Update 5: Koga
Global Rules
- Towards the new future - You have to put a Fairy-type Pokémon (or Pokémon that turns into a Fairy-type in later gens) on your team until the end of the game. It has to use Explosion or any of its variants (or if it can't learn any, then it has to use its strongest attack) in each Gym Battle. It's not affected by any other rule.
- Sounds sort of like a... - Players of Team Apricorns have to put a Pokémon with type combination of Rock and Ground (either Rock/Ground or Ground/Rock) on their team for the following segemnt. If you can't, you have to put pure Rock or pure Ground-type Pokémon on your team for the following segment. This Pokémon is unaffected by all other rules.
Needs to grab a Clefairy, Jigglypuff, or Mr. Mime for the Fairy type. Also needs a Geodude.
Personal rules
- The future is now, old man! - All of your Pokémon must learn all new moves via level-up (or HMs if strictly needed to progress).
The 12 Monkeys - You have to put at least one Rock-type Pokémon on your team for this segment.
- Back to square one - Consider the number of badges you own: subtract 3 from that number, then consider all the areas of the game that are accessible to you if you still were at that number of badges. You can only use Pokémon you can find in those areas, or their evolutions.
- The Big Bang - You must use Explosion or its variations at least once during each segment's final battle (if you have no way to have a Pokémon of yours learn these moves, you can ignore this rule).
- The Butterfly Effect - You have to put at least one Bug-type Pokémon on your team for this segment.
Accesses a Pokemon with Explosion now (Geodude). Already needed one, so all the better. Also needs a Bug for this segment.
New team member round-up:
1.
Clefairy. Says strongest move. Means Hyper Beam for all three (or Focus Punch). Buys that in Celadon City. Prefers getting the same-type attack bonus. Picked up a Moon Stone a while back, fortunately.
1st Clefairy: Bad Attack stat (for Hyper Beam) and eh IVs.
2nd Clefairy: Great Attack stat, but a sum of 61 IVs.
3rd Clefairy: 131 combined IVs, including 27 Attack IVs. Neutral nature. Done.
Named the third one "Turret" :t035:. Self-destructs if you take too long.
2.
Geodude. Must know Self Destruct or Explosion. Could swap it out for Voltorb later (after Sabrina). Eh.
Went with the original Rubble :t074: here, despite being 7 levels lower. Will probably continue using it. Has a poor nature (+Special Attack / -Defense), but great overall IVs (combined 132).
3.
Caterpie. Satisfies the Bug type. Picks up Psybeam at 34 and Confusion before that as Butterfree. Helps against Koga.
Chose the 133 combined IVs one. Caught two different Caterpies with perfect Attack IVs. Will mainly use special moves (Confusion, Psybeam), though. Chose the Sassy one over the +Attack nature one. Named it "Scarab" :t010:.
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And now for a grind. Needs to level up a level 8, 9, and 10 about twenty levels. Requires 50 Pokemon for the Experience Share too. Is at 12.
Brought everyone up to around 30. Took on the Rocket Hideout under the Game Corner. Missed two Hyper Beams in a row, distressingly. Beat Giovanni no problem.
Grabbed the Eevee. Adamant nature. Not great. Thought about late-game Vaporeon previously. Revises that line of thinking. (Looking at IVs: 70 total, with 30 in Speed and 3 in Special Attack. Big nope.)
Climbed Pokemon Tower no problem, thanks to Scarab :t012: and Psybeam. Caught Snorlax just because. Skipped most of the trainers along Cycling Road. Is probably way overlev--level 38 Hypno on the first trainer. Jumped from level 29 aces to 38 on a random gym trainer.
Decided to clear out Silph Co. Met Lavos there. Seems to be about right on level.
Not too terrible. Really needs better answers for Lavos's team at the end of the game, however.
Oh, right. Forgot about the free Lapras from Silph Co. (Only said a Sevii Island spot in Serebii.) Unlocks after Blaine. ...But wait, who cares? 48 total IVs (6, 6, 18, 4, 10, 4)? Ew.
Ended with a bang for fun. Inflicts a lot of damage, apparently.
Stops you from sleeping in the Silph Co bed after beating Team Rocket? Boooo. Take it back over.
Made some tough move choices:
- Rubble :t076:: Rock Blast OR Defense Curl + Rollout? Really hates the 80% accuracy of Rock Blast. Cannot learn Rock Slide either (thanks to a rule). ...Sticking with Rollout.
- Ayla :t057:: Cross Chop or Scratch. Hits way harder. What about for all the Zubats of the world? ...Seismic Toss, actually. Hates the low PP too. Picks Cross Chop anyways.
Falls shy on levels (36-39 versus Koga's 43 Weezing :t110:) after all that. Cleared the routes east of Fuchsia City. Brought everyone to 39. ...Good enough? Nabbed a little more from the gym trainers.
Strategy: Needs to Self Destruct with Rubble :t076: AND Hyper Beam/Focus Punch something with Turret :t036:. Leads with Scarab :t012: for Psybeam. Remembers Koga's Muk :t089: being a lucky jerk in Yellow. Hopes for redemption here.
Misremembered. Got wrecked by Venomoth last time (level advantage + Double Teams + criticals on 4 of 6 attacks). Admits showboating
a little here. Wanted Turret :t036: to get the Hyper Beam kill. Really needed just one extra level. Also avoided using items, unlike
some unnamed ninjas.
Kind of enjoyed using Turret :t036:, also. Swaps out easily after Hyper Beaming with Switch mode (assuming a knockout). Managed to Focus Punch some birds thanks to misses and Cute Charm too.
Should be a quick update next time, barring leveling up a bunch more Pokemon.
Current team:
:t018::t020::t036::t076::t057::t012:
Edit: Oh, and a trainer card.
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Action: Look at the signs and sift through the boxes. Then move to Past 9.