Gym Leader Strategies - Justin and Blaire, Reliable Ranchers

[ddrussianinja]

If you're wondering what this is exactly, go to [url=http://paxpokemonleague.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1453hev]this thread[/urlhev] 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.

[bhev][url=http://paxpokemonleague.net/2014/02/justin-and-blaire-the-reliable-ranchers/hev]Justin and Blaire, the Reliable Ranchers[/urlhev][/bhev]
[spoilerhev]On the dusty country back roads just north of Olivine City rests a small, peaceful ranch hidden in the shadows of its bustling neighbor, MooMoo Farm. Named after the family that has established and cultivated it from the ground up, Cooper Ranch has for decades provided quality goods and services at exceptional prices to local cities and events—the PAX Pokémon League included. However, hard times recently fell upon this humble family business, and its name nearly perished under the shade of its more successful neighbor. Losing money fast, the ranch’s original owners were stricken with grief and decided to close down the farm for good. Two of their children, cousins Justin and Blaire, had different plans in mind. The two had grown up on the peaceful farmlands of Cooper and were not willing to go down without a fight. With helpful suggestions from their friends and loyal customers, Justin and Blaire decided to go to PAX as more than just suppliers this year. Suiting up in their best rancher garb and carrying along their closest Pokémon pals, the cousins hope to put the name of Cooper back onto the map and captivate people with their hard work, loyalty, and dedication. If you can defeat the strong family bond between the Cooper cousins, you’ll earn yourself the Pasture Badge![/spoilerhev]

[bhev][uhev]Initial Impressions[/uhev][/bhev]
It has been confirmed that this will be a 4-player Multi battle, meaning it will be a Double battle where you control one Pokemon and a teammate controls the other. As for the Pokemon being chosen, it's fairly clear that they'd probably pick Pokemon that would be useful (or at least expected) on a farm.

[bhev][uhev]Probable Pokemon[/uhev][/bhev]
[bhev]Miltank[/bhev] - Can't make MooMoo Milk without a Miltank!

[bhev][uhev]Possible Pokemon[/uhev][/bhev]
[bhev]Tauros[/bhev] - They [ihev]are[/ihev] in the same egg group as Miltank...
[bhev]Blaziken[/bhev] - Though perhaps Torchic and Combusken look more like a chicken than Blaziken, I doubt they'd bring in an under-evolved Pokemon. Due to the rules, we can rest assured that Blaziken will not have a Mega Stone, nor will it have Speed Boost.
[bhev]Rapidash[/bhev] - What's a farm without a horse? Though those of us who watched the anime remember how tricky it can be to ride one of these suckers...
[bhev]Ampharos[/bhev] - Do androids dream of Ampharos?
[bhev]Gogoat[/bhev] - I wonder if you can make Gogoat's milk?
[bhev]Emboar[/bhev] - That'll do.
[bhev]Grumpig[/bhev] - I [ihev]said[/ihev], that'll do!
[bhev]Growlithe[/bhev] - There's no shortage of dog Pokemon, but this one seems most like a herding breed to me.
[bhev]Golduck[/bhev] - Farms have ducks, right?
[bhev]Swanna[/bhev] - ...And swans too...right?


[bhev][uhev]Strategy[/uhev][/bhev]
OK, so obviously there's quite a few Pokemon that could possibly act as stand-ins for various farm animals. Cows, bulls, chickens, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, ducks, and swans. We've also got the potential for some pretty diverse Pokemon, too. Plenty of options for fire, Gogoat for Grass, Ampharos for Electric, Grumpig for Psychic, Swanna for Flying and Water... So let's assume they go with the most diverse team possible.

Let's assume they have a lineup of Miltank, Blaziken, Gogoat, Ampharos, Swanna, and Grumpig. This gives them pretty balanced coverage overall. No glaring weaknesses to speak of.

I'd definitely recommend including a Fighting Pokemon on your team to make quick work of Miltank, who is almost certainly going to be on the team. Doesn't really matter which you pick, though you should probably be careful if they bust out a Swanna or a Grumpig. Beyond that, I'd probably recommend including a strong Water Pokemon (Starmie and Vaporeon are good choices) since there are a number of possible Fire Pokemon they could choose from. If they do end up going with a team that focuses on Fire, you should also probably watch out for Sunny Day, which will boost the power of Fire and reduce the power of Water.

The other thing to mention is the whole Multi battle thing. As mentioned earlier, Multi battles are basically Double battles where each player brings in and controls three Pokemon. You go up to the Gym Leaders with another challenger (there are enough challengers around to make teaming up easy even if you don't know anyone else at PAX) and your six Pokemon go up against their six Pokemon.

I'm not much of an expert when it comes to Double battles, but the biggest trick is to balance the Pokemon you send out, particularly at the beginning. At least one of your first Pokemon should be doing some setup. Maybe you'll send out a Pokemon that can use both Light Screen and Reflect or hit the opponents with status effects or place entry hazards. Even if the Pokemon gets taken down fairly quickly, if it can manage even a handful of boons to start the match off with, it can tip the scales in your favor. Additionally, be mindful of moves that might hurt your ally. If you've got a Water Pokemon and a Fire Pokemon out at the same time, don't use Surf unless your Fire Pokemon is spending the turn using Protect or something, because your Fire Pokemon probably won't survive. Also, since there's a chance that these Leaders might be focused on Fire, this MIGHT be a good time to break out a [url=http://www.smogon.com/bw/articles/bw_ou_rainhev]Rain Team[/urlhev], which can be a slightly complicated setup for beginners, but it's a very powerful Doubles strategy when used correctly.

With all this in mind, it's a good idea to coordinate with your teammate, particularly if you only just met them. See if they've prepared for Double battles at all. If you have any early support Pokemon, you can offer to start with that and have your teammate start off with a solid offensive Pokemon. Also, don't be a jerk. Cooperative multiplayer can be challenging if you don't know the person you're cooperating with, so be patient.

[bhev][uhev]Mock Battle[/uhev][/bhev]
Coming soon once I have a little more time.

[bhev][uhev]Conclusion[/uhev][/bhev]
The key here is to focus on building up three Pokemon that can both stand on their own and cooperate well with others. If you're more or less ready to join forces with somebody you know nothing about, it'll make both of your lives considerably easier. It's also a good idea to practice a lot of Double battles. If you haven't done a lot of that, you might want to start. It can be tricky, but you'll figure it out eventually. In any case, I wouldn't expect this team to be a super powerhouse. I'd imagine they're an Intermediate team, so I'd definitely suggest caution, but it probably won't be too harsh and unforgiving so long as you have a decent setup, a relatively flexible strategy, and if you can work well with others.

[[bhev]Updated[/bhev] to reflect confirmation that this will be a Multi battle]

[Lyrai]

[ddrussianinja]