, but the game threw a literal bull excuse for not letting me go further than the local school. There, I participated in inpromptu Pokémon battles against students and teachers both, and Professor Kukui introduced me to an incredibly sketchy-looking friend of his claiming to be a captain. Pardon my language, but he looks gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. After my five battles and one pep-talk, I've suddenly graduated. School is easy in Alola!


My battles in the school were quite memorable as well. Youngster Joey, of all people, introduced me to Alola forms, standing in a grassy field full of Grimer and Meowth. Roadblock knows Metronome, a move I use at every opportunity. A highlight was when we battled the headmaster, and I first got Grassy Terrain, then Fusion Bolt. Munchlax isn't a very strong Pokémon, though, so in the end Ludwig had to come to the rescue and win the battle.

Roadblock did KO a wild Meowth later, though, after Metronome let it use Brave Bird. It also netted a OHKO with Power Whip. I'm loving that move!

I spent some time exploring Hau'oli City. Most beautiful city I ever saw! I even got a new set of clothes. It saddens me that I can't sit down any more, but I was even more puzzled to find out you could lie down - in somebody else's unmade bed, at that! I then captured a couple Pokémon for my second team, before I went to fight Ilima...


...only to find out that this wasn't the Trial, merely a friendly battle. The Trial itself took place on Route 2. And then the fun started:

The first trainer on Route 2 has one Pokémon, a Gastly. I led with Roadblock, figuring out that Metronome could KO it. First move of the match, Gastly uses Mean Look. "OK, now Metronome has to KO," I thought. Against Ilima, I had gotten lucky and got moves such as Throat Chop, Moonblast and even Draco Meteor. Against Gastly, I got Ally Switch, which of course did nothing. Gastly then used Spite, reducing Metronome's PP by 4. Next turn, Metronome gives me Hold Back, which Gastly also is immune to. It uses Spite again, reducing Metronome's PP by another 4, to 0. I then realize that Roadblock's remaining moves have a combined total PP of 105. Gastly's moveset is Mean Look/Spite/Lick/Hypnosis, 65 PP in total. Spite reduced my remaining moves' PP by a combined 30 or so before its PP also ran out. I was then stuck in a 50-turn vortex of sleeping, waking up, and using moves that had no effect on Gastly, while Gastly was using moves that had no effect on Roadblock. I had much more PP than it, though, and eventually Gastly Struggled itself into unconsciousness.

Luckily, I got through the rest of the Route without any such mistakes, and went to take on the first Trial. It was tough, but I pulled through, boxed Team One, and let the freshly caught recruits take over! This is where the exciting phase starts!


Rowlet, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 14 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Leafage
- Peck
- Tackle
- Growl
No item.

So far: Ludwig is the senior member of the team, hence having the highest level. Lefage and Peck are reliable moves with a lot of coverage in the early game, although a major power upgrade will soon be needed. I have not yet had Ludwig faint yey, but that is mostly because I've saved him for last, finishing the battle after the other team members have softened up the opposition. This is also part of the reason why he's the highest level.



Pikipek, AKA Sonny - lvl. 13 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Peck
- Brick Break
- Echoed Voice
- Growl

So far: Sonny is the hotshot of the team, with a powerful STAB move. His Rock Smash, and later Brick Break (taught via TM), proved invaluable in the first Trial. Sonny wins most battles he enters, and fast. On the other hand, his low defenses are a bit of a downside. If he can't win fast, he will probably lose.


Munchlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 10 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Tackle
- Hold Back
- Happy Hour
Holds Quick Claw

So far: Roadblock has amazing staying power, but is unreliable when it comes to grabbing KOs. It has had some lucky roll of the Metronome dice, knocking out foes in a single turn, but it has also received crap move after crap move for eight turns and fallen to a foe below its level. Tackle is a good move to fall back on, but so boring that I rarely use it. The Quick Claw helps greatly, seeing as Munchlax has the lowest Speed in the game.



Abra AKA Campbell - lvl 6 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Teleport

No item.

Assessment: This is gonna... hurt. I said in the OP that Exp. Share was fair, in certain situations. Campbell is such a situation. Until it evolves, that is...



Magnemite AKA Microwave - lvl 8 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Tackle
- Supersonic
- Thunder Shock
- Magnet Bomb
Holds a Metal Coat

Assessment: Microwave should prove very useful once it gets Sonic Boom. Although they evolve into very powerful Pokémon, I don't think these two can do the job alone just yet. I might have to catch a third team member immediately. Suggestions?
 

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Part 2: Trials of Patience

After finishing the first Trial, Kukui (sigh) dragged me out of the Verdant Cavern to give me a tutorial on Z moves. He goes to a patch of grass on the edge of a cliff, encounters a Spearow, and orders his Rockruff to use a move that involves sprinting straight ahead without stopping or turning. I hope that Rockruff can swim...

When he finally let me go, I headed to the Pokémon Center to swap Team 1 for Team 2. Ludwig, Sonny and Roadblock were boxed, and Campbell and Microwave were withdrawn. I quickly understood that these two would never make it on their own, and figured I had to catch a third member for the team. A suggestion came from an unexpected place: A girl in the Pokémon Center offered to trade a Machop for a Spearow, and Spearows were - to put it mildly - plentiful just outside. I poked my head out of the Pokémon Center's door, threw a Poké Ball in a random direction, and got myself a Spearow. It was nicknamed Tanzania, then traded for Macho the Machop.

Macho was just what the team needed: A capable battler with good stats and a single good move in Karate Chop, which was quickly swapped for Low Sweep. Why I didn't go for Brick Break remains a mystery. I guess I forgot about it completely. Since Macho is a traded Pokémon, and because it was so much more capable than the two others, it quickly gained several levels. It was vital in defeating the trainers on Route 3, although I had an embarrassing loss first:

Rising Star Ian has a lvl 13 Psyduck, whose only move turned out to be Water Gun. I led the team with Campbell (Abra), to secure some Experience. Lead with Campbell, switch to Microwave (Magnemite), win with Thundershock. Easy plan. However, Microwave at lvl. 8 is not the sturdiest Pokémon around, and lost two thirds of its HP taking the switch-in Water Gun. In the next turn, Psyduck outsped and KO'd Microwave. Water Gun also knocked out Macho faster than Karate Chop could take down Psyduck. Campbell, without any attacking moves, could do nothing but lose. I went back to Ian and led with Microwave, and knocked a satisfying 70-odd percent off Psyduck's HP before succumbing to Water Gun again. Macho then beat up Psyduck, and Ian too for good measure.

Loss count: 1 (+1)

After Route 3, it was time for another battle: This time against Kahuna Hala, a Fighting-type specialist. "Your time to shine, Campbell!" I shouted as I ground it up to level 16. Campbell evolved into Kadabra, and learned... Kinesis. Apparently, there is a bug where the move Confusion isn't learnt upon evolution; Butterfree suffers the same problem. It seems like Psybeam at level 21 is the first real chance for Kadabra to learn any damage. I should have nicknamed it "Kettlebell" instead, since at the moment, Campbell is dead weight. All it could do in the Kahuna battle was to spam Kinesis against Hala's Mankey, to clear the way for Microwave and Macho.

This strategy did not work particularly well, as Microwave is weak against Fighting. Microwave could take one Karate Chop and live thanks to Sturdy, but I was dependant on getting lucky with paralysis to take out Mankey. Twice, I ended up eating a Karate Chop while Mankey was at full health, then paralyze with Thunder Shock, and hax Mankey to unconsciousness while I had 1 HP remaining. Hala then sent out Crabrawler, and spent his Z move taking down that last 1 HP. This happened twice.

Macho was then left alone to take down Crabrawler and Hala's third Pokémon, Makuhita. Crabrawler's Power-up Punch is a powerful move, but two Low Sweep are enough to KO it. Makuhita would then come in, Fake Out, take a Low Sweep for some 70 % of its HP... and then use Arm Thrust. Twice, this resulted in five hits, taking Macho down and netting me a loss. In addition, I lost once after Mankey defeated Microwave, and Crabrawler took down Macho. On the fourth try, however, RNG was in my favour and I pulled through. Interestingly, had Campbell got Confusion instead of Kinesis, as it was supposed to, it would have outsped and likely OHKO'd at least two of Hala's Pokémon. The match would have been trivial.

Loss count: 4 (+3)

Now, it's time to swap back to team 1! At levels 10-14, it is just underlevelled enough for the coming adventures to be a challenge. Due to some grinding, Team 2 is actually overlevelled, but this is only reflected in Macho since Campbell is useless and Microwave is slow as molasses.


Kadabra AKA Campbell - lvl 16 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Teleport
- Kinesis

No item.

Performance: Pokémon battling is like a can of tomato soup. You can have the greatest spoon (stats) ever, but if you don't have a can opener (moves), you won't get to eat (win). Campbell has been dead weight this entire time, despite gaining ten levels and evolving. That's quite remarkable for a Pokémon with base 105 Speed and 120 Sp. Attack. In addition, seemingly half the Pokémon around get Pursuit, which makes "Switch training" difficult. It will learn Disable at level 18, and Psybeam at 21 (wait? Five more levels of crap?), until then it will remain useless. If I can't get any good TMs, that is...



Magnemite AKA Microwave - lvl 14 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Tackle
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder Shock
- Magnet Bomb
Holds a Metal Coat

Performance: Microwave gained only one new move over its six levels of growth, unfortunately it has proven too situational to be of use so far. Microwave performs greatly against the numerous Pokémon without the moves to touch it, but has weak defenses and can't deal much damage in return. Two of its three attacking moves are Physical, whereas Magnemite is Specially oriented. Its nature is of no help either, but I hope it won't turn out too detrimental in the long run.


Machop AKA Macho - lvl 19 - Brave nature
Ability: No Guard
- Low Sweep
- Seismic Toss
- Focus Energy
- Foresight
No item.

Performance: Excellent. With Fighting STAB and good Attack, Macho can take down anything bar Ghost- and Flying-types. And it even took down a Misdreavus, using the usually useless Foresight. Most opponents went down in a move or two. Macho was kept as a "reserve" Pokémon, but had to step in numerous times due to the poor performance of the other two. Hence, it gained a ton of levels, especially in the repeated attempts at the Kahuna battle.



Rowlet, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 14 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Leafage
- Peck
- Tackle
- Growl
No item.

Assessment: Ludwig's moves are rather weak for this stage in the game, but evolution should come soon, which will help. I expect it to pull its weight even as we step forward to the next island.



Pikipek, AKA Sonny - lvl. 13 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Peck
- Brick Break
- Echoed Voice
- Growl

Assessment: Sonny displayed excellent power before the previous swap, and should be strong enough to perform well even as we continue. I have no idea when it will evolve, but if it learns Fury Attack, Bullet Seed or Rock Blast, it will be a very powerful Pokémon.


Munchlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 10 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Tackle
- Hold Back
- Happy Hour
Holds Quick Claw

Assessment: The Soothe Bell I picked up before the Kahuna Trial might be of great use, since Munchlax evolves by Friendship. Still, its moves are rather mediocre, and even though Metronome is fun to use, the level discrepancy means it won't win me many battles any more. If Munchlax is compatible with the TM for Brick Break, I will teach it to Roadblock, putting its base 85 Attack stat to good use.


I think I will catch another Pokémon or two for Team One once I reach the next island. Any suggestions for Pokémon or nicknames are welcome!
 
If you end up catching an alolan Grimer name it Sleima it's german name in honor of the site

also man everyone is farther ahead than me
 

Codraroll

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Part 3: Upsetting losses
(Post Hala battle -> Water trial)

After Team Two dilligently took down Hala and his Fighting-types, I swapped them for Team One and set out to explore Akala Island. I finally have an ocean between me and Kukui, although I don't like the idea of my mother living alone with him next door. Hopefully, Meowth will serve his guard duty dilligently, with a sprinkle of violence if needed.

Team One was in for a rough start, but their condition quickly improved. I went to explore Ten Carat Hill before I left MeleMele, where Sonny the Pikipek levelled up and evolved into Trumbeak. It turned out that Roadblock, my Munchlax, could learn Brick Break, a move it put to good use. And Ludwig, my Rowlet, kept performing well in battle. It eventually gained three levels and evolved into Dartrix.

In Heahea City on Akala Island, I bought a new wardrobe to suit my new identity. I'm not the guy who just beat the Kahuna of MeleMele and then escaped the island, surely you must take me for somebody else. Look, different Pokémon and everything!

A well-known pair from Kalos was also visiting Heahea City. Dexio and Sinia came to apologize for the mysterious cancelling of Pokémon Z, and told me they had crammed its main plot into Sun and Moon as a sidequest instead. They then gave me a glorified vacuum cleaner/storage box for Zygarde Cells. Dexio then proceeded to challenge me in battle. His Slowpoke was easy enough to take down, but that Espeon had way more Sp.Atk than it ought to. I managed to bring it into the red before losing my last Pokémon (Ludwig), but Dexio healed my Pokémon and acted as if I had won the battle instead. Poor coding, I presume?

Loss count: 5 (+1)

Coming into Route 4, Roadblock was the weakest member of the trio, so I put it in the lead position. It could do well against wild Pokémon, but I hit a snag with the first trainer on the route: Bellhop Jody. In theory, his lone Drifloon shouldn't be that hard to take down. It's a gosh-dang balloon with mediocre stats. But Jody had taught his little hellspawn Minimize. And Drifloon has surprisingly many resistances and immunities. It took a while for me to realize what predicament this put me in: Roadblock had only Metronome to attack it with, and poor luck. Or rather, misapplied luck. I got moves like Double-Edge and Aura Sphere, which bounced off the little ghost while it racked up Evasion boosts. Then it topped it off with Focus Energy, and went on to crit Roadblock down. Neither Sonny nor Ludwig managed to hit the bastard, which kept on hitting Critical Hits with Gust and flinches with Astonish.

Upon retrying, I had Sonny in the lead, attacking with Peck. Unfortunately, Minimize allowed it to evade every move I threw at it, and before I knew, it was at +6 and Focus Energied again. It then swept my team again, while I could do nothing back. On the third try, Sonny hit with Peck three times in a row despite Minimize, and managed to bring the little critter down. I then let Roadblock sit on Jody for breaking the Evasion Clause.

Loss count: 7 (+2)

Later on that route, Rowlet evolved, and managed to be a much more reliable answer to the many Mudbray that stalk the tall grass. I managed to get to Paniola Town without further incident. There, I was met by Hala, who gave me a stark reminder that my team 1) relied on contact moves and 2) had no good answer to Electric types. His Pikachu Static'd both Roadblock and Sonny, KO-ing them both with repeated Electro Balls. Ludwig fared barely better, but managed to KO Pikachu with Razor Leaf. It was outsped and KO'd by Hala's Brionne, though. Like Dexio, Hala did not care for a rematch, I was allowed to proceed despite the loss.

Loss count: 8 (+1)

Paniola Town might also be the smallest town I've seen in a Pokémon game in a while. It has a Pokémon Center, and only one other building you can enter. That building holds one NPC and five Magmar. Indoors. In a wooden building. Fire hazard, lady!


Paniola Town, in the near future. Picture from Bulbapedia.

This play session had gone badly enough already, but soon enough I found out it could always be worse. Enter Paniola Ranch, Madame Elizabeth and her Carbink. And her Full Restore. Elizabeth challenged my policy of not using healing items in-battle, but I managed to fight the temptation and take the loss.

Carbink is usually a harmless Pokémon, so I figured I could let Roadblock play with Metronome for a while before going for finishing blows. Carbink took advantage of my use of such moves as Powder Snow and Darkest Lariat, setting up Harden until I was incapable of doing much to it. It then sat up Sharpen too, raising it to +3/+3 or so. Then the Rock Throws began, while Roadblock desperately used Brick Break to little avail. I managed to bring it into the red before Roadblock fell, but at least Ludwig could sweep up the pieces with a well-timed Razor Leaf...

Madame Elizabeth used Full Restore.

Oh, look, it turns out both Ludwig and Sonny are Flying-types... and this thing has STAB Smack Down and Rock Throw... and Razor Leaf refuses to crit...

My second attempt revealed that my misuse of Metronome in the first battle had made little difference. Brick Break failed to harm Carbink significantly before it had racked up enough Defense boosts to comfortably survive anything I threw at it. It was Full Restored back to full health, set up Attack boosts, and went to town on my little, Rock-weak team.

Loss count: 10 (+2)

On the third try, I let Ludwig lead. Two Critical Hits with Razor Leaf in a row brought Carbink down before Elizabeth could even bring out her Full Restore. I then spent a significant amount of time beating up the wildlife around her farm. Shortly after, Roadblock learned Chip Away. That move could possibly have saved me in the battle against Elizabeth. I also picked up an Egg at the Pokémon Nursery, and spent a good amount of time riding around on Stoutland trying to figure out how its ability worked.

Somewhere on Route 5, Roadblock's Soothe Bell paid off. It evolved into Snorlax at level 17, giving it a significant boost in power and bulk. Since then, I haven't had noteworthy problems in any battle. Okay, there were only a few battles left by then, but still...


illustration from Serebii.net

Team One's streak culminated in Lana's Trial, against Totem Wishiwashi. I let Ludwig lead, because of its STAB Grass attacks and natural resistance against Water. Razor Leaf hurt Wishiwashi badly, and took out any support Wishiwashi that were called for aid. In hindsight, perhaps I should have concentrated Leafage on the totem instead, since it eventually called in an Alomomola to replace its fallen Wishiwashi brethren. Alomomola proved to be an ideal support Pokémon for the totem, with both Heal Pulse and Helping Hand. Ludwig could take Water Gun well enough, but when it lost its STAB due to Soak, and Wishiwashi began lowering his Attack with Soak, it couldn't deal much damage back. I decided to switch it out, and let Roadblock take over.

It turns out Wishiwashi-School and Alomomola are both capable physical walls. This became a battle of attrition, where Roadblock did its best to defend itself with Chip Away and Brick Break, while Alomomola either healed Wishiwashi or boosted its attacks. When Roadblock finally fell, the situation was not much different from before Roadblock entered the stage. Could Sonny and Ludwig manage to endure, or would I take my seventh loss since I left MeleMele?

Ludwig came back, and he did so with a vengeance. His poor performance in earlier battles was redeemed and then some. His Razor Leaf was once again backed by STAB, and his Attack un-lowered. Alomomola was KO'd cleanly, while Wishiwashi was brought into the red by a Critical Hit.

"Bring it on!", I shouted. After he turned the tide of the battle with a single move, it felt like Ludwig could do anything. I just hoped that Wishiwashi wouldn't call for another Alomomola...

Instead, the school collapsed. The fearsome monster was replaced by Wishiwashi-Solo, the Pokémon that pushed Sunkern off the "worst BST in the game" throne. Without Alomomola on its side, it had no hope to recover. The puny thing could only tickle Ludwig with a Water Gun. On the next turn, it was KO'd by Razor Leaf before it could call for more help. The trial was over, Sonny hadn't even participated, and it was time to box Team One once again.


Dartrix, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 21 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Leafage
- Peck
- Tackle
- Razor Leaf
No item.

Performance: Razor Leaf helped Ludwig get to the next power level and proved crucial in several battles, but its other moves are rather weak. Grass STAB is useful for taking down Ground-, Rock- and Water-types, which are very common at this stage of the game, but it has no way to utilize its Flying STAB effectively. Not that it has needed it so far, though, since Sonny is a stronger and faster Flying type. If Ludwig can learn Acrobatics, it might get a stronger leg to stand on in that department.



Trumbeak, AKA Sonny - lvl. 18 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Pluck
- Brick Break
- Echoed Voice
- Growl
Holds Sharp Beak

Performance: Upon evolution, Sonny's properties were reinforced: It hits hard and fast, but is frail. Pluck gave its Flying STAB extra power, but Brick Break remains its most used move.




Snorlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 18 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Chip Away
- Brick Break
- Happy Hour
Holds Amulet Coin

Performance: Holding a Soothe Bell helped Roadblock a lot, since it evolved as early as level 17. As a Munchlax, it still had enough staying power to be a very reliable Pokémon. With Brick Break, it gained a spammable move with decent power, and Chip Away is useful STAB. I haven't had many chances to use it post evolution, but from what I've seen, its great bulk and solid Attack makes it a powerhouse. It could hold its own in the Totem battle for several turns, which is quite an accomplishment considering the fierce opposition.



Eevee, AKA Bubbles - lvl. 1 - Careful nature
Ability: Adaptability
- Helping Hand
- Tackle
- Growl
- Tail Whip
No item.

Performance: None. The Egg hatched when I was on my way to the Trial. Since it was raining, my team lacked Water types, and to honour the occasion, I plan to evolve this Eevee into Vaporeon.



Kadabra AKA Campbell - lvl 16 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Teleport
- Kinesis

No item.

Assessment: On Akala Island, I've found TMs for Charge Beam and Hidden Power, giving Campbell some offensive presence. It has impressive Sp. Atk and Speed after all, and will probably make great use of any actual moves. When Psybeam comes at level 21, I expect Campbell to be able to rip through things.



Magnemite AKA Microwave - lvl 14 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Tackle
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder Shock
- Magnet Bomb
Holds a Metal Coat

Assessment: A little slow and a little weak offensively, Microwave still sports an amazing number of resistances. Charge Beam will probably be useful to it as well, giving it a little more power than Thunder Shock, as well as a set-up option. Once it gets Sonic Boom, it will be a great option against opponent Pokémon with many resistances. It should get Mirror Shot at some point in its mid-twenties as well, replacing Magnet Bomb and giving it a fully Special movepool.


Machop AKA Macho - lvl 19 - Brave nature
Ability: No Guard
- Low Sweep
- Seismic Toss
- Focus Energy
- Foresight
No item.

Assessment: Macho carried the team well in its previous run, and I expect it to keep performing well from here on as well. Boosted EXP helps it a lot, Seismic Toss is a great move at such low levels, Foresight prevents Ghosts from ruining our day, and Low Sweep is a spammable STAB move. Macho would have walked all over Bellboy Jody and his silly Drifloon, and Seismic Tossed Madame Elizabeth's Carbink for an easy KO as well. I can see its Speed becoming a problem eventually, though, and it wouldn't like meeting too many Flying Pokémon either.
 

Codraroll

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Part four: Two trials (and little else)
(Post Water trial -> Grass trial)

Having defeated the fearsome Wishiwashi, I was instructed to head to the Battle Royal Dome. It was just down the road, past two Sudowoodo, and into a small town-ish area. "Okay, this looks nice..." I thought as I entered the hall. As Gladion put it, a nice place to "bury your sorrows in the crowd". A sidequest facility, not that I'd use it, but at least it's there. Personally, I found the next-door supermarket more interesting. Let's go there instead, and then keep going to...


(Image via Reddit)


That dolt Kukui was here too. In a stupid costume, no less. With a stupid, self-styled nickname. Before I could clear my throat enough to voice my concerns as loudly as possible, he dragged me and the closest two bystanders into the hall for a Battle Royal. I had Campbell (Kadabra) in the lead, and Hala's Brionne seemed to present a good target for his Charge Beam. One Critical Hit later, and the battle was over. Hala, my apparent rival, seemed to be of the opinion that this had been fun. I was more inclined to agree with Gladion for once.

The road ahead was not very interesting. Past the supermarket, up the road, and there it was. Wela Volcanic Park. Three patches of grass, one trainer and a tunnel later, and there was the Trial Gate. Since I felt Team Two had got very little action so far, and to train a little, I decided to sidetrack a bit and check out the beach area back by the road. On the way down from the volcano, I stumbled across a female Salandit by chance.

"Hey, aren't those so rare that people are complaining?" I wondered. I had originally intended to catch a Magby around here, but this was a gift horse situation. I managed to capture the Salandit, and named her Katla, for a famous fire-and-poison-gas-spewing female creature from semi-local literature. The beach area was nothing special, but I found Katla's Dragon Rage extremely useful. Few Pokémon at this stage of the game have more than 80 HP, so Katla could 2HKO almost anything in her path, provided her foe let her live long enough.

Walking down the side of the volcano, I ran into an Ace Trainer by the name of Jim. He proved to Campbell and I how good a Kadabra is supposed to be. Psybeam took out all of my Pokémon in one or two shots, bar Campbell, who fought bravely. But his Charge Beam missed once, failed to get the Sp. Atk boost when it hit, and then it was Disabled. With only Hidden Power Ground left to strike with, Cambell failed to KO the Kadabra, and I had to take a miserable loss.

Loss count: 11 (+1)

Upon returning to Ace Trainer Jim, I decided to turn his weapon against him. How does Kadabra like having Psybeam Disabled? Very badly, it turned out. Psybeam is a fine move, but Jim had apparently been too confident in it. He had failed to teach his Kadabra other moves than Psybeam and Disable, and was therefore left completely helpless when Campbell Disabled the former. In return, he Disabled Campbell's Disable, but he was a sitting duck to our Charge Beam, which now hit and got the Sp. Atk boost. Campbell took down Jim's Kadabra with ease, and to top it off he learned Psybeam himself after the battle. From this point on, Campbell had the tools to take down any but the very strongest opponents effortlessly.

This was proved by Campbell already in the next battle, against Totem Salazzle. Or rather, it would have, had not Hidden Power Ground been an even more powerful option. Salazzle is 4x weak to Ground, which allowed Campbell to hit for massive damage. Salazzle and assisting Salandit took down Campbell in the end, but the strategy had proven effective.

Having an effective strategy alone isn't everything, though. A fully-healed team is also important. The rest of my team had been weakened by Kiawe's Marowak and a random Hiker earlier in the trial, and had taken enough damage for Salazzle and Salandit in tandem to KO them.

Loss count: 12 (+1)

I healed my team, ran all the way back from HeaHea City to the volcano (which is a loooooooong distance), and tried again. Campbell swept the opposition, and although it did go down in the end, a single well-placed Seismic Toss from Macho (Machop) brought it down.

Since the Fire trial came so shortly after the Water trial, I decided to let Team Two continue for another Trial, or at least until the next important story event. It turned out that there were no such story events, just another Route with a few trainers, before Mallow's Trial in Lush Jungle. I did find a Water Stone to evolve Bubbles (Eevee) on Team One, though.

The Grass trial involved a few minutes of Itemfinding with Stoutland, and Mallow's horrible cooking. And then what was arguably the most worthy Doubles opponent I have faced since Pokémon XD. Totem Lurantis required the combined effort of the entire team to take down, as well as a bit of RNG luck.

Using a Power Herb, Lurantis can fire off an incredibly powerful Solar Blade on the first turn (sayonara Macho), or save it for later and use X-Scissor instead (sayonara Campbell). Gaining a free Agility at the start of the battle, Totem Lurantis is fast enough to outspeed most opponents. Allying Pokémon are either Trumbeak (using Supersonic) or Castform (using Sunny Day and Weather Ball - sayonara Microwave). Either way, it was strong enough to take out most of my team in two hits. And Katla, strong as she was, didn't have the power to do much.

Loss count: 14 (+2)

Some preparation was clearly in order. I trained in the grass on Route 8 for a while, until Katla learned Flame Burst. I also decided to put Macho in the lead, hoping to Knock Off the Power Herb. It didn't work, Lurantis simply outsped and used the Power Herb to trigger Solar Blade and OHKO, but at least it didn't have the item any more afterwards. Next in was Microwave, who let Lurantis taste Thunder Wave, which nullified its great Speed boost. To my great luck, Lurantis called Trumbeak as an ally instead of Castform. Microwave could chip away its HP with Sonic Boom, while resisting every move the evil duo threw at it. Once its HP was low enough, Katla entered the fray. With Flame Burst and Dragon Rage, she managed to take down both Lurantis and Trumbeak, cementing her place on the team and proving herself a worthwhile catch. Well done, Katla, now back into the PC!


Kadabra AKA Campbell - lvl 23 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Psybeam
- Charge Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Disable

No item.

Performance: Charge Beam and Hidden Power gave Campbell exactly what it needed - damaging moves, that is. Campbell managed well on its own with only those two, but when STAB arrived in the form of Psybeam, it truly became a beast. Campbell has what it needs to take on most opponents, bar Totem Pokémon, and win. Charge Beam boosts its already great Special Attack, and Hidden Power Ground has surprisingly good synergy with it. Everything immune to HP Ground is usually hit super-effectively by Charge Beam. Disable is neat in certain situations (such as Disabling Totem Lurantis' Solar Blade during the charge turn). Campbell is frail, though, and was OHKO'd by X-Scissor every time I tried to use it against Lurantis in the Totem Battle.



Magnemite AKA Microwave - lvl 22 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Sonic Boom
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder Shock
- Magnet Bomb
Holds a Metal Coat

Performance: After seeing Campbell miss with Charge Beam during crucial moments, I was reluctant to swap out Thunder Shock just yet. Sonic Boom is a fine move against most opponents, but I don't see it being useful for much longer, so it might be the move I'll swap out for Charge Beam. Microwave's many resistances came to good use multiple times, but it sorely misses powerful moves to strike back with. It usually wins most encounters, but it takes a few turns to do so. Often, other team members end up doing a better job, leaving Microwave a little behind when it comes to levels.



Machop AKA Macho - lvl 25 - Brave nature
Ability: No Guard
- Low Sweep
- Seismic Toss
- Focus Energy
- Knock Off
No item.

Assessment: Macho remains a very reliable battler, even though its attack options are somewhat limited. Low Sweep turns faster opponents into slower opponents, justifying its use over Brick Break. It uses Seismic Toss like Microwave uses Sonic Boom, for consistent damage against sturdy opponents. Focus Energy is mostly there because I've found nothing better at the moment. Knock Off is a newly added move to Macho's movepool, and hasn't seen much use in battle so far. It's far between in-game opponents with items, after all. Perhaps it will be of use in a later Totem battle? Macho is a traded Pokémon, and the extra Exp. boost helps it gain levels faster than its team mates. For that reason, it rarely leads the team - it gains plenty of Experience as a reserve anyway.



Salandit AKA Katla - lvl 24 - Quiet nature
Ability: Corrosion
- Dragon Rage
- Ember
- Flame Burst
- Smog
Holds Charcoal

Assessment: Dragon Rage, which deals 40 damage all the time, is a godsend so early in the game. Katla is also fast enough to outspeed most threats, and strong enough to deal great damage with Ember and Flame Burst. Having two fire moves is redundant, but I figured the burn-chance of Ember made it a better move to stick around with than Sweet Scent. I've never used Smog, as it is one of the worst moves in the game at 30 BP and 70 % accuracy. Katla's main downside is its fragility; it can't take more than a couple non-resisted hits before fainting.



Dartrix, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 21 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Leafage
- Peck
- Tackle
- Razor Leaf
No item.

Assessment: Ludwig will need a new move to help its faltering power level soon, at least for coverage. Razor Leaf is powerful enough, but Peck and Tackle won't do for much longer. I expect it to remain one of the most capable battlers on the team if this little issue is fixed, though.



Trumbeak, AKA Sonny - lvl. 18 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Pluck
- Brick Break
- Echoed Voice
- Growl
Holds Sharp Beak

Assessment: Fury Attack, Bullet Seed or other multi-hit attacks can't be far away now? Once Sonny gets to put his ability to use, it will be tremendously powerful. For the moment, it hits most things hard with Pluck and Brick Break, enjoying very good coverage. The two other moves are almost never used. I generally consider Sonny to be a good card, fast enough to outspeed and strong enough to deal a lot of damage. If it can't KO, however, it will find quickly itself short on HP.




Snorlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 18 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Chip Away
- Brick Break
- Happy Hour
Holds Amulet Coin

Assessment: Roadblock's greatest property is its immense staying power. With solid Attack, high Special Defense and titanic HP, Roadblock can take hits all day and dish out a lot of damage in return. There aren't many things it can hit super-effectively, though, and its low Speed makes it subsceptible to be inflicted with a status condition. I think Roadblock will be a very solid option to fall back on in a pinch, but not something I'd use to win battles quickly. Metronome remains a fun move, though, which in itself is a reason to use Roadblock. Until I get Healing Wish in an important battle again, that is...



Eevee, AKA Bubbles - lvl. 1 - Careful nature
Ability: Adaptability
- Helping Hand
- Tackle
- Growl
- Tail Whip
No item.

Assessment: I plan on evolving this into Vaporeon, hence the name. Before then, it will need some babying, though. And I'll postpone evolution until it learns a couple of useful moves. I will at least wait for Quick Attack and Bite, at level 13 and 17, respectively. With Gen 5 Experience mechanics, training Bubbles up to par should take no time at all. If it flies past level 17 before I can evolve it, it will miss Water Pulse, but that's no big deal since I just found the TM for Scald. I'd like Aurora Beam at level 20, though.
 
This type of challenge looks fun and a great answer to my common problem (I can't pick just 6!).

I'm enjoying keeping up with your play through!
 

Codraroll

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Part 5: Between a rock and a high place
(post Grass trial -> Rock Grand trial -> Electric trial)

Totem Lurantis lay defeated in Lush Jungle, and a cutscene implied it wasn't as much my fault as the terrible cooking of Mallow's. Akala's other trial captains ran screaming for water after tasting the brew that had lured Lurantis to our location. I was instructed to seek out Kahuna Olivia, who live at the other end at the horribly misnamed Diglett's Tunnel (seriously, there are like a thousand Zubat there for every Diglett). First, though, I had to box Team Two, and withdraw Team One, which at this point had become rather underlevelled.

On my way to Diglett's Tunnel, I met up with a woman who adored the Masked Royal, claimed to be a professor, based her research on old Pokédex entries (seriously?), and wore black full-body clothes in the heat of Alolan summer. Who else could this be than the wife of Professor Kukui? Nobody, that's who. She dragged me to her lab to tell me about Lillie's sad back story, and also to name-drop Ultra Beasts. Great fun, professor, but can I please continue now?

One of Team One's first tasks was to level up Bubbles, the Eevee that had hatched shortly before the previous Trial. Route 9 proved to be a good place to train, and Bubbles was a healthy Vaporeon in no time. His movepool consisted of Scald and three moves I never used, because Scald backed by Mystic Water packs one hell of a punch. His moves made the battle against Plumeria trivial.

Olivia, the Rock type Kahuna, was a tougher nut to crack. Her Nosepass used Spark, but with such a crappy Sp.Atk stat, Bubbles could wear it down, even though Olivia used both a Super Potion and a Full Heal during the battle. Spark had worn Bubbles down enough for Olivia's Boldore to KO it with Headbutt, though. Said Boldore also took out Sonny (Trumbeak) with a single Rock Blast.

Fortunately, Roadblock (Snorlax) had my back. With his great bulk and Brick Break, he could take out Boldore and inflict heavy damage against Olivia's last Pokémon, Lycanrock. Lycanrock's Z move proved too much for Roadblock, though, so it was up to my final Pokémon, Ludwig (Dartrix) to win the battle. Ludwig was weak to Rock, defensively, but also strong against it offensively. Lycanrock was four levels higher, though, and faster. Fortunately, Lycanrock opened the ball with Bite, allowing Ludwig to get a Razor Leaf in. It didn't crit, but it was enough to bring it into KO range. Now, the next move would determine the battle. Another Bite, or a Rock Throw miss, and I would live and Razor Leaf Lycanrock away.

He went for Rock Throw. And hit. But the RNG gods were good, Ludwig was left with a single HP left, and used Razor Leaf without missing. It was a crit for good measure, but it would have KO'd anyway. With Olivia defeated, I had completed my trials at Akala island. However, it had not been very long since the Grass trial, so I decided to keep Team Two in the business for a while longer.

Now, time to check out what that fancy hotel was all about...

It turns out I met a couple of surprisingly tough trainers there too. First in the lobby, a Double Battle against a pair of golfers who were harrassing a Machamp. Tara and Tina have one Oricorio each, and in my first battle, the RNG was completely on their side. Already in the first turn, they both use Air Cutter, and got a crit each - enough to KO Sonny and send Roadblock into the deep yellow. They proceeded to KO Ludwig in a similar fashion in the next turn, when they also took down Roadblock. Bubbles, on its own, could KO one Oricorio, but not before they had hit a combined 9 times with Double Slap. One Air Cutter later, I had lost.

Loss count: 15 (+1)

I went back to the hotel, and ground the Oricorio into the lobby's marble floors with more favourable RNG rolls. Then I went out to check the beach, and the Pokémon trainers who were swimming in the sea. One of them was Swimmer Roddy, who has a Gyarados. I had Roadblock in the lead, and thought it had adequate bulk to sponge any move Gyarados could use first turn. That meant I could take it easy and play with it a little, and use my favourite move for such situations: Metronome.

Some times, it is as if the game wants to tell you things. Things like "Stop using Metronome". Earlier, I had fought a Gyarados, used Metronome, and received Discharge, which handily defeated it in a single blow. I had also got moves like Rock Slide against Fletchinder, Power Whip against Psyduck, and Brave Bird against Meowth. Metronome had allowed me to net many One-Hit-KOs I usually wouldn't have.

This time, I got Swagger. Gyarados became confused, used Bite, snapped out of confusion, and started using Trash, now at +2 Attack. It handily defeated my entire team without giving me a single chance to retaliate.

Loss count: 16 (+1)

Next time I challenged Roddy, I stuck to Body Slam from the start, and took down Gyarados without any problems. Later, I took a job chucking Pyukumuku into the sea, making sure to aim for Roddy with every throw.

A guy known as Faba (Mr. Bean?) then offered me transport to a ten-minute cutscene with an Ultra Beast battle in the middle. UB-01 was handily defeated with a combination of super-effective moves; three of my four team members have a move which hit Rock/Poison for super-effective damage. Five more minutes of cutscene later, I was off for Ula'ula island.

...and who is there but Professor Gosh-darn-it Kukui. At first, he insists I meet him in Malie garden. Once there, he does nothing but tell me to catch a bus to Mount Hokulani. Why not just tell me about the bus in the first place? Anyway, I ran away from him as quickly as I could, and went to explore the beautiful - though deceptively small - Malie City. I also met a more sensible professor, namely Samson Oak. He's a cool guy.

Oh well, it was time for the very first road vehicle ride in all of Pokémon. A solemn moment of historical significance. Up the hill we go, to Mount Hokulani, where the Electric trial awaits. Kukui came with me on the bus, pointing to the tallest, most remote and frigid mountain in Alola. It's apparently a sacred site for Alolans. For these reasons, it'd be the worst place ever to build anything. But Kukui apparently has ambitions to build a Pokémon League there. No, Kukui. Just, no. Put your plans aside, I'm here for the trial.

And it's... sound based? Well, so much for playing with the sound off! Not that I did, but...

Totem Vikavolt was a blast, but not as dangerous as the previous ones. Once again, I was worn down by the pre-Totem battles, and lost Ludwig to the Charjabug in the preceeding battle. This weakened my team enough for Vikavolt to take it down, albeit with its own HP in the red, and no apparent recovery. I have to admit that the loss was partially due to misplay too, I had totally forgot that Vikavolt's ability is Levitate. Roadblock wasted one of its two turns in battle using Bulldoze to no avail.

Loss count: 17 (+1)

I decided to hatch a devious plan. Sonny had just evolved into Trumbeak, and learnt Beak Blast against better judgement. Since Sonny is a Flying-type, it had little to contribute in this battle, but a move that basically amounts to priority burn? You can build strategies around that. Beak Blast on turn 1, and when Vikavolt Sparks, it gets burned, halving its attack.

This turned out better than expected. Vikavolt used Charge on turn 1, allowing Sonny to get a Beak blast off, knocking a good 40 % off Vikavolt's HP. On turn 2, it fell for the originally intended trap. It KO'd Sonny, but was burned. This allowed Roadblock to come in and knock its HP into the red. Bubbles then finished the job, but couldn't take down the Ally Charjabug before fainting herself. Ludwig was up to the task, though, being the last standing winner for the fourth time in its Trial history. He had been my last Pokémon against Gumshoos, Wishiwashi, Kahuna Olivia and now Vikavolt. What a 'mon!

And that's all for Team One this time. Time to go back to your boxes, and let Team Two take over for a while!


Dartrix, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 28 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Leafage
- Pluck
- Tackle
- Razor Leaf
Holds Miracle Seed

Performance: If I had to describe Ludwig using one word, it would be "Solid". Ludwig has not been an all-powerful sweeper, but it has a consistent damage output, and an answer to most opponents. Razor Leaf is a great move, which also spreads. Pluck is great for whenever you need a Flying move. The last two moveslots might as well have been empty, I've only had to use these two moves.



Toucannon, AKA Sonny - lvl. 29 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Beak Blast
- Brick Break
- U-Turn
- Roost
Holds Sharp Beak
Performance: As the game went on, Sonny seemed to gain power quite fast, but frailty even faster. Low HP and poor defenses led to most of Sonny's battles as a Trumbeak go somewhere like this:
- Sonny uses a move, foe loses 60 % of its HP.
- The foe uses a move, Sonny is KO'd.
It struggled badly with being underlevelled, but the addition of U-Turn helped patch up its poor bulk. U-Turn on the first turn, dealing hefty damage to those who don't resist it (and at least some damage to the many who do), and follow up with either Roadblock or Bubbles depending on the situation. Once evolved into Toucannon, Sonny had the power to KO things on its own again, though I'm not sure if that will last through the entire game.
Sonny held the lead slot for most of this stretch, since it was constantly underlevelled after being KO'd in every other battle. After gaining U-Turn, though, his situation rapidly improved.



Snorlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 29 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Body Slam
- Brick Break
- Bulldoze
Holds Amulet Coin

Performance: Roadblock had some problems early on this time, mostly being related to his low Speed and lack of super-effective moves. Roadblock will usually move last in every battle, which does take its toll on his HP. He has fewer opportunities to toy with his opponents, which means less Metronome. I think it will be the next move to go. Bulldoze is a great addition to Roadblock's movepool, even allowing him to outspeed opponents after 2-3 turns.



Vaporeon, AKA Bubbles - lvl. 28 - Careful nature
Ability: Adaptability
- Scald
- Aurora Beam
- Quick Attack
- Bite
Holds Mystic Water

Performance: After a rough start, being severely underlevelled, Bubbles rapidly became a valued team member. He has comparable staying power to even Roadblock, allowing him to shrug off most moves and retaliate with a powerful Scald. Quick Attack helps in a pinch, taking down low-HP opponents before they can do anything back. Aurora Beam is good to have against Water resists, or Ice-weak Pokémon, although it rarely hits harder than Scald even when super-effective. All in all, Bubbles is a great tank, which can consistently be trusted to take down route trash, or make a stand in important battles.



Kadabra AKA Campbell - lvl 23 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Psybeam
- Charge Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Disable

No item.

Assessment: I found the Psychic TM and a Twisted Spoon during this session. These new toys will undoubtedly benefit Campbell even further. Campbell is a strong special attacker, which I trust to become one of my prime battlers going forward. My brother has a copy of Pokémon Moon and a 2DS of his own, allowing me to evolve Campbell whenever I need to - for now, I think I'll wait until Ludwig has reached his final stage, at least.



Magnemite AKA Microwave - lvl 22 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Sonic Boom
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder Shock
- Magnet Bomb
Holds a Metal Coat

Assessment: Microwave has many useful resistances, and should be able to reach level 30 to evolve late in this session. It will need stronger moves soon, though. Thunder Shock is not particularly powerful, Magnet Bomb runs off its weaker Attack stat, and the 20 HP Sonic Boom inflicts will amount to a lower and lower percentage of the foe's HP as the game goes on. Looking at Magnemite's level-up movepool (from Gen VI), it seems Mirror Shot will come soon, but the next solid Electric move still seems to be a fair bit away. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet and teach it Hidden Power, or at least Charge Beam, immediately?




Machop AKA Macho - lvl 25 - Brave nature
Ability: No Guard
- Low Sweep
- Seismic Toss
- Focus Energy
- Knock Off
No item.

Assessment: Macho is in a similar situation to Microwave. Fairly low-power moves, but an evolution coming quite soon. On the other hand, Macho doesn't have Microwave's plentitude of resistances. I have started to build up a bit of a TM collection by now, though, so maybe I can find something useful to teach it? Bulldoze or even Facade should be neat moves for an aspiring Machop to carry.



Salandit AKA Katla - lvl 24 - Quiet nature
Ability: Corrosion
- Dragon Rage
- Ember
- Flame Burst
- Smog
Holds Charcoal

Assessment: Katla is another Pokémon with heavy reliance on a few moves. Dragon Rage is nice enough as long as it can 2HKO things, but once opponents start to have more than 80 HP, it will quickly fall into irrelevance. Flame Burst has nice power and STAB, though, and I believe it will remain Katla's go-to move for this entire session. Hopefully, it will soon get a better secondary STAB than Smog. I remember Totem Salazzle and its allies carried Venoshock and Toxic, which would be great replacements for Ember and Smog. Katla's fragility is another issue; hopefully it won't be too bad, or at least offset by powerful offenses.


During this next session, I plan to get a fifth member for Team Two. Any suggestions?
 
Last edited:

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Minior could work, actually. Though Non-Stops tend to have their colour on the outside of the shell...

I prefer to stick to Pokémon that evolve, preferably twice, but Minior covers two typings I haven't used in Team Two yet - Rock and Flying. I was also considering Vanillite, but there are two idle team slots, so why not both? A Ground immunity is nice too, considering that half the current team are weak to it, and Campbell doesn't like taking strong physical Ground hits either. I'll try to find one tomorrow morning.

Sidenote: It's been a couple of days since the last update, but I haven't played much in the past two days. Will probably take on the Ghost trial tomorrow, and swap teams again after that.
 

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Part 6: Evolution is the solution!

Having defeated Vikavolt and learned about Kukui's plan to desacrate Alola's holy mountain, it was time for me to whip out Team Two again and get down Mount Hokulani. As Team Two was quite underlevelled for the current situation, I challenged the local trainers and wildlife to Pokémon battles along the edge of the mountainside. I was just contemplating how Microwave (Magnemite) needed stronger moves soon, when it levelled up and learned Mirror Shot. "Cool, now all I need is a good Electric STAB, and..."
In the grass, three steps away, lay the TM for Volt Switch. Microwave suddenly found use as a scout.

The road down Mount Hokulani is only a few hundred metres long, but you're only allowed to walk halfway down before you reach a bus stop. A driver with an old, rickety bus insisted that I ride in his vehicle down the final stretch of road, all the time insisting he had a perfect safety record. At least I didn't have to pay a fare, and I got down in one piece.

Kukui wanted to see me in Malie Garden again, so I begrudgingly trod over there to see what was up this time. Apparently, he wanted to introduce me to a friend of his, a charming young lad going by the name of Guzma. Apart from a frivolous hairstyle and a penchant for bling, Guzma seemed to be a down-to-Earth fellow. He even challenged me to a Pokémon battle. As a Bug-type trainer, I thought he wouldn't bring any serious opposition, so I heartily agreed. With Katla (Salandit) in the lead, I expected a quick victory.

It was quick all right, but no victory. Guzma opened with a Golisopod, which used Razor Shell. Katla OHKO'd. I then tried Macho (Machop). Razor Shell again, OHKO. Microwave (Magnemite) managed to cling on thanks to Sturdy, and halved Golisopod's HP with Volt Switch. Interestingly, Volt Switch doesn't switch your Pokémon out if it activates Emergency Exit. This meant Microwave remained on the field as Guzma switched in Ariados.

"Ahh, Ariados, that's an easy victory" I thought, despite half my team being knocked out and Microwave only having 1 HP. Ariados proved me wrong with Shadow Sneak. I sent in Campbell (Kadabra) to teach it a lesson, but Ariados used Shadow Sneak again and OHKO'd.

Eager for revenge, I went back to try again. Unfortunately, I forgot to switch Katla out of the lead position, and the battle went approximately the same way. Katla OHKO'd, Microwave OHKO'd but for Sturdy, Golisopod Emergency Exits, and this time Ariados defeats Microwave with Fell Stinger. At +3, it swept down Campbell and Macho in a single Shadow Sneak each.

"Okay. One more try. This time, Campbell in the lead. It outspeeds Golisopod, and can put a hefty dent in it with Psychic. Then I'll switch in Microwave when Ariados enters the stage, and wall it to death. Then I'll finish Golisopod with another Psychic. Perfect plan!"
*Battle starts*
"Hey, what the heck is First Impression?!?"

Loss count: 20 (+3)

I decided it was time to grind a little. With my team in the mid-20s, and Guzma's Pokémon past level 30, I had little chance. I remembered a guy atop Mount Hokulani had promised me a battle if I defeated the other trainers there. I flew back up the mountain on Charizard (no way I'd risk that bus again, I'd rather ride a fricking dragon, thank you), to challenge him.

The guy had one single Pokémon, an Absol. It was faster than all my Pokémon, got crits with both Slash and Night Slash, and took down most of my team in a single move. It used a Z move to defeat Campbell, just to rub it in.

Loss count: 21 (+1)

This started to look more and more like my job application situation. Something had to be done. I headed into the tall grass, determined to strengthen my Pokémon. I grinded (ground?) for a few levels, until Macho evolved, and the rest of the team hit level 28 or so. Then I went back to the guy with the Absol, and taught him not to mess with my team. With Microwave in the lead, I could tank a hit and Volt Switch for some prior damage. That wasn't oomph-y enough, though, so I decided to give Microwave an Electrium Z to vreak some real havoc. It didn't KO, but it was satisfying to see Absol's HP halved in the first turn of battle. Then Macho entered the fray. I had given him an Eviolite, so he could take a Slash or two and survive. With his new Attack stat, Low Sweep had enough power to send Absol out cold. It was tossed down the mountainside, and my confidence restored. The Z move dance was so ridiculous and humiliating that I decided not to use those moves again unless absolutely necessary.

Back at Guzma's, I used the revised Volt Switch strategy. Take Razor Shell, survive thanks to Sturdy, Volt Switch, Golisopod exits (but Microwave doesn't). Next turn, let Ariados KO with Shadow Sneak. Switch in Eviolate Macho. Laugh as Ariados does pitiful damage, while Bulldozing its HP and Speed down. Golisopod comes out again, KOs with Razor Shell. Send in Campbell. Outspeed. Let Golisopod eat Psychic. Laugh cruelly as Campbell dunks Guzma in the little stream running through Malie Garden.

I made my way to the south of the island without further incidents. I followed the advice of Rapti, caught a Minior, and named it Non-Stop for the famous chocolate candy/cake topping. Non-Stop is a yellow fellow which already proved its worth.

Next up, the Ghost trial. I got to try some real ghost photography here, as Acerola sent me into an environmental-disaster-in-the-making at the abandoned Thrifty Megamart. OK, Tapu Bulu destroyed it in the recent past, but that's no excuse not to clean it up. There's probably PVC in those windows, asbestos in the insulation, electrical cables, broken glass, a roof subsceptible to cave-in after years of unchecked corrosion, and who knows what kinds of fungi will grow in the abandoned food. Really, this place ought to be demolished and returned to nature. But no. Instead, they're sending kids into the abandoned building.

At the very back of the building, Totem Mimikyu awaited. It outsped and KO'd my entire team. Even Macho fell to Play Rough. Microwave, which had evolved and could take at least two hits before succumbing, was put to sleep before it could retaliate. Non-Stop got an Acrobatics in, but failed to do damage thanks to Mimikyu's Disguise. I tried again with a different strategy ("Chesto Berry for everybody!"), but failed all the same.

Loss count: 23 (+2)

More grinding, then. Since Non-Stop had managed to get a move in, I decided to shape it up for the lead position. Microwave resisted Play Rough and had decent defences, so I decided to bestow the Eviolite on it. It even learned Flash Cannon, adding both power and accuracy to its Steel STAB. Campbell was taught Shadow Ball in case it got an opportunity to get a hit in (the Ally Haunter outsped it and would OHKO with Sucker Punch, but hey, everything that improves the odds...). Katla even evolved into Salazzle, improving her speed and power both. Perhaps she would be the ace up my sleeve, if the current strategy failed?

Turns out that my two genderless Pokémon could do a stellar job if managed properly. Non-Stop opened the ball with Acrobatics, breaking Mimikyu's Disguise on the first turn. Mimikyu even wasted the turn with Mimic, allowing Non-Stop to get another hit on turn 2. Since Shields Down was down (that is, the shields were up), Haunter's Hypnosis didn't affect it (even if it had, it still held Chesto Berry, which arguably ruined the effectiveness of Acrobatics). It was defeated on turn 3, but not before it had dented Mimikyu's HP. Could the Totem be defeated after all?

It turns out that yes, indeed it could. Microwave entered the fray and took both Play Rough and Sucker Punch without as much as shrugging. It then decimated Mimikyu's HP with Flash Cannon. Turn 5 saw another Sucker Punch and Shadow Claw, but Microwave remained valiant. Flash Cannon for the KO. Turn 6, Haunter tried to Lick, to no avail. Volt Switch was a clean OHKO. Whoa, Microwave! You strong!

Despite racking up six losses this session, I still feel that Team Two is really shaping up to be a team of hard-hitters. Microwave gained the staying power the team lacked after evolving, and Non-Stop is a great compliment. I failed to find a Vanillite, however, but I guess there will be further chances later on.


Kadabra AKA Campbell - lvl 32 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Psychic
- Charge Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Recover

Holds a Twisted Spoon.

Performance: Whatever Campbell hits, will lose a LOT of HP. It has the power and coverage to hit anything, hard, and usually the Speed to go first. However, if Campbell's move is tanked, things won't go well. Campbell is a glass cannon, hitting hard, but being hit hard as well. Its great qualities were put to good use, however, and it sweeps up "route trash" with effortless ease.



Magneton AKA Microwave - lvl 33 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder Shock
- Flash Cannon
Holds an Eviolite

Performance: With a couple new moves, Microwave had already improved tremendously. Volt Switch allowed it to scout, or create a powerful combination with Sturdy: Take what would have been a OHKO, deal some great damage, live to tell the tale. Upon evolving, its power and defenses were both improved further. With Flash Cannon, Microwave finally has Steel STAB, with reliable accuracy, power, and coming from the right side of the spectrum. Alongside Campbell, Microwave is becoming an MVP of the team.




Machoke AKA Macho - lvl 33 - Brave nature
Ability: No Guard
- Low Sweep
- Dual Chop
- Bulldoze
- Knock Off
Holds a Chesto Berry

Performance: With Eviolite, Macho became surprisingly bulky. He could take most moves quite fine, then Bulldoze or Low Sweep to lower the opponents' Speed and often attack first the next turn. Losing Eviolite to Microwave might reduce his effectiveness somewhat, but Macho's attack power and utility remains the same. He was acquired via trade, and therefore has no problem gaining Experience. This is a Pokémon that can carry the team forward both figuratively and literally.



Salazzle AKA Katla - lvl 33 - Quiet nature
Ability: Corrosion
- Dragon Rage
- Ember
- Flame Burst
- Toxic
Holds Charcoal

Performance: After evolving, Katla's qualities have improved. Greater Speed, greater Sp. Attack, and slightly less terrible bulk. She hasn't contributed much in recent battles, thanks to an unfortunate type disadvantage, but remains great against "route trash". She did manage to KO Guzma's Ariados in the third and final loss battle, though.


Minior AKA Non-Stop - lvl 32 - Quirky nature
Ability: Shields Down
- Acrobatics
- Ancient Power
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
Holds a Chesto Berry

Performance: Non-Stop is a bright little fellow with surprising utility. It takes a hit, attacks, its Shields go Down, then it attacks first the next round, with even greater power. If it can't KO, U-turn out of the situation. Acrobatics is its main attacking move, somewhat hampered by its hold item (which will probably be removed soon). Despite being a late addition to the team, Non-Stop has shown promise against "route trash" and trainers, and proved crucial in the Ghost trial.



Dartrix, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 28 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Leafage
- Pluck
- Tackle
- Razor Leaf
Holds Miracle Seed

Assessment: Ludwig will probably evolve this next session, lose its Flying type, and hopefully gain some better moves to replace those it was born with. Leafage and Tackle remain in its moveset, since nothing better has come along yet. Maybe the U-Turn TM can be used here? Moves aside, Ludwig has proved multiple times it has the stats to handle most situations, and will probably remain a solid player on Team One.




Toucannon, AKA Sonny - lvl. 29 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Beak Blast
- Brick Break
- U-Turn
- Roost
Holds Sharp Beak

Assessment: Sonny has reached its final evolution stage, and its final power level as far as stats go. It has got a decent moveset already, but might miss a reliable Flying move. Beak Blast is useful as it is, in effect, a priority Burn move, but it might be a little too unreliable to use for attacking. The next session will serve as a test of whether reliability is better than the utility OR power granted by Beak Blast.



Snorlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 29 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Body Slam
- Brick Break
- Bulldoze
Holds Amulet Coin

Assessment: Will Roadblock ever get more opportunities to use Metronome for fun, without losing me the battle? I might have to say farewell to this hilarious but notoriously unreliable move soon, as Roadblock gets better options. Roadblock itself will continue to serve as a powerhouse, though, with enough staying power to take most hits and enough offensive power to punish the opponent.



Vaporeon, AKA Bubbles - lvl. 28 - Careful nature
Ability: Water Absorb
- Scald
- Aurora Beam
- Quick Attack
- Bite
Holds Mystic Water

Assessment: Previously an MVP, will probably stay that way now that we're apparently entering a desert. Bubbles' Scald is the only move he really needs, but other good options might also come along. With good HP, good Sp. Attack and passable Speed, as well as an immunity perfect for switching in, Bubbles is expected to carry his weight and then some through the next session.
 

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Part 7: Keeping the power on

This one is a short one, mainly since I didn't lose as much (and recounts of my losses seem to make up most of this Let's Play).

My mission as an amateur ghost photographer was over, and I had defeated the Mimikyu that probably ranked sixth on the list of the scariest things in the old supermarket (the others being, respectively: Imminent corrosion of load-bearing elements, damage done to the structure when Tapu Bulu attacked, biological agents in the air from spoilt food, broken glass and other items strewn everywhere, and the laizzes-faire attitude of Alolan citizens when it comes to leaving building waste in the open). Team Two was boxed, and I once again withdrew the other little quartet of battlers from Box 1. I then went to see what the fuzz was about over at the Aether House.

It turned out that Team Skull admin Plumeria had shown up. Beating her, a relatively major trainer, as the first challenge for the newly-withdrawn team? Eh, could be done. I probably shouldn't have led with Ludwig (Dartrix), though. I quickly decided to switch out, which turned out to be another big mistake. Roadblock (Snorlax) was switched in on Confuse Ray. Next turn, I tried to Body Slam, but Roadblock hit himself and then took a Critical Hit Poison Fang. Same story on the next round, and Roadblock was defeated. I tried using Bubbles (Vaporeon) next, but had no more luck. Bubbles became confused, hit herself, took a Poison Fang and was badly poisoned. She did some damage on the next turn, but Golbat wore her down before she could knock it out. Sonny (Toucannon) was next, and he managed to KO, but not before taking heavy damage himself. Plumeria's Salazzle defeated Sonny with only a few HP to spare, but Ludwig was not fast enough to KO her before being KO'd himself. Being five levels underlevelled didn't help his case either.

Loss count: 24 (+1)

On my second attempt, I led with Roadblock instead. He was hit by Confuse Ray, but managed to pull through and 2HKO Golbat with Body Slam. Salazzle was helpless against a Bulldoze, and I won the battle in three turns. Wow, choosing to lead with the right 'mon sure can make a difference!

I had a few close calls on my way up to Po Town, but somehow managed to pull through every time. Roadblock even got to use its ol', sketchy Metronome method in a battle against a Haunter, and managed to nab a KO with Stone Edge. I had to backtrack and heal a few times, but got all the way to Po Town without problems.

Inside its walls, I found what might possibly be my favourite NPCs in Sun and Moon: A pair of repentant Team Skull grunts (or ex-grunts?) who have devoted themselves to keep Po Town's Pokémon Center running. They have a monopoly on the service in town, but still don't charge more than they need to keep the lights on, and they greet every customer with a song and a thanks for contributing. The price of 10 Poké is ridiculous, you can fully heal your team there 20 times for the cost of a measly Potion. This is now my favourite healing spot.

At some point during the clear-out of Po Town, Ludwig evolved into Decidueye. And as other people have stated in the In-Game Experience thread, suddenly every opponent begins to carry a Dark or Ghost attack. Ludwig managed to put some work in during key moments, but it was really Bubbles who carried the team here. Sonny forgot Beak Blast in favour of Drill Peck, since the utility of not being hit before you attack is more useful than the occasional Burn and the extra power. After all you don't get to enjoy the extra power if you're KO'd before you can use it. Drill Peck and Roost helped Sonny cheese the Guzma fight; After Golisopod had Wimped Out, his Ariados could do nothing to Sonny in the long run.

...and then there was more fuzz at the Aether House. Apparently, Hau couldn't keep Plumeria at bay (come on, Hau, between Raichu and Primarina you have at least four type advantages over Golbat and Salazzle - and your levels are higher than mine), and allowed Team Skull to abduct Lillie. Our resident ray of sunshine, Gladion, volunteered to lead the expedition to get her back.

Just as we were about to leave Malie Docks, Ula'ula's Kahuna came along. Not to say goodbye, but to interrupt our rescue mission with a battle. We were apparently in a hurry, but the other two were fine with me battling the old policeman. Lillie probably wouldn't mind another few minutes in the Aether Foundation's torture cellar, after all.

I was unprepared for the Trial Battle, but luckily I had a very good lead. Bubbles managed to wear down and KO Nanu's Sableye, although it was outsped and KO'd by his Krokorok. I switched in Ludwig, only to remember that I didn't have a Ground immunity any more. Not that it mattered, Krokorok just used Crunch and defeated Ludwig in a single blow.

Sonny was up for the task, however, he took a Swagger and hit himself, but he tanked a Crunch on the next turn and proceeded to KO with a Brick Break. Had he been just as lucky on the next turn, the battle would have ended there and then, but he succumbed to confusion when Persian entered the field. Now it was Roadblock vs. Persian, and Persian had a Z-move to use. Luckily, Roadblock had the bulk to take the Z-move and hit hard with Brick Break. Next turn, Persian failed to KO with Dark Pulse, and Roadblock could Brick Break the fat cat off the edge of the pier and win the battle. A cutscene then played, and before I knew, we were at the docks of the Aether Paradise. However, it was time for me to swap teams, so I told the others to put the emergency on hold for a few minutes while I went back to Malie City to box some Pokémon and buy a new set of clothes.


This all happened a few hours ago, while I was out and away from a PC. I decided to play on for a while, which unfortunately(?) messed up my chance to do prior assessments of Team Two. I'll just list the performance of Team One for now:


Dartrix, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 35 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Spirit Shackle
- Pluck
- Facade
- Razor Leaf
Holds Miracle Seed

Performance: Dartrix' TM movepool is as barren as Haina Desert, so no U-turn for Ludwig (at least it couldn't get it before evolving). Facade was a nice compromise, though, yielding a 75 % increase in power from Tackle, at a minimum. After evolving, Ludwig's main problem is a plethora of common weaknesses, as well as a relatively low physical Defense. Decidueye's Defense is actually the same as Dartrix'. He enjoys higher Speed and Attack, though, which hopefully will come to some use in the next session.




Toucannon, AKA Sonny - lvl. 36 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Drill Peck
- Brick Break
- U-Turn
- Roost
Holds Sharp Beak

Performance: Sonny has performed better than I had expected, dishing out solid damage with Brick Break and Flying STAB. Drill Peck is a little better than Beak Blast, since it allows Sonny to use its passable Speed and actuall attack before taking a hit himself. U-turn is great for pivoting, whereas Roost allows him to play defensively if needed.



Snorlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 36 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Body Slam
- Brick Break
- Bulldoze
Holds Amulet Coin

Performance: Roadblock's low Speed is about to become an issue. He always takes a hit before attacking, and was even outsped by a freakin' Torkoal even after a Bulldoze (to be fair, Roadblock was several levels below it). This is particularly a liability if the foe uses status moves, since Roadblock can effectively be crippled without a chance to retaliate. Still, Roadblock has the bulk to survive at least one hit of whatever moves the foe has, and enough Attack to hurt it in return. He doesn't appreciate starting battles at half health, though, since he will go last on turn 1.



Vaporeon, AKA Bubbles - lvl. 34 - Careful nature
Ability: Water Absorb
- Scald
- Aurora Beam
- Quick Attack
- Bite
Holds Mystic Water

Performance: Scald wins battles. Especially in the perpetual rain of Po Town, and backed by STAB and Mystic Water. Aurora Beam helps, but usually only when it hits for 4x effectiveness over Scald (such as against Grass types, or certain combinations of Flying). Quick Attack helps in a pinch. Bite is, well, still there for some reason, I don't use it much. Bubbles remains one of my most reliable battlers across both teams, thanks to solid numbers in the stats that count, allowing him to use his move(s) to the fullest potential.
 

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Part 8: Paradise, they said

I had abandoned Hau and Gladion in the Aether Paradise, since their trivial issues could wait while I swapped my teams and my outfit. With Team One safely boxed, I headed back to Aether Paradise to battle whichever trainers were still left after Hau and Gladion, their Pokémon outlevelling mine by quite a margin, had swept the place. It turns out that the two of them had snuck past everybody without actually battling them. And they left no note telling me how to do the same. That's what you get for abandoning your friends, I guess.

Team Two pulled their weight despite the level disadvantage, we eventually cleared the dock area of trainers. That last one had put up a bit of a fight, though, I only had Katla (Salazzle) left, her HP in the red. I decided to backtrack to heal, making sure I didn't step into the elevator to trigger-

Oh. So you only need to be remotely close to the elevator to trigger the cutscene. Oh well, we're going up. I think there was a healing spot up there last time we got a tour of this place...

Faba? What are you doing here? Want to battle? Hau? Gladion? Any help?

Level 34 Salazzle with 16 HP left, vs. level 39 Hypno at full health. That went just as well as you might expect:

Loss count: 25 (+1)

I returned after healing, and swept the floor with the Hypno. Then followed an exposition tour of Aether Paradise's lower levels, including a couple of tag battles where Hau and Gladion proved they were more than capable of sweeping the facility, if they had only bothered. To my great relief, the healing desk on 1F was also made accessible, since backtracking to Malie City to heal would have been a major pain. My team performed very well, defeating every trainer they encountered, and gaining lots of Exp. First the Aether Foundation employees, then the more dubious-looking Aether Foundation employees, then a bunch of Team Skull thugs who were camping in the place for no reason.

And last, I was once again greeted by Guzma, the charming gentleman who had so recently showed me his estate in Po Town. Apparently, he had just defeated Gladion, and was eager to challenge me to another friendly battle. He had apparently buffed his team since I last saw him, adding two new members - Pinsir and Masquerain. He opened with his trusty Golisopod, though, whom I knew from previous encounters to be a tough son of a gun.

Katla was in the lead on my team, doing her best to hurt Golisopod with Flame Burst. It took some 30 % off its HP, but Golisopod used Razor Shell to One-Hit-KO Katla. Not a good start, but at least it had wasted the chance to use its priority move. Microwave (Magneton) was next, sending Golisopod's HP into the lower red with Volt Switch. Golisopod promptly switched out, but Microwave didn't, thanks to what I believe to be a deity (programmer) oversight. Oh well, I could always Volt Switch against Pinsir, since Microwave comfortably endured its Brick Break, with approximately a quarter of its HP to spare. I then sent Non-Stop (Minior) in, who took another two Brick Breaks but eventually KO'd with Acrobatics. It also finished Golisopod, who switched in but couldn't outspeed. Next up was Ariados, whom I knew I could happily wall and KO with Macho (Machoke). I let Ariados finish off Non-Stop with one of its two priority moves, and then sent Macho in to clean up. Shadow Sneak, Bulldoze, repeat until KO. Now, only Masquerain was left.

Seriously, screw Masquerain.

This little bugger outsped Macho (obviously) and KO'd with Air Slash. Fair enough, he had little HP left. Microwave ought to do it, it resisted Air Slash and held Eviolite. One Volt Switch should have the bug screaming for mercy. But alas, outsped and KO.

Fair enough, but my ace was still on hand. Campbell (Kadabra) is blessed with great Speed, and Psychic puts a dent in everything. Let's see how...

Outspeed and OHKO with Bug Buzz. Okay, so much for that battle.

I tried again, this time letting Non-Stop use Stealth Rock against Pinsir. It KO'd Golisopod upon its second switch-in and halved Masquerain's HP, but did nothing good since Masquerain didn't let me touch its remaining half, it just outsped and KO'd everything I had left at the end of the battle in a single move.

I tried conserving Katla by letting Microwave lead. A turn 1 Volt Switch would take out more than half of Golisopod's HP, but then it had enough left not to be KO'd by Stealth Rock later in the battle. No avail, Masquerain outsped even Katla, and OHKO'd with Air Slash. I tried to put Rock Tomb on Macho, which would let it defeat Ariados quicker and face Masquerain with more HP, but Air Slash KO'd nonetheless. I trained Campbell up a few levels, to see if it would outspeed, but it did not. Eventually, this became my most-lost battle so far this game. The rest of Guzma's team was a cakewalk, but Masquerain was much faster than anything I could field, and strong enough to KO all my Pokémon in a single move. Masquerain.

Loss count: 29 (+4)

Finally, I identified the mistake that kept costing me the battle. Instead of Volt Switching against Pinsir, I switched out. That way, I hurt Pinsir less, but conserved Microwave at full HP. This allowed Pinsir to defeat Non-Stop, but I had Katla in the wings who comfortably outsped and finished it with Flame Burst. It couldn't quite KO Golisopod when it came back in after Emergency Exit, but Campbell finished that job. Macho did its thing against Ariados again, and when Ariados was knocked out, and Masquerain had got the revenge kill, Microwave stood alone against Masquerain, with full HP.

It turns out I got lucky. Volt Switch is a 3HKO against Masquerain, while Bug Buzz is a 4HKO back. However, Bug Buzz has a not-insignificant chance of lowering the target's Sp.Def, and Masquerain was fast enough to strike first. I was lucky and got the stat drop on the third hit. Had any of the two other hits lowered Microwave's Sp.Def, Bug Buzz would have KO'd in three hits instead of four. That didn't happen, though, and Microwave perservered.


After healing, I went to face Lusamine and her long cutscene. She also had a team of five Pokémon, although I only got to see three of them. Her lead Clefable was a solid wall that knocked out Campbell with two Moonblast, but it then started relying on Metronome when I switched in Microwave. Her Clefable really ought to see Roadblock, they could probably share stories of their miserable luck. Against Flash Cannon, Clefable stood no chance.

Her Bewear was a dangerous one, though. With Campbell already knocked out, I had few options against it. I switched out Microwave for Macho, but he was knocked out instantly by Take Down. Non-Stop was next, and could do some damage with Acrobaticts, but couldn't withstand Hammer Arm. Katla took out Bewear, but then found itself facing a Milotic. Katla did not like Hydro Pump. Now Microwave was the only option left, and while it could take a Hydro Pump and live, it failed to KO with Volt Switch and was defeated on the next turn.

Loss count: 30 (+1)

The game pressed on as if nothing had happened, though. Another cutscene played, and suddenly it was the next day and my team was at full health. I decided that this battle had been "milestone" enough to warrant a team switch. Actually, it was milestone enough to warrant a reward to Campbell and Macho, for long and valiant service. I called my brother and had them evolved via link trade. With a Machamp and Alakazam on the team, the eventual return of Team Two ought to be spectacular!


Kadabra AKA Campbell - lvl 36 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Psychic
- Charge Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Recover

Holds a Twisted Spoon.

Performance: Campbell's moveset remained unchanged this session, since the combination proved successful enough to keep. Campbell still performs as it did earlier, both inflicting and taking a great deal of damage whenever a move is being used. He had little utility in the repeated battles against Guzma, and is therefore slightly underlevelled compared to the rest of the team. He remains an excellent sweeper for lesser battles, though. He really is too frail to use Recover effectively, so that move will probably be forgotten in favour of... uhh, yes, what, exactly? Any suggestions?



Magneton AKA Microwave - lvl 41 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder Shock
- Flash Cannon
Holds an Eviolite

Performance: Microwave is one heck of a beast. With Eviolite, it will withstand everything. With its strong Sp.Atk stat (despite the hindering nature), it will put a large dent in everything it faces. Immunity to Poison is also great when facing Team Skull and their ubiquitous Poison-types. Flash Cannon is great for taking out Fairy-types, otherwise Volt Switch tends to be the move of choice. It will either KO, or do heavy enough damage for something else to finish the job, gaining some experience in the process. It was also great against Guzma, hence its high level. Great synergy with Non-Stop in longer battles, since they can VoltTurn back and forth.




Machoke AKA Macho - lvl 37 - Brave nature
Ability: No Guard
- Low Sweep
- Rock Tomb
- Bulldoze
- Knock Off
Holds a Scope Lens

Performance: Macho is just a solid option now as he was back on MeleMele Island. He has managed to accumulate a great amount of Speed-reducing moves by now, but only in anticipation of better moves later. When we finally come across the Earthquake TM, and he learns Dynamic Punch, things will take a real turn for the ugly. He got Rock Tomb to better deal with Guzma's bugs, but it's not going to be around for very long - just before writing this, I came across the TM for Stone Edge.



Salazzle AKA Katla - lvl 38 - Quiet nature
Ability: Corrosion
- Dragon Rage
- Ember
- Flame Burst
- Toxic
Holds Charcoal

Performance: Katla is a little let down by her lack of moves. Dragon Rage is really beginning to lose its luster, Flame Burst isn't particularly powerful, and the continued presence of Ember speaks volumes of a rather barren level-up movepool. Hopefully, she will learn Flamethrower soon. The Sludge Wave TM should also help. However, moves isn't Katla's sole issue - she is also very frail. Okay when she can OHKO things, since she outspeeds most opponents, but if she can't, she will probably be OHKO'd herself.


Minior AKA Non-Stop - lvl 40 - Quirky nature
Ability: Shields Down
- Acrobatics
- Power Gem
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
Holds a Chesto Berry

Performance: Non-Stop is awesome. Acrobatics hurts things. Power Gem hurts things. Stealth Rock is useful in long battles, but I ended up not using it when defeating Guzma (repeated Acrobatics proved just as useful in this case). Shields Down is an amazing ability, giving immunity against status moves until Non-Stop has taken some damage, while providing extra defense and offense depending on the situation. Great 'mon, loved to use it!


It's a little late and I have to catch an early train tomorrow, so no prior assessment today either (as if anybody misses it...).
 
Masquerain was surprisingly tough for me as well.

Decidueye does indeed get U Turn. I'm currently using Razor Leaf (seriously where tf are its grass moves?!) / Spirit Shackle / Sucker Punch / U Turn. It's not meaty or fast enough for Roost. It's nice to have priority with Sucker Punch, but I don't find it hitting very hard unless the opponent is weak to it or frail. It has problems but it's better than the dead weight Dartrix became for me.

Do you plan on a 5th for team 1? if you have a Haunter you can get a Golem in the Tapu Village via trade if that'd be of interest.
 
We should have a betting pool for how many losses will Codraroll have at the end of the LP :>

54


On a serious note, maybe Reflect for Campell 4th moveslot? that way he at least helps the team if it's obvious he's going to go down
 

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Do you plan on a 5th for team 1? if you have a Haunter you can get a Golem in the Tapu Village via trade if that'd be of interest.
I've planned to have six members for both teams, but Alola seems almost empty of Pokémon I'd actually like to use. I'm not sure if that's my fault or the game's, though. Whenever I'm reminded of some cool Pokémon I want to try out, it's either post-game or not available at all. The teams I have settled for are remarkably Gen I-heavy.

As of writing this, I have indeed caught a fifth member for Team One. I realized after losing to Hapu that I have no way to beat her Mudsdale. It survives Bubbles' Scald, then OHKOs with Earthquake, and has an amazing (and increasing!) physical bulk. Bubbles is currently the only member of Team 1 who carries a Special move. Alola Golem was on my list of candidates, but it's another physical attacker, and I can't see it being very useful against a Ground-type trainer.

I wanted to get Vanillite, but it's only available when it snows in Tapu Village, which it never seems to do. I'm visiting the place three times a day, and the sky is always clear. I've seen rain there once, but didn't meet Vanillite then. Instead, I opted for Cleffa, now evolved into Clefairy. Grass Knot should be sufficient to hurt Mudsdale enough for Bubbles to KO it.
 
Have you thought of a Sneasel? That or a Froslass would be a pretty nice addition to either team, I'd say.
 

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Have you thought of a Sneasel? That or a Froslass would be a pretty nice addition to either team, I'd say.
Coincidentally, Sneasel and Froslass share the same problem: They're a royal pain to evolve. Sneasel needs a Razor Claw, which is a 5 % hold item on Jangmo-o - which is a 5 % encounter. Snorunt requires a Dawn Stone, which can only be found in the postgame - or by catching a box full of random Pokémon and working the RNG of Poké Pelago. Either way, I'd be stuck with a rather lacklustre unevolved Pokémon for way longer than I'd like to. Also, I looked it up, it seems Sneasel is found only right before the Elite Four, which is a little too late for my taste. At that point, I'd be getting close to the point where I pick the best Pokémon from both teams to take on the Pokémon League. Adding entirely new members feels a little too late at that point.

Oh, how I long for a Pokémon game where a three-stage Ice type can be found in a non-contrived way around the first Gym, and evolved without requiring the player to jump through hoops of RNG all day long. As far as I can tell, this has happened with every other typing in the games, but Ice keeps getting cold shoulders (and terrible stats). Had the Dawn Stone been available in the fricking dedicated evolution stone shop the game already has, I'd have taken your advice to heart and merrily skipped away to catch me a Snorunt. But as-is... dreaming of Vanillite seems like the most productive solution.
 
Oh, how I long for a Pokémon game where a three-stage Ice type can be found in a non-contrived way around the first Gym, and evolved without requiring the player to jump through hoops of RNG all day long. As far as I can tell, this has happened with every other typing in the games, but Ice keeps getting cold shoulders (and terrible stats). Had the Dawn Stone been available in the fricking dedicated evolution stone shop the game already has, I'd have taken your advice to heart and merrily skipped away to catch me a Snorunt. But as-is... dreaming of Vanillite seems like the most productive solution.
The only pre-Tapu Village ice types I can think of are Cloyster (Shellder is a rare fishing encounter in a hidden area you'd have to backtrack to) and...Delibird.

Game Freak has this weird thing where ice types are always far into the game, and always in a designated cold zone (we should be thankful they added them to the village instead of locking them all to Lanakila). I wish they weren't so strict in distributing them. It's not like Ice type is game-breaking, and every other type is giving leeway in what area they appear in.

The only exception I can think of is the cold storage area in BW coming up rather early, but that only gave us Vanillite as the other ice types were late game encounters.
 
could you catch an alolan ninetales? It doesn't take long to get a Snow Warning one, and Blizzard ohkoed mudsdale for me. It helped me a lot in the leet four and later battles too. Vulpin is a 10% find in Tapu Village, and evolves with an easily available ice stone.
 

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Oh dang, this really took a while! Sorry!
Part 9: Totally not Victory Road

When I arrived at Poni Island with Team One, it was made clear to me how difficult Alter Ego play can be. My team was eight levels underlevelled compared to wild Pokémon. The first trainer I greeted, Ace Trainer Lindsey, opened the battle with a level 44 Garbodor. I had Bubbles (Vaporeon) in the lead, ten levels lower. Bubbles' Scald did some damage, but it did not burn Garbodor, which proceeded to outspeed and sweep my entire team with Gunk Shot.

Loss count: 31 (+1)

I decided to do some training in the tall grass before proceeding. After a while of grinding wild Gumshoos and Granbull into the dust, I felt confident enough to challenge the other trainers in the area, and managed to nab a few wins - sometimes quite narrow ones at that. Roadblock (Snorlax) even managed to land a KO with Cross Chop after Metronome. Still loving that move. I returned to Lindsey and beat her Garbodor with Roadblock's Bulldoze, now that it had the bulk to surive a Gunk Shot. I suppose it also helped that Garbodor decided to use Toxic against Roadblock when it switched in, rather than attempting to continue the sweep. Her Toxapex was also mildly annoying, but it didn't have the stats to KO Bubbles with the Poison Z-move, and was defeated by a combination of Scald burns and its own pitiful offensive stats. Poison Jab off 63 base Attack does not hurt that badly.

I continued down Ancient Poni Path, where I eventually found Hapu's house. Her grandmother's lovely Miltank provided free healing. Brilliant! Together with Lillie and Hapu, I proceeded to Poni Breaker Coast, to watch a cutscene. Lillie and I were then told to visit Exeggutor Island, apparently so named because an Exeggutor was the only thing of interest there. Encouraged by Lillie, I beat it unconscious. We then stole a flute from an altar on the island.

When I returned to Ancient Poni Path, a few friends of Guzma were hanging out outside Hapu's house. The charming chaps challenged me to a Pokémon Battle, and I agreed. The first girl decided to open with Fomantis against my Sonny (Toucannon). Needless to say, that was a short battle. The poor girl was so upset that she fled the scene, and her friends followed suit with a full five-on-four battle. I managed to hold my ground and trade KO for KO until Haunter came along. Its powerful Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse hurt poor Ludwig (Decidueye) badly, and Roadblock had been KO'd by Golbat and Raticate earlier in the match. All I had to back up with was Sonny, who had U-Turned out of its encounter with Salandit earlier after eating a Toxic. It fell to Haunter, and my loss was certain.

Loss count: 32 (+1)

I came back with a slightly changed strategy. I led with Bubbles instead, which had me 2HKO the initial Fomantis instead of OHKO, but it had the advantage of cheesing the second grunt's Salandit with Scald, without having to take Toxic damage. Scald also helped against Raticate, even burned it before it could KO with Double-Edge. Now Sonny was free to KO it with a well-timed Brick Break, and it could U-turn away from Golbat and let Roadblock take over. Golbat decided to use Haze at crucial moments, and was paralyzed by Roadblock's Body Slam. Roadblock had most of its health intact before facing Haunter, whose attacks it could shrug off all day...

...then I realized that Roadblock didn't carry any moves that could hurt Haunter. It was immune to both Body Slam, Brick Break and Bulldoze. All I had left to rely on was Metronome. I clicked it and hoped for the best. "Roadblock used Night Daze!"
OK, it was a Special move, and Snorlax's Sp.Atk isn't the best, but it has 85 BP and Haunter has a famously terrible Sp.Def stat. Night Daze was a clean KO, and Roadblock was free to engage Mareanie. It was smooth sailing from there on out.

The road proceeded up Not Victory Road, AKA Vast Poni Canyon. A picturesque place, where Lillie once again was waiting for me. We met Hapu too, who was just recently anointed Kahuna of Poni Island. Now, all I had to do was to take on all of Poni's trials, then come back and challenge her, right?

Nah, the girl did not care for proper procedure, and decided to start my Poni Island run with the Grand Trial. I was fine with it, she is a Ground-type user, and between my team of four, I had two Pokémon with super-effective STAB against Ground, and one with a Ground-type immunity. Take that, Hapu!

Luckily, I had Bubbles in the lead as she sent out Dugtrio. Scald knocked a large percentage off its HP, possibly all of it (I can't remember). At any rate, beating Dugtrio was effortless, although it did manage to set up Sandstorm. Next, Hapu sent out her trusty Mudsdale. A slow, lumbering beast with a weakness against Scald? Easy! I clicked Scald, and watched as Bubbles knocked 60 % off Mudsdale's HP. Another hit like that, and it'd go down for sure.

Mudsdale then used Earthquake, for a one-hit-KO. Whoops. Oh well, I suppose Ludwig could also do the job. After all, Razor Leaf is super-effective, and...

Mudsdale used Heavy Slam. Mudsdale weighs a literal ton. Decidueye weighs 36 kg. Ludwig was also almost ten levels below Mudsdale. Needless to say, this did not go well. Then again, I still had a Ground-immune Pokémon left in Sonny.

Sonny does not like Heavy Slam either. It weighs 26 kg. It did outspeed, though, and got to watch Drill Peck raise Mudsdale's defense by one stage thanks to Stamina. To rub salt in the wound, Hapu used a Hyper Potion as I sent in Roadblock.

At this point, I realized I could not beat that Mudsdale. My team had exactly two special moves, both of which were on Bubbles, who could not OHKO Mudsdale, but was OHKO'd back. To Roadblock's credit, he did survive a Continental Crush, the Ground-type Z-move, with 7 HP to spare. He did a negligible amount of damage to Mudsdale with Body Slam ("Mudsdale's Defense rose!"). But the sandstorm Dugtrio had set up ensured that the battle ended there and then.

Loss count: 33 (+1)

Something had to be done. I decided to find a fifth member for Team One. The choice fell on a small Pokémon I had overlooked previously, back at Mount Hokulani. I waited for nightfall, then tracked back there and caught a lvl. 28 female Cleffa. In homage to one of the best platform games of all time, she was named Rosalina. It's also a fitting name, "Lina" is a semi-uncommon Scandinavian girls' name, and "Rosa" means "Pink" over here. And "Pink Lina" is a fitting name for a pink blob Pokémon.

My next couple of days of limited play time was spent training Rosalina up. With concentrated effort using malasadas, massage and Festival Plaza, we quickly gained each other's friendship, and she evolved into Clefairy some time in her mid-level-30s. When she had reached level 40, I felt confident to challenge Hapu again. As a trump card/last resort against Mudsdale, I had taught Rosalina Trump Card and Last Resort Grass Knot, Magical Leaf and Psychic.

Training Rosalina had also given the rest of the team some crucial level boosts. Bubbles couldn't prevent Hapu's Dugtrio from setting up Sandstorm, but he could OHKO it, then outspeed Mudsdale, Scald, and survive its Earthquake with a handful of HP to spare even after Sandstorm. Adieu, Mudsdale!

I was a little shocked to see Hapu had a Flygon, which easily took out what was left of Bubbles' HP, but at that point I had four Pokémon left against her two. Roadblock put in good work against Flygon thanks to his good Sp.Def and repeated Body Slam, but fell before the job was done. Ludwig was up for the task, though. Last up was Gastrodon. This would have been the perfect opportunity to bring in Rosalina with her 4x effective Grass moves, but Clefairy has the damage output and stamina of a mallet made of wet cardboard, so I knew it was futile. Rosalina had failed to KO wild Gastrodon in Poni Wilds, so no reason to believe she could do better against a trained one. Besides, Razor Leaf was such an easy victory that not using it would be a waste. Ludwig had to take (and shrug off) a Muddy Water, but two Razor Leaf brought the slug down.

Since I knew a Dragon trial was coming up, I decided to let Team One stay for a while longer. At this point, it had barely caught up to the levels of Team Two, after all, and still lagged behind the levels of other wild Pokémon.

The trek through Vast Poni Canyon was relatively uneventful. I took it slow on purpose, making sure to give Rosalina a lot of experience. At level 46, she would learn Moonblast, after which I would evolve her into Clefable. I knew Kommo-o was the last Totem Pokémon, and I wanted to cheese at least one Totem fight on the first try (astute readers will note that I have at least one loss in each trial save for the first two). A fully-evolved Fairy-type with a 90 BP STAB move coming off 95 Sp.Atk ought to put a few dents in a Dragon/Fighting Pokémon.

Near the end of the Canyon, I met the trial captain. A ditzy painter with stained clothes who couldn't muster the effort to put together a decent trial. "The totem is over there, have fun. I'm going to go painting. Also, have a Fairium Z". To me, she appeared to be high as a kite, and I was relieved to see her get off the bridge, which lacked handrails, without falling off. Anyway, the fact that she just handed me the Fairy Z-move seemed to be an indication that the upcoming fight would be tough. It is the last trial after all, there ought to be some good puzzles, and a really strong Totem at the end. Better train Rosalina! When I reached the trial gate, I held back for a while and grinded (ground) in the tall grass. Rosalina got to level 46, learned Moonblast and evolved, and I was ready. I knew the Trial Pokémon could be a nuisance, though, and I wanted Rosalina unscathed for Kommo-o. I therefore decided to lead with Sonny, to clear the way, maybe scout Kommo-o, so Rosalina could come in and finish the job.


The trial turned out to be a breeze until the Totem came along. Jangmo-o fell to Drill Peck. Hakamo-o fell to Drill Peck. Then it was Kommo-o's turn, and it sounded furious. The battle turned out to be a hax-fest too, I was really tempted to soft-reset at one point. Oh well, onto details:

Turn 1: Kommo-o used Protect! Sonny's attack failed. Kommo-o summons Hakamo-o.

Turn 2: Kommo-o used Sky Uppercut! Sonny lost 60 % of its health. Sonny used Drill Peck! It's super-effective! Kommo-o lost 40 % of its health. Hakamo-o used Autotomize.

Turn 3: Hakamo-o used Bide! Kommo-o used Sky Uppercut! The attack missed. Sonny used Drill Peck! A critical hit! Kommo-o fainted.

Turn 4: Hakamo-o is storing energy. Sonny used Drill Peck! Hakamo-o fainted.


...so much for Rosalina, I guess. Maybe she'll find use later on? Maybe? For now, I'm boxing Team One and withdrawing Team Two, for what I believe to be the final leg of the journey until the Pokémon League, where the teams are finally allowed to mix.


Dartrix, AKA Ludwig - lvl. 45 - Brave nature
Ability: Overgrow
- Spirit Shackle
- Pluck
- Facade
- Leaf Blade
Holds Miracle Seed

Performance: Ludwig performed better than I thought he would. Spirit Shackle is decent STAB, and when it learned Leaf Blade it started kicking some ass too. He wasn't exactly one-hit-KO-ing things left and right, but being this underlevelled, that wasn't really expected either. I don't think Ludwig disappointed me once this session, although he had a tendency to take super-effective hits from every single direction. Flying, Fire, Ghost and Dark are really common move types, and I believe the Ice type exists somewhere in this game too (not sure if Game Freak does, though). Still, I'd rate Ludwig's performance as quite solid. As long as I don't expect him to work wonders, he will do fine.




Toucannon, AKA Sonny - lvl. 45 - Hasty nature
Ability: Skill Link
- Drill Peck
- Brick Break
- U-Turn
- Bullet Seed
Holds Sharp Beak

Performance: Sonny finally learned a move that let him utilize Skill Link, and it's quite awesome. Too bad I haven't got to use it that much. Drill Peck is the go-to move in 7 out of 10 situations, Brick Break is in two, and in the last, I usually U-Turn out of there. His high Attack, good Speed and decent defenses were put to good use in the final trial. Who knew that Sonny, the first Pokémon I caught, would be the one to beat it with no effort? Well, no effort and lots of luck. Still a solid achievement. For "route trash", he's good too. Whatever he encounters will get hurt, and he always stays in longer than I had expected.



Snorlax, AKA Roadblock - lvl. 45 - Brave nature
Ability: Thick Fat
- Metronome
- Body Slam
- Brick Break
- Bulldoze
Holds Amulet Coin

Performance: The last time, I said: "Roadblock's low Speed is about to become an issue." This goes doubly when being so underlevelled. Roadblock's main purpose is to sponge hits from special attackers, attack whatever needs to be attacked with Ground moves, and maybe get a Body Slam in every now and then too. But he's slower than the rocks of Vast Poni Canyon, he doesn't hit that hard, and solid bulk can't bridge a level gap alone. Despite fainting a lot, Roadblock has managed to gain a lot of Experience this session, and put in some work in crucial battles. But he's not on the A list for an Elite Four challenge.



Vaporeon, AKA Bubbles - lvl. 44 - Careful nature
Ability: Water Absorb
- Scald
- Aurora Beam
- Quick Attack
- Bite
Holds Mystic Water

Performance: No reason to change a tested-and-true setup. Bubbles uses Scald, and he does so really well. He also takes hits, and has a priority move. All of these properties are very useful, and almost offset the level gap alone. I'm a little concerned about Bubbles being a one-trick pony, though. He could really need stronger coverage soon. Hopefully, the Ice Beam TM won't be that far away.


Clefable, AKA Rosalina - lvl. 46 - Hasty nature
Ability: Magic Guard
- Moonblast
- Grass Knot
- Psychic
- Body Slam

Still holds Soothe Bell

Performance: Uhh... good question? Rosalina was caught and trained for one specific battle, in which she didn't see action at all. I got some assessment of her strength while grinding, though - as a Clefairy. Rosalina could harm some things with Psychic (wild Machoke in particular) and other things with Dazzling Gleam (later forgotten in favour of Moonblast), and even stay in for long enough to win encounters by herself (provided the foe did not call upon reinforcements). But fact is, Clefairy is vastly outdated at this point of the game, and I never saw her in action as a Clefable. On paper, she ought to be a worthwhile catch, though. Fairy is a very good type, and Clefable's movepool is the most expansive in the entire game (only behind Gallade, which as far as I know isn't available in S/M). I could probably put her to some good use in the future. We will see!
 

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This will be a rather short part (in terms of story covered, not word count), and not even cover a full session, but I have to write this down now while I remember it, because holy crap, you guys, this needs to be told:

Part 10: The miracle

Team One was put back in its box and Team Two withdrawn, as I made my way up to the Altar of the Sunne where Lillie and I held an impromptu flute concert at sunrise. Lillie is a much better flutist than I, she could play trills and all, while my fingers barely moved, but the relaxing music helped loosen up my stiff facial muscles. I even managed to close my eyes while I played!

Apparently, Lillie's pet Nebby (Cosmoem) didn't like my playing that much, since it broke out of her bag and just straight up evolved to put a stop to it. In its rage, Solgaleo decided to transport me and my flute to a dimension full of murderous beasts. Lillie mistook it for an offer of help to find her mother, and cheerfully dragged me on to the beast's back. I couldn't protest that much, I figured that taking my chance with the Ultra Space would yield me a few more minutes alive than being mauled by a steel lion and thrown down those stairs.

My dear friend Guzma met us in Ultra Space, he sat snugly on a rock, pondering on how his life and his boss had taken a turn for the worse, and lamenting that he couldn't catch a Nihilego for himself. Guzma, my dear, Nihilego isn't a Bug type, so don't worry.

Anyway, a bit further down the road, we encountered Lusamine, Lillie's mother who had taken a nosedive off the board at the deep end. She sat on a rock, styling herself queen of Ultra Space, and wore a Nihilego as a hat. And then she challenged me to a Pokémon battle. I shuddered, this was a battle I had heard about previously, and everybody keeps saying how hard it was. Team Two had not gained a single point of experience since I boxed it, before I even arrived at Poni Island, nor had I taught any Pokémon any new moves. I had evolved Campbell (Kadabra) and Macho (Machoke), but nothing else. No new hold items, no new moves, no new experience. For reference, this is the team I had to fight with:


Kadabra AKA Campbell - lvl 36 - Quiet nature
Ability: Inner Focus
- Psychic
- Charge Beam
- Shadow Ball
- Recover

Holds a Twisted Spoon.

Performance: Campbell's moveset remained unchanged this session, since the combination proved successful enough to keep. Campbell still performs as it did earlier, both inflicting and taking a great deal of damage whenever a move is being used. He had little utility in the repeated battles against Guzma, and is therefore slightly underlevelled compared to the rest of the team. He remains an excellent sweeper for lesser battles, though. He really is too frail to use Recover effectively, so that move will probably be forgotten in favour of... uhh, yes, what, exactly? Any suggestions?



Magneton AKA Microwave - lvl 41 - Jolly nature
Ability: Sturdy
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Thunder Shock
- Flash Cannon
Holds an Eviolite

Performance: Microwave is one heck of a beast. With Eviolite, it will withstand everything. With its strong Sp.Atk stat (despite the hindering nature), it will put a large dent in everything it faces. Immunity to Poison is also great when facing Team Skull and their ubiquitous Poison-types. Flash Cannon is great for taking out Fairy-types, otherwise Volt Switch tends to be the move of choice. It will either KO, or do heavy enough damage for something else to finish the job, gaining some experience in the process. It was also great against Guzma, hence its high level. Great synergy with Non-Stop in longer battles, since they can VoltTurn back and forth.




Machoke AKA Macho - lvl 37 - Brave nature
Ability: No Guard
- Low Sweep
- Rock Tomb
- Bulldoze
- Knock Off
Holds a Scope Lens

Performance: Macho is just a solid option now as he was back on MeleMele Island. He has managed to accumulate a great amount of Speed-reducing moves by now, but only in anticipation of better moves later. When we finally come across the Earthquake TM, and he learns Dynamic Punch, things will take a real turn for the ugly. He got Rock Tomb to better deal with Guzma's bugs, but it's not going to be around for very long - just before writing this, I came across the TM for Stone Edge.



Salazzle AKA Katla - lvl 38 - Quiet nature
Ability: Corrosion
- Dragon Rage
- Ember
- Flame Burst
- Toxic
Holds Charcoal

Performance: Katla is a little let down by her lack of moves. Dragon Rage is really beginning to lose its luster, Flame Burst isn't particularly powerful, and the continued presence of Ember speaks volumes of a rather barren level-up movepool. Hopefully, she will learn Flamethrower soon. The Sludge Wave TM should also help. However, moves isn't Katla's sole issue - she is also very frail. Okay when she can OHKO things, since she outspeeds most opponents, but if she can't, she will probably be OHKO'd herself.


Minior AKA Non-Stop - lvl 40 - Quirky nature
Ability: Shields Down
- Acrobatics
- Power Gem
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
Holds a Chesto Berry

Performance: Non-Stop is awesome. Acrobatics hurts things. Power Gem hurts things. Stealth Rock is useful in long battles, but I ended up not using it when defeating Guzma (repeated Acrobatics proved just as useful in this case). Shields Down is an amazing ability, giving immunity against status moves until Non-Stop has taken some damage, while providing extra defense and offense depending on the situation. Great 'mon, loved to use it!


Campbell (now an Alakazam) was in the lead, facing Lusamine's Clefable. Him at level 36, hers totemized at level 50. I tried opening with Charge Beam to see if I could at least raise my own Sp.Atk, to put a dent in Clefable later. It failed to do anything to Clefable's HP bar, and she promptly knocked Campbell down to 16 HP with Moonblast. The next turn, I got a Psychic off, but didn't get the Defense drop. To my great astonishment, Clefable opted for Metronome. Last time I faced it, it had repeatedly been really unlucky. Could this be an opening I was waiting for?

Clefable used Boomburst. Whoops.

I had counted Campbell as possibly my strongest card, and now he was down. Oh well, maybe Microwave (Magneton) could harm the Fairy, being a Steel type and all. I sent it in, and actually did passable damage with Flash Cannon. Clefable's HP was knocked down past half, and I had the type advantage. Maybe Lusamine's fabled Clefable wouldn't be so tough after all?

Clefable used Cosmic Power - repeatedly. And then revealed she also knew Moonlight. Whoops again.

It became a battle of attrition. Flash Cannon did less damage every turn, while Moonlight sometimes set me several turns back. My sole comfort was that Moonblast only did 20 damage to Microwave, who had 104 HP. It would be a 6HKO at most, barring any Critical Hits. At some point, I decided to paralyze Clefable with Thunder Wave. It gave me a few extra turns of damage, but I could do little against its great defenses and HP. Things then took an unexpected turn when its Metronome gave it Camouflage, transforming it into the Psychic type (sidenote: According to Bulbapedia, there were no locations where Camouflage could do this, at least up to Gen VI). Alas, it next got a lucky Metronome hit with Shadow Ball, and Microwave was done. Now I had lost my two best battlers against Lusamine's first Pokémon (out of five), and the ones that remained have questionable movepools and stats. I was fairly certain I'd lose this battle, but at least I could aspire to knock out Clefable for some Experience.

I decided to send in Non-Stop (Minior) next. In a fit of inspiration, I laid down a layer of Stealth Rock, while Clefable Cosmic Powered itself once again. Not sure why, as the battle was all but lost at this point. No way my next three Pokémon could drag it on for long enough for Stealth Rock to make a difference. Next turn, I clicked my only super-effective move, which was U-Turn. A little too late, I realized that Minior was the only Pokémon I had left which was not weak against Psychic. Oh well, at least Katla (Salazzle) was not weak to Fairy, unlike Macho (Machoke). I sent her in and hoped for the best.

This was when I realized that Salazzle 4x resists Fairy, that Clefable had displayed its four moves, none of which were reliably non-Fairy, and Katla still had Dragon Rage, which handily bypasses any defensive boosts. Katla was only level 38 against Clefable's level 50, but Katla was faster and Dragon Rage doesn't care about levels.

Another battle of attrition began. Moonblast did pitiful damage, while Dragon Rage tore large chunks off Clefable's HP. It used Moonlight to recover at some points, but just when it looked like it might be able to PP stall, it used Metronome and received Belly Drum. I used my eighth Dragon Rage to put the beast to rest. Clefable down.

Lusamine sent out Milotic next. I knew Hydro Pump would KO Katla instantly, but I decided I had nothing to lose by using Toxic. It connected, and Milotic used Safeguard. A little too late! And what perfect luck on my part! I decided not to try my luck again, and switched to Macho. He's a bulky fellow, perhaps he could stall Milotic for long enough to-

Milotic used Hydro Pump. Macho was One-Hit-KO'd. What else to expect, when it was 13 levels below?

Okay, perhaps I could try my luck with Non-Stop again. At least I know Acrobatics can hurt a little? Non-Stop was in, dodged a Hydro Pump, and did some damage with Acrobatics. At this point, Milotic was starting to feel Toxic damage build up, but to my dismay she Recovered it off. Acrobatics barely put a dent back in the HP bar, before Non-Stop took a Hydro Pump and went down. I only had the notoriously fragile Katla left against four of Lusamine's level 50 Pokémon, and its HP was down to 30 after the prolonged struggle against Clefable. It would take a miracle to win this battle now.

Still, Katla was fast and eager, and Hydro Pump's accuracy is notoriously shaky. Katla placed a solid Dragon Rage while dodging another Hydro Pump. Milotic used Recover, but by now Toxic was really beginning to take its toll. Dragon Rage was down to its last PP, and managed to take off enough HP for Toxic damage to bring Milotic down into the red. Had I not held my DS firmly with both hands, I would have chewed my nails down to their roots here. Milotic had 1 PP left of Hydro Pump, and a single hit would bring Katla down. Then again, I still firmly believed I'd lose this battle handily. The score stood at 4-1 to Lusamine, and we had both started with five Pokémon. Still, it would have been cool for Katla to beat Milotic, at least, even though a loss would surely come later.

And then Milotic used Recover. Katla had to use Flame Burst to do damage. It plus Toxic brought Milotic's HP back into the red, with only a sliver left on the HP bar. Again, if it had just chosen to use Hydro Pump, the battle would be over. Instead, it used Recover once again. Flame Burst did a little damage. Then Toxic knocked Milotic out. Milotic down.

Next in was Mismagius. A fearsome opponent, whose special moves would KO Katla effortlessly despite being not-very-effective. But Lusamine saw things differently. Why deal damage with a NVE move when you have neutral moves instead? Mismagius used Pain Split. And suddenly Katla was back at 91 HP, while Mismagius effectively halved its own.

Hardly able to believe my luck, I ordered Katla to use Flame Burst. And it hurt Mismagius rather badly. I guess having 100 Special Attack, a 70 BP move and Charcoal means Katla could do some damage after all. I could 3HKO, perhaps...

Mismagius used Pain Split again. And again. And again. While Katla kept spamming Flame Burst. And suddenly... Mismagius down.

Holy pancake, she had managed to KO another Pokémon. Next out was Bewear. Bewear, whose furious Take Down and base 125 Attack could KO Katla without breaking a sweat, with a neutral move even. Okay, Katla outsped, but now the battle surely would be over. I used Flame Burst, which to my surprise took down more than half of Bewear's HP. That thing must have a really crappy Sp.Def! And then...

Bewear used Pain Split. Lusamine had learnt nothing. Its HP was slightly below the halfway point now, I didn't mind whether it lost or restored HP. And Flame Burst, as mentioned, took down more than half of its HP. Next turn... Bewear down.

Oh great Alpacca, the battle was now even. What a merit! Could the miracle actually be happening? Surely, Lusamine's last Pokémon is Slowbro or Garchomp or Gyarados or something... something Katla can't even touch, her trump card with Z moves and priority and base 1000 defenses, and...

Lusamine sent out... Lilligant.

Lilligant is pure Grass, where Salazzle has a double type advantage on both STABs and a quadruple on the defense. Lilligant has rather high Speed, rather decent Sp.Def and rather decent HP, but doesn't really stand out in either quality. Was victory actually within range?

Lilligant did outspeed, though. But rather than locking itself into a 1/4x effective Petal Dance (which would probably have KO'd anyway, Katla had 40 HP left at this point), it went for the slow and steady damage route with Leech Seed. Katla sent out a vicious Flame Burst, scorching more than half of Lilligant's HP. The next move would determine the outcome of the battle. Petal Dance, I lose. Leech Seed again for some reason, I win. Teeter Dance or Stun Spore, and it's an RNG coin toss. Stun Spore would have been preferable, it doesn't have perfect accuracy, and only 1/4 chance of full Paralysis.

Lilligant used Teeter Dance. Katla was confused. If she hit herself, she would lose. If not... I'd win...

...


...



...

Katla is confused!

...



...




...

Katla used Flame Burst! It's Super-effective! A critical hit! Lilligant fainted!

And then I started writing this.

I'll come back to you with the rest of the session another day, because holy smokes, now I need some time to settle down again. Never ever would I imagine that Katla, my notoriously frail Salazzle, would actually manage to turn around such a big and important battle, and luck would be so much on my side, that she could bring down five Pokémon 12 levels higher than her practically by herself.

Katla, you're awesome. Pure awesome. Dragon Rage came in handy long after it should have. Lusamine is a terribly poor Pokémon Trainer. I really ought to click my way past the cutscene now and save the game, because mighty macaroni, this would never happen twice.
 

Codraroll

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After some thinking through, looking up movesets and discussions on IRC, I've got the chance to analyze how the battle above went so well for me. I was prepared to lose five times or more to Lusamine, as I had heard her battle was really difficult, and my highest-levelled Pokémon was nine levels below hers, but somehow an underlevelled Salazzle pulled through.

Turns out, it wasn't all coincidence. It was also a perfect storm of favourable factors:
  • Clefable relies on Moonblast and the unreliable Metronome to deal damage. But it is rather weak offensively, and its true strength lies in its stellar defensive game. As the battle went on, Dragon Rage became the strongest available move to deal with it. Still, without luck on my side, Katla would have lost this easily. Thanks to Thunder Wave, I got a few free turns, and it would likely have stalled me out of Dragon Rage PP if Metronome hadn't selected Belly Drum at a crucial point.
  • Milotic's main damaging move is Hydro Pump. It has bad accuracy and only 5 PP. If you can evade it or sack a couple of Pokémon to it, its PP will be quickly depleted. Its other moves are Safeguard, Recover and Flail. A turn 1 Toxic was vital for my success. When Toxic had brought Milotic's HP down, Flail would easily have KO'd me, but luckily recovery takes priority when available. It seems like the AI will never choose a different move if it can recover health when low on HP.
  • Mismagius carries Shadow Ball, Mystical Fire, Power Gem and Pain Split. The former two are resisted by Salazzle. It remains a mystery why it didn't choose Power Gem, though, as that is a super-effective move which would easily have KO'd. My best guess is that there's a bit of a bug in the AI code, where Pain Split will get priority somehow. Perhaps because the AI sees it as a healing move? Other people have also reported that Lusamine's Mismagius is way too fond of Pain Split for its own good.
  • Bewear exhibits the same trait. Salazzle resists its Hammer Arm, but Take Down is a neutral move that would have KO'd easily. Instead, it too went for Pain Split. I was also lucky that Bewear's ability is Fluffy, which effectively adds a weakness to Fire to it. No wonder Salazzle could 2HKO the thing, Flame Burst was effectively super-effective against it. Thanks for pointing that out, Its_A_Random!
  • Finally, Lilligant. Its only damage-dealing move is Petal Dance, which is 4x resisted by Salazzle. It was then forced to choose a defensive approach instead, setting up Leech Seed, Teeter Dance and Stun Spore. I believe it chose Leech Seed first since that establishes gradual healing, which should have high priority with the AI (same as Ingrain and Aqua Ring, which is usually used on the first turn). That allowed Katla to fire off a Flame Burst without any obstacles. Teeter Dance was next, as it adds a chance of passive damage. Luckily, confusion was nerfed this generation, giving Katla a 66 % chance to win instead of the usual 50 %. And Lilligant is, as we all know, weak to Fire. Even with Leech Seed and 11 levels of advantage, Flame Burst was an easy 2HKO.
 

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