Part 43: Crumbs...

Update 44: Crumbs…

Commentator: Ladies and gentlemen, we’re already at the second match of the Finals!



Commentator: If you’re just tuning in, ladies and gentlemen, we witnessed quite the surprise during the Finals here at this year’s Champion Cup, as the former Gym Challenger Bede stormed the stage! But Gloria was having none of it! This year’s top challenger made quick work of him before washing away Gym Leader Nessa! And now to take her on… here comes Gym Leader Allister—the boy known far and wide as the silent school-aged star!



I remember you... You were the strongest Gym Challenger I had. Er...so I reckon...we sh-should battle!



Battle! Galar Champion Cup (Elite Four) - Remix Cover (Pokémon Sword and Shield)





battle! My strategy here is pretty simple: L337 has both Crunch and Shadow Claw are strong against Ghost, strong enough to take down the Dusknoir…



… And even this truly fantastic chandelier which hits L337 with Burn. It’s tough enough that I end up having to spend a Full Restore just to keep L337 alive. She also takes down the Polteageist and the Cursola, but only barely; by the time I switch her out, she has 22 HP left.









Unlike Nessa’s Drednaw, I’m pretty sure this is the same Gengar we faced back at the Gym. But, tragically, it turns out it can’t take the heat. I was expecting at least something vaguely resembling the star performance it gave back at Stow-on-Side, but no.





Mr. Blobby casts it down in one hit. Disappointing. A poor showing all around. I don’t even have much to say other than that’s what you get when you make a 10-year-old play against adults in a sporting event. We do have more evidence of Mr. Blobby’s otherworldly might, however.

AradoBalanga posted:

All hail Mr. Blobby, the poofy destroyer of worlds.

All hail!



Bruce had the chance to learn this move after we beat it. I presume it’s hilarious to actual Britons.

Commentator: Challenger Gloria has done it again! What a performance! She sails right through!



...That was ace. G-give it your best out there. I’m mad about strong Trainers...

Commentator: Our seemingly unstoppable challenger is headed for the final round, but who will she meet there? Will it be I-Pass-on-Dynamaxing Piers? Or the Dragon Lord himself—Raihan? The next match will decide it, so don’t go far from your screens!

…

Marnie?



I know I shouldn’t be here, but I came to pick up my brother. And to wish you good luck.

She bluffed her way past the guards. I’m so proud of her.

Piers…

I hear you lost your fight against Raihan?

Yeah. Got him down to one Pokémon, though.

Without Dynamaxin’ your Pokémon, you tool. You could’ve won!

Damn.

I told you, you ain’t proving anythin’ by refusin’ to Dynamax!

Fair warnin’, Gloria –

– Hey! –

– I bet you can beat ’im, but he’s the last Leader in the Challenge for a reason. Keep your wits about you, yeah?

I mean, yeah, but… Marnie?

Yeah, love?

… Good luck?



Good luck. We’ll all be cheerin’ for you from the stands.



…



Commentator: Who will earn the right to challenge the unbeatable Champion Leon?! Will it be the brilliant rising star, Challenger Gloria? Or will it be the only Trainer that Champion Leon calls his rival... the tamer of dragons, Raihan?!



You’ve made it all the way here! I guess that’s why the Champion himself endorsed you, yeah? Leon’s my rival—and he chose you. So I’ve got to first prove I’m better than you if I’m to beat him! I’ve reworked my whole team, and now we’re all geared up for one-on-one battles! You might be thinking that you beat me once already... But if you think I’m the same Raihan you faced during the Gym Challenge, you’ll soon regret it!



Battle! (Gym Leader ~ Rematch) ~ Switching - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST






_{He has contextual quotes for most weather conditions, including ones you put up.}

Raihan may have dropped the double battle gimmick, but if anything he’s ramped the weather gimmick up further; even his first Pokémon immediately drops the weather effects that boosts Fire-type moves. Speaking of which, I outsmarted myself here. I’ve looked at Raihan’s team list briefly and noticed almost all of his Pokémon were Dragon-types, so I decided to lead with Briggs and his Ice-type moves. Unfortunately, Raihan(‘s programmers) anticipated something like this and had his first Pokémon be a Fire-type. I switched to Tiddles and hit it with an Earthquake, nearly killing it, only to learn…



… He/they’d ALSO anticipated that move. Solar Beam, for those unfamiliar, is a Grass-type move that normally takes a turn to charge, leaving you a sitting duck; however, with that weather affect, it skips its charging phase, meaning it can nail the Water- or Ground-type Pokémon you’re likely to switch in. My first Pokémon down in the finals, and it went down before any of his. How embarrassing. Adding to the embarrassment, I switch Bruce out on the logic that you can probably just out-tank whatever damage it can do – at which point it breaks out a move that puts Bruce to sleep. By the time I get things under control and the Torkoal down for the count, Bruce is down to half health.



Fortunately, his Flygon is next, and Briggs Ice Beams it apart. Likewise, his Turtonator goes down to Baklava real quick. See, that Pokémon’s signature move sets it up to retaliate whenever an enemy uses a physical attack; however, Baklava’s Rock Tomb makes it flinch, costing it to its turn and allowing me to take off the last bit of its health. Next up? Well, there’s a guy all the way back at Circhester who will teach your Pokémon something called Draco Meteor.









Using Meteo does drop her Special Attack, an acceptable trade-off. Largely because I plan on using her as a meatshield. Duraludon isn’t weak to Dragon-type moves, and the last time I fought it it cut a swathe through my Pokémon. So I decide to use poor L337 here as a sacrifice, something to stall it just long enough for the Gigantamax to wear off.











I didn’t realize I never saw its G-Max move last time we fought. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Bruce comes out next and hits it with two Max Knuckles in a row. It goes down.



I’ve heard some praise for this fight online specifically as a way to prepare new players for competitive, and I can definitely see where it’s coming from. That bit at the beginning with the Torkoal is particularly genius; for players who’ve been breezing through the game up to this point, the double shock that comes from hitting an unexpected Pokémon and having to switch out AND learning they used it to set you up for a punishing hit might be enough to wake them up to the possibilities of deeper planning. Of course, my first time through it just made me use more experience candies, but . I could definitely have handled this more effectively – I was not anticipating that particular twist – but as it was, it let me demonstrate this fight a little better.



My lovely Pokémon and I have become much stronger than we were before... But you just blew right past us! Beyond anything I’d imagined! I’m still pretty young myself, but it just goes to show that there’s always someone younger coming up, reaching further than you ever dreamed... And you’ve got your whole future ahead of you! Keep up the momentum! Prove that Leon’s not unbeatable!

Commentator: Number 815, Challenger Gloria, has achieved a dazzling triumph! The Trainer who was endorsed by the Champion will now face the very man who endorsed her!

…



Eh?



All right, indeed.

I came just to cheer you on, you know! Still, it’s not easy picking sides... After all, it’s the showdown between my big brother and my rival... Who should I really want to win more? Haha, just kidding, it’s you.

I better hope so, after all you’ve talked it up.

Gloria… Win or lose, this has been one brilliant summer, hasn’t it?

Aye, that it has. It’s been good travelling with you.

Agreed.