If you could take 1 pokemon off of a gym leader's team...

[doombotmecha]

who would it be? bonus points if it isn't their ace.

I'd personnally take Shelly's anorinth away, because it is, by itself, a make-or-break moment for the fight. could you kill it before it flinchaxed/ohkoed your 2 active mons with rockslide, or couldn't you? if you couldn't deal with it without hemorraging team mates, then Yanmega and/or Volbeat get a free set-up and then it's game over.

[Combat]

While I never had too much of an issue with it, Noel's Cinccino come to mind.

[Damage]

Voltorb on julia's team. One voltorb is dumb and two are just tedious. There are better electric types that could make the first gym battle more fun and memorable.

[doombotmecha]

Voltorb on julia's team. One voltorb is dumb and two are just tedious. There are better electric types that could make the first gym battle more fun and memorable.

totally agree. also 2x aftermath is just rude. though i guess it adds to julia's "your bulk doesn't matter" shtick. the only problem is that might lead to it being replaced by supersonic magnemite....and imo having an early gym leader who doesn't confuse is really, really great. and having one whose party isn't wattson's with some bells and whistles

[Damage]

I think shinx/luxio and chinchou could replace them. Then you can't just over power the team or come in ground happy. Honestly I played hardcore mode and I liked that team since it was pretty balanced and showcased how difficult the game could be when unprepared. Unlike how it normally goes. Julia is kind of tough, Florinia is reasonable then Corey is a massive spike.

[Fumble]

Give back Julia's Magnemite and Chinchou :[

Umm, in terms of which Pokemon annoyed me the most, probably Charlotte's Ninetales. It comes out last, but sun can be very harmful...

[Commander]

Oh this is easy considering I had to redo some Pokemon for Hardcore:

Julia - Voltorb. Yeah, the explosion gimmick would work way better with Magnemite who is equally as threatening especially at that point. I get why Ame didn't include it though.

Florinia - Cottonee. It's just bad and kind of meh even as a Whimy. The rest of her team, believe it or not is pretty decent.

Corey - Croagunk. Even with Sucker Punch, I've never even seen this thing get a turn on me...ever.

Shelly - Volbeat. That thing is bad ngl. If it had a better special attack things would be different.

Shade - Doublade...Again, never even seen this thing get in an attack.

Kiki - Believe it or not, I have no complaints about her team. It's pretty solid all around though Machamp is borderline

Aya - Another solid team...though I feel her Nidoqueen really makes the fight perhaps too easy compared to the old iron wall fight

Serra - Crygonal. Not a bad Pokemon, but not a great one either

Noel - Wigglytuff...enough said.

Radomus - Gallade...for AI reasons.

Luna - Pawinard. Great Pokemon. Horrible lead.

Samson - Lucario. Works for Kiki...not for Samson (though it's better than Chespin)

Charlotte - Nothing. I mean quite literally nothing. Her team is just that solid though I suppose I'd consider Typhlosion to be axed.

Terra - Claydol, but there's not much on her team that isn't pretty good. Just meh movesets.

Ciel - Skarmory. I'd have to say Talonflame. It's just not that threatening this late in the game.

That's for the one Pokemon I want to get rid of, but I doubt that's the kind of response you were looking for. I already put restrictions on myself to make the game more difficult because after one playthrough, you kind of know what to expect so you can prepare for it. I prefer something being more difficult as it makes victory so much sweeter which is why I would always push for more challenge before nerfing (cough Serra cough). If you want to know that one pokemon I struggled with for each leader it'd be (based on my first playthrough):

Julia: Chinchou

Florinia: Cradily

Corey: Trubbish and Skuntank (due to toxic spikes)

Shelly: Scyther, I think, but I swept with Emolga mostly

Shade: Everything, though I remember Spiritomb being a nightmare

Kiki: Lucario

Aya: Muk...though everything was pretty even

Serra: Glaceon and Mamoswine (cries)

Noel: Swellow (though Staraptor and Mincinno get honorable mentions)

Radomus: That Alakazam and Gallade Wombo Combo! So basically Gallade

Luna: Jubjub Bird aka Honchkrow

Samson: Nothing...Maybe Mienshao, but basically I wrecked him

Charlotte: Nothing...since Darmanitan didn't exist. I'd have to say that first Ninetales was a bit of a nightmare.

Terra: Rawrchomp. Easily the hardest thing on her team.

Ciel: I suppose Altaria is about the only one who actually did a number on my team because I didn't have a steel or poison type.

[mde2001]

If we're talking about in terms of which one annoyed me the most I want Noel's cincinno to burn in fire (which I guess thinking about it I made it do). I hated it with a passion and it caused me more trouble than any other leaders' pokemon.

[Masquerain]

Would take out all the pokemon that don't contribute to the battle being challenging

[Lugruf]

For me they were Serra's Abomasnow and Charlotte's Typlosion. Fortunatelly both have been already removed.

In E15 I had nightmares with Corey's Crobat.

[Jacobliterator]

Noel's Porygon Z caused a lot of fist shaped frustration holes in my wall.

[mwijsman]

Noel's Cincinno is pretty much the only Pokemon in the game that I actively despise, well that and Taka's Chatot! can we get rid of that thing early game?

[Lupo]

I'd take out Kiki's Medicham

So it won't-- //slappedbyspoilerpolice

[Cobalt996]

Personally, I'd axe Voltorb #2 for something else electric, but still reasonable. Magnemite, Chinchou, and Denenne all come to mind as better replacements, Dedenne would be a more valid choice if it got better STAB choices for that point in the game.

Of course, if Ame was cruel bland, Julia would have 5 Aftermath Voltorb with Selfdestruct/Explosion, and four revives (or somesuch)

Other than that...

Florinia: >Fire starter. I cannot give a good opinion on her.

Corey: Crogunk is the only mon that has never taken anything of mine down. Grimer is just as bad, as it served as setup fodder.

Shelly: ...I have nothing to say until the day she actually takes more than one try. Everything seems to clash, outside of Rain Dance and Swift Swim, and Yanmega being able to hold its own; as I've seen it, clashing is usually a bad thing in doubles, so... again, I cannot give ONE pokemon that should be replaced/refurbished.

Shade: Rotom kills the field (is does switch it back, but...) reliably, and makes tanking much easier. It reliably uses Discharge against basically everything. I forgot he had Duoblade, too, I guess.

Kiki: Worked well enough. Only problem is how it can't counter setup effectively. Shame only Poliwrath can do anything, and it costs Haze

Aya: Worked well enough. AI could cause her Tentacruel to flub turn one, though.

Serra: Let's start with the weakness to her own field.

Noel: Whatever he led with. It never really did anything, as far as I remember.

Radomus: Reuniclus + Trick Room literally never happened, even after several turns, but that's AI.

Luna: No changes, outside of moving Bisharp out of lead position. It's better for cleaning than leading; maybe Tyranitar instead?

Samson: Aside from the massive weakness to special attacks, he's good in my book.

Charlotte: Am I the only one wondering when Flash Fire is going to be on everything that can have it (Arcanine and Typhlosion, iirc)

Terra: AI likes to send out Hippowdon after Excadrill is down. Maybe switching lead role to Hippowdon could make itself look betted, because it just comes out, dies, and nothing uses sandstorm because it's gone before chompy comes out.

Ciel: Aside from Talonflame AI (SD over causing OHKO) she seems pretty good. Togekiss might not be the best lead, because outside of T-Wave (which it only usually uses), it's very good setup fodder. Then again, what even is a good lead? Firebirb, in case of rocks?

For me they were Serra's Abomasnow and Charlotte's Typlosion. Fortunatelly both have been already removed.
In E15 I had nightmares with Corey's Crobat.

iirc, Charlotte leads with Blaze Typlosion and Sheer Force Darmanitan

EDIT: Thanks, Chubb

Edited March 11, 2016 by Cobalt996

[Fumble]

For me they were Serra's Abomasnow and Charlotte's Typlosion. Fortunatelly both have been already removed.

Typhlosion wasn't removed, but was nerfed since it illegally had Energy Ball >>

One of Charlotte's Ninetales were removed, though, for Darmanitan.

iirc, Charlotte leads with Blaze Typlosion and (tfw forget English name) Sheer Force Hihidaruma

Darmanitan.

[bepe]

I still have nightmares about corey's crobat on my mono grass run. I only got by it by catching a jolly hoppip and maxing out its speed ev's so I could put it to sleep and kill it acrobatics.

[EliteFlyingTaco]

I'd take out Charlotte's Delphox. I have no idea why, but that thing is the single toughest pokemon for me in every playthrough.

[Sr.F]

Florinia´s Ferroseed/Ferrothorn

[Lilleen]

I wouldn't take anyone one out, even if I got the opportunity to do so. As anoying as some of them are (Charlotte's Ninetales & Ciel's Togekiss), they taught me so much about how to play Pokémon properly.

[Samtale]

terra's garchomp but hey at least it wanst a mega, well now that I say that who knows ame might add it out of spite

also I havent reversed her in while maybe its easier than I thank it is can anyone confirm this

Edited March 15, 2016 by smeargletail

[Ironbound]

Probably Charlotte's Volcarona or Darmanitan, in the earlier versions. They were a pain.