Gym Leader Strategies - Alexander, the Emerald Knight

[ddrussianinja]

If you're wondering what this is exactly, go to [url=http://paxpokemonleague.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=145372q]this[/url72q] thread where I explain it a bit better. Essentially, I'll be sharing my speculation and strategies regarding PPL Gym Leaders as they're announced.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no inside knowledge regarding the PPL and everything I suggest is pure speculation. While last year a number of my guesses turned out to be spot-on, a decent number of them were dead wrong. I assume the same will hold true for this year. I imagine that the Gym Leaders will neither confirm nor deny any of our speculation and they may well decide to change their team lineup just to keep us on our toes. This is purely for fun and to help out newbies who might not know which Pokemon they want to train in preparation for the PPL. Also, with that in mind, let's try to keep the strategies as plain English as possible. Not everyone knows all the crazy terms.

[b72q][url=http://paxpokemonleague.net/2014/02/alexander-the-emerald-knight/72q]Alexander, the Emerald Knight[/url72q][/b72q]
[spoiler72q]After seeing the various nefarious individuals in the PAX Pokémon League at PAX East 2013, Alexander decided to rededicate himself to defend against the degenerate and unjust. Along with his most trusted Pokémon, Alexander formed a team known as the Emerald Knights. Working with the International Police, the Knights travel from region to region to deal with the criminal element in whatever form it may take. This year, Alexander has returned to the PAX Pokémon League to keep an eye out for potential threats, as well as test the battling ability of the challengers to see if any are worthy of becoming an Emerald Knight. Pass his test, and stay on the right side of the law, to earn yourself the Emerald Badge.[/spoiler72q]

[b72q][u72q]Initial Impressions[/u72q][/b72q]
This actually [url=http://paxpokemonleague.net/2013/02/leader-alexander-the-determined-coach/72q]isn't the first time[/url72q] Alexander was a Gym Leader. His Ion Badge was actually the first badge I earned on the first day of PAX last year. He actually surprised me by going with a Triple battle rather than a Single battle, which definitely threw me off, but I eventually pulled out a victory. I also got a t-shirt for it. He brought in Venusaur, Meganium, Sceptile, Torterra, Serperior, and Leafeon. That said, his theme this year is just the color green, not Grass type, so I'd expect his lineup to change quite a bit and not gravitate around our leafy friends as much. I also can't remember if he challenged everyone to Triple battles or if he gave people the option and I was just feeling daring. In any case, I don't think it's reasonable to expect him to do the same thing he did last year.

[b72q][u72q]Possible Pokemon[/u72q][/b72q]
[b72q]Zygarde[/b72q] - This is just a hunch, but since Zygarde is Limited, not Banned, it might show up in Alexander's party.
[b72q]Chesnaught[/b72q] - Alexander has proven to have an affinity for Grass Starter Pokemon, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Chesnaught show up here. Also, Chesnaught's a pretty good defensive Pokemon with its unique Spiky Shield move.
[b72q]Reuniclus[/b72q] - Reuniclus is pretty well-loved for its Magic Guard Ability, which saves it from taking indirect damage from things like Life Orb or status effects like poison or burns.
[b72q]Tyranitar[/b72q] - A good lead Pokemon for starting a Sand Storm with its Sand Stream Ability (which Reuniclus would be able to ignore the effects of), setting entry hazards like Stealth Rock, and just being an all-around pain in the butt offensively and defensively.

[b72q][u72q]Strategy[/u72q][/b72q]
It's somewhat difficult to build a strategy based on the color green since it covers [url=http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_Pok%C3%A9mon_by_color#Green72q]just about every type[/url72q]. And for all I know, he might include Shiny Pokemon who aren't normally green but appear green when Shiny. All that we can really be sure of is that he won't be able to bring in Fire or Ice. Sorry, Robert Frost.

Without having to worry about Fire or Ice, you could actually probably do well with an Ice Pokemon of your own, particularly since there's a good chance Alexander will have at least one Dragon on his team. Ice doesn't have a lot of weaknesses, and one of them is Fire. My personal favorite Ice Pokemon is Cloyster. The power of this beast was actually introduced to me during a sparring session with another Champ-in-the-Making before I took on Cynthia last year. He utterly destroyed me with little more than just a Cloyster. I had to know how it worked.

There are two big tricks with Cloyster. The first is getting it with the Ability Skill Link. You know those rapid-fire moves that can hit anywhere from 2-5 times? Well Skill Link makes it so those moves hit the maximum number of times every single time. Cloyster's bread-and-butter are the moves Icicle Spear and Rock Blast, which will each hit 5 times if the Cloyster has the Skill Link Ability. You should also get it to know the move Shell Smash, which will increase its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed at the expense of its Defense and Special Defense. It's a risky move, but with a Focus Sash and/or decent prediction skills, you can pull it off. If you can pull off a Shell Smash without losing most of your HP, Icicle Spear should destroy most opponents. Alternatively, if you're afraid of managing Shell Smash, you could always use something like Ninjask with the Ability Speed Boost, a Substitute, Swords Dance, and Baton Pass to buff up Cloyster without putting him at risk. It's also important to remember that Rock Blast has a small chance of missing and it doesn't get same-type attack bonus (STAB), so only use it if your opponent is resistant to Ice, but weak to Rock. It's also important to note that there are a handful of green Fighting Pokemon that could probably take Cloyster to the cleaners. Also, if you do use the Focus Sash to ensure survival, always keep an eye out for priority moves like Sucker Punch. Even with boosted Speed, Cloyster won't be able to outrun those moves, and if it's only got 1 HP left, that's all it'll take. If you're pretty sure your opponent might be packing a priority move, use Shell Smash instead. Using status moves prevents Sucker Punch from working.

A solid Dragon Pokemon would probably also be a safe bet too since there aren't a lot of green Fairy types and you won't have to worry about Ice. Pretty much all Dragon Pokemon are beasts, so I can't really recommend just one. Pick your favorite.

As for the possibility of Triple battles... well, you can try your luck at the Battle Maison to get a better feel for how that works. I honestly haven't done enough Triple battles to give any solid tips for team building, so maybe other people can give some advice there. In general though, things like Light Screen and Reflect are your friends and always check to see whether your damage-dealing moves hit your friends as well as your enemies.

[b72q][u72q]Conclusion[/u72q][/b72q]
Alexander is a pretty cool guy who is generally more interested in having a good time and spreading the love of Pokemon than in grinding opponents into the dirt. That's not to say he doesn't know his stuff, he certainly does (he actually corrected me on a mistake I made during one of these Strategy posts) but while he'll certainly present an interesting challenge, I don't think we'll need to micromanage our teams for this one, particularly since there's a wide variety of Pokemon for him to choose from. Maybe just bring in one or two ringers and let the chips fall where they may. Also, brush up on your Triple battles, just in case.

[Erkenhelm]

I think its definitely worth considering the "knight" part of "emerald knight". It's reasonable that not all his Pokemon will be green provided they fit the noble image of a knight. This opens up the options a little bit more. One Pokemon that comes to mind that fits both requirements would be Virizion. Its green and is a member of the Swords of Justice.

[Aurethious]