Gym Leaders and Elite Four Discussion Thread [Read First Post]

[Monster Guy]

I agree.

Many people have complained about the game being too easy and the Gym Leaders, E4, and Champion's Pokemon roster suck.
We really can't do something about it. So the only solution is to give ourselves a challenge. So many ideas:

- Use only 1 or 2 Pokemon.
- Use a Pokemon that is weak against the opponent.
- Don't use any item (even hold items) throughout the battle.
- Do not heal your Pokemon/party throughout the whole gym, League, etc...
- Battle them with under-leveled Pokemon, let's say 5-20 levels lower than the opponent.
- etc...

To put it simply: If you find it easy, then make it difficult for yourself.

Or, don't level grind before the Gym.

I'm often vastly underleveled compared to Gym Leader, as I like to train a full team of Pokemon. I often avoid trainers to conserve HP and PP for the Leader. Trust, me when you're not overleveled these gyms can be a challenge. xD

[SasakiThePikachu]

So my Black 2 hasn't arrived yet from goddamn Amazon, despite my pre-ordering it 3 months ago and paying extra for their so-called 'guaranteed' release day delivery. Grr.

Even if it comes now I'm gonna have to work my butt off to get my first gym badge before midnight. Beating the 1st gym on the 1st day of my journey has been a tradition since I first held Red version in my hands. I'm...so unspeakably hacked off at Amazon right now.

So, um, on a cheerier note, I've been hearing from people that the difficulty levels are impressive in this game, even without Challenge Mode on? I hope this is true.

[Bolt the Cat]

Yeah. Great marketing techniques. But that's besides the topic.

Sooo...how about the fact they added a water type gym even though we've had like 5 billion water gyms already and STILL no Dark gym!?

I think what they should've done was taken out one of the earlier gyms (maybe Burgh, Elesa, Clay, or Skyla, those 4 are way too bunched together) and put a Dark type gym in Lacunosa Town. There's definitely inconsistent pacing with the gyms in this game, gyms 3-6 are right next to each other, but the 7th gym is like, 4 towns away.

[Aurath8]

I think what they should've done was taken out one of the earlier gyms (maybe Burgh, Elesa, Clay, or Skyla, those 4 are way too bunched together) and put a Dark type gym in Lacunosa Town. There's definitely inconsistent pacing with the gyms in this game, gyms 3-6 are right next to each other, but the 7th gym is like, 4 towns away.

Odd, I really the large gym gaps. Like in Pt, after Byron the route to Sunyshore was very long. You had Route 216/7 which was one of the longest treks in all of pokemon. After Candace came, the drama with the lakes, the Galatic hideout and the ascent of Mt. Coronet. It really makes the region feel very large.

[spiller]

just got game beat cheren after loseing once, his patrat had 3 critical hits on me and killed me loveing it so far yeah

[Bolt the Cat]

Odd, I really the large gym gaps. Like in Pt, after Byron the route to Sunyshore was very long. You had Route 216/7 which was one of the longest treks in all of pokemon. After Candace came, the drama with the lakes, the Galatic hideout and the ascent of Mt. Coronet. It really makes the region feel very large.

It's not the long gap specifically that I hate, quite the contrary, it's that right before it, pretty much all of the other gyms are the next town over and now suddenly this gym is miles away (not to mention the gym after it isn't terribly far away). Can you say "bad pacing"?

[Aurath8]

It's not the long gap specifically that I hate, quite the contrary, it's that right before it, pretty much all of the other gyms are the next town over and now suddenly this gym is miles away (not to mention the gym after it isn't terribly far away). Can you say "bad pacing"?

I suppose. I've yet to play BW2, so I'll have to see how it all plays before I can say whether it's a welcome change of pace or poorly done.

[Manna]

It's not the long gap specifically that I hate, quite the contrary, it's that right before it, pretty much all of the other gyms are the next town over and now suddenly this gym is miles away (not to mention the gym after it isn't terribly far away). Can you say "bad pacing"?

Agreed. After that long trek to the 7th gym, it was so weird for the 8th gym to be so close to it.

Maybe someday we'll get a Dark type gym...

[Shneak]

It's not the long gap specifically that I hate, quite the contrary, it's that right before it, pretty much all of the other gyms are the next town over and now suddenly this gym is miles away (not to mention the gym after it isn't terribly far away). Can you say "bad pacing"?

Or, y'know, real life. Cities aren't placed in exact distances away from each other.

[pokemonsquared]

Opelucid isnt really that far from Mistralton It's just that twist mountain just HAD to be closed off so you had to take the long way around.

[Bolt the Cat]

Opelucid isnt really that far from Mistralton It's just that twist mountain just HAD to be closed off so you had to take the long way around.

Well yeah, but that's not relevant. What matters is that you have to travel a long way to get there.

[pokemonsquared]

Okay WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?

How could a level 62 chandelure outspeed my timid level 60 starmie?!

[The Admiral]

Yeah, there is kind of a huge gap, and it's really, really annoying. It screws the pacing hard.

Anyway, the Elite Four were not too bad. Marshal was harder than Iris, though. Might have been my team. Leavanny basically mopped everyone, though, but since the only Flying attack I had was Aerial Ace, with no psychic attacks at all... yeah.

[The Eleventh]

I just beat Cheren. He wasn't difficult, though I can see this not being the case if he ever managed to set up two Work Ups. It's a dangerous move so early in the game, especially on Lillipup.

[Bolt the Cat]

Anyway, the Elite Four were not too bad. Marshal was harder than Iris, though. Might have been my team. Leavanny basically mopped everyone, though, but since the only Flying attack I had was Aerial Ace, with no psychic attacks at all... yeah.

Is Marshal any harder in BW2? I mean, he has the same Pokemon as in BW1, just at higher levels. He was definitely the hardest for me in BW1 thanks to the nuisance of an ability that is Sturdy (plus he tends to waste his Full Restores on Sawk each time I beat him down), but it also might have been because the only thing I had that had an advantage against him was Archeops.

[rocky505]

Okay WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?

How could a level 62 chandelure outspeed my timid level 60 starmie?!

its scarfed.

[Ver-mont]

Is Marshal any harder in BW2? I mean, he has the same Pokemon as in BW1, just at higher levels. He was definitely the hardest for me in BW1 thanks to the nuisance of an ability that is Sturdy (plus he tends to waste his Full Restores on Sawk each time I beat him down), but it also might have been because the only thing I had that had an advantage against him was Archeops.

He was just as easy as in BW1 when I battled him.

[Wishing Star]

Is Marshal any harder in BW2? I mean, he has the same Pokemon as in BW1, just at higher levels. He was definitely the hardest for me in BW1 thanks to the nuisance of an ability that is Sturdy (plus he tends to waste his Full Restores on Sawk each time I beat him down), but it also might have been because the only thing I had that had an advantage against him was Archeops.

I find Marshal to be just as tedious to defeat in BW2 as in BW1. Not necessarily easier, because of the reason you state, but just as tedious.

[gliscor&yanmega]

Defeated Marlon yesterday. Lost maybe one more time after my first lost, still ended up being a close call, Jellicent's Recover was the problem really.

I have to finish dealing with Team Plasma now(Defeated Colress so far), then I'll be taking on the Elite Four then Iris. After that's done I'll start my White 2 on Challenge Mode.

[Nyarlathotep]

I just defeated Drayden... I lost once, even with Keldeo in my team. On other hand, in the second time I battled him, I defeated three of his four Pokémon with Flygon alone... I have no idea why he kept using crunch and rock slide instead of dragon moves in my Pokémon. Anyway, it was the easiest Gym battle up to now, even though I lost once =P

And oh, with Blaziken in my team, Zenzolin and the Shadow Triad were a quite easy too.

[Demon Kitsune Yoko Kurama]

I just defeated the Elite 4 not to long ago. The battles were easy, due to my Pokemon being at really high levels. Serperior on level 70. The rooms are amazing, it's too cool.

[gliscor&yanmega]

I just defeated Drayden... I lost once, even with Keldeo in my team. On other hand, in the second time I battled him, I defeated three of his four Pokémon with Flygon alone... I have no idea why he kept using crunch and rock slide instead of dragon moves in my Pokémon. Anyway, it was the easiest Gym battle up to now, even though I lost once =P

And oh, with Blaziken in my team, Zenzolin and the Shadow Triad were a quite easy too.

Drayden's Pokemon only know Dragon Tail as a Dragon move(Except Altaria who has Dragon Pulse), and that has a -6 Speed Priority. Doesn't have much options. Did Flygon oneshot them? If so then the AI might have known Drayden's Pokemon would get knock out(Or something, not sure if AI is "psychic" or not). Although if it didn't oneshot then it would have made more sense to use Dragon Tail.

[Nyarlathotep]

Drayden's Pokemon only know Dragon Tail as a Dragon move(Except Altaria who has Dragon Pulse), and that has a -6 Speed Priority. Doesn't have much options. Did Flygon oneshot them? If so then the AI might have known Drayden's Pokemon would get knock out(Or something, not sure if AI is "psychic" or not). Although if it didn't oneshot then it would have made more sense to use Dragon Tail.

Actually no. Flygon 2HKO two of his Pokémon and 3HKO Druddigon.
It was like this:

> Flygon used Dragonbreath.
> Druddigon used Crunch
> Flygon used Dragonbreath.
> Druddigon ate the sitrus berry.
> Druddigon used Crunch.
> Flygon used Dragonbreath.

> Flygon used Dragonbreath.
> Altaria was paralyzed
> Altaria can't move blahblah
> Flygon used Dragonbreath.

> Flygon used Dragonbreath.
> Drayden's Flygon used Rock Slide.
> Flygon used Dragonbreath.

> Flygon used Dragonbreath.
> Haxorus used Dragon Tail
> Flygon fainted.

And oh, if I am not mistaken, Druddigon used Dragon Claw in my first match against Drayden.
So he had plenty of dragon moves to use against me.

[Lost Requiem]

I'm currently Grinding like there's no tomorrow before I challenge Drayden. My highest leveled Pokemon is my Level 46 Serperior... I still have my Muk at 41, and I need to get them in the Fifities. I'll trade my team to my white real quick and quickly Audino grind there.

[SasakiThePikachu]

When you guys said that Roxie sings, I thought you meant like speech bubble talk singing.

I did not know you meant actual singing. Oh my freaking god. There are proper audible vocals in a pokemon game.

I literally turned up the volume and ran around thrusting the DS in my family's faces and shrieking 'the gym leader is SINGING!!!'. Happy days