PMD: Seventeen Plates DT 2

I am so excited for the upcoming events in this SB I have planned!
Don't forget, someone's got to get Bloodmoon.

@Robusto upcoming event, huh... That also sounds quite interesting., especially if it concerns BLOODMOON <3

Not gonna be Twinkiel's group gettin' to him, though, we'll have our hands full already.

if no ones taking him I can have something planned .3.

I took him a while ago (In th first DT)

Acknowledged, @15253. (It's probably best if Ren took him on anyway, since Dark is weak to Fighting, and Bug and Steel are weak to fire - Ren happens to be both.)

Huh. A shame, would've been interesting to have a Frost/Bloodmoon encounter, despite the type disadvantage of the latter (though he would own Genesect), but then again I wonder how Ren'll react to Bloodmoon's actual personality if he ends up liberating the guy. Definitely something I'm looking forward to as well.

@Tortwag, I have a few more questions. I really hope you don't mind answering them, since it feels like I'm bombarding you the whole time...

Anyway, before I ask, I just want to make sure I understand what I've read and what you've told me thus far:
♠ The Pokémon League is what runs all the tournaments, and it is represented by the Champion of the region and the Elite Four (who are akin to Gym Leaders, except they need to be defeated before facing the Champion). Before you face the E4 though, you must first obtain eight Gym badges. Most cities have a Gym of a specific type, and once you defeat a Gym Leader's team of five Pokémon (the E4 also have five, but the Champion has six), they give you a badge. Collect eight badges, defeat the E4 and then the Champion, and you become the new Champion. (You also mentioned something about a Victory Road, but I don't understand that.)
♠ In the anime, you still have to obtain eight Gym badges, but before you face the Elite Four, you must compete in a tournament with all the other Trainers who have acquired eight badges and win. Only the winner gets to face the E4.

On to the questions:
1. If a Trainer has a Water Pokémon such as Buizel or Blastoise, he can battle wherever he wants to, but what does he do when he has a Pokémon like Lapras or Sharpedo?
2. When facing a Gym Leader/E4 Member/the Champion, is it always a one-on-one battle? If so, when do Double, Triple, Rotation and Horde Battles occur?
3. Can you face a Gym Leader with an incomplete team (fewer than six Pokémon), or is that a very foolish idea?
4. I know Gym Leaders can have more than one of the same Pokémon in their team, but is their entire team always fully-evolved?
5. What's the general procedure for a Gym Battle? Do the Trainer and the Gym Leader just battle in the Gym's arena, or is an audience present?
6. What do you think about the following combination: Tyranitar, Metagross, Garchomp, Luxray, Froslass, and Mienshao?

I apologise if this makes you feel overwhelmed. I simply thought it would be better if an actual player explained things to me, rather than piecing everything together from what I've read.

I hope you don't mind if I answer your questions instead, Hunter!

1. Despite the obvious fact that some water pokemon would not really be able to move outside of water, you can still use them anywhere you go.

2. Facing gym leaders is not always a one-on-one battle. There is one gym in Hoenn where you actually fight twin gym leaders at the same time in a two-on-two battle. (Correct me if I'm wrong, @Tortwag, but I believe that's the only gym which isn't one-on-one.)

3. Yes, you can face a gym leader with an incomplete team and still win. It's actually fairly easy to just blast through a gym with only one or two main fighters. (Unless your team is sorely under-leveled, like mine...)

4. A gym leader's pokemon are not always fully evolved, especially in the early gyms.

5. Gym battles in the game are a little different from the show. You have to battle the gym trainers (sort of like a preliminary?) and once you've beaten them all, or made it through whatever puzzle is in the gym, you can fight the gym leader. As for audiences, the player typically travels alone, so there's never really a need.

6. If that is a pokemon team you want to use, it's probably a fairly strong combination. (Even if half of them are pokemon I use!)

As an added note: the gym leaders tend to have a varied number of pokemon in the initial matches. It's only in rematches and outside tournaments that they consistently use five.

I... I actually didn't mind at all and wanted to answer T_T

@AstralHunter lemme get back home and give you some details, but yeah Buggie summed it up nicely.

Sorry Tort! I just really wanted to comment on that team... I promise I will no longer muddle in questions directed at others.

I eagerly await your response, @Tortwag. (Please keep the anime in mind when answering - I cannot say why, for now.)

@Buggiedude2340, thank you for your reply! It was quite useful, and in future, I shall phrase my questions in such a way that anyone can answer them. If somebody still has something to add, I'd love to hear it. (I'm guessing the three Pokémon you also use are Froslass, Luxray and Garchomp, since they're all Generation Four. )

And since you wanted to comment on the team, I have another for you to judge. (I actually have three more, but I cannot disclose the details of the other two for reasons you will discover in exactly two weeks' time. *hint hint*)

The other team is: Hippowdon, Scolipede, Aggron, Electivire, Cacturne, and Exploud. (Tort, feel free to comment on that team as well, if you wish.)

@Buggiedude2340 I... I was joking. It's actually perfectly normal for you to intervene, since, y'know, we're in a group. I don't actually mind.

...God my jokes are terrible.

@AstralHunter
The Victory Road is the equivalent of the tournament in the anime. In the Anime, you get 8 badges then you enter a tournament in which are assembled the best trainers, right?
Well in the game, the Victory Road (right after the badges, and usually with an AMAZING build up to get there, especially in Black and White) is that gathering. Best AIs in the game, hardest puzzles, strongest Wild Pokemons... Yeah. It's the ultimate grinding place before the Elite 4.

1.Buggie pretty much summed it up there. Paras CAn fight on the ground though, so that's a bad example, but basically the water pokemons just hover over the ground like they'd swin. So bascially that:

^ except above the ground, lol.

2. Buggie's right, the only example of One on One not happening is against the Twins in Hoenn. So theorically, the Gym Leader tests you however he wants. It's usually solo battles though.

3. It's actually recommended to fight with an incomplete team at first, because the less 'Mons you have, the easier it gets to train them. Just... avoid going to the League with 3 Pokemons. You're just giving a handicap to yourself by doin' so.

4. Nope, unless you're in the post game rematches, in which case Gyum leaders have 6 fully evolved Pokemons, are as strong as the Elite 4, who by the time the post game is reach have all 6 pokemons and are as strong as the Champion, who by the post game is... basically the strongest trainer in the entire game.
Well, when Red's not around.

5. It's only an arena with an audience if the Gym Leader wants it to be. Like against Roxie and Elesa. One's a concert scene and the other is an ACTUAl top model thing with a ingame audience.
Again, it all depends on whatever the Gym Leader wants to do.

6. Lemme comment on that. And by that I mean: fully analyze your team.

-You'd be wise to start your battles with Miengshao. He gets to learn Fakeout, which allows a quick and decent hit on your opponent, and if you're faster, you can chain with a good old High Jump Kick and get yourself a 2-Hit KO (2HKO).
Then again, Frosslass is actuall fater than the guy and she hits almost as hard, so maybe throwin' her first might be interesting too. Especially if you wanna throw in some spikes.
-Whatever you do, DO NOT let Frosslass learn hail in this team, 'cause as you may know, it's useless when you have Tyranitar around.
-Speakin' of that Tyranitar, good lord, he's a powerhouse by default, treat him with utmost care. Be sure to include at least one move to fight against his weaknesses in his moveset, and should he face a fighting type, Frosslass is a safe switch you could rely on.
But beware of Bullet Punch. Many fighting types have it, and they can predict the switch to his Frosslass directly.
-Garchomp is another good 'Mon to start with, as he can deal with most mid or late game strategies, AKA if you've got a guy who starts using Stealth Rock or Spikes in front of you, OUTRAGE THE HECK OUT OF IT. Oh, and if you have a Fairy, Ice, or faster Dragon type in front of you, safe switch to Metagross. He can take the hit and punish it really easily.
-Now, that Metagross... You can play it like mine and give it Speed and Power with Agility and Meteor punch (+ Hammer Arm), or you can play around with heavy hits ONLY (do include Meteor Punch, because Fairies) and Bullet Punch as a finishing move. Safe switch him into Frosslass against a Close Combat user.
-I'm... questioning the purpose of this Luxray in the team. By that I mean: by all means, play with whichever Pokemons you like, not to mention this team of yours is diverse enough, but Luxray is quite the slow damage dealer. You can't even safe switch into him, as he's got virtually no resistance (and you've got Garchomp to absorb electric moves).
Perhaps you could use that Luxray with Thunderwave, so that he can paralyze a few opponents. Then a few damage dealing moves, just in case. Oh and you MIGHT want to give him a baloon (or give that to your Metagross), because should you face an Earthquake, NOTHING will protect you, even if you switch. 3 of your Pokes are weak to ground, and Spike/Stealth Rock strategy is really efective against your team. Beware of that: you need a Rapid Spin somewhere in this team. You're not safe against a Trick Room gimmick either.


Whew! And that's that. Anymore questions? If you want to test your team, I'll introduce you to Pokemon Showdown so that we can practice. It's worth the shot, 'cause your team seem to have potential.

Oh, I'm suppose to comment on your other team now? Lemme do that! I'm havin' dinner right now and I'm comin' back here for the next part of my comment!

Waaaaaaaaait a second.. Exploud? O hope it's not for an Exploud NPC, 'cause that place is taken D:

Edit: Here I am. So, on to your second team! I'm having trouble keeping the anime in mind while doin' so, because the strategies you can create with it can be COMPLETELY different from the game.

For instance, look at this: This is Dawn's Mamoswine after he swallowed his own Ice Shard (the fire is caused by the Cyndaquil on his back). It creates an Ice Armor that gives hima slight boost in Physical Defense and attack.
And... Froslass can learn Ice Shard. Just IMAGINE what she could do if she did that. That's what I based my Aura Boost Skill thing on, and it works for any spherical energy ball, as one of Ash's Pokemon accomplished a similar feat with Energy Sphere.
You can make your Froslass learn Shadow Ball and make her learn to swallow it as well. Imagine the result.

And don't get me started on the move variations you can create with some attacks, transforming them into deadly moves, such as (and this is why I respect Ash, because HE INVENTED IT) the Counter Shield.
You can perform that move with ANY laser-like projectile move. Ice Beam, flamethrower, Water Gun, Thunderbolt... Your Froslass (and even your Luxray) would become quite the powerful 'Mons with these moves under their belt. Anyway, movin' on to your second team:

-Hippowdon is... Ugh, I hate the guy, but I gotta say, he's an amazing Tank, about to absorb damage just as easily as he can throw them. Yawn, Earthquake, Stealth Rock... He can do interesting stuff, especially if he comes in first.
-I'm likin' that Scolipede as well, mostly because I've encountered a few with Turbo as his Ability. Put a Protect, and yo'uve got yourself a FAST. VERY FAST damage dealer. From there you know what to do XD Although, be sure to set up good bad field effects to your opponents with Hippowdon first, so that Scolipede can sweep easily.
-That Aggron is a perfect support to Hippo's automatic sandstorm factor, and with the good ability, he doesn't have any recoil. Put on some HEAVY, reckless hits with it and you'll deal LOADS of damage, especially if Mega-evolved.
-Switch to that Electivire of yours whenever you get to absorb an Electric move, as he absorbs it and becomes twice as fast. Again, Electrivire is pretty much only good for Damage Dealing. This second team of yours is quite straightforward, save for Hippodowdon.
-Ah! Cacturne. Interesting. REALLY. Interesting. That guy is as good in Special Attack than he is in Physical attack, AND he gets lots of boosting moves. And if you wanna take your enemy to the grave with you, there's always Destiny Bond. But stick with Nasty Plot and Dark Pulse for now. (do keep a Sucker Punch ready, though. Speed advantage always helps.).
-As for Exploud... Oh gosh, I love that one, but aside for Boomburst, he's really not that useful to this team.
Oh, one interesting thing though: he can learn Roar. DO keep that in mind, since you have Stealth Rock with Hippowdon, hehehe...


Aaaaaaand that's that!

ow he swallowed an ice shard dat must be pretty painful .3. (knows nothing about pokemans)

@15253 Well Ice Shard is just the name, but really it's just a ball of energy.
Imagine that he swallowed a giant ice cream and grew extra icy hair out of it.

...Oh my god I'll never put it like that again XD