Vs. Milo

Pokemon Sword and Shield continue the trend set in Pokemon Sun and Moon of having a "task" to complete before the gym battle.  In this gym, the task was to herd 20 wooloo forward through several fields to unlock the path forward. I swear to god that everything about this game is designed to pump you up.

Bleppo the Dottler was able to make quick work of the Grass and Grass/Poison with its access to both Bug and Psychic moves. I'm getting sort of pumped about what its Stage 2 evolution is going to be like: Bug/Psychic is a new type combination if I am remembering things correctly.

I made it to the inner chamber and walked onto the field to challenge Milo to my first badge.

I led with Bleppo. Bleppo is remarkably bulky as a Stage 1 cocooned bug, so I figured that it would work as a good scout.

Milo sent in Gossifleur. I have experience with Gossifleur and I was able to take it out handily with Struggle Bug.

Milo's second and final pokemon was Eldegoss. Given the similarities in both name and form, I felt safe in my assumption that it was an evolution for Gossifleur. I felt confident in Bleppo's ability to take it out, but this is Cheeto's tale as much as it is mine, so I swapped in Cheeto for our very first Dynamax team-up!

Before I started Shield Version, I had decidedly negative feelings about Dynamax. I was on board with Mega Evolutions and I was in board with Z moves, but Dynamax was just the newest gimmick--and a lame one at that. 

I am still not sold on Dynamax, but the Kaiju matchup between Cheeto and Eldegoss was pretty cool to witness.

Pokédex:40/66

Current Squad:

Thwackey/Cheeto/lvl 19
Thieval/Señor Zorro/lvl 19
Chewtle/Snorkle/lvl 18
Corvisquire/Chirpy/lvl 19
Dottler/Bleppo/lvl 19

Stufful/Stuffy/lvl 16

On Rotation: Zigzagoon, Growlithe