Vs. Kahuna Hala

Prepared with the knowledge that I would be battling a Fighting Pokemon master, I assembled my most reliable squamates for the task.

Battle Team 2: The Fighting Frenzies

Vs. Kahuna Hala

...and apparently I also brought Slowpoke along for some reason.

I was unsure of whether or not the team I had selected would be over or under leveled.  I prefer to keep the game on the challenging side, so I didn’t want to take in, for example, my level 17 Oricorio with Air Cutter.  Or-chan is a little bit too strong for what I anticipated the Kahuna’s pokemon would be—somewhere in the 16-17 range.

I approached him back at Route 1 on the Melemele outskirts.  As a matter of fact, our battle arena was the very same stage where I had fought his grandson Hau and his Litten at the festival of our Lord and Savior the Kamen Rider Space blah blah Tapu Koko.  Indeed, it was the very stage where I had met and befriended Pako Pako.

With a weird sort of nostalgia coursing through my thoughts, I started the match.

Trumbeak vs. Mankey is the sort of battle that normally wouldn’t get even a footnote in any battling tactics analysis.  Even if Mankey is the same level as Trumbeak, level 14 in this case, it just plain can’t compete.  Trumbeak took one hard Karate Chop critical hit, but held on to defeat both Mankey and Hala’s second Pokemon Makuhita.

The Makuhita was able to weaken my lead, Pip Pip, to identically 1 HP, but Kahuna Hala now only had one pokemon left compared to my five remaining healthy switch-ins.  For the future, I need to remember to only bring in three pokemon per gym match to make it a fairer fight.

His third pokemon was a Crabrawler.  It knew the Fighting Z-Move “All Out Pummeling”.  Unfortunately for the Kahuna, Crabrawler wasted this move immediately against my 1 HP Trumbeak in the most spectacular sort of overkill that I have ever seen.  The animation for this move is insane and over the top and to see it strip off exactly one point of health made me make a ridiculous squeaking noise.

After I lost Trumbeak, I sent in Pokey for an admittedly boring exchange of Yawns and Confusions.  I won the match four turns later.

Captain Ilima: Dockside Rumble

I'm starting to really like this game.

The thing about X and Y that I liked the most was the abundance of different and interesting pokemon that were immediately available.  Whereas Black and White versions and Diamond and Pearl versions withheld these powerful, more interesting pokemon till late in the game (axew, gible, spiritomb, riolu, larvesta, deino, mienfoo, etc. etc.), X and Y kept a steady stream of new, great pokemon.  There was never a moment where I didn't want to shuffle around my team.  This same thing is happening now.

Since last time I posted, I have caught Makuhita, Drowzee, Smeargle, Gastly, and Misdreavus.  I almost caught an Abra, but it ran away.


I'm going to have to do some serious soul-searching to figure out what to do about my team...
_______________
After I beat Teacher Emily, Captain Ilima showed up and introduced him or herself to me.  I'm not exactly sure of this person's gender currently, so I think "him or her" will have to suffice for now.

Captain Ilima said I should train a little more before I take on the Island challenge.  This "captain" is apparently the first major leader in this game, and therefore my mortal enemy for the next eight hours of playtime.

Litten-Meistre and the Office Supplies Bandit escorted me to the next town over, Hau'oli City.  Hau'oli is apparently the largest city in Alola and the main reason why it has taken me so long to finally post something again.  It's no "Lumiose City", but it's no slouch either.  I spent much of the past two days exploring and buying new outfits for my character.

With my new blue polo shirt and a cool new haircut, I made my way to the docks.  There, I was beset-upon by Villian-of-the-Week "Team Skull".  Ilima was there and offered to me the explanation that Team Skull is a gang of idiots whose major convictions include "loitering" and "unpaid parking tickets".  As a matter of fact, when pressed, many of the residents of Hau'oli told me that they're something of a joke.  I like this turn of events--and to their credit, the makers of this game do a good job lamp shading them as plucky numskulls.  I'm curious about how this will all change in Act 2 when they reveal their diabolical plans to blahblahblah.

I helped Ilima defeat Team Skull and then challenged the captain himorherself.  Ilima used Yungoos and Smeargle.  Of course Smeargle knew the perfect moves to tear my team apart--and of course the captain had a healthy supply of potions and full heals on hand.

Ultimately, Pako-Pako came through with the big victory.  I'm trying not to rely too much on the adorable little pup, but that's where I am right now anyways.
______________
I went back after the battle and managed to snag an Abra.

Current Squad:
Popplio/Pako Pako/lvl 11
Yungoos/Chompy/lvl 11
Pikipek/Pip Pip/lvl 11
Pichu/Rai Rai/lvl 11
Slowpoke/Pokey/lvl 11
Rattata/Snackers/lvl 11

On Rotation:
Grimer/Sludj/lvl 11
Misdreavus/Missy/lvl 11

Pokedex: 23 caught