Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - 0 Exp Part 15: Candice

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MoogleBoss

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Published on August 28, 2022 2:56:15 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTMQDpd-r80

Game:

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (2021)

Duration: 3:19

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12

Challenge playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSv8zSDR9c0_GdXH4uD7y8l7LHuCDr2E

Resurrecting this challenge to finish it soon, well before the next Switch games release (obviously, I will want to 0 exp them, too).

Candice is the game's penultimate gym leader, and the first to start a worrying trend - not using a full team of her signature Pokemon type. Sneasel and Snover lines are the only ones available before Platinum, with Glaceon also in the game because of Eevee, so both Snover and Abomasnow appear in Candice's team, and she covers the fourth spot with an Ice Punch Medicham, who is also probably her most threatening mon due to not having a crippling fire-type weakness. Because BDSP are based on original Diamond/Pearl, they remain faithful to the OG games and lack the Swinub and Snorunt evolution lines introduced in Platinum.

Snorunt and Abomasnow have an easy answer despite there being no viable fire-types at this stage of the game - Medicham can be caught and taught Fire Punch via move relearner at this point while being at a relatively competitive level. The future areas we can access will continue to bring higher-level Medichams we can add to our team to utilise Hi Jump Kick off that monstrous Pure Power-boosted attack. The intention behind Abomasnow was to turn it into some kind of tank with Aurora Veil and Sitrus Berry/Giga Drain healing, but the fire weakness renders the aim futile.

Sneasel is faster (though not much of a threat to Medicham, to be frank) than these two but succumbs to a fighting-type counter nonetheless. Even without being hit by Avalanche (say, Hone Claw happens to be used on Sneasel's turn), Machamp deals sufficient damage to take it out in one single blow without Chople Berry being able to cover for that 4x weakness to fighting and Machamp not bothering to activate its Guts ability before the battle.

Naturally, Medicham is the most interesting foe to face here. STAB Brick Break is as powerful as you'd expect, making counters that resist fighting advisable. Gaspar the Gengar now has no reason to be obtained later on when a higher-levelled Medicham becomes available if we're looking for endgame usage in the Elite Four as its destiny. However, ingame trade come at a fixed level instead, so Gaspar still has a little time to shine before being outclassed due to its low level. Based on prior attempts, Gengar can survive a Rock Slide followed by a single turn of Hail, OHKOing with Shadow Ball if given any boost at all (Choice Specs is overkill, yet works for this purpose). If we suffer flinchhax (there's no held King's Rock, but still...), Gengar may actually lose this matchup and once did in fact, so I went with Salac Berry as my choice for its held item. Superfluous if not flinched, I guarantee that Shadow Ball will connect at least once. It appears that residue damage from hail will take down Medicham on the same turn even without a boosting held item.

We get a bunch of Avalanche TMs after the battle's end. I still remember Avalanche!Rhyperior taking down Cynthia's Garchomp in the old 0 exp Platinum run in spite of the weakness to Earthquake. Looking forward to using the TM on this run, too.

Only one gym remains in this run now, though we have Team Galactic to look forward to clashing with - seriously this time!

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