Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - 0 Exp Part 16: Team Galactic Final Confrontation
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The video features the double battle against Commander Mars and Jupiter as well as the second and last fight with Team Galactic Boss Cyrus. I'd skipped recording some of the storyline fights before I fought these battles, including the first Cyrus fight, as they were nothing worth showing.
The double battle may not offer much in terms of the Pokemon fought: it still has the same Golbats and unevolved Bronzors we've been fighting on our way here. It is however interesting due to being a double battle. I often point out how I'm surprised mainline Pokemon never made the permanent switch to full-party battles as seen in much of the rest of the JRPG genre. While some gimmicks in such battles may seem problematic, it has always seemed like an inevitable direction, and yet they only make an episodic appearance here and there.
The commanders both open with a Bronzor. It is not uncommon for them to set up Reflect and Light Screen, making it harder to inflict damage for the following five turns. Since my team generally attacks with physical attacks, which seems like a trend in all of my 0 exp challenges, taking out the Reflect Bronzor immediately seems like a valid strategy. Guts!Machamp using Knock Out and HJK Medicham are two ways of accomplishing this reliably, both requiring a held type-boosting item. Due to Medicham's better application in later matchups, I opt for the latter. He then goes on to fell Purugly and a Golbat that lacks flying-type STAB using Zen Headbutt's effective damage, while the remaining Bronzor is more of a sitting duck, a warm body that fails to do much of threat. Confuse Ray affecting Medicham is the worst thing that could happen, especially if he gets the full parafusion hax package after being hit by Purugly's Body Slam.
Barry's lead Munchlax may also seem like a burden, but Bite 3HKOs Bronzor, causing it to die at about the time we're ready to face the rest of the Pokemon at an advantage 2-to-1. Skuntank can shut down the Choice Specs-wielding Chimecho I have brought to deal with the Air Cutter Golbat, so dealing him first is a necessity. Golem can attack with Earthquake for super-effective damage, but the move's power is halved due to targeting multiple opponents. As a result, it may take more than a single turn to take the opponent out. Golem will also have to switch out to avoid getting Giga Drained by the remaining Golbat. Abomasnow is a great counter to the last mon standing here, resisting the move on its switch-in and chipping in with priority Ice Shard on the following turn to help Staraptor, who is generally expected to come in at around this point, in finishing the last foe.
By the way, did you know Barry's Staraptor is equipped with a Quick Claw in this double battle? I don't know why they thought it was a fitting held item considering how fast it already is.
The party is then healed up (goodbye poison on Guts!Machamp) to face Cyrus with the same lead Pokemon as before. Medicham is outsped and OHKO'd by Honchkrow's Air Cutter, whose combination of Scope Lens and Super Luck makes this move always crit, and Night Slash too, so we need to switch out. Clefable coming in may not like to be hit by Steel Wing later. Based on past attempts, it is not too uncommon for Honchkrow to use Defog inexplicably on its second turn (and here it's used on the first as well), and Clefable is after all a special sponge of sorts and can afford to take an Air Cutter crit, so it's likely supposed to survive the encounter. The Fairy-type move boosting Plate secures the OHKO with Moonblast.
Crobat's switch-in is a perfect time to leave a layer of Stealth Rocks on the battlefield, but Golem shouldn't count on his target staying in - even for the first turn. U-Turn breaks Golem's Sturdy as Gyarados switches in to threaten it with Waterfall. Abomasnow can take the hit, as well as a Crunch or two, setting Aurora Veil to help defend against who is undoubtedly Cyrus's strongest Pokemon, but it cannot be counted on to deal much damage even with perfect accuracy Blizzards in the snow. Thunderpunch Medicham and Thunderbolt Clefable are our best sources of damage, both failing to OHKO owing to Gyarados' held Wacan Berry. Clefable is the slightly tankier of the two and can take three Waterfalls in addition to two rounds of hail damage, which its Cute Charm doesn't protect against - Magic Guard wouldn't help with flinchhax anyway.
It's Crobat's time to return; have I mentioned it is also equipped with a Quick Claw? Who exactly does it expect to be outsped by? The fact it runs (and often uses) Tailwind adds to the humour. Golem has no issue taking it out.
Against Weavile, any fighting-type will do, and I go with Machamp, for whom the lack of Guts activation and Weavile's Chople Berry reducing fighting-type moves by half are not sufficient obstacles to delivering crushing damage with Revenge. GG.
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