Defeating Noel {Episode 15}

[domzzdomzz]

Of all the gyms, NOEL had me frustrated that I have to soft reset everytime he beat my team or when the odds are not in my favor. Adding to the problem, I have no FIGHTING-type to use so I have to devise a way to completely outsmart him. I have to shuffle my team every now and then just to find the perfect strategy, until I outsmarted him with my team (I know I'm not good at devising good movesets since they always change per gym). This is written here to help those who are frustrated to devise another strategy:

STRATEGY 1: THE NO FIGHTING-TYPE TEAM (THE HARD WAY)

My team back then was:

EMPOLEON Lv.54 [brine, Bubblebeam, Metal Claw, Drill Peck]

AMPHAROS Lv.54 [Electric Terrain, Thunder Punch, Discharge, Electro Ball]

DRIFBLIM Lv. 52 [Hex, Shadow Ball, Destiny Bond, Amnesia]

GARBODOR Lv.54 [sludge Wave, Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Acid Spray]

AGGRON Lv.53 [iron Head, Rock Slide, Rock Slide, Double Edge]

UNFEZANT Lv.53 [Gust, Air Slash, Roost, Razor Wind]

And here's the devised strategy for my team (and for those of you with similar movesets):

1. For WIGGLYTUFF: Use GARBODOR as your starting pokemon. Deploy Toxic Spikes 2x and Toxic to his Wigglytuff. He'd use Thunder Wave to paralyze you and he'd deploy Stealth Rock. Then use Sludge Wave to change the terrain into corrosive. Continue dealing damage until Wigglytuff faints.

2. For PORYGON Z: He'd use PORYGON Z right after WIGGLYTUFF so be sure to change into EMPOLEON. Since his PORYGON is faster and has higher Sp.Atk. your best option would be to use Brine since it deals twice the damage after receiving an attack. The damage from corrosive terrain plus the Toxic Spikes would primarily put his PORYGON down to good.

3. For GIRAFARIG and SWELLOW: He'll either use GIRAFARIG or SWELLOW after his PORYGON Z. Either way, switch in to AMPHAROS and use Discharge or any powerful STAB moves of electric-type to get rid of these two.

4. For CINCINNO: Switch in to your Aggron since the moveset of his CINCINNO is quite ineffective to AGGRON or any Rock/Steel typing. I used Heavy Slam since it is STAB move of AGGRON, plus it deals more damage if the opposing pokemon is lighter than your pokemon. So now we're down to his trump card.

5. For CLEFABLE: Deploy DRIFBLIM and continually use Destiny Bond. If done correctly, DRIFBLIM will take down CLEFABLE after it faints. If it failed, you can outlast his CLEFABLE with the rest of your team since he used all of his Ultra Potion in healing his WIGGLYTUFF early game. I also noticed that his CLEFABLE couldn't be taken down by the effects of the Toxic Spikes but retains the status of Poisoned. If you ever have any pokemon with Venoshock, then good for you

Note: None of my team holds any item.

STRATEGY 2: THE POISON/FIGHTING TEAM

Here's the devised strategy of my friend. Well, basically, he just swiped Noel with ease since his team is advantageous to begin with.

His team:

INFERNAPE Lv.54 [Close Combat, Flame Wheel, Acrobatics, Mach Punch]

GARBODOR Lv.53 [Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Sludge Wave, Acid Spray]

STARAPTOR Lv.54 [Close Combat, Brave Bird, Aerial Ace, Take Down]

AMPHAROS Lv.53 [Discharge, Electric Terrain, Electro Ball, Thunder Punch]

TOXICROAK Lv.54 [Venoshock, Poison Jab, Revenge, Sludge Bomb]

ROSERADE Lv.52 [Extrasensory, Petal Dance, Sludge Wave, Toxic Spikes]

Obviously, he has a better advantage to this gym than my team so it basically runs down to the strategy he would do to avoid being outsmarted. The TOXICROAK and INFERNAPE alone could wipe out Noel's entire team with Close Combat.

1. For WIGGLYTUFF: He primarily used the Toxic + Toxic Spikes + Sludge Wave strategy with his GARBODOR. Though he only has GARBODOR and TOXICROAK as resistant to the corrosive terrain, he again used this as his advantage in dealing extra damage.

2. For PORYGON Z: He switched his INFERNAPE and amazingly, outsped his PORYGON and used Close Combat to OHKO.

3. For GIRAFARIG: He also used INFERNAPE and Close Combat to OHKO

4. For SWELLOW: He used AMPHAROS and done STAB electric moves which overpowers its effectivity against flying types.

5. For CINCINNO: He also used INFERNAPE and Close Combat to OHKO

6. For CLEFABLE: He also used INFERNAPE and Close Combat but didn't OHKO for some reason. Luckily, he has TOXICROAK to use Venoshock and dealt the rest of the problem.

Note: If your FIGHTING-type pokemon is slower than Noel's GIRAFARIG and SWELLOW, that'll be a problem since his GIRAFARIG has Psychic and ineffective against Flying.

P.S. To other players who has another strategy in doing so, please feel free to post them down below. Thank you!

[Timber Dragon]

Noel is a gym I tend to cheese because he has such wide type coverage that it can be hard to counter him. I have no shame.

Wigglytuff is easy to set up buffs on. Depending on the Pokemon, it can probably single-handedly sweep most of Noel's team. I love doing it with Speed Boost Blaziken. So much destruction.

I also recently discovered that Sludge Wave + Venoshock strategy, though it'd probably have been easier to pull off with mons besides Toxicroak (4x Psychic weakness) or Garbodor (kind of a poor battler in general). Actually, if I'd known the Corrosive Field strategy, I could've used it with my Drapion for it, who's immune to Psychic. Though, I also forgot to get Venoshock at the time, so meh.

[DemICE]

or simply burn the field down...

[AuthorReborn]

Personally, I find Toxic+Double Team+Sludge Wave Dragalge to be a fun option to solo Noel with. You just need to fish for a Skrelp in the polluted waters in the city with a Good Rod (which is obtainable before Noel). Toxic and Double Team are both learned via level up and with Adaptability boosted Sludge Wave, Dragalge doesn't need to worry about the bothersome Clefable. On every other pokemon, you can whittle them down with Toxic while you quickly become harder and harder to even damage. Noel's team doesn't hold back, so I don't see a reason to not go full scum mode.