Pokemon Platinum - 0 Exp Run Part 2: Roark
28Challenge playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSv8zSDR9c2Ou_dZZ5hjDdZH4wlLX0gV
First gym battle.
This is the 3rd time the first gym in the game where you have to face a rock-type specialist, which might seem bad because early on the options to hurt this type are very sparse, but in practice it's never TOO bad (it's really bad in the case of Kanto 0 exp runs though, but that's artificial difficulty).
Brock is easy for all runs but Yellow and FR/LG when the player picks Charmander (Metal Claw doesn't give the player any real advantage because of the high defence of the rock-types and the presence of rock-type STAB, which is absent in gen 1 Kanto). In Yellow, you have to catch Butterfree/Mankey/Nidoran male just to get done in a reasonable period of time. In R/B, Charmander does the job well enough assuming you have a Potion or two (facing Diglett and Sandshrew before Brock is usually harder if they proc crits on you and Sand-Attack messes stuff up), because Ember is still special and Charmander trains the easiest in Viridian Forest.
In RSE we have Roxanne who has Geodudes, disposed of rather easily with the abundance of water and grass types in the earlygame (or in the worst case, traded MAKIT with his terribad IVs). Nosepass is a huge jerk, I'll give you that, and might require the use of that X Special or some Growling death fodder to take him down faster (unless you piled all of the earlygame exp into one starter). Again, not too bad.
Now we have Roark. Geodude and Onix are here yet again, with weaknesses that are easily penetrated - 2/3 starters strike them for 4x damage, though with either an underwhelming 20 BP move (Absorb/Bubble) or a physical attack that targets defence (Vine Whip). There's always Budew if you don't want to catch a Roserade or Psyduck who is 2 levels away from learning Water Gun. The fire-type starter would evolve the earliest to gain neutrality against rock-type attacks, becoming very similar to the other two starters in this regard, and resisting Cranidos's Pursuit (Headbutt is still stronger). Again, not too bad?
This is a 0 exp challenge yet again though and the water/grass type moves at our disposal are limited to Absorb off that underlevelled Budew's funny special attack stat. Good thing we have the Rock Smash HM which can be spread around the active party, including on some Pokemon with very useful resistances for the first gym.
The core of my team is Geodude/Onix/Machop, all with Rock Smash and Machop also boasting Low Kick (maximum base power of 120 and SE against Onix... still only 3HKOing), plus an Intimidate Shinx for support.
With this comfortable core, it's only a matter of choosing the right foe for the right Pokemon we possess (I try to abstain from healing when possible and fun). Geodude vs Geodude is a mirror where we have an advantage due to the moves (Rock Smash vs. Rock Throw), in spite of the level disadvantage and healing on the other end - also defence cuts.
Cranidos switches in next, and I still don't know what they were thinking, giving an unevolved Pokemon such monstrous level of offence that makes Flareon, Machamp and the like look silly. A Shinx switch-in is almost mandatory and even then Onix dies in a few hits - I'm not supposed to win here, really, but a crit helps me out. Machop would barely survive a Headbutt and strike back with a 60 BP Low Kick, but I'm keeping him alive and healthy for the last one which is...
Onix, with ridiculous physical defence. Luckily, it's as bad at dealing damage as usual, so a sandwich of two Low Kicks with one Leer gets me the 2HKO, winning the match.
The good thing about Cranidos is that we're also getting one soon (actually as soon as possible). So that's how that is.