Challenge Pokemon Scarlet Monotype Run (Normal)

[DetectiveTogekiss]

Putting Up a Facade

Suez is almost done beating Larry's Pokemon, until some randos interfered and told Larry to put on a show.

Out of nowhere, a bunch of customers entered and started cheering for Larry. What kind of nonsense is this?

As a response, Larry Terastallized his Staraptor with a Tera-Normal Jewel, which means it is now even stronger with its Normal-type moves.

With that Tera boost, Staraptor easily cleaned Wigglytuff with a Facade. Staraptor is a good Pokemon, you know.

Suez will be sending out a bear next, but its main job is to look at the raptor with Baby-Doll Eyes.

Still, Staraptor's Facade hurt a lot. What is it really hiding underneath its facade?

Ursaring can definitely put up a fight, but it cannot be taking that many Facade. Things are getting bad for it.

Terastallization is a strong power-up, but it also made Staraptor susceptible to Fighting-type moves. Time to kick the bird.

Low Kick was not too powerful against the feather-weight Staraptor, so Ursaring will go back to its Baby-Doll Eyes.

That also means Ursaring will be the next one to bite the dust. Should have known better fighting a Normal-type specialist.

Do not worry, Suez will never be backed into a corner. Farigiraf will be tanking this next Facade.

Gotta go fast. Farigiraf just sped itself up with Agility. That should be quite helpful against a speed demon like Staraptor.

Farigiraf can then shoot its Twin Beam with maximum psychic energy. Gotta play smart.

Staraptor is still using its Facade, even though it has not been inflicted with any status conditions.

Farigiraf will be shooting its Twin Beam for a second time. It is called TWIN beam, after all.

Staraptor has shown the class Facade seventh time in a row. This time, Farigiraf took the hit and ate its Figy Berry to recover some health.

It was not necessary, though, since one more Twin Beam is what it takes to knock Staraptor out.

Larry has been defeated, but he does not feel upset. All he thinks about is food, so Suez might as well stay with him for his dinner.

Suez did not order anything, but Larry alone will be eating all the riceballs. Suez has been so surprised today.

Larry also handed out a TM for Facade. That would be helpful if any Pokemon gets paralyzed again like Pyroar did.

When Suez left Treasure Eatery, she was first greeted by Geeta, the lady with long, long hair.

And then, of course, Nemona has also been waiting at the Gym for quite a while. Suez is finally becoming popular.

Nemona went and explained Geeta's position to Suez. Geeta is the strongest trainer in Paldea, and that's all you need to know.

Suez was hoping she would forget, but nope, Nemona will be battling Suez for good this time.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

A Dirge for You

Nemona immediately jumped into action without giving Suez the time to adjust her team. Suez does not like this.

The first match-up is already looking bad, since Lycanroc would not take much damage from Normal-type moves.

Since Cyclizar cannot do much here, its best move is to set up a decoy and just run away.

Normally, Zangoose cannot take any big hits, so it is very important for Zangoose to behind a substitute.

Not that it really matters, since Lycanroc tore through the substitute with one singular Bite.

Lycanroc is already a speedy Pokemon, so seeing it use Accelrock should not be too surprising.

Zangoose has prepared for this. It knows Double Kick, which should be quite effective against a sturdy Rock-type Pokemon.

Zangoose isn't too good with its defenses, but taking a Bite should not hurt too much.

Zangoose unleashed a double Double Kick to finish things up. Lycanroc is scary but not unbeatable.

Nemona has a rare dragon Pokemon, but rarity does not equal strength. Goomy was knocked out with one Crush Claw.

Nemona's next Pokemon, Pawmo, uses Spark upon its entry. Somehow, Zangoose still has enough to take the hit without fainting.

Zangoose's Crush Claw digs through Pawmo's electrifying skins, but it isn't not enough to finish the job.

Pawmo then cleaned things up with Quick Attack. Zangoose has tried hard, but just trying is not enough sometimes.

It is time for Pawmo to have a taste of its own medicine, with Cyclizar knocking it out with a Quick Attack.

Nemona has only one Pokemon left, which is a Terastallized Skeledirge. Funnily enough, that should make her Pokemon susceptible to Normal-type moves.

Cyclizar does not really have that many strong moves. It is still relying on Breaking Swipe, which was clearly not enough to KO Skeledirge.

With the power of its Tera-jewel, Skeledirge can now unleash its super strong Torch Song.

Cyclizar failed to take the hit despite its resistance to Fire. To make matters worse, Skeledirge also got to boost its Special Attack.

Farigiarf is the next one tasked to handle Skeledirge. It barely hanged on with 7 HP left, but that is all it will need.

Farigiraf shot its signature Twin Beam at Skeledirge, but even its doubled psychic power is not enough to deal with the dirge singer.

Farigiraf definitely would not be able to take another hit, which means Skeledirge just fired its Torch Song for yet another Special Attack boost.

Wigglytuff had a lot of health, but not even that can save it from being destroyed by Torch Song. Balloons are weak to fire, after all.

Suez will never be backed into a corner. It is time to fight Tera with Tera on Pyroar.

Hyper Beam did not do very well last time, so it will need to use a Tera-boosted Hyper Beam instead.

That was finally enough to stop Skeledirge. That is probably why people fight fire with fire.

That battle was really tough, and Nemona almost won. She somehow assures Suez people will pay attention to her.

At least Geeta will be paying more attention to Suez, as she just handed out a TM for Tera Blast.

Nemona's only response to losing is that she needs to train even more. Guess Suez cannot be letting her guard down, just in case Nemona shows up in the next town again.

Things got heated after the two battles here in Medali. Maybe that is why Eevee is overheating.

Every trainer should know that Flareon is a weak Pokemon, and no one should ever evolve Eevee with a Fire Stone.

Time for Achelous to cool itself down by eating some crepes. Please stop randomly transforming after Gym Battles.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

From Dali to Zapa

There is nothing much left to do in Medali. Time to pass through the Dalizapa Passage and get to the East Province.

The mountain is a rough place to walk through, but that is the fastest way to Zapapico.

The trainers here are also getting stronger. They also like using dirty strategies, such as spamming Detect.

This is why having a Psychic-type Pokemon on the team is important. Hariyama would be a wall otherwise.

This is the perfect time to catch Pokemon that live in caves. Salandit is a maliciously toxic Pokemon, but Suez still needs to catch one to please Arceus.

As a part of Glaseado Mountain, this tunnel is surprisingly cold with all these Snorunt gathering here.

Suez also managed to find the rare dinosaur Pokemon, Deino, but she ain't got the time to raise this thing.

Suez has been putting in work with the Dex completion. Perhaps these Luxury Balls will make baby Pokemon easier to raise.

Arceus has created many puppies for mankind, but Arceus has also turned some of them into ghosts. This is a cruel world, after all.

There is a Dawn Stone lying on the ground. Suez knows clearly that she will only ever need two of these.

There are different types of mountain Pokemon, such as Gogoat and Sneasel, on this hill. Great place for Pokemon collectors.

Suez has arrived Zapapico, a town filled with nothing but food stalls.

Suez is always happy to meet fellow Pokemon collectors and is quite familiar with trading Pokemon. Trading Bronzor Fragments, though, is a first.

Time to fly back to the West Province and beat down some Bronzor.

Suez received an Auspicious Armor and evolved Charcadet right away. However, Suez knows that a different set of armor is required to obtain Ceruledge.

Since there is no wild zone in Zapapico, Suez went ahead and decided to explore a nearby forest instead.

The rocky terrain in Area Three is the perfect place for minerals to grow. Check out Cufant and its highly copper-like body.

There are two types of Sinistea depending on the teacup possessed. Suez does not care authenticity, as long as the Pokedex App records things down.

Many of Suez's Pokemon already learned Take Down, but picking up a TM for this move is not going to hurt.

Suez was hoping to find some forest Pokemon in the jungle, but it seems like it is already too late.

Suez recognized the Team Star flags and also happened to run into Director Clavell. At this point, it is quite likely he is the mastermind behind the whole Team Star operation.

The trees in Tagtree Thicket have patterns drawn with Grafaiai's saliva. Even the air here is poisonous.

Suez has only seen Impidimp in a SmogTube live-stream of a Galarian jungle before. Actually catching one feels whimsical.

Suez already has a Grafaiai and does not plan to switch it out yet.

That being said, Suez can really use a new team member. Perhaps a wise Pokemon that yields psychic energy.

Oranguru is an excellent Pokemon to use as a battle partner. Its wisdom will surely inspire other Pokemon to do their best as well.

By just catching Pokemon in the jungle, Dunsparce gained enough experience to learn the move Hyper Drill.

Visually speaking, Dudunsparce is just a longer version of Dunsparce. In terms of battling, it has definitely grown a lot.

Suez does not believe in lowly creatures like Bug-type Pokemon, so draining blood with Leech Life is not helpful.

Normal-type attacks are ineffective against Ghost-type opponents. Slashing them with Shadow Claw will be necessary for coverage purposes.

The toxins of the jungle has turned a poor Eevee into an Umbreon. Achelous, please do not stay here for that long.

Of course, the jungle is a great place for Grass-type Pokemon to grow. Deerling has now evolved into a Sawsbuck, wearing its autumn decorations.

With so many Poison-type foes around, Sawsbuck probably won't be very helpful. However, it has developed stronger horn muscles and will definitely be a more helpful member now.

After clearing everything in the forest, Suez received another Moon Stone as reward. Now, it is time to check if there are any forest Pokemon missing from the dex entries ...

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

A Man from Attica (1)

Suez wants to find more Pokemon to catch, but part of the forest is blocked by Team Star and a kid.

The kid challenged Suez to a battle, and Suez will gladly beat this kid down until he apologizes.

Suez will show this kid the power of wisdom by using the sage of the forest. (Anyone else thinks Oranguru's toes look like fingers in this shot?)

Kids these days have all been poisoned by the JoltikTok, so of course they will be using Poison-type Pokemon.

Since Oranguru stored up its stat boosts with Calm Mind last round, its Stored Power will be enough to knock Gulpin out.

Oranguru did so well this round, so the audience is now asking for an Encore.

It is a shame this Shroodle won't be able to use its normal power, because it is going down in one Stored Power.

Director Clavell suddenly showed up and took the boy away. Suez is considering calling the police.

The boss of this Team Star Squad is called Atticus. Perhaps he is from the Attica region.

As per usual, Suez will need to send three Pokemon to kill 30 Pokemon. That means these enemy Grafaiai need to go.

With Oinkologne, Dudunsparce and Oranguru helping out, it only takes around one minute to finish the job.

Atticus is the only one left now. With his strange way of forming speeches, perhaps he will be able to communicate Arceus well.

Atticus's first Pokemon is a Skuntank, which is a cheap Pokemon using dirty tricks such as pulling Sucker Punches.

Suez is not worried, as Dudunsparce is capable of taking care of different kinds of foes. Using Drill Run here will be fine.

Skuntank doesn't have anything else to use, so Dudunsparce will need to eat another Sucker Punch.

It didn't really bother Dudunsparce that much, and it continues to Drill Run its way to victory.

The next opponent is Muk, which is just an annoying pile of sludge. Better fight dirty with dirty and paralyze it with Glare.

It is difficult to imagine a pile of toxic sludge being unable to move from paralysis, but Dudunsparce made it.

Dudunsparce earned a free turn thanks to Glare, but this round it returned the flavor by simply missing Drill Run.

Muk then surfed on a Sludge Wave and hit the land snake. It didn't do that much but is surely gross.

Guess what? Dudunsparce went ahead and missed another Drill Run. What a dudumb idiot.

After taking care of Skuntank, Dudunsparce succumbed to the toxicity. This is not ideal.

Zangoose is the next anti-toxic fighter. It first sharpens its claws and gets ready to battle.

Muk uses Sludge Wave for a third time in a row. Would be nice if it can get paralyzed again.

With Zangoose's claws honed, it is now time to crush its foes with those tough claws.

Crush Claw was unfortunately not enough, so Zangoose will need to take another Sludge Wave with its poor bulk.

Zangoose did not let the sludge get in its way and simply crush clawed again, cleaning all the sludge.

Atticus has a Revavroom, which would not take much damage from Crush Claw. Time to switch things up with Night Slash.

Zangoose was already severely injured, so just an Iron Head will knock it out.

Oinkologne was tasked to handle Revavroom next, but it feels too stressed with that burden and couldn't move.

Oinkologne has yet to move and has already took so much damage. Do not worry, Suez was smart enough to put a Figy Berry on the piggy.

Oinkologne is just here to do what hogs do. Digging into the ground and launches itself up the vrooming vehicle.

Usually the Team Star bosses use Revavroom that are much stronger, but this one just faints after a dig. Something does not seem right here.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

A Man from Attica (2)

Excuse you? Didn't your Revavroom just die? Why is there another one?

Guess that is for the same reason why Suez uses two Oinkologne. Suez ain't judging.

What Suez really cares is why the heck its Noxious Torque did so much and one-hit KO'd Oinkologne.

Suez has lost many Pokemon already, but she is not worried. Stantler will be saving the day. Watch.

Why do these Team Star bosses keep using moves that nobody has heard of before? Did the League approve of this?

This Starmobile is going to cause so much physical damage on the environment. Time to set up a Reflect.

Revavroom continues to strike with Noxious Torque, but it is much weaker now.

Stantler might look like a tiny deer to you, but its Earthquake can hurt a lot too, thanks to its strong legs.

Atticus's Starmobile is not made with Earthquake-resistance materials and even scattered some poison spikes on the ground.

In some regions like Johto, Stantler often run on highways that drivers need to be careful driving their cars. Clearly, Atticus is not aware of that.

Stantler continues with its Earthquake strategies, and that caused another layer of poison spikes to spew.

The Revavroom keeps slamming Stantler with poison moves while it is standing on the spikes. Somehow, Stantler is still not poisoned.

Stantler will keep using Earthquake. One day it will enough to destroy the entire car.

Another turn of exchanging Noxious Torque and Earthquake. Not a very exciting battle.

This car-versus-deer standoff took so long that the Reflect worn off before either side went down.

This is going to be tough, but Stantler will now be fighting without the Reflect. No time to put it on for a second round.

Pokemon do tend to perform better when the situation gets dire. Stantler landed its final blow with an ultra strong Earthquake.

Who would have thought a mere Stantler can stop a huge car?

All things considered, Atticus is a polite gentleman. Perhaps he would be able to help Suez out on the quest of finding Arceus.

Apparently, Gunk Shot is his favorite move, even though he did not use it once in the battle.

The kid seen at the gate came in and thanked Atticus for his operation. Who's here to thank Suez then?

Atticus mentioned someone named the big boss. All the ones Suez has fought so far are just the underlings.

None of Suez's business though, as long as Cassiopeia is willing to let the Arc Phone go.

Cassiopeia confirmed what Atticus said. Seems like this mysterious hacker knows a lot about Team Star management structure.

Eevee girl is back delivering TM materials. Time to craft more TMs after seeing how good Earthquake was.

Turns out there is exactly one thing Suez has not done in the East Province. Time for some metalwork.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

If Suez was a Worm (1)

Bold of you to assume that Suez isn't one of the delinquents. You are simply worrying too much.

It has been a while since Chansey was last seen on the team. Now that it is back, it immediately evolves to show everyone its happiness.

Blissey is still a defensive pink blob that keeps everyone healthy at all times. It is at least slightly better at doing damage.

If you want Moxie, perhaps you should try to find a Pyroar. But Suez's Pyroar does not have any moxie. It is simply an unnerving beast.

In Suez's opinion, using Metronome in battles is just cheating, since it can make your Pokemon do things that it normally cannot.

A legendary skill such as Blue Flare should not be used by a lowly imp. Arceus would not allow that to happen.

Suez was just trying to see if there are anything new to catch in this region and wasn't expecting to have another titanic encounter.

There is a traveling Pokemon center here, which makes Suez think the upcoming Titan battle may be quite rough.

Suez was just trying to see if she can see further but got accidentally stuck on the ledge. Help.

Suez saw a gigantic red object buried in the ground. It is so huge that Suez isn't even sure what it is.

The object actually can move and keeps running away from Suez. This might be a new species of Pokemon never recorded before.

It turns out the red object is just an extra long Orthworm. Not a new species, but it is too big to be a regular Pokemon for sure.

Turns out it is the Lurking Steel Titan hidden in the area. Time for Gumshoos to attack on the titan by dodging its Wrap.

Which is a perfect first turn, since Gumshoos needs the time to Work itself Up.

Titan Orthworm tried its Wrap again and grabbed Gumshoos's magnificent hair. This move was rigged.

Orthworm spends most of its time underground, but the soil won't make its metallic body less flammable. Burn it with Fire Fang.

After trapping Gumshoos with Wrap, Orthworm then headbutts and makes Gumshoos flinch. Told you this was rigged.

Orthworm's next Headbutt made Gumshoos flinch again. Perhaps it is just too lazy to move.

Gumshoos is almost dead after being headbutted for so many times. And now it is getting squeezed again.

This time Gumshoos finally picked up the courage to use Fire Fang. It didn't knock out the Titan, but it gets the job done.

Orthworm is now too scared and decides to run away. Using its tiny punches, it dug through a new tunnel.

Well, Suez is just going to go through the tunnel and chase Orthworm down. Come back, you idiot.

As expected from a Titan Pokemon, Titan Orthworm started eating something before round-two.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

If Suez was a Worm (2)

It's ok, Arven. You don't need to feel ashamed.

Anyway, Arven is here to help Suez for the second phase on the titan battle. Not that his help is needed.

Just like last time, Gumshoos will need to Work its spirit Up before it starts biting. This will work well again, right?

Arven's great idea is to have Toedscool use Supersonic just for it to miss. Bro does not even have Confuse Ray.

Since Orthworm whipped up a sandstorm, Gumshoos's time is limited. Great news for everyone else.

Orthworm is back with its Headbutt. At least it doesn't hurt that bad.

Time for Gumshoos to unleash its mighty-hot Fire Fang, which did extra damage for being a critical hit.

Arven insists on its Supersonic strategy and successfully confuses Orthworm this time. Mathematically it checks out.

It is really difficult to tell which part of Orthworm is the tail and which is the head. But it using Iron Tail is terrifying and thank Arceus that missed.

After using Supersonic for two rounds, Toedscool is now using Grass Knot. Do you not even have Mud Shot?

Gumshoos had the perfect opportunity to strike Orthworm down, but it failed even that task. It just hasn't been very helpful in the entire fight.

Heads or tails, they really are the same thing. But Suez would rather Orthworm use Headbutt than Iron Tail.

Finally, Gumshoos aimed right with its Fire Fang this time and cooked the metal worm. This really shouldn't have been this tough.

But the important thing now is that Arven got another Herba Mystica, which means Suez will receive her rewards.

Salty Herba Mystica doesn't sound all that healthy, but at least this one doesn't smell as bad as the bitter one.

As per usual, Suez does not really care about the sandwich. Koraidon can eat this if it really wants.

Apparently, the Titanic Pokemon grow so big because of the herbs. Then why isn't Koraidon titanic now?

Arven started hallucinating after eating his sandwich. Perhaps the herbs are bad for your health after all.

Koraidon didn't unlock any new skills, but it is now capable of jumping super high. Not high enough to reach the sky though.

Before Suez goes on with her Pokemon-catching journey, another Orthworm shows up, except this one is much tinier.

Turns out Orthworm is a little bitch that does not like staying in balls. Suez still managed to catch one at the end, and it will never see the lights again.

Suez is mostly done with this region, so it is now time to head to the snowy mountain and catch Ice-type Pokemon.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

What Doesn't Freeze You Make You Stronger

Suez flew back to Medali to find a path up Glaseado Mountain. Suez is not going back to the Medali court.

This trainer has an Altaria, which can be quite difficult to take down. Luckily, Grafaiai's venomous claws poisoned the cotton bird.

As mentioned before, Suez's mission is to catch more Ice-type Pokemon found on the snowy mountain.

Gogoat can live in all sorts of mountains, but Suez doesn't need any more of these. Please get out of the way.

Naturally, the first item found on the snowy ground is a regular snowball.

There aren't many major infrastructure on the snowy mountain, but Pokemon Centers are always found everywhere, right?

So many new Pokemon to catch. Suez has now filled 220 pages in the Pokedex. The goal is getting closer.

Suez does not believe in Santa Claus. Please stop giving out presents and just stay in the darn Poke Ball.

Glaseado Mountain is a rough environment for birds to fly around, but that does not stop Staravia from growing into a Staraptor.

That Delibird gave so much experience that it also made Dolliv evolve into an Arboliva. Time to sow some seeds.

Staraptor is one fierce bird, who can now slam into foes with a Close Combat. Maybe it shouldn't be so reckless.

Arboliva can now spread Grassy Terrain by simply taking a hit. That might make it a good partner for Sawsbuck.

If Suez wants to obtain more Pokedex entries on Ice-type Pokemon, more Ice Stones are going to be needed.

There is just one problem with navigating on snowy slopes: Polar bears might try to kill you.

There is another problem with navigating on snowy slopes: ice spirits might try to kill you.

Staraptor is now a strong bird. No ghastly teapots will be able to stop its mighty strength.

But of course, its most impressive power comes from its Close Combat, which means that it will actually be a great Pokemon to use against other Normal-type Pokemon.

Doubling Down

Suez reached Montenevera after climbing on the mountain for a while. The haunted atmosphere here is unsettling, but Suez does not care.

Suez might as well take a break from catching these Pokemon and go take on the Gym instead.

Suez was yet again stopped by a surprise visitor, but it's not Nemona this time. Professor Jacq is here today, for some reasons.

Better not to question teachers about their whereabouts. Suez will take the Lucky Egg to make training go faster.

The Montenevera folks are all about rap concerts, and they somehow expect Suez to be a good opening act.

The rap battles here are so lively they often make the whole field electrified. However, that is not how Suez likes to battle.

Another thing Montenevera people like is Double Battle. Do not worry, Suez is always well-equipped for all types of battles.

Time to try out Arboliva's new strength, with Grafaiai on its side as support.

In fact, Grafaiai is going to be the team's most reliable force here, since its Shadow Claw is one of the few moves that can hit ghosts.

Shuppet and Greavard are both gone. This is a double victory for Suez.

Haunter is up next, and its ghostly body can barely take a Shadow Claw.

While Haunter managed to take the hit, it followed up with a Curse, of all things.

That curse took all of Haunter's remaining health. Maybe for grudge-holding spirits, laying down a curse is more important than their health.

Haunter knocked itself out with Curse, but the audience gave Suez credits for that. Both Grafaiai and Arboliva received stat boosts because of the cheer.

Suez wasn't too worried anyway, but the Attack buff made sure Misdreavus won't be able to scream anymore.

The final show for the opening act is a showdown against MC Sledge himself. That simply means more targets for Grafaiai's Shadow Claw.

Grafaiai's sharp claws landed a critical hit on Drifblim. As expected, that is super effective against a hot balloon.

Again, using Shadow Claw made the audience happy, which in turn made Suez happy because that means more stat boosts for Suez's Pokemon.

Time to finish things up with the final blows. Too bad Drifblim is not willing to let Grafaiai go without some aftermath damage.

After sledging MC Sledge up, Suez is finally done. Better leave the stage before the main star shows up.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

A Battle of Distortion (1)

Ryme thanked Suez for her opener, even though it was just a series of Double Battles and nothing much.

The audience was probably anticipating a rap battle, which was completely whiffed by that nobody cashier.

Ryme was not in a good mood after that so-called rap battle, but Suez really needs this next Gym Badge, so please fight.

Ryme's Gym battle is also in the Double Battle format, and this time, Staraptor will be the one working with Grafaiai.

Staraptor is an intimidating Pokemon that is also capable of nimbly flying into its opponents. Flying-type Pokemon sure are strong.

Grafaiai's poison may not work very well on the dead, but it will be spraying some acids on Mimikyu for now.

Suez has read enough paranormal researches to know that Mimikyu will simply take a small amount of damage when its Disguise is up. Might as well lower its Special Defense then.

Guess what? Mimikyu just went ahead and boosted its Special Defense anyway with Light Screen. Does it really think it is an Electric-type Pokemon?

Being a cold-hearted Pokemon, Banette blew some Icy Wind on Suez's team and effectively slowed them down.

The audience really enjoyed seeing Staraptor struggling in the cold wind. Wicked.

The audience gave Ryme's Pokemon some accuracy boosts because of that, which means they will be affecting the outcome of this battle.

Mimikyu is now the fasting Pokemon on the field, and it slashed the slashing Grafaiai.

Staraptor is still agile enough to land another Acrobatics on Banette. The cursed doll is now dead for a second time.

Grafaiai then scratched Mimikyu with Shadow Claw, which also poisoned the imposter Pikachu thanks to Poison Touch.

Ryme sent in Houndstone next, which will serve as her Pokemon's grave.

This time, the audience boosted Suez's team instead, as they have finally understood the greatness of Normal-type Pokemon.

Mimikyu used Slash again, but it is clearly not as good using that move as Suez's Zangoose or Grafaiai.

Grafaiai was not bulky enough to face two Pokemon at once, and it went down from the Houndstone's Crunch.

Staraptor has not been touched all that much, and it is still healthy enough to keep flying around. Mimikyu gone with an Acrobatics.

Suez sent in Farigiraf, who received some offensive boosts before it even started doing anything. That's how life works sometimes.

Suez has always had this unsettling feeling about this place. It turns out there are dead dogs buried here. Ok.

Toxtricity, which was alive and healthy, suddenly turned into a Ghost-type after being cursed by these dead dogs. This is a murder.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

A Battle of Distortion (2)

Toxtricity might be a Ghost-type now, but it is still an Electric-type at heart, which is why it likes using Discharge.

Fighting Icy Wind was already rough enough for Staraptor, so it shouldn't be expected to tank that Discharge.

Farigiraf and Houndstone are not weak to Electric, but they still got paralyzed in the process. Ryme's Toxtricity is amped up.

Houndstone still has the mobility to Crunch on Farigiraf though, which is actually quite funny.

First, Farigiraf crunched on its held Wiki Berry and recovered some health. Not too surprising for a giraffe.

Then, Farigiraf took a big Crunch on Houndstone. Funny how both of these Pokemon are weak to Crunch.

The audience was really impressed by Toxtricity's Deadallization and gave it some more stat boosts. Now this is dumb.

Toxtricity is fired up by the audience's cheer and unleashed another Discharge. The only Pokemon it knocked out with that is actually its partner.

But Sawsbuck is now also paralyzed. That's currently 3 out of 3 paralysis.

Sawsbuck's mighty horn worked well here since it used Horn Leech to regain some health. Not that a Ghost-type Pokemon would have much life force to be drained.

Farigiraf was going to use its Crunch on Toxtricity this time, but it was still feeling the aftershock of that Discharge.

Luckily, its stomach is not affected by that paralysis and digested that Wiki Berry for a second heal effect.

Considering that both Pokemon have already been paralyzed, gaining a Speed boost is not that helpful here.

Toxtricity still has the power to use Discharge, which will finally knock Farigiraf out.

Sawsbuck still has nothing better than Horn Leech to use. It will eventually be enough, hopefully.

Suez has not been doing that well, but Suez still has an Arboliva on the team. Discharge should no longer be an issue.

Which is why Ryme switched to Hyper Voice now. That does unfortunately remove Sawsbuck from the battling field.

Arboliva is still hanging tough, especially since it can use its Seed Sower to set up a Grassy Terrain and boost its Defense.

In a way, getting hit by that Hyper Voice gave Arboliva a boost in its Energy Ball. Not bad at all.

Except Grassy Terrain will also heal Toxtricity, so Suez needs to be using stronger attacks to offset its heal.

Toxtricity is almost down. While it managed to gain some Speed, Suez also has a family of speedy mice to use.

And guess what? Having a household of mice fighting by your side will lower the damage you take. Arboliva is not going down.

Maushold is unfortunately a little bit weak power-wise and fails to knock Toxtricity out with its Play Rough.

But all it takes is just another blow of Energy Ball. Toxtricity's ghostly voice is finally cracked.

This is rougher than expected, but the team finally made it. Guess this is what happens when you fight a team of Normal-immune Pokemon.

Suez does not like rock music all that much, but staying in the audience is so much better than performing on stage.

Suez will need more ways to tackle Ghost-type opponents, so getting this Shadow Ball TM is great.

Uh-oh, perhaps Shadow Ball is a little too shadowy. The dark aura is pulling Achelous into a shadowy dimension.

When Eevee is powered up by bright moonlight and haunted atmosphere, it will turn into Umbreon.

Achelous, there is nothing wrong with being edgy and emo, but playing Dark is not going to cut it.

Turns out Mr. Hassel was also spectating that Gym Battle. Do teachers of this Academy have anything better to do?

Actually, sending Staraptor first is a very solid strategy. It does get to use its Intimidate a lot.

Remember that Mr. Hassel also happens to an Elite Four member, a problem Suez will need to face eventually.

Before Suez moves on, Achelous must breathe in some of these smudge sticks and regain its senses. You must retain your Normal appearance.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

(I will only avoid talking about new Pokemon/forms within two months after their debut. As of today, 21/12/2025, Pokemon Legends Z:A has been out for over two months. Please proceed with caution if you want to avoid spoilers of that game. However, the DLC is still rather fresh, so no DLC-related spoilers will be in my posts until February 2026. Enjoy!)

A Snowy Warm-Up (1)

Suez has decided to leave the chilly ghost town and continued covering the rest of Glaseado Mountain.

The Pokemon around are still mostly Ice-typed, so having a fire-breathing lion will be useful.

There is nothing scary about Gardevoir, but it does have the psychic power to trace Stantler's intimidating horns.

Suez received some Star Pieces for filling in the Pokedex. You can never complain about getting free money.

Staraptor does not like fighting in the snow, but it needs some serious training against this tiny Pawmot.

Wild Cryogonal only live in the higher areas of this mountain. Time to fill in another Pokedex entry.

Or not. Snowflakes are some delicate objects that shatter with the lightest touch. Arceus bless this poor creature with some better Defense.

Pyroar is the king of the hills, of course it cannot be running around with the pathetic Ember. Time to upgrade that to a powerful Flamethrower.

Perhaps this is not the right time to pick up this TM, considering this mountain is already covered in snow, but here is a TM for Snowscape.

There aren't many trainers on Glaseado Mountain, which makes sense since there are not much to do here.

Nemona was not around when Suez got her sixth Gym Badge, but Suez didn't get lucky twice. There is just no escaping from Nemona's battles.

It seems like the Glaseado Gym is located on a snowy ground, so Suez might as well have a practice on this exact same battlefield.

Nemona is still leading with her Lycanroc. This time, Sawsbuck will be leading the team with its new winter look.

Be aware of falling rocks while navigating in a snowy mountain. Dodge incoming Rock Slide if necessary, in case they turn into avalanches.

With its nimble footwork, Sawsbuck stabbed Lycanroc with Horn Leech after avoiding Rock Slide, leaving the rocky wolf with 1 HP.

Perhaps Nemona saw the importance of accuracy from her missed Rock Slide, Lycanroc is now using Sand Attack to blind Sawsbuck.

It did not affect Sawsbuck that much, as it proceeded to hit Lycanroc for a second round of Horn Leech.

Nemona's second Pokemon is a Sliggoo, which probably does not like fighting in this cold weather.

There is still sand in Sawsbuck's eyes, which caused it to miss its Zen Headbutt against Sliggoo.

Goomy is known as the weakest dragon, and Sliggoo is not much better. Sawsbuck should be able to take one or two more Dragon Pulse.

Zen Headbutt already has an imperfect accuracy, so it just keeps missing. (Or I just forgot Helios had a -1 accuracy, LOL)

Sawsbuck's incompetency led it to be struck by another Dragon Pulse. That is just how life goes.

Sawsbuck finally landed a hit after all this time, but it did not do that much.

Sawsbuck went down against a tiny pile of goo. Not the worst, since Nemona has also lost a Pokemon.

Sliggoo is a slow gooey snail, so sending in a fast-attacking Staraptor should be quite effective.

One Acrobatics and Sliggoo is gone. Perhaps Sliggoo should grow a shell and some resistance to Flying-type moves.

Nemona's Pawmot is up next. It is not weak to Flying-type moves, but it should still take big damage from Acrobatics.

Pawmot then paralyzed Staraptor with Thunder Wave. Not great, as Staraptor likes to soar through the sky with high speed.

Fighting an Electric-type Pokemon with a Flying-type Pokemon is just not going to end well. Staraptor went down from a critical hit of Spark.

Do not forget that Pawmot is also a Fighting-type Pokemon. Suez's team is quite weak to that, except Farigiraf.

At least Farigiraf does not need to worry too much about Spark.

Using its two heads, Farigiraf shot its signature Twin Beam and sent Pawmot back to its Poke Ball.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

A Snowy Warm-Up (2)

Nemona is down to her final Pokemon, which of course means she is going to Terastallize her Skeledirge with a Tera-Fire jewel.

Nemona has already shown everyone the power of Skeledirge's Torch Song last time, and it is going to be sung again.

This time, Farigiraf did a better job tanking the hit, but Torch Song will soon be uncontrollable with Skeledirge gaining stat boost per use.

Farigiraf took a big hit there. Not sure if the Figy Berry would offer much help.

Farigiraf is well-equipped for this battle. It even has Earthquake to deal with this Skeledirge.

Skeledirge just keeps singing and singing, while Farigiraf is just singeing and singeing. This singing crocodile needs to be stopped before it goes too crazy.

Arceus once told its believers to "fight fire with fire", and that is exactly what Suez will do here.

Pyroar's Hyper Beam is a destructive move, except when it misses and gives your opponent a free turn.

Skeledirge's Torch Song is now so strong it almost knocked out Pyroar despite its Fire resistance.

Pyroar aimed right this time and blew Skeledirge up with a Hyper Beam. Skeledirge somehow hanged on with the tiniest health possible.

Pyroar couldn't move after firing that powerful Hyper Beam, so it just stood there taking another Torch Song fired at its face.

Do not worry. Suez still has some healthy Pokemon left on the team. Grafaiai came in and finished Skeledirge with a quick Poison Jab.

Naturally, Suez came out victorious. Suez is here to catch Pokemon, but battling is just a natural talent.

If Suez can even beat the battle fanatic Nemona, then perhaps becoming a Champion would not be too difficult.

To do that, Suez needs to obtain two more Gym Badges. This first one will be the one here at Glaseado Gym.

All Suez needs to do is to ride Koraidon down the snowy slope and pass the Gym test. Okay, maybe there is a Gym Leader left after that.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

Father Frost (1)

Sliding on slopes is easy, but that is not why Suez comes to this place. There weren't even any Pokemon on the slope.

Grusha tried to scare Suez away, but little does he know, Suez has seen way more and way worse.

Grusha lives his entire life on a snowy mountain. Naturally, he uses Ice-type Pokemon, which won't do well against Pyroar.

Case in point. Frosmoth was roasted alive by just one simple Flamethrower. This is too easy.

Grusha's next Pokemon is his Beartic. Perhaps Suez should switch in Ursaring for a bear fight.

Beartic's fur looks quite flammable, but it managed to survive a Flamethrower.

Beartic then lashed out with an Earthquake and knocked Pyroar out. Perhaps pretending to be dead is a better way to fight this bear.

Ursaring isn't exactly a polar bear, but its brown fluffy body should allow it to resist the cold pretty well.

Icicles dropping on Ursaring's head is fine, but it is now too scared to move. Aren't bears supposed to be fearless?

Beartic went with Icicle Crash again, but Ursaring should have the guts to face its bear rival this time.

Did you think Suez lost the fire when Pyroar got knocked out? Well, take this Fire Punch.

If it's brown, lay down. If it's white, goodnight. Not to you, but to the bear you just killed.

Grusha's signature Pokemon is his Cetitan, which is what happens when narwhals walk on land.

Cetitan is quite the fearsome beast, so Ursaring will need to use its Baby-Doll Eyes to weaken it.

Ursaring already took a lot of damage from fighting Beartic, but it still managed to take an Ice Spinner from Cetitan.

Ursaring tried to use another Baby-Doll Eyes, but Cetitan's Ice Shard is faster and knocked the big bear out.

Cetitan looks like a clumsy whale, but it is actually quite fast. To deal with such a monster, the fast Grafaiai should make things work.

Grafaiai isn't a powerful Pokemon, but the poisonous paint on its fingers can often leave its target poisoned. Such toxic behavior.

Fury Swipes is a pretty unreliable move, because it doesn't always land enough hits. What's that? A loaded dice that allows you to hit more hits?

Cetitan has been poisoned, but that doesn't stop it from spinning with ice for a second time. Grafaiai definitely needs some stronger poison.

Naturally, Grafaiai then jabbed Cetitan with more of its poisonous claws. Too bad it can't get more poisoned than this.

Cetitan has spun around for so many times you have got to wonder if it starts feeling dizzy.

Grafaiai is a fast creature, but it cannot get faster than Ice Shard. That means Cetitan scored yet another point.

Do not worry, as Suez still has her ace, Farigiraf. All Farigiraf needs is Protect.

Cetitan needs to chill a bit with its Ice Spinner. At least its sharp ice shards cannot break Farigiraf's protection.

Cetitan finally wore itself out after spinning for so many turns. Credits go to Grafaiai for landing that poison.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

Father Frost (2)

Grusha is down to his final Pokemon, so of course, he is going to do something crazy. Something groundbreaking never-seen-before.

Grusha Terastallized his Altaria into an Ice-type. Who saw that one coming?

Weather on snowy mountains can change very quickly, but seeing hurricanes strike is rare.

Farigiraf does not have much it can do against Altaria, so it will just rely on its good old Twin Beam.

As the famous saying goes, "Hurricane doesn't strike twice". Farigiraf dodged the next Hurricane swiftly.

Farigiraf's Twin Beam isn't doing big enough damage, but it will at least hit every time.

Grusha is the type who plays it risky. Unfortunately, it does not work well for him, as Altaria missed another Hurricane.

Meanwhile, Farigiraf will still be firing Twin Beam. Consistency is key.

Altaria finally connected with another Hurricane, which did quite the big damage this time.

But Farigiraf always has its Figy Berry ready. It doesn't recover that much, but that should be enough before the next Hurricane strikes.

As long as Farigiraf can shoot another pair of Twin Beam. Altaria's Tera-crown shattered, which is to be expected for something made of ice.

For someone who used Ice-type Pokemon, Grusha is surprisingly tough, but Farigiraf is still here to save the day.

Grusha did not want a picture taken, but Suez needs some proof to show the Pokemon League.

Not again. Achelous has been staying in the snow for far too long and has evolved into a Glaceon.

Good for those who train Ice-type Pokemon, but Suez prefers something with fewer weaknesses and doesn't shatter from the slightest touch.

The wild Pokemon around the mountain are getting stronger, so receiving the seventh Gym Badge should be quite helpful with catching Pokemon.

Grusha also gives out TMs for Ice Spinner. Terrains do not bother Suez that much, and there are no Ice-type Pokemon on the team, so.

For some reasons, Suez always runs into someone when leaving Gyms. This time, Rika introduced Suez to Poppy, an Elite Four member who is either a playful child or a thousand-years-old demon.

Time to cool down, Achelous. You need to stay under sunlight until it melts your glacier skin away.

Merry Late Christmas and a Happy New Year! <3

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

(Welcome back everyone, I hope your 2026 has been going well so fast. Let me drop a quick update to show Arceus I'll stick to my resolution of continuing with my challenges. Enjoy!)

Dungeons and Fairies

After obtaining the seventh Gym Badge from beating Grusha, Suez has decided to grab the eighth one as well before it is too late.

The final Gym is located in the South Province, which isn't really all that interesting of a place, but Suez has to go back where Bombirdier was dropping rocks.

To reach the mysterious Alfornada, one must go through this cavern, which means it is time to catch some cave Pokemon.

Perhaps Toxtricity was not on your mind when cave is mentioned, but this cavern is the place to catch the musician Pokemon.

As a Pokemon that uses Boomburst all the time, Toxtricity could have been a Normal-type, but nope, it has been intoxicated by its own music.

I fucking hate you. Why don't you stay in the damn ball?

*cough cough* What Suez meant to say is, Suez freaking dislikes you. Why do you have such a low catch rate?

Suez will make sure your future ends today, unless you promise not to make death threats like that.

Just like that, the scientist will stay in the cave forever after having a lethal match against a grizzly bear. The end.

Considering this cavern is also home to a ghostly Houndoom, everyone staying here will be doomed eventually.

Suez needed to catch both Houndour and Houndoom, but Grafaiai has hit it too hard. Catching Pokemon is not easy.

Wigglytuff is the team's best bet against dragons, but not with that 90% accuracy on Play Rough. If only it can learn Moonblast.

While Luxray has an intimidating appearance, true Pokemon collectors will know that physically-oriented Electric-type Pokemon are not that strong.

Cyclizar is constantly running on its wheels, and it is bound to overheat its engine eventually.

Not sure how it works, but this Hippowdon just whipped up a sandstorm in this cave.

Also not sure how this works, but Arboliva just turned this cave into a grassy field.

Even though Arboliva is battling with home-field advantage, it still flinched when seeing a rocky dog.

Alfornada Cavern is a huge cavern filled with nothing. Time to breathe in some fresh air instead.

Suez does not really understand those who prioritize brawn over brain. What do you mean your poisonous car will fight Suez's fire-breathing lion?

The calm and peaceful environment of Alfornada has attracted different kinds of Pokemon. Gotta catch them all.

All Psychic-type Pokemon do is to kidnap children. Perhaps getting too brainy is not good either.

A chain of key rings is also a considered a Pokemon now? Arceus really is running out of ideas.

Suez is glad Farigiraf and Oranguru are much calmer than a freaking Espathra. Gaga ooh la la indeed.

Suez was trying to catch these Banette as well, but they keep cursing themselves to death. The grudge they hold are truly ridiculous.

There is a horde of Banette showing up around town at night. The people living here must have abandoned many MANY dolls.

Suez has received a Fast Ball from filling in Pokedex entries. This reminds Suez of the traditional Johtonian way of making Poke Balls.

Sawsbuck feeds on berries it finds on mountains, but peppers might be too spicy in the winter.

Right when Wigglytuff is about to use Hyper Voice and Sing, Lokix chopped its throat. Who knew a Dark-type move would work so well on a Fairy-type Pokemon?

*Showdown mentioned*

Remember when all the abandoned dolls turned into Banette? Apparently, some were left as substitutes as well.

In Pokemon Research studies, a Copperajah is used as an SI unit of measuring electrical power of Electric-type Pokemon.

When Suez was your age, Suez was already out in the wild battling Tyranitar and Salamence. What are those darn Banette gonna do?

Besides, the wild Pokemon here are not more dangerous than the Electric Terrain you put on the field. This is going to hurt the biodiversity of this area.

And why do you have Focus Blast on your Raichu? Arceus please protect the team from this evil.

But getting hit by Focus Blast caused Arboliva to cover the field with grass instead. Suez is probably not the first trainer to use this strategy, but it works.

Eelektross is mostly made of electricity, but it is actually also capable of breathing fire. Too late for Arboliva now.

If you want to see Flamethrower in action, you can take a look at Pyroar throwing fire instead.

Oh, another Luxray. Told you there are not much you need to worry, since Arcues does not like Electric-type Pokemon.

Suez already told you. And maybe change your team into using purely Normal-type Pokemon. You know, to please Arceus.

Now, a team of electric Pokemon is not that scary, but this tumbleweed? Bleh. Cyclizar, use your Dragon Claw to tear that thing apart please.

That should be all the things to do around Alfornada. A TM for Flare Blitz is neat but probably not that helpful.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

Don't Get too Emotional (1)

Suez has decided to tackle the eighth Gym, which means Nemona is getting excited for no reasons again.

The Champion Assessment takes more than just winning Gym Battles. It depends on what Miss Geeta thinks about Suez as a person.

The Gym Test is to work up some emotions, but do not get too angry or else you would not be able to focus in the actual Gym Battle.

Faking smile is an incredibly easy task for Suez. In fact, it is basically part of Suez's routine by now.

As what you expect from a Pokemon Gym, there are battles involved as well. This is an easier exercise than forcing yourself to cry.

The Psychic-type Pokemon used by this trainer might be pretty smart, but their defensive abilities are suboptimal.

This trainer is too easily influenced by her own tears. A trainer like that will not be able to follow Arceus's footsteps calmly.

It is time for Slakoth to evolve, but it is too lazy to even evolve. Guess it will stay in the this form for now.

Suez is still not impressed by the so-called emotional exercise practiced by these trainers, but this Indeedee does seem to have the correct amount of serenity Suez likes to see.

Slakoth is trying to evolve again, but its lazy buttock is probably not going to bother changing itself.

Except Slakoth has turned into a Slaking, which is still lazy as heck but at least has a much higher Attack now.

The team is now ready to go. All there is left is to actually beat the Gym Leader.

The Gym Leader, Tulip, cares more about beauty than Pokemon battles. This should be an easy fight.

Tulip uses Psychic-type Pokemon, but Suez is impressed by her choice of leading her team with Farigiraf.

Sawsbuck quickly strikes with a Megahorn. Who knew stabbing foes with a horn is going to work so well on psychics?

Farigiraf then hit back with Zen Headbutt. As the Psychic-type expert, Tulip should know that Farigiraf can use Twin Beam instead, right?

Sawsbuck did not really take that much damage, but it might as well use Horn Leech to get some health back.

Farigiraf bit the dust. Perhaps if it embraces its Normal-typing more, this would not have happened.

Tulip's next Pokemon is Gardevoir. How original for a Psychic-type user.

Megahorn will not work that well on Gardevoir, so Sawsbuck slams with Double-Edge instead.

Double-Edge did a ton of damage but also hurt Sawsbuck itself a lot. This move is like a double-edged sword.

Sawsbuck is a fast Pokemon with its attacks, but it also goes down fast. Clearly a problem caused by the Grass-typing.

Suez still has some fast Pokemon in her team. Next one out is Staraptor, who did not really need to intimidate Gardevoir.

Gardevoir only had a tiny amount of health left, so Staraptor quickly cleaned things up with just Quick Attack.

Tulip's next Pokemon is her Espathra, which looks like a bird but is not actually a bird. Time for Staraptor to show it what a real bird does.

Espathra is actually an ostrich with psychic abilities. Why does Arceus stop making bird Pokemon actually bird Pokemon?

Nonetheless, Staraptor yet again saved the world by landing a swift Quick Attack. Espathra no more.

 

[DetectiveTogekiss]

Don't Get too Emotional (2)

Tulip only has her ace left, which is her Florges. Naturally, she Terastallizes her Florges into a Psychic-type.

Florges is not actually a flower, but Staraptor's Acrobatics will still do big damage on it.

Staraptor is not as frail as Sawsbuck, but it still gets knocked out quite easily in battle. A Moonblast sent in back to its nest.

Slaking is a rather new addition to the team, but this is now its showtime.

While Slaking does not like to move most of the time, whenever it starts moving it destroys its opponents.

Florges's made-up appearance might be pretty, but it still shattered easily.

All Slaking needs to do is to land one Giga Impact. It can now go back and slack off for the rest of the day.

You call that magic, but Suez calls it the faith in Arceus and its Normal minions.

The only thing that truly matters is that Suez obtained the eighth and the final Gym Badge.

After all, the Gym Badges will affect what kinds of Pokemon Suez gets to catch. And that's the only thing that matters.

Tulip also left a Psychic TM to Suez. Suez does have a few Psychic-type Pokemon on the team, so ...

This woman is really full of herself, isn't she? Well, believe that Arceus will not treat her kindly.

Alfornada is a town filled with strong emotions, and Achelous has clearly absorbed too much.

Sylveon is probably a good Pokemon to keep in embassies, but it is completely unnecessary to Suez.

Suez is quite surprised to see that Nemona does not want a battle. Maybe she is too distracted by Suez's beautiful victory.

Miss Geeta and Nemona told Suez to take on the Champion Assessment at the Pokemon League, but Suez has other important business to take care of.

Number one, Suez was exploring the snowy mountain, and there are still things happening over there.

Number two, Achelous still needs to expel all the emotions it has absorbed. It needs to revert to its normal form.

After going through all these unexpected evolutions, Achelous really should start holding the Everstone to stabilize its genes.