This is my current in-game team. I doubt it's going to become a competitive team because most of the Natures are rubbish. But I'm concerned about any obvious weaknesses that'll come up in the rest of the game. At the moment I think my team is hopelessly weak to Ice, but I'm not sure if that's just me being paranoid because two of my Pokemon are 4 x vulnerable to Ice. There may be other type weaknesses that I haven't noticed yet.
I've just got the 8th badge and have to beat the Elite Four and Champion. There are a few blanks in the movesets, and I also want to add held items for three of the Pokemon.
Twiglet - Torterra - GRASS/GROUND @ Wide Lens?
1. Seed Bomb - GRASS - STAB
2. Earthquake - GROUND - STAB
3. Body Slam - NORMAL
4. Stone Edge?? - ROCK
Twiglet clearly needs a Rock move as Rock is super effective against Fire, Ice, Flying and Bug (hence dispensing with all of the vulnerabilities), but I'm not sure which one to choose. I personally hate low accuracy moves but Rock doesn't have any 100% accurate attacks. Stone Edge at least is powerful, and the Wide Lens should boost its accuracy, though I can't remember how much.
Skorpi - Drapion - POISON/DARK @ Razor Claw/Scope Lens *Sniper*
1. Night Slash - DARK - STAB
2. Cross Poison - POISON - STAB
3. Slash - NORMAL
4. X-Scissor - BUG
The first three moves all have a high critical-hit ratio, and the Sniper ability and hold item both make critical hits more likely. I'm quite pleased with this moveset. X-Scissor is left over from when she was a Skorupi but it's super effective against other Dark types. Alternatively I could move tutor in Ice Fang to cover the Ground vulnerability, but it isn't very powerful.
Gnash - Garchomp - DRAGON/GROUND @ ?? *Sand Veil*
1. Dragon Claw - DRAGON - STAB
2. Iron Head - STEEL - super effective against Ice types.
3. Earthquake - GROUND - STAB
4. ??
Dragon Claw and Earthquake are for STAB, Iron Head covers the pesky 4 x vulnerability to Ice, but I don't know what the fourth move should be. Crunch, Brick Break, Aerial Ace and Shadow Claw are on my list. Am reluctant to spend a non-buyable TM on Gnash because she's female.
Elliot - Gallade - PSYCHIC/FIGHTING @ ?? *Steadfast*
1. Psycho Cut - PSYCHIC - STAB
2. Close Combat/Drain Punch - FIGHTING - STAB
3. Night Slash - DARK - Super effective against Ghost-type.
4. ??
Elliot is covered against Ghosts with Night Slash. His other vulnerability is to Flying, so I've been thinking about Ice Punch or Thunderpunch, or throwing in Fire Punch just so that someone on the team has a Fire move. (Otherwise getting past Lucien's Bronzong Of Doom is a nightmare, iirc). But Gallade has so much scope that Leaf Blade, Slash/Façade, Aerial Ace and Rock Tomb are all possibilities.
Pippa - Empoleon - WATER/STEEL @ Quick Claw?
1. Surf - WATER - STAB and covers Ground weakness.
2. Flash Cannon - STEEL - STAB
3. Drill Peck - FLYING - super effective against Fighting types.
4. Ice Beam - ICE ??
Pippa has higher Sp.Atk than Attack stats, but Drill Peck has been useful over and over again. Empoleon's move pool is kinda icky and Ice Beam is the obvious fourth choice. Not sure how necessary it is, though, as Drill Peck already covers Grass types.
RocketX - Rotom - ELECTRIC/GHOST @ Wise Glasses
1. Something! - ELECTRIC - STAB
2. Shadow Ball/Ominous Wind - GHOST - STAB
3. Swift - NORMAL - Never miss
4. Substitute??
I caught RocketX and levelled him up in a hurry because I couldn't get past Crasher Wake's Gyarados, but he's proven himself very useful. Unfortunately I can't figure out whether to go with Shadow Ball or Ominous Wind for the Ghost move (more power vs 10% chance of stat boost?), or whether with Shock Wave, Discharge, Thunderbolt, or Charge Beam for the Electric move. Give me a choice of low power but never miss, 30% chance of paralysis but hits everyone, high power but no special effects and 70% chance of raising Sp.Atk but lower accuracy and I have no idea which to go with! (I hate moves that hit your ally Pokemon! Though I often send him out with Gnash the Garchomp for 2 on 2 battles, so that would make for an Earthquake *Rotom avoids with Levitate* + Discharge *Garchomp avoids with Ground type* evil combo. Hmm.)
I'm also wondering whether I should use one of the alternative Platinum Rotom Formes, which would make for a better fourth move.
I've just got the 8th badge and have to beat the Elite Four and Champion. There are a few blanks in the movesets, and I also want to add held items for three of the Pokemon.
Twiglet - Torterra - GRASS/GROUND @ Wide Lens?
1. Seed Bomb - GRASS - STAB
2. Earthquake - GROUND - STAB
3. Body Slam - NORMAL
4. Stone Edge?? - ROCK
Twiglet clearly needs a Rock move as Rock is super effective against Fire, Ice, Flying and Bug (hence dispensing with all of the vulnerabilities), but I'm not sure which one to choose. I personally hate low accuracy moves but Rock doesn't have any 100% accurate attacks. Stone Edge at least is powerful, and the Wide Lens should boost its accuracy, though I can't remember how much.
Skorpi - Drapion - POISON/DARK @ Razor Claw/Scope Lens *Sniper*
1. Night Slash - DARK - STAB
2. Cross Poison - POISON - STAB
3. Slash - NORMAL
4. X-Scissor - BUG
The first three moves all have a high critical-hit ratio, and the Sniper ability and hold item both make critical hits more likely. I'm quite pleased with this moveset. X-Scissor is left over from when she was a Skorupi but it's super effective against other Dark types. Alternatively I could move tutor in Ice Fang to cover the Ground vulnerability, but it isn't very powerful.
Gnash - Garchomp - DRAGON/GROUND @ ?? *Sand Veil*
1. Dragon Claw - DRAGON - STAB
2. Iron Head - STEEL - super effective against Ice types.
3. Earthquake - GROUND - STAB
4. ??
Dragon Claw and Earthquake are for STAB, Iron Head covers the pesky 4 x vulnerability to Ice, but I don't know what the fourth move should be. Crunch, Brick Break, Aerial Ace and Shadow Claw are on my list. Am reluctant to spend a non-buyable TM on Gnash because she's female.
Elliot - Gallade - PSYCHIC/FIGHTING @ ?? *Steadfast*
1. Psycho Cut - PSYCHIC - STAB
2. Close Combat/Drain Punch - FIGHTING - STAB
3. Night Slash - DARK - Super effective against Ghost-type.
4. ??
Elliot is covered against Ghosts with Night Slash. His other vulnerability is to Flying, so I've been thinking about Ice Punch or Thunderpunch, or throwing in Fire Punch just so that someone on the team has a Fire move. (Otherwise getting past Lucien's Bronzong Of Doom is a nightmare, iirc). But Gallade has so much scope that Leaf Blade, Slash/Façade, Aerial Ace and Rock Tomb are all possibilities.
Pippa - Empoleon - WATER/STEEL @ Quick Claw?
1. Surf - WATER - STAB and covers Ground weakness.
2. Flash Cannon - STEEL - STAB
3. Drill Peck - FLYING - super effective against Fighting types.
4. Ice Beam - ICE ??
Pippa has higher Sp.Atk than Attack stats, but Drill Peck has been useful over and over again. Empoleon's move pool is kinda icky and Ice Beam is the obvious fourth choice. Not sure how necessary it is, though, as Drill Peck already covers Grass types.
RocketX - Rotom - ELECTRIC/GHOST @ Wise Glasses
1. Something! - ELECTRIC - STAB
2. Shadow Ball/Ominous Wind - GHOST - STAB
3. Swift - NORMAL - Never miss
4. Substitute??
I caught RocketX and levelled him up in a hurry because I couldn't get past Crasher Wake's Gyarados, but he's proven himself very useful. Unfortunately I can't figure out whether to go with Shadow Ball or Ominous Wind for the Ghost move (more power vs 10% chance of stat boost?), or whether with Shock Wave, Discharge, Thunderbolt, or Charge Beam for the Electric move. Give me a choice of low power but never miss, 30% chance of paralysis but hits everyone, high power but no special effects and 70% chance of raising Sp.Atk but lower accuracy and I have no idea which to go with! (I hate moves that hit your ally Pokemon! Though I often send him out with Gnash the Garchomp for 2 on 2 battles, so that would make for an Earthquake *Rotom avoids with Levitate* + Discharge *Garchomp avoids with Ground type* evil combo. Hmm.)
I'm also wondering whether I should use one of the alternative Platinum Rotom Formes, which would make for a better fourth move.