-Beat the trainers on Route 16 and Lostlorn Forest. In doing so, Gharial evolved into Krokorok.
-Got HM02 for Fly from Bianca.
-Arrived in Driftveil City.
-Witnessed the old Team Plasma and new Team Plasma quarreling until Hugh intervened.
-Beat Rood and checked out the old Team Plasma's base.
-Trained everyone to Level 31. In doing so, Marsupial evolved into Excadrill.
-Went through the Driftveil Gym, not battling any of the trainers except the ones I have to.
-Challenged the Gym Leader, Clay!
Driftveil Gym overview:
Team entering the fight: Vinny LV31 / Soft Sand - Dig, Magnitude, Crush Claw, Rock Tomb
Marsupial LV31 / Lax Incense - Dig, Hone Claws, Rock Slide, Metal Claw
Shandra LV31 - Dig, Rock Tomb, Smack Down, Stealth Rock
VampirMoth LV31 / Quick Claw - Dig, Bulldoze, Mud-Slap, Rock Slide
Gharial LV31 / Eviolite - Dig, Crunch, Bite, Sand-Attack
He starts off with Krokorok while I open with Vinny, but he gets off Intimidate. And he's faster and uses Crunch, while I use Magnitude and get a 5. Blech. Him: 90% or so HP, Me: 64/95 HP. I send in Shandra as he uses Torment. He then sets up Sandstorm as I use Dig, then avoid a Crunch and hit him decently, but his Sitrus Berry activates. Him: 40% or so HP. He uses Crunch (seriously?) while I miss with Rock Tomb. Me: 90/98 HP. He uses it again (are you kidding me?!) while I use Dig. I avoid another attack then hit with Dig, killing him. The sandstorm subsides. Me: 81/98 HP.
After that is Onix. He misses with Rock Slide while I hit with Smack Down for almost nothing. Him: 98% or so HP. He hits with Rock Slide and I flinch. Me: 78/98 HP. Then he uses Explosion, but it gets a critical hit. Shandra grows to Level 32 after that. Me: 56/101 HP. Then I burrow under the ground.
Next up is Sandslash. He uses Hone Claws, ugh (at least that turn he was actually smart). I hit him with Dig and barely do anything. He then uses Crush Claw (WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!) while I lower his Speed with Rock Tomb. Him: 2/3 or so HP and -1 Speed, Me: 47/101 HP. He then uses Rock Slide (…) and I use Dig. He uses Rock Slide again and I hit him with Dig, and get a critical hit which leaves him with 1 HP. He uses his Hyper Potion, and I use Rock Tomb again. Him: 95% or so HP, +1 Attack and Accuracy and -2 Speed. I'm faster and burrow under the ground as he uses Hone Claws again. I surface with Dig and he FINALLY uses Bulldoze, which kills me. Him: 70% or so HP, +2 Attack and Accuracy and -2 Speed. I send in Gharial and use Crunch, which does alright, and he uses Bulldoze, which I somehow live. Him: 38% or so HP, Me: 7/86 HP and -1 Speed. I'm faster because of the Speed drops, and use Crunch one more time, getting him low on health before he finishes me with Rock Slide. Him: 10% HP. I send in Marsupial and use Dig, avoiding a Bulldoze then killing him.
Finally is his ace, his own Excadrill. I'm actually faster, and burrow under the ground, so he misses with Bulldoze. I surface with Dig and leave him with 1 HP, but the Sitrus Berry activates and he kills me in one hit with Bulldoze. Him: 26% HP. I send in VampirMoth, and he uses Bulldoze, which kills me in one hit. Ouch! I send in Vinny, and he uses Slash, which I live comfortably, then kill him with Dig, ending the battle. Vinny grows to Level 32 after that.
To be honest, I was rather disappointed with this battle, mostly because of how stupid he was being while Steelix was out. Seriously, people say the AI in this game has increased, but I really disagree. And this is Challenge Mode for goodness sakes. He probably could have won if he hadn't been lollygagging at that time. And he's my favorite Gym Leader from Gen V, so I was hoping it'd be more interesting than that.
-Went to the PWT and beat Hugh, Cheren and Colress rather easily.
-Got Team Plasma out of their frigate at the PWT's dock.
-Caught a Baltoy in the Relic Castle named Top Hat.
-Got HM03 for Surf from Cheren.
-Went through Route 6, battling the trainers there.
-Entered Chargestone Cave, battling the trainers there. In doing so, VampirMoth evolved into Vibrava.
-Arrived in Mistralton City.
-Met with Professor Juniper and Skyla, and got the Master Ball.
-Went on Route 7 and battled some trainers.
-Got the Lucky Egg from Professor Juniper.
-Beat the trainers in the Celestial Tower. In doing so, Top Hat reached Level 36, but I delayed its evolution for one level to get Earth Power early.
-Trained everyone to Level 37.
-Challenged the Gym Leader, Skyla!
This was actually my third try. First time, it came down to Marsupial against Skarmory, while I had two Hone Claws boosts, then I misclicked and used Hone Claws, and because of that, Sigilyph killed me because she was faster. Second try, Sigilyph flawlessly swept two of my guys with Hypnosis. This one, I got lucky.
Mistralton Gym overview:
Team entering the fight: Gharial LV37 / BlackGlasses - Crunch, Dig, Bite, Sand-Attack
Marsupial LV37 / Lax Incense - Earthquake, Swords Dance, Rock Slide, Strength
VampirMoth LV37 / Quick Claw - Rock Slide, Crunch, Dig, DragonBreath
Top Hat LV37 / TwistedSpoon - Psybeam, Bulldoze, ExtraSensory, Earth Power
Vinny LV37 / Scope Lens - Dig, Rock Tomb, Magnitude, Crush Claw
Shandra LV37 / Electric Gem - Thunder Fang, Dig, Rock Tomb, Smack Down
She starts off with Swoobat while I open with Gharial. She uses Attract and I become infatuated, then next turn she uses Energy Ball, but I barely live and kill her in one hit with Crunch. Me: 22/102 HP.
After that is her ace, Swanna. She kills me with Air Slash, then I bring in Shandra. She uses Surf and I live with 1 HP because of Sturdy, then I kill her with Thunder Fang, getting the boost from the Electric Gem. And a critical hit, but it doesn't matter (second try I had before this, it killed her in one without).
Next up is Sigilyph. She kills me with Air Cutter. I bring in Vinny, and she uses Hypnosis, which MISSES, thank you god. So I hit her with Rock Tomb. Her: 2/3 or so HP and -1 Speed. I use it again and she hits hard with Psychic. Her: 1/3 or so HP and -2 Speed, Me: 30/112 HP. I miss with Rock Tomb and she kills me with Psychic, but that's just fine. I bring in VampirMoth and kill her with Crunch.
Finally is Skarmory. I start with DragonBreath, which doesn't do much, but it paralyzed her, thank you. And she gets fully paralyzed. Her: 90% HP and paralyzed. I then use Crunch, which does nothing except lowering her Defense, which surely helps. Then she uses Agility. Her: 85% or so HP, +2 Speed and -1 Defense. I use it again and she gets fully paralyzed. Her: 75% or so HP. Same thing next turn, just wow. Her: 64% or so HP. I use Rock Slide, which knocks her to her Sitrus Berry, then she uses Agility again. Her: 70% or so HP, paralyzed and +4 Speed. Same thing next turn. Her: 1/2 or so HP and +6 Speed. I use it again, and she misses with Steel Wing. Her: 1/4 or so HP. I switch out for Marsupial as she uses her Hyper Potion. I use Hone Claws twice, both turns she fails to hit me (first she gets fully paralyzed then misses with Steel Wing again). I then kill her in two hits with Rock Slide, first after she flinches. And I get the critical hit on the last turn, but it wouldn't have mattered previous turn either, because of Sturdy. Both Marsupial and VampirMoth grow to Level 38 after that.
All I can say is…GOOD RIDDANCE. Thank god she missed with Hypnosis, because otherwise that thing could have swept some of my guys again. And getting the paralysis and Defense drop near the end helped. That Skarmory sure got what it deserved, that much is certain.
-Was invited by Skyla and Professor Juniper to ride on their plane.