Vs. Raticate

Previously on Ben's Spectacular Pokemon White Y Moon Playthrough:

Totem Pokemon are powerful guardians of Trial locations.  There is a Totem for each Trial.  The Raticate boss in charge of the Verdant Cave Shrine was trained and set there with one goal: stop the Trial Challengers.  But I have the advantage here: I'm not a Trial Challenger, I'm a veteran Pokemon Trainer.

Vs. Raticate: Young Balance

I started by sending out Growlithe as a scout.  Knowing that Raticate is a Dark/Normal type in this game, I wanted to save Pip Pip for later on in the engagement as my ace.  Pikipek has a fighting move in Rock Smash (something that makes me curious about what kind of pokemon it will eventually evolve into), which would do x4 damage against the opponent.  Raticate immediately powered-up by boosting its defense.  Totems apparently have this extra ability.

First turn: Raticate Bites Growlie, who flinches.  The end of the turn finds Growlithe injured and Raticate untouched.  And then Raticate summoned help: Rattata appeared on the battlefield to assist the Totem.  This two-against-one match was easily enough to overwhelm Growlithe, Pikipek, and Popplio; all of whom failed to move because of flinch.  Both of my opponents were fast--much faster than my more methodical teammates--and I was taking two attacks per turn.  I was outnumbered and outperformed. 

Trusting in my instincts and relying on the Pokemon knowledge I had accrued over a lifetime of battle experience, I reassessed the situation.  I only had three pokemon left; one of them, Misdreavus, would not be able to cause any damage at all to the Dark/Normal opponents with their Psychic and Ghost moves.  What do I do when it's time to call defeat?  I stall.

Knowing exactly what I had left--a long shot against the barely damaged duo--I sent out Grimer.  Grimer, with its superior defenses, would be able to tank the two pokemons' physical moves; Grimer would resist "Bite".  And finally, Grimer had one more trick up its goopy, goopy sleeves: I used Poison Gas--successfully poisoning both opponents.

Raticate must have anticipated exactly this possibility, because it was holding a Pecha Berry which immediately cured it of its poisoning.  One turn later, I re-applied the move and succeeded in poisoning the pokemon, but not without great cost to myself.  Grimer could be gone in two turns--turns I didn't have.

I used Harden.  I took damage.  I used Harden.  I took damage.  I was prolonging the inevitable, but each turn I could keep my pokemon alive was one more turn towards my opponents' defeat.  Poison damage had severely weakened the Rattata.  Knowing that Grimer had done its job, I spent the last turn aiming a futile "Pound" attack at the Raticate.  Rattata took out my Grimer before it could even move.  It was the last thing my foe did before it fell due to poison.

It was now Chompy vs. Raticate.  Raticate was wounded--but Raticate was faster.  Almost there!!!

Turn 1: "Bite" exchanged for "Tackle".  Turn 2: "Bite" exchanged for "Tackle".

VICTORY