Fortunately for Ray and Ailey, Hau has decided to challenge us to the post-Aether battle here, after the Pokemon Centre. If there's anything you need to do to prepare, you have the opportunity to do it.
Moss has... well, it turns out I specced her EVs a little misguidedly This fight gets interesting fast.
Also I have no idea why Moss gets Leech Life.
Genevieve working that Electric ability against the Water type. I... don't really have better options. Ailey doesn't have a Grass type.
Shiva is going to be important for two foes, and I'm not sure which I need her more for. Let's hope she can get a hit off on either.
Usagi preparing a powerful hit with Z-Splash. I wish her the best of luck.
You know what I was supposed to do? Switch from Reflect to Light Screen. I really wanted Light Screen...
Sue will hopefully pull off a victory against a few options.
Not much preamble added here. Just us, Hau...
And a team of five Pokemon, instead of SM's three.
And he leads with his starter Dartrix, of course, instead of Raichu. The thing about Raichu was, it's weak to Ground, and so is Symbiont, so there's synergy there. The odds your lead can deal with Symbiont and the opposing starter are much lower. So, it's more than just setting aside an odd design choice for Hau to get rid of the ambush here.
Dartrix, and all three of the USUM starters, have flat 25 IVs, 252 EVs in HP and Atk (Brionne has them in Sp. Atk) and a Serious Nature. Dartrix has Razor Leaf, Pluck, and Grassium Z, same as SM, and likewise is true for Torracat and Brionne.
Moss versus Oatchi, standard stuff, but it should be a pretty easy win.
All I gotta do is click Flame Charge and we can move on.
...Huh. This is... less than I expected. Sure, it's not a powerful Fire move, but it's still 50 BP, I'd expect half HP.
Moss... work with me here...
That did not drain as much as I hoped. It is neutral, I guess...
This is the first moment in this fight that I suddenly realised Ailey's battle is not going to go according to plan.
This is probably the part of the fight that goes most in my favour. Hau has a cunning plan in order to deal with the fact that Dartrix has a x4 weakness to Ice and two STAB neutral physical attacks aimed at a low Def baby.
So instead, he sends out our old weird friend Noibat. 20 IVs flat, 252 EVs in Atk and Spd, Serious Nature, Infiltrator for the Ability, and the moves Wing Attack and Bite. Bite is SE on Smoochum but not STAB, and while Noibat is fast and hard to hit SE, it's still very flimsy itself.
He's also x4 weak to Ice as well as Dartrix.
I cannot understate just how bad a decision this was on Hau's part. If Shiva didn't have a free shot, I would actually genuinely doubt if Shiva could actually do its job as the direct counter to Noibat. Instead, it got a free win.
His next choice is his new Pokemon to his team, Tauros. 20 IVs, 252 EVs in Atk and Spd, Serious Nature, Intimidate for the Ability, and the moves Horn Attack and Pursuit. Tauros does what Tauros best: Hit hard, and Intimidate the Fighting type you thought was going to be its counter. You can't go wrong with Tauros.
It's times like this you wish Special Fighting was more accessible than it is. There's like five moves, all of which have limited distribution, poor usability, or both.
This was the main reason I picked Usagi over Hawkeye. Well, this and my plan for getting past Intimidate.
Now operating at +2 Atk.
And I even get a free attack thanks to Cute Charm! And I wanted to switch to Limber...
...Usagi.
Usagi.
I wish I knew how close that was... That was a 7/16 chance of a oneshot. Considering that HP on the bar, I think I got the 2/16 chance of bringing it to 1 HP. Honestly, I was probably lucky on this.
According to the damage calculator I use, Tauros actually had a 70% chance of defeating me in two hits. The first hit was the 1/16 lowest possible roll, and the second hit was the second-to-highest damage roll (3/16 odds).
Fortunately, I still had an action left, and clicked Return because I'm not an idiot, my team's just fallen behind.
At least I have warning on this monster. Flat 20s, 252 EVs in Sp. Atk/Spd, same kit of Electro Ball, Quick Attack and Psychic. It is no less intimidating because it's not the lead.
This is what I brought Callie for. She's supposed to Light Screen and set up for Sue or somebody to clean up.
Did not pack Light Screen. That was not smart.
Fortunately, Callie is fast enough that Electro Ball isn't a oneshot, and I click a move that I think will give me some good chip:
Foul Play. Despite Hau's Raichu not being a physical attacker, Raichu inherits a high Atk base stat from its Kantonian form that Hau has done nothing to deduct from, and it combines with Foul Play's high BP and STAB to be a oneshot. If nothing else, this was probably a better plan than the Light Screen thing.
Strangely, the Eevees have seen a change. Alongside their 20 IVs and Serious Nature, the HP EVs they had have been switched to 252 in Atk and Sp. Atk (Yes, this includes Flareon, who does not know a Special move). Vaporeon still has the basic kit of Water Pulse and Quick Attack.
And that continues to be more than enough to be getting on with.
Especially when, even without HP investment, I'm still fighting uphill.
You ever just look at a fight and realise your problems are a lot worse than they look? Yeah... I'm not sure where Ailey is going and I'm less sure she is either.
Something about this idea made sense to me at the time. I think it's the part that forgot Vaporeon carried Quick Attack.
Things I did not expect to see: Sue finishing off a Water type. Yeah, she's neutral, but she's still a little not-quite-sweeper-levels yet.
We've seen everything on the team, that last Pokemon was the Dartrix that ran away earlier.
Sue also outspeeds it, and has an SE STAB move with an Expert Belt. Really, you forget sometimes that the Dragon type is adding some defensive power to this thing before it evolves.
So did I, but for vastly different reasons. Reasons which do not make it sound fair to describe you with.
As a reward for that battle in USUM only, we get given an additional bonus: Lycanroc's signature Z Crystal! This allows a Lycanroc to turn the move Stone Edge into Splintered Stormshards instead of Continental Crush, increasing its BP from 180 to 190 and giving the Z-Move the bonus effect of "removing Terrains". This is only so useful when Lycanroc doesn't get Stone Edge until level 48 anyway.
Lycanium-Z is available only in USUM, so only Dawn can use this, not K9.
Oh, heh. Turns out Wicke did try to give him a battling thing. Not sure if they read him well by thinking he'd use a Rockruff like Kukui, or read him poorly because why would he not use the Z-Move on the starter?
I mean, coming up with plans on the fly was certainly something I don't do often, but I don't particularly like doing it myself. I was always more "executing a well-oiled plan".
...
You know, that's a very good philosophy for teaching people persistence and strength... if they happen to be in a system with tangible EXP. In the real world, passion and skill are and always will be two separate things. Becoming more passionate about a project will enable you to spend more time practicing it, but there are some things that no amount of time and passion can fix. If you want to improve, you have to measure your progress- that's the only thing telling you whether you're actually getting better or you're just spinning your wheels.
Dartrix expresses a little irritation about this whole "losing" thing. I'm not sure what Dartrix is talking about, this was the first time Hau scored KOs on me.
You keep at it, Hau. This was definitely one of those additions they made to USUM- Ula'ula in particular is a great island to be on if you want to develop Hau. I always thought it started elsewhere, though.
As far as I can tell, the dialogue is the same even if you lose. Which strikes me as... weird. But oh well. Noah's turn.
Gonzales's job is to do what Razzly did, but better- be a gigantic wall of Specially Defensive bulk that Raichu cannot shift. He can also punch back pretty hard too.
I do not have high hopes for Earthwerk being able to take Raichu- he's here for Symbiont, maybe Torracat and also EXP.
Leafeon won't know what hit her.
Mio's pretty cool, and probably going to be the one to take on Torracat. Still, if Earthwerk works, that'd be neat.
I went to all that trouble to evolve her, why wouldn't I bring Melia along? I have something special in mind for her.
Kailey wishes there was something she could do. She has SE on everything in the Hau fight except, ironically, Leafeon. This does not, however, apply to Symbiont.
Speaking of, Noah's fight with Hau technically begins here, so I'm also including it. This is despite the fact that Noah is fully healed and my decisions won't matter that much (other than, of course, preparing my team to handle both opponents).
Note that, if Noah moves any further to the right, he triggers the Symbiont battle. He'd need, like, two or three steps in order to get in range to click on it.
In and of itself, Gonzales wouldn't be the worst choice for Symbiont. Unfortunately, it doesn't get Bulldoze until after, thanks to how it is placed in SM, and right now Normal is resisted. Rock is not, but I have a better idea.
This is why I brought along Melia. Alakazam is a powerhouse in RBY, and although I have been clear that she has been nerfed for the modern era, this has entirely been in the power of the Psychic type itself on a holistic level. The power of Alakazam, itself, remains relatively untouched.
In fact, aside from no longer having the titanically high "Sp. Def" stat from RBY, Alakazam's Sp. Def stat actually got a buff in XY. Only 10 points, but still.
Despite Symbiont's own powerful Sp. Def stat, Melia is able to two-shot it.
After having conceded first strike.
And remember, although I can't use it until after the Hau fight, Wicke just gave her a 90 BP STAB move for free.
Right, now for the fight that was supposed to be happening.
The -Sp. Def drop was unfortunate, but look at that percentage of HP I lost. I still have a good few hits left in me.
And I think you need to take a nap.
I also throw out a Rock Tomb to drop the Speed a little bit, although at this point, this matters more for Pokemon other than Snorlax. It's gonna take a few stages to get Raichu slower.
Right, Raichu is taking a nap, but right now Gonzales probably isn't taking a second hit.
Now, it's Earthwerk's turn for some EXP.
Sand Tomb has 35 BP, but with STAB and SE, even a single hit can do a chunk.
And the residual damage is no slouch when I have the turns to spend on it.
Still, though, I want you down.
...We'll see how that works out for him. Probably not long.
Leafeon's turn. With a Special STAB SE move, this is exactly the sort of situation Earthwerk would like to get out of in a hurry.
It's also the situation Ethel was made for.
Even with both her moves and a crit, Leafeon proves herself little match for getting Ethel out of this situation in a hurry.
Cross Poison has to go for the two shot, though, with that bulk.
...Oh. Never mind. Good thing we've got all the time in the world!
That's an extra two attacks from Leafeon, but Ethel can take 'em.
Now for Torracat.
Yeah, Mio's got this. That damage is after Leftovers, for what it's worth.
Dang. That was a 3/16 odds of oneshotting- Torracat is kinda naturally bulky there. We're also starting to get to a point in the game Scald is balanced around existing in- not quite there, but by the end of this island, for sure.
This is why I packed Aqua Jet.
Candy has gotten a heck of a lot chunkier. The sandstorm may interfere as well as help, but it's nice to pack.
I think, between Lurantis and now, Theodore has only beat up Rita's Miltank for EXP. He remains the unquestioned ace of the team- really, the question is "who am I packing him for?"
Guardia being on designated Ice coverage duties- specifically getting rid of Noibat. He'll be nice elsewhere, but being a Special wall isn't impressive when the Special threat is Electric type.
We are putting a lot of faith in that Eviolite to call this a Tauros counter. At least Set means we won't be suffering the -1 Atk from Intimidate!
If only Tangling Hair worked on Raichu. If only. But hey, Paul has his ways. He's still a Steel type, after all, and that'll halve the damage input.
Wiingo is here on problem-solving duty. Much like Hau's, Wiingo can solve problems.
Sadly, saying "no, I don't want to fight" results in an insistence on going ahead with things. Oh well, it had to be done.
Dang, Gigalith looks cool. Torracat might have won that roaring competition, though. Why can't Moss be that cool?
It was a... bright and stormy day? Doesn't really work as well. Still, though, Candy finds some sand to kick into Torracat's face to start this fight off with. There's a certain power in your presence being enough to establish weather that their wider distribution kinda makes funnier.
Scared him off the STAB move, it seems. The only thing that Fire Fang really adds is the Burn chance, and I imagine he'd rather the damage. And flinches.
Not that fortunate, I'm afraid.
Sandstorm only works so fast, admittedly.
Throwing actual rocks is a shade more effective.
...Oh?
It turned out to be the non-finishing variety. Still, that was a surprise. Maybe he got sick of Bite.
I finished him off that turn.
...OK, I have a Sp. Def boost, but with my current HP, I don't think Candy's surviving this hit.
Leave it to Theodore. Who continues to hang his giant bone right in front of the camera. Do kinda wish the Totem was left-handed.
Theodore's low Special bulk was enough for Leafeon to heal off Stealth Rocks even on a resist.
And this sandstorm also seems kinda impermanent too. Which is a shame, because Theo is not a Ground type, and is taking damage too.
That would probably have been a oneshot had any of the scratch damage stuck.
Also that was an 11/16 chance of oneshotting regardless.
Which makes the fact Sand wasn't enough to finish even more insulting. Not only did I roll the 5/16 to fail the KO, I probably rolled the 2/16 lowball.
That won't be enough, but it does kinda forestall the idea that Theodore comes back out later. Which is upsetting.
Stealth Rock... kinda hurts more when you're switching more than once, frankly.
That was lucky, but this is an opponent against whom Theodore can be surprisingly effective while he's already out.
Namely, by Will-o-Wisping. Would've been nice if it was Tauros instead, but take what you can get, and I don't think Theo could've taken a Pursuit.
Poor thing didn't stand a chance.
Crits ignore stat stages, but they do not ignore Burn.
This is why I would've preferred to Burn Tauros. Some things can't be helped.
A Poison Status move good for +2 Def. Not 100% sure why it's in Vaporeon's kit, but there are a few bosses it'd be nice for.
This not being one of them.
...That was... unfortunate. Had it been Electro Ball, that would've been a free switch in.
Instead, I'm staring down the barrel of what I hope is just a 3HKO.
The math works out that the odds of this actually being a 2HKO were not in Raichu's favour, but the fact I've taken so much damage is still pretty unlucky. The only way Raichu would've defeated Dugtrio in two Psychics would be if one of them was the 1/16 high roll of 31 damage, and the other one was 5/16 of being at least the second highest. Getting two 4/16 second-highest rolls sure is a bit of a thing.
Fortunately, that was not a roll.
Shell Bell... not helping as much as it thinks it is.
Yeah, I don't think Paul is doing much here. It could land about 12-15 damage with Sucker Punch, but she's getting outsped if he tries to lower Tauros's Speed.
Although, staying in would do that.
And it's hard to say Fist Jr. wouldn't have appreciated that.
...OK, -1 would not have been enough, but still.
Poor Fist Jr. Can't even serve as Fighting coverage.
Maybe if Wiingo went in first, I guess.
...Hey wait, why didn't you Pursuit? Presumably because even Hau knew that Paul wasn't coming back, and the free damage was more valuable.
Yeow, that second one was a shade more painful.
Not by nearly enough to have been alarming, though.
That was a pretty close match. I think I needed to use the whole team there.
Dawn'll appreciate it, hopefully.
Next time: OK, we're actually going into the city this time.
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