The last 4 run-throughs;
The Hitmons.
A team of Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee and Hitmontop have teamed up with a Riolu. The Riolu is a Prankster. Lee and Top head out in battle first and Top Dynamaxes. Riolu's Screech and Lee's Unburden means that Lee hits hard and first thanks to Fake Out Normal Gem. The playthrough in Shield went extremely well. Hitmonchan's coverage is good enough to finish the game and a rock sliding Lee to defeat Charizard.
Hitmonchan:
Drain Punch, Power Up Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch
Iron Fist
Assault Vest
Adamant
252 Att, 128 HP, 128 SpDef
Hitmonlee:
Close Combat, Throat Chop, Fake Out, Poison Jab
Unburden
Normal Gen
Adamant
252 Att, 128 Def, 128 Speed
Hitmontop:
Mach Punch, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Wide Guard
Intimidate
Life Orb
Adamant
252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 Def
Riolu:
Helping Hand, Circle Throw, Screech, Attract
Prankster
Eviolite
Careful
252 Def, 252 SpDef, 4 HP
VGC Tactic- Lee and Top Lead. Intimidate activates. Lee Fake Out, Normal Gem, them Unburden activate. Hitmontop D-Max Knuckle to boost Att. After 1 turn Hitmonlee Double Speed and + 1 Att.
Riolu Prankster Screech or Helping Hand to help Lee sweep, or Chan to Power Up Punch and Set up.
Play-through Difficulty (10 very difficult, 1 Easy) = 3/10
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The Trick Room Steelers,
The non-evolving Doublade was the unusual member in this team. A Trick Room Bronzong and Escavalier start. Psychic to stop fighting types and a Focus Sash for Escavalier to stop the fire types.
Once one goes down, Doublade comes in to swords dance. Wide Guard to defend Heat Wave and Rock Slide to utilise Trick Room and Shadow Sneak once Trick Room has gone. Last Game Sweeper Dynamax Alolan Dugtrio. Incidentally, Max-Ground/Steel moves boosts Doublades bulk. The run-through was hard going. Karrablast was good before it evolved but the low speed is a challenge. Leon's Charizard is a nightmare. Took lots of attempts to set up Doublade and hope to survive Wildfire.
Dugtrio (Alolan):
Earthquake, Protect, Sucker Punch, Iron Head
Sand Force
Life Orb
Jolly
Att 252, Speed 252, HP 4
Bronzong:
Trick Room, Psychic, Flash Cannon, Reflect
Heatproof
Leftovers
Quiet
252 SpAtt, 128 Def, 128 SpDef
Escavalier:
X-Scissor, Close Combat, Poison Jab, Fell Stinger
Swarm
Focus Sash
Brave
252 Att, 200 SpDef, 56 Def
Doublade:
Wide Guard, Swords Dance, Rock Slide, Shadow Sneak
No Guard
Eviolite
Sassy
252 SpDef, 200 Att, 56 HP
VGC Tactic- Bronzong and Escavalier lead. Trick Room from Bronz and Escavalier hits. Heat Wave protection from Focus Sash and Heatproof. Fell Stinger to finish Escavalier's first attack. One down Doublade in to setup. Dugtrio late gaem sweeps with dynamax.
Play-through Difficulty (10 very difficult, 1 easy) = 9/10
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Obsta-nots:
No Obstagoon but a Daytime runthrough with a Galarian Linoone. Support role to tie in a Incineroar and Mandibuzz early setup and Dynamax Weavile late game sweep.
Early gyms were easy. A ice sneasel swept Milo. Thunderbolting and seed bombing linoone easily took out Nessa. Not much fire-coverage early game. No access to Rock or water moves for the team meant Centiscorch was a big problem. Eventually resolved by Early dynamaxed Vullaby Flying speed boost. Fairy was simpler than though. Sneasel poison jab and Incineroar's neutrality. Biggest challenge was Raihan. Gigalith nullified a Weavile sweep but Vullby stook it out and dark pulsed in a one on one Duraladon battle. Leon was not much of a challenge this time.
Linoone (Galar):
Hyper Voice, Thunder Wave, Baby-Doll Eyes, Snarl
Quick Feet
Eviolite
Bold
252 Def, 252 SpDef, 4 Speed
Weavile:
Low Kick, Poison Jab, Ice Punch, Throut Chop
Pressure
Life Orb
Jolly
252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 Def
Mandibuzz:
Air Slash, Dark Pulse, Tailwind, Nasty Plot
Overcoat
Leftovers
Modest
252 SpAtt, 156 HP, 100 Speed
Incineroar:
Flare Blitz, Fake Out, Darkest Lariat, Earthquake
Intimidate
Assault Vest
Adamant
252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 HP
VGC Tactic- Mandibuzz and Incineroar Lead. Intimidate activates. Fake Out and Tailwind First Turn. 100 Speed spread on Mandibuzz means Tailwind now it outspeeds all non-scarfed pokemon. Incineroar starts attacking, Mandibuzz Nasty Plots. One down, Linoone comes out to annoy. Priority Baby-Doll Eyes and Thunder Wave, plus snarl to lower SpAtt. Wealile comes to finic=sh. Dynamaxed Fighting moves and already speedy.
Play-through Difficulty (10 very difficult, 1 easy) = 7/10 Rough mid-late game but easy beginning and end.
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Happiny Go Lucky:
No oval stone so Eviolite Happiny runthrough.
Great things about Normal types is coverage. With the Wild Area giving a variety of TRs. Loudred swept through Milo and Kabu with Surf and Ice Beam. Nessa was more difficult but not impossible. Exploud Kangaskhan and Stoutland made the run quite easy. Speedy and strong. Happiny Friend Guard even made Raihan more simple than it otherwise could have been.
Kangaskhan:
Fake Out, Body Slam, Drain Punch, Earthquake
Scrappy
Leftovers
Jolly
252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Exploud:
Hyper Voice, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Fire Blast
Scrappy
Wide Lens
Timid
252 SpAtt, 252 Speed, 4 Def
Happiny:
Seismic Toss, Charm, Light Screen, Protect
Friend Guard
Eviolite
Bold
252 Def, 252 SpDef, 4 HP
Stoutland:
Giga Impact, Play Rough, Psychic Fangs, Iron Head
Intimidate
Life Orb
Jolly
252 Att, 252 Speed, 4 Def
VGC Tactic- Happiny and Kangaskhan lead. Fake Out biggest threat or trick roomer (includes ghost types due to scrappy) and intimidate negated because of Scrappy. Happiny either Charm threat or Light Screen depending on Physical or Special attacker. Protect for earthquake immunity. Exploud comes in for steel types or flying types. Stoutland for fighting, fairy and dragon. Dynamax Stoutland or Exploud depending on situation
Play-through difficulty (10 very difficult, 1 easy) = 1/10 No difficulties. Ghosts stopped with Scrappy and Fighting types out sped and Intimidated by Stoutland.
