Pokemon Run and Bun Guide: The Hardest Emerald Fangame!

Friends, it’s time to talk about Kaizo fangames. There’s a particular group of fans among Pokémon fans who love a good challenge.

Most of the time, they do nuzlockes, which is just playing the game but with many restrictive rules, but when that’s not enough, and they want a real challenge, these hardcore fans create Kaizo games.

The Kaizo games are known for being challenging versions of the standalone Pokémon games. In these games, you must face a lot of Pokémon trainers with crazy teams full of Legendary Pokémon who usually have a hard-to-beat strategy. 

There are a lot of Kaizo games, and all of them are hard to beat, but what if I tell you there’s a game that is harder than any other Kaizo game, to the point where people feel the game is unfair and almost impossible to beat? Friends, I’m talking about Pokémon Run&Bun.

Pokémon Run&Bun is an Emerald-based fangame with extremely buffed battles. All the teams are changed, the CPU is improved and knows how to create strategies, and the battle system got changed, so all the battles are fair and square for both the player and the CPU (or that’s what the creator said because beating this game was a nightmare).

What’s New?

• Pokémon and mechanics updated to Gen 8, including up to Hisuian Pokémon
• Mega Evolution
• Field Effects (Psychic Terrain, Electric Terrain, Grassy Terrain, and more)
• New Routes to explore Hoenn in a different way
• No need to teach HMs to your Pokémon
• New, improved and expanded bag
• Endless Repellents and Rare Candies
• You can reteach moves, maximize IVs, and change the Natures of your Pokémon via an NPC next to the PC

New Pokémon Stat System

Probably, the best thing about Pokémon Run & Bun is the revamped Pokémon stat system, as it makes things fair and square for both the CPU and the player; both now have the same advantages and disadvantages when it comes to the stats, as this game completely removes the Pokémon EVs.

For those who don’t know, the EVs (short for Effort Values) are points your Pokémon will get on their stats whenever they defeat a Pokémon. Depending on the opposite Pokémon, your Pokémon will get 1 to 3 extra points on its HP, Defense, Attack, etc.

With the EVs out of the way, the Pokémon Stats will only grow based on their Nature and pre-existing IVs, which you can change on every PC in the Pokémon Center, in exchange for a Heart Scale (Here’s a list with the locations of all the Heart Scales).

It means you’ll avoid Level Grinding, as you’ll have an item in your backpack that works as an unlimited Rare Candy!

This forces the player to create a strategy rather than going fully offensive against a Pokémon. But don’t worry, I beat this game, and I’ll help you to do the same, explaining every nook and cranny of all the game’s Boss Battles.

Boss Battle Guide

This game is based on Pokémon Emerald, meaning there’s nothing new to see regarding lore, story, and map, so I’ll focus entirely on the battles, as they are extensive, and there’s a lot to discuss. 

It’s also fair to say that there are many Pokémon out for grabs; most of them can be suitable for creating strategies, so here’s a table with all the Pokémon you can find and the respective methods to find them.

My best tip is to catch many Pokémon for each situation. You can have tanks, sweepers, fast Pokémon, Pokémon that can learn defensive moves, etc. Try to have a lot of Pokémon of each type, and you’ll be covered to face all the battles properly.

Lastly, find a fast and strong Pokémon that can learn Fake Out and Sucker Punch. Those two moves are vital to beat annoying Pokémon.

Boss #1: Aqua Grunt At Petalburg Woods

The first Boss Battle of the game is located at the entrance of Petalburg Woods. Instead of getting inside the woods, the Grunt will stumble upon you at the entrance, while the Devon Researcher will be behind him, trying to retrieve the Devon Parts. Which means you won’t be entering the Woods for now.

 At this point, you should have your starter (Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup) and a whole team ready to battle. The Aqua Grunt has the following team:

• Carvanha, Lvl. 11
• Croagunk, Lvl. 12
• Exeggute, Lvl. 11

The grunt will lead his battle with Carvanha, so you must use a Fighting-type as your lead.

Next up is Croagunk, which is weak to Flying-type moves. Even though it’s Level 12, you’ll take it down easily if you have a Starly or a Fletching.

Exeggute has an Oran Berry and Harvest, an ability that lets it eat the Berry as much as it wants. Decrease its Defense and then hit it with your best shot.

At this point, the Level Cap increased to Level 17. Before leaving, go and get some Flying and Fairy-types; you’ll need them against Brawly. The Grunt will leave, you’ll get the Devon Parts back, and the Devon Researcher will ask you to take them to Captain Stern in Slateport City. To do that, you must talk with Mr. Briney at his house.

Go and talk with Mr. Briney. He’ll take you to Slateport City only if you help him with his errands, as he has to take a letter to Steven Stone in Dewford Town. So that’s your next destination!

After reaching Dewford Town, go to the Granite Cave, as usual, and find Steven. Here, you can catch plenty of Ice and Psychic-type Pokémon, by the way. Give Steven the letter, and then head back to Mr. Briney, who will finally take you to Slateport.

Boss #2: Two Aqua Grunts in Slateport Museum

The next Boss Battle is at Slateport City, in the museum, after finding Capt. Stern. You’ll have two consecutive battles with two Grunts. This is the first Grunt’s team:

• Murkrow, Lvl. 15
• Skrelp, Lvl. 16
• Tirtouga, Lvl. 16

Murkrow will lead the first Aqua Grunt’s team. You can defeat it with Electric and Rock-type moves. Then, Skrelp is weak to Ground-type moves. It also has Toxic, so if you have a Steel-type, beat it with it.

Lastly, Tirtouga is weak to Electric, Grass, and Fighting-type moves. 

This is the second Grunt’s team: 

• Mareanie, Lvl. 16
• Frillish, Lvl. 15
• Whirlipede, Lvl. 16

Here’s when things get complicated, as you’ll face the second grunt without healing. 

Mareanie is weak to Ground-type moves. Frillish is weak to Dark-type moves so that you can take it down with a Bite, and Whirlipede is a bit tanky, but Rock-type moves hurt it. Be careful with your switches, and you’ll easily beat these battles. 

After winning, the Level Cap will increase to Level 21, so it’s time to level up your Pokémon and continue.

Now, Mr. Briney tells you that he won’t get back to Petalburg City if you don’t come back with a badge (why is that important? Does your ship use Badges as fuel?) So your only option is to get back to Dewford to face Brawly. That’s what you must do!

Boss #3, First Gym Badge, Brawly

This is Brawly’s team: 

• Kubfu, Lvl. 20
• Lopunny, Lvl. 19
• Combusken, Lvl. 20
• Hitmontop, Lvl. 20
• Poliwhirl, Lvl. 19
• Scraggy, Lvl. 21

The battle begins with Kubfu. It’s a good idea to start the battle with a Fairy-type, and considering the only one available up to this point is Ralts (which should be a Kirlia at this point), then that has to be your lead. 

Lopunny has an Eject Button as its item; if it receives damage, it’ll immediately switch. It’s good for it as it has Retaliate, which deals extra damage if you defeated Kubfu in the previous turn.

Go for a Quick Attack (if you have one) to switch Lopunny out. If it comes back again, use a Pokémon with Protect (if you have it). Steel-types and Stufful can tank a buffed Retaliate as well.

Combusken is a bit problematic; it has Thunder Punch, and Fairy-types can’t damage it, so there are two good options available; Psychic and Ground-type Pokémon. It’ll get fast through its ability, Speed Boost.

You can defeat Hitmontop as you dealt with Kubfu. Hitmontop can counter Flying and Psychic-types, so be careful. Next up is Poliwhirl, which has Ice Beam. You can defeat it with Fairy and Psychic-types!

Lastly, Scraggy. If you hurt it, it’ll use Rest to heal itself and wake up through its ability, Shed Skin. The good thing is that it’s 4x weak to Fairy-types, so that’s the way to go. Don’t feel ashamed of having three Kirlias on your team!

After winning, Mr. Briney will finally take you back to Petalburg. Heal your Pokémon and head into the woods, as the objective is to reach Rustboro City. But first, I recommend fishing a Carvanha in Dewford Town and getting several Steel, Ground, and Fighting-types on your team.

Boss #4, Second Gym Badge, Roxanne

The next Boss Battle is at Rustboro City, exactly, in the Gym against Roxanne. The Level Cap should be at Level 25, so Level your Pokémon up before battling!

This is Roxanne’s team:

• Bisharp, Lvl. 23
• Zygarde-10%, Lvl. 23
• Aurorus, Lvl. 24
• Carracosta, Lvl. 24
• Lunatone, Lvl. 25
• Solrock, Lvl. 25

Roxanne starts the battle with Bisharp. It has Defiant as its ability, so try not to decrease its Stats in any way. Instead, go for a Fighting-type move against it. It has a Focus Sash as its item.

Next up is Zygarde. Don’t worry; it’s a bit bland even though it’s a Legendary Pokémon. It is 4x weak to Ice-types, and it’s easy to take down with a Sneasel, for example.

Aurorus is 4x weak to Fighting-type moves. It is equipped with a Lum Berry, so it’s useless to use a Status Change on it, and its Body Slam will be an Ice-type move due to its ability, Refrigerate. It also has Earth Power.

Carracosta will tank a Grass-type hit with its Rindo Berry and its ability, Solid Rock, which decreases the damage of effective moves. It also has Zen Headbutt, so go for Electric and Grass-type moves.

Lunatone has a Weakness Policy, which will buff it if you land an effective hit on it. Now that it got buffed, it’ll start spamming Stored Power. To counter it, go for a Dark-type Pokémon. Sucker Punch is a great move to deal with it.

Lastly, Solrock. It has Morning Sun to heal itself and Psycho Cut, Stomping Tantrum and Rock Slide to attack. Again, Dark-types are good against it. It also has a Lum Berry to heal itself from Status Changes.

After winning, the Level Cap will increase to Level 32. Now, you must head to Mauville City through Rusturf Tunnel, which leads you to Route 117, but here, you’ll find a never-before-seen character, Chelle, who is in charge of the Daycare. And as on this game, every NPC is aggressive, she’ll want to have a battle with you.

Boss #5, Trainer Chelle, At The Daycare

 This is Chelle’s team:

• Lapras, Lvl. 30
• Rhydon, Lvl. 32
• Togekiss, Lvl. 30
• Vespiquen, Lvl. 31
• Galarian Slowbro, Lvl. 31
• Delcatty, Lvl. 32

The battle starts with Lapras, which has Sing to send your Pokémon to sleep, Frost Breath to counter its Grass-type weakness, and Body Press to deal a lot of damage. Fighting and Electric-types can help you defeat it.

Rhydon can use a recoil-less Double-Edge thanks to its ability, Rock Head. It’ll also try to set Stealth Rocks. Go for a Grass or Water-type to take it down, and if you need it, clean the field with a Flying-type Pokémon with Defog.

Togekiss has Scope Lens as its held item and Super Luck as its ability; these two increase the chances of it landing a Critical Hit. Pokémon like Ralts and Abra can learn Lucky Charm, which prevents the opposite Pokémon from landing Critical Hits. Try to attack it with Poison or Electric-type moves.

Vespiquen has a Lum Berry, so you can’t change its Status. It’s a fast and good sweeper that can deal much damage, so you should opt for an Electric-type Pokémon to take it down. Rock-types can do it too but if you are sure you’ll take it down with a single turn.

Galarian Slowbro has a Quick Claw and Quick Draw as its ability. This combo makes it prone to attack first on almost every turn. It also has Whirlpool, which can trap your Pokémon on the battlefield, so switch to a Dark-type to deal with it. Sucker Punch will be a vital move against it.

Delcatty only has two moves, Fake Out and Last Resort. It can only use Fake Out on its first turn, so it’ll spam Last Resort, which deals much damage. Use a Steel-type to tank the damage and take it down. Any other strong sweeper can also handle it, as it’s slow.

After winning, the Level Cap will increase to Level 35. The next Boss Battle is at Mauville City and takes place in the Mauville Gym.

Boss #6, Third Gym Badge, Wattson

This is Wattson’s team:

• Magnezone, Lvl. 34
• Lanturn, Lvl. 35
• Rotom-Fan, Lvl. 35
• Zeraora, Lvl. 35
• Elektross, Lvl. 34
• Mega Ampharos, Lvl. 35

Magnezone has Explosion, Discharge and Flash Cannon, so a good Rock-type can deal with it. Fire-types can do it too, but only if they are Camerupt or Hisuian Arcanine.

Lanturn has Leftovers and Volt Absorb as its ability. It also has Ice Beam and Scald. Again, a good Rock-type can deal with it, as they usually have Ground-type moves. Lanturn doesn’t hit that hard.

Rotom-Fan has a Lum Berry and can burn your Pokémon with Will-O-Wisp. It can also use Hex to deal extra damage to your burned Pokémon. Once again, Rock-types are good against Rotom, as they are usually tanky and can deal with a Hex quickly.

Ground-types can deal with Zeraora even though it has Grass Knot. Gligar, for example, is perfect for the job, as Grass Knot will only do a little against it, and it can learn Bulldoze. Zeraora has a Shuca Berry, but it doesn’t matter that much, keep attacking it.

Eelektross has no weaknesses as it’s immune to Ground-type moves via Levitate, its ability. Go for Special moves, as its Special Defense isn’t good. Getting it confused is good as it hits hard, so you can try a Confuse Ray or a Psybeam from a Psychic-type to take it down.

Lastly, Mega Ampharos. It has Rest and Sleep Talk, which will proc either Dragon Breath or Discharge. Fairy-types are the way to beat this guy. Gardevoir, for example, can do a great job against it.

The Level Cap will increase to Level 38, and now you are ready to continue. The next Boss is a famous one among Pokémon fans!

Boss #7, Your Rival at The Cycling Road

Your rival will have a different team depending on the starter you choose, as it’ll have a starter with a type advantage against yours. Knowing that, these are your rival’s possible teams:

If Piplup

• Indeedee, Lvl. 37
• Sceptile, Lvl. 38
• Houndoom, Lvl. 36
• Kingdra, Lvl. 36
• Hawlucha, Lvl. 36
• Granbull, Lvl. 36

Indeedee aims to set Light Screens and Reflects. It’ll also set a Psychic Terrain with its ability, Psychic Surge. You can break the Light Screens and Reflects with Brick Break and take it down with any Dark-type Pokémon.

Sceptile will use Leaf Storm, which decreases its attack. But then, it’ll use its White Herb to revert the effect. This will proc its ability, Unburden, making it fast. It won’t do that if you use a Fire-type Pokémon against it.

Houndoom has Solar Beam to counter its Water-type weakness, but it can’t spam it, so don’t worry. Kingdra has Iron Head to cover its Fairy-type weakness, and its Breaking Swipe can decrease your Pokémon’s Attack. So go for an Electric-type move against it.

Hawlucha has a Psychic Seed, which only works on Psychic Terrains, and it also has Unburden, like Sceptile. If this happens, Gligar, who can learn Fly, can quickly get rid of it. Electric-types work as well.

You can try to stall Granbull through a Status Change. It has Counter, which deals twice the damage you dealt to it. It’s a Fighting-type move, so that you can counter it with a Flying-type Pokémon. Gligar, again, is good for this task.

If Turtwig

• Indeedee, Lvl. 37
• Blaziken, Lvl. 38
• Kingdra, Lvl. 36
• Tsareena, Lvl. 36
• Weavile, Lvl. 36
• Alcremie, Lvl. 36

Blaziken has White Herb to revert the side effects of using Overheat. It also has Close Combat and Stone Edge, so Fairy-types are still the best option to take Blaziken down.

Tsareena can decrease your Pokémon’s Attack via Trop Kick, and its Ice-type Triple Axel is dangerous, but a Fire-type Pokémon can take it down. Don’t try to make it hit the bed, as it has Sweet Veil.

Weavile is 4x weak to Fighting-type moves and can’t cover its weakness with any move, but be aware that it’ll resist at least two turns in the field as it has Focus Sash.

Alcremie has a Psychic Seed. Then, it’ll use Acid Armor to increase its Defenses and Stored Power to deal a lot of damage.  It can’t fall asleep because of its ability, Sweet Veil. Steel-types are good against it.

If Chimchar

• Indeedee, Lvl. 37
• Swampert, Lvl. 38
• Tsareena, Lvl. 36
• Houndoom, Lvl. 36
• Hawlucha, Lvl. 36
• Gardevoir, Lvl. 36

Swampert is slow, so attacking it with a sweeper is a good option. It’s more reliable than hitting it with Grass-type moves. Having a Special Attacker on your team will be good for you.

The same goes for Gardevoir. It has Focus Sash and will use Destiny Bond if it feels threatened. Fake Out is an excellent option to make it flinch in the first turn and then attack it with a strong move to defeat it.

The Level Cap has increased to Level 42, and it’s time to continue. The path to Fallarbor Town is blocked, all of the events that take place in Mt. Chimney will be a bit later, as the only option is to get back to Petalburg City to get your next badge, this time, against your father.

Boss #8, Fourth Gym Badge, Norman

This is Norman’s team:

• Porygon2, Lvl. 41
• Azumarill, Lvl. 40
• Diggersby, Lvl. 40
• Meloetta, Lvl. 41
• Cinccino, Lvl. 42
• Mega Pidgeot, Lvl. 42

Porygon2 has Thunder Wave, so equip your lead with a Cheri Berry. Use a Fighting-type to take it down.

Azumarill deals a lot of damage via Huge Power, its ability, and has Body Slam, Play Rough, Waterfall and Aqua Jet. Go for a Grass-type Pokémon to deal with it. 

Diggersby also has Huge Power as its ability and can use Foul Play. Fighting-types are excellent against it.

Meloetta will use Relic Song to switch to its Normal/Fighting-type form. It has a Lum Berry equipped and has extra chances to Paralyze and Sleep your Pokémon. Meloetta is fast on this form, so go for a Flying-type move.

Cinccino has a strategy with its ability, Skill Link, which will make it land all the hits from Multi-Strike moves. Combined with a King’s Rock, it’ll make your Pokémon flinch on every turn. To counter this, use a speedy Pokémon to take it down. Salazzle, Alazakam, Talonflame and Weavile are good options.

Mega Pidgeot can’t cover its weakness to Electric-type moves, so that’s how to attack it. It has Hurricane, Hyper Voice, Heat Wave, and Grass-type Hidden Power. If you’ll attack it with an Ice-type Pokémon, be sure it has Ice Shard, as it’s a good priority move.

After winning, the Level Cap will increase to Level 48. We are midway through the game!

Now you can finally head to Fallarbor Town. But first, you must take on the Winstrate family challenge. As you do that, and you finally reach Fallarbor Town, you’ll find a lad I thought I would never battle against. It’s none other than the last member of the Winstrate family, Winstrate Vito! He’ll offer you a battle as his family told him about a powerful trainer who swept them out, so it’s time to defeat him!

Boss #9, Winstrate Vito, In Fallarbor Town

This is Vito’s team:

• Alakazam, Lvl. 48
• Crobat, Lvl. 47
• Breloom, Lvl. 47
• Crawdaunt, Lvl. 47
• Swellow, Lvl. 47
• Mega Aggron, Lvl. 48

The battle starts with Alakazam, which has Focus Sash and Aura Sphere to cover its Dark-type weakness. The best way to take it down is through a Bug-type move.

Crobat has a Lum Berry. It also has Nasty Plot, a move that increases its Special Attack in two stages. It can counter its Rock-type weakness with Giga Drain, so go for an Electric-type move against it.

Breloom is 4x weak to Flying-type moves and can only threaten your Flying-types with Sky Uppercut, a move that can hit your Pokémon during Fly. Be careful with its Spore.

Crawdaunt has improved damage through Adaptability, its Ability, and Crabhammer, its signature move. It can land Water-type critical hits on your Pokémon, but, fortunately, it’s weak against Fairy-types. Grass-types also threaten it.

Swellow uses a Life Orb, which gives it extra damage, and can land Normal-type moves on Ghost-types thanks to Scrappy, its ability. Go for an Electric or Rock-type against it. It hits hard, but Rock-type Pokémon can resist its damage. Steel-types can do it too.

Mega Aggron is a defensive beast thanks to Filter, its ability, which decreases the damage of effective moves by 25%. I recommend burning or paralyzing it before attacking it so you can deal extra damage to it. It has Earthquake, so use a Fighting-type Pokémon to deal with it.

After winning, the Level Cap will increase to Level 54. It’s time to head to Mt. Chimney, as Maxie is waiting for you there.

Boss #10, Maxie, At Mt. Chimney

Maxie is waiting for you at the top of the Mt. Chimney. This is his team:

• Crustle (Rock/Bug), Lvl. 53
• Wobbuffet (Psychic), Lvl. 53
• Aerodactyl (Rock/Flying), Lvl. 53
• Kommo-o (Dragon/Fighting), Lvl. 54
• Zarude (Dark/Grass), Lvl. 54
• Mega Camerupt (Fire/Ground), Lvl. 54

Crustle has a Red Card, which will make your Pokémon switch if you land a hit on it. If this happens, just go for your current Pokémon’s strongest attack, and only switch if it’s at a disadvantage.

Don’t be afraid of Woubbuffet. It has Shadow Tag as its ability, which traps your active Pokémon, and you can’t switch it. Land hits on it, but be aware that Wobbuffet will likely take your Pokémon down. After that, switch to a Dark-type and end the job.

Aerodactyl is weak to Steel and Electric-types. It has Stone Edge and Aqua Tail, so don’t use Ice and Rock-type Pokémon against it.

Kommo-o hits Ice-types hard through Body Press, so Flying-types are a good option if you can’t do much with Ice-types.

Zarude has poor typing, as it’s weak against various types. The best one to use against it is the Bug-type, as it’s 4x weak to it. 

Lastly, Mega Camerupt is 4x weak to Water-types and has nothing to cover that weakness, except for Substitute. It hits hard, so be careful. The good thing is that the Water-types can resist Mega Camerupt’s damage.

After this battle, the Level Cap will increase to Level 57. Time to head to Lavaridge Town and face Flannery!

Boss #11, Fifth Gym Badge, Flannery

This is a Double battle, and this is Flannery’s team: 

• Mega Charizard Y, Lvl. 58
• Salazzle, Lvl. 57
• Entei, Lvl. 58
• Incineroar, Lvl. 57
• Talonflame, Lvl. 57
• Alolan Marowak, Lvl. 58

Flannery starts with Mega Charizard Y and Salazzle. Use a Pokémon to resist Grass-type moves, as Charizard has Solar Beam. Try to land a Rock-type move on both of them.

Salazzle will hang on the field thanks to its Focus Sash, and it’ll use Endeavor on its next turn, but you can bypass it with moves like Sucker Punch or Extreme Speed.

Entei also has Solar Beam, which deals with its Ground and Rock-type weakness. It has Sacred Fire, Stone Edge and Extreme Speed in case it needs to execute one of your Pokémon. Go for Rock-type moves against it.

Incineroar is easy to take down, as you can use Ground and Rock-type moves to defeat it.

Talonflame is equipped with a Life Orb (so it’ll hit hard) and will always hit first with Brave Bird. It has Solar Beam to deal with Rock-types, but can’t do much against Electric-types.

Alolan Marowak has Detect, which works precisely like Protect, and has Bonemerang and Poltergeist. Nothing that you can’t take down with a Ground-type Pokémon. Dark-types work as well.

Time to head to Fortree City, but first, you’ll have to do a pitstop in the Weather Institute to deal with another Boss Battle. The Level Cap will jump up to Level 65!

Boss #12, Aqua Admin Shelly, At The Weather Institute

This is Shelly’s team:

• Mienshao, Lvl. 65
• Nihilego, lvl. 64
• Dragonite, Lvl. 64
• Tornadus, Lvl. 64
• Lanturn, Lvl. 64
• Mega Blastoise, Lvl. 65

Mienshao has Focus Sash, which will help it when it uses Reversal, a move that deals more damage the less HP the user has. Flying and Fairy-types can resist this move, so don’t worry. It has Knock Off, so don’t use Psychic-types.

Nihilego has Meteor Beam, a two-turn Rock-type move, and a Power Herb as its held item, so it’ll use Meteor Beam in a single turn. Fighting, Steel, and Ground-type Pokémon can resist this damage and deal with Nihilego. It can also set Stealth Rocks!

Dragonite has Fire Punch to cover its Ice-type weakness but nothing to deal with its Fairy-type weakness. You can trick it into using a single move as it has a Choice Band.

Tornadus has Grass Knot, so Rock-types aren’t an option. Instead, go for the Electric-type move. Be careful with the Knock Off, as it can take your Pokémon’s item away.

Lanturn can cover its weaknesses with Ice Beam and Scald, so try to poison or sleep it or decrease its Defense before attacking it. It has Volt Switch, so it’ll be pivoting during the battle.

Blastoise has Mega Launcher as its ability, which increases the damage of Dragon Pulse and Dark Pulse. It also has Shell Smash to increase its Attack and Speed. Electric-types are good against it, but you can also use Fairy-types to neglect the damage.

The next battle takes place exactly outside the Weather Institute, and it’s against your rival, which will have different teams depending on your starter.

Boss #13, Your Rival Outside Weather Institute

This is a double battle, so choose your leads according to the first two Pokémon of your rival.

If Piplup

• Mega Sceptile, Lvl. 66
• Mantine, Lvl. 65
• Goodra, Lvl. 65
• Alolan Raichu, Lvl. 65
• Lucario, Lvl. 65
• Gastrodon, Lvl. 66

Don’t attack Mega Sceptile with Ice or Poison-types as it has Earthquake. Instead, go for a Flying or Fairy-type move.

You can’t attack Mantine with Electric-type moves as Sceptile has Lighting Rod, so instead, go for a neutral move. Using a Rock-type can end up on Sceptile sweeping it with a Grass-type move. Mantine will use Helping Hand to increase Sceptile’s damage.

Goodra will be double healing itself with Leftovers and its ability, Hydration. It also has Rest. It can’t cover itself from Fairy-type moves. 

Alolan Raichu is weak to Bug-types; that’s an excellent way to attack it. It has the Focus Sash + Endeavor combo, which is dangerous as Goodra or Mega Sceptile can finish the job. Remember, you can counter it with Extreme Speed or Sucker Punch.

Lucario has Flash Cannon to sweep your Fairy-type. Psychic-types are good against it. 

Gastrodon has Icy Wind to cover its Grass-type weakness, but it isn’t strong; if your Grass-type is tanky, it can handle the damage.

If Turtwig

• Mega Blaziken, Lvl. 66
• Ludicolo, Lvl. 65
• Salamence, Lvl. 65
• Heliolisk, Lvl. 65
• Metagross, Lvl. 65
• Blastoise, Lvl. 66

Be careful with this Mega Blaziken, which has Thunder Punch, Close Combat, Brave Bird and Swords Dance. Fairy-types work against it.

Ludicolo will stop your Pokémon through Fake Out and use Energy Ball and Zen Headbutt to deal damage. Use a Poison-type against it.

Salamence is 4x weak to Ice-types and has no moves to get coverage. If you take Mega Blaziken out, Salamence will quickly fall. Heliolisk isn’t a problem, either. Go for Fighting-type moves. 

Metagross is weak against Fire, Ground, Dark, and Ghost-type moves. It has Zen Headbutt to cover Heliolisk’s Fighting-type weakness, so you must first take Heliolisk down.

Blastoise has Muddy Water to cover its Electric-type weakness and Fake Out and Protect as defensive moves. It is weak against Grass-type moves.

If Chimchar

• Mega Swampert, Lvl. 66
• Gyarados, Lvl. 65
• Dragapult, Lvl. 65
• Magnezone, Lvl. 65
• Toxicroak, Lvl. 65
• Alolan Exeggutor, Lvl. 66

As it’s raining, Gyarados will land all of its Thunders, while both Swampert and Gyarados have Ground-type moves to counter Ice and Electric-type weaknesses. What you can do is have a Rock-type next to a Grass-type. The Rock-type will deal with Gyarados, and the Grass-type will do the same against Swampert. Try to use fast Pokémon here.

Dragapult also has Thunder, be careful. It’s weak to Fairy and Ice-types. Magnezone has Sturdy as its ability, which means you can land an Earthquake on it. Nonetheless, you’ll have at least two turns with it in the field. It’ll try to set Electroweb, which reduces your Pokémon’s Speed.

Toxicroak has Dry Skin, so don’t use Water on it. Alolan Exeggutor is weak to Fairy and Ice-types, but there are high chances of facing Exeggutor next to Toxicroak. Go for Flying-types, then. Flying-types are good against both Pokémon!

As you win, the Level Cap will increase to Level 70. Time to face Winona!

Boss #14, Sixth Gym Badge, Winona

This is Winona’s team:

• Staraptor, Lvl. 70
• Volcarona, Lvl. 69
• Hawlucha, Lvl. 68
• Celesteela, Lvl. 69
• Sky Form Shaymin, Lvl. 68
• Mega Altaria, Lvl. 70

Staraptor is Winona’s lead, and it’s undoubtedly a beast. It has Choice Scarf and has Brave Bird, Double-Edge, Close Combat and U-turn. It is weak to Rock-type moves; that’s an excellent way to attack it, but only if you trick it into using Double-Edge or Brave Bird first.

Volcarona suffers from the same weakness as Staraptor, as it’s 4x weak to Rock-types. It has Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance, which increases its damage output and Speed; try to use Fake Out against it as it has Focus Sash.

Hawlucha is dangerous as it has Swords Dance and will get faster because of its Flying Gem + Unburden ability combo, but it can’t deal much damage to Fairy-types. Gardevoir, for example, can deal with it.

Celesteela is only weak to Fire and Electric-type moves. It has Earthquake to counter both, so it’ll be hard to take down. It also has Heavy Slam, which hits hard, as Celesteela is chunky. Changing its Status by sending it to sleep is the best option. As it’s asleep, you can start decreasing its Defense.

The best Pokémon to defend themselves from Celesteela are Fighting, Water, and Ghost-types, as none of Celesteela’s moves can seriously hurt them. If you have a Ghost-type, you can try a Destiny Bond, which is a good tactic. Curse also works well. 

Shaymin has Seed Flare, a move that can decrease your Special Defense. It also has Aromatherapy, so it’s not a good idea to do a Status Change. Flying-types are good against it. Rock-types too. Talonflame can sweep it as well.

The only way to hurt Mega Altaria is through Fairy-types, as it has Earthquake and Flamethrower. It also has Roost to heal itself.

The next Boss Battle is against your Rival again. The Level cap will increase to Level 73.

Boss #15, Your Rival At Lilycove City

Once again, your rival’s team changes depending on your starter. Here are their possible teams:

You already know how to deal with the respective Megas of your rival, so I’ll skip them this time!

If Piplup

• Garchomp, Lvl. 72
• Machamp, Lvl. 72
• Alakazam, Lvl. 72
• Melmetal, Lvl. 72
• Galarian Moltres Lvl. 73
• Mega Sceptile, Lvl. 73

Garchomp has a Yache Berry, which decreases the damage of the first Ice-type move that lands on it. It also has Earthquake, so using a Fairy-type against it is better. It’ll set Stealth Rocks, so use a Defogger afterwards.

Machamp suffers from the weakness of Garchomp as it doesn’t have a reliable way to deal with Fairy-types. It has Substitute, by the way.

Alakazam has Dazzling Gleam, so don’t try using a Dark-type. Instead, go for a Bug-type move. It has Nasty Plot, so don’t let it buff itself and take it down quickly.

Melmetal can’t cover from Fire-type moves, but it has Double Iron Bash, Ice Punch and Thunder Punch. The last two will hit harder, thanks to Iron Fist, its ability.

Galarian Moltres is weak to Fairy-types. It has Fiery Wrath, which can make your Pokémon flinch, Heat Wave and Hurricane. It also has an Iapapa Berry, which significantly heals it, and Berserk, an ability which increases its Special Attack on one stage if it gets below half of its HP.

If Turtwig

• Garchomp, Lvl. 72
• Machamp, Lvl. 72
• Weavile, Lvl. 72
• Melmetal, Lvl. 72
• Galarian Articuno, Lvl. 73
• Mega Blaziken, Lvl. 73

Weavile is known for being 4x weak to Fighting-types, so that’s what you must do.

Articuno has a Lum Berry as its held item and Recover and Calm Mind to heal and buff itself. It’ll attack with Hurricane and Freezing Glare, which has a slight chance of freezing your Pokémon. Go for Rock-type moves; they’ll be effective against it. You can avoid getting damaged with a Dark-type Pokémon.

If Piplup

• Garchomp, Lvl. 72
• Alakazam, Lvl. 72
• Weavile, Lvl. 72
• Melmetal, Lvl. 72
• Galarian Zapdos, Lvl. 73
• Mega Swampert, Lvl. 73

Zapdos has Bulk Up to buff itself, Thunderous Kick (which can paralyze), Brave Bird and Throat Chop. You can go for an Electric, Fairy, or even Flying-type move. 

Let’s continue. Here’s when you’ll get into some heavy Emerald lore, so you’ll face both Maxie and Archie soon. The Level Cap increased to Level 77.

Boss #16, Tag Battle Against Archie

For this battle at the top of Mt. Pyre, you’ll be facing Archie, but it’s a Double Battle with Chelle as your teammate.

Chelle will have Delcatty (Normal), Rhyperior (Ground/Rock), and Mega Venusaur (Poison/Grass).

This is Archie’s team:

• Rapid Strike Urshifu, Lvl. 76
• Hydreigon, Lvl. 76
• Rotom-Frost, Lvl. 75
• Dragalge, Lvl. 75
• Stakataka, Lvl. 76
• Mega Sharpedo, Lvl. 77

You must focus on supporting Chelle during this battle. Her Rhyperior has Protect, and her Venusaur has Sleep Spore and Giga Drain, giving both the upper hand against Archie.

Urshifu has Poison Jab to protect Hydreigon from Fairy-type moves, so it’s better to start with an Electric-type to take it down. Then, you can switch to a Fairy-type to take Hydreigon down while baiting Archie to use Rotom or Stakataka.

Rotom will use the Light Screen and Reflect strat, so you need a Pokémon with Brick Break to remove those walls. Fighting-types are good against it.

Dragalge is weak to Steel-types, and Stakataka is weak to Fighting-types; both don’t have reliable ways to cover their weaknesses.

Lastly, Sharpedo hits very hard and is speedy but fragile, as always. It is weak to Fairy and Fighting-types, and has Ice Fangs, Crunch, Close Combat and Waterfall.

After winning, the Level Cap will increase to Level 80, and it’s time to head to the Jagged Pass to fight against Maxie.

Boss #17, Maxie, At Magma Hideout

This is Maxie’s team: 

• Groudon, Lvl. 80
• Tangrowth, Lvl. 78
• Garchomp, Lvl. 78
• Naganadel, Lvl. 79
• Mew, Lvl. 79
• Mega Houndoom, Lvl. 80

What a bestiality of a team. Groudon has an Iapapa Berry to heal, Rock Polish to buff itself, Heat Crash, Stone Edge and Precipice Blades. It’s weak to Water, but it’ll set harsh sunlight, so use a Pokémon to set a rain to win. Blastoise can learn Rain Dance, for example, when it’s a Squirtle.

Tangrowth has Ice-type Hidden Power, Weather Ball to combine it with the harsh sunlight, and Sleep Powder. As you’ll get rid of the sunlight to replace it with rain, slap a Lum Berry on a Flying-type with Hurricane and sweep that Tangrowth!

Garchomp has Swords Dance, Earthquake, and Stone Edge—nothing to protect itself from Fairy-types. 

Naganadel is way more problematic as it has U-turn, a Bug-type move that deals much damage. It also has Flamethrower, Sludge Wave and Dragon Pulse, but it also has a Choice Scarf, so you can trick it into locking it in a move and then using a Pokémon that resists the damage and can land a Psychic-type move on it.

Mew is weak to Dark-types and has nothing to defend itself against them. It has a Lum Berry and Synchronize as its ability, so don’t bother trying to sleep or paralyze it. It also has Soft-Boiled to heal itself.

Lastly, Houndoom. To defeat this one, you must keep your Rain setter alive, as it has Solar Power, an ability that increases its Special Attack in one and a half stages. It also uses the Destiny Bond strat, so if you have a status move to spam so it runs out of PP on Destiny Bond, that’s good. Rain Dance, as an example, can work.

The Level Cap will increase to Level 82, and it’s time to head to Lilycove and face an Aqua Admin.

Boss #18, Aqua Admin Matt At The Aqua Hideout

This is Matt’s team:

• Mamoswine, Lvl. 80
• Dracovish, Lvl. 80
• Dragapult, Lvl. 81
• Kartana, Lvl. 81
• Raikou, Lvl. 82
• Mega Gyarados, Lvl. 82

Mamoswine’s objective is to set Stealth Rocks; that’s why it has a Focus Sash as its item. Bring a Pokémon with Defog for this battle. Mamoswine is weak to Fighting-types.

Dracovish only has Fishious Rend, a Water-type move that doubles its damage through Choice Scarf and Strong Jaw, Dracovish’s ability. Nonetheless, a tanky Pokemon can be enough to take it down. A fast sweeper can do the job, but only if it has Fake Out and Sucker Punch.

Dragapult has Fire Blast, so Ice isn’t an option. Dark and Fairy-types can get rid of it.

Kartana is fast, so you won’t outspeed it. Aside from Leaf Blade and Sacred Sword, it has Smart Strike, which never fails. It is 4x weak to Fire-types.

Raikou has Scald to protect from Ground-types. It’ll deal a lot of damage with it as it has a Water Gem as its Item. It also has Calm Mind, so you must take it down quickly. A good Steel-type with Earthquake can be enough to take it down.

Mega Gyarados hits very hard, but it’s weak to Bug-type moves.

The Level Cap will increase to Level 86. You must be prepared as the next Boss Battle is complicated. You’ll battle against Tate and then against Liza!

Boss #19, Seventh Gym Badge, Tate & Liza

Tate

This is Tate’s team:

• Azelf, Lvl. 84
• Mega Latios, Lvl. 85
• Zoroark, Lvl. 86
• Hoopa, Lvl. 86

Azelf has Focus Sash and will set Stealth Rocks to then use Explosion. To avoid getting damaged, use Zoroark. Hit it with a Dark-type move, and when it’s at 1 HP, use Sucker Punch, which will hit first.

Latios can’t deal with Dark-types as well, but it’ll surely kill Zoroark with a Draco Meteor, so you can either consider switching it or just let it die.

Zoroark is next. It’ll be disguised as Hoopa. You can take it down with a Bug-type move, as well as Hoopa! Mega Beedrill is suitable for the task.

Liza

This is Liza’s team:

• Tapu Lele, Lvl. 85
• Latias, Lvl. 85
• Mega Metagross, Lvl. 85
• Unbound Hoopa, Lvl. 86

A Poison-type move can get rid of Tapu Lele. For example, Mega Beedrill can learn Poison Jab. It’s perfect for the task.

Next up is Latias, which has Calm Mind and Mystical Fire (to counter Bugs). Go for a Fairy or Dragon-type move.

Mega Metagross is powerful. It has Pursuit to cover from Ghost-types, but it’s really slow, so you can freely attack it through Ghost-type moves.

Lastly, Hoopa Unbound is very weak to Bug-types and can’t do much to protect from them. Easy job.

The Level Cap will increase to Level 88. Now, head to the Space Center, where you’ll have another Tag Battle.

Boss #20, Tag Battle Against Maxie and Tabitha

Your partner will be Steven, who has Dialga, Lvl. 90, Metagross, Lvl. 89, and Mega Steelix, Lvl. 90. It’ll be in charge of dealing with Maxie and Tabitha’s team, which is the following:

• Landorus, Lvl. 88
• Heatran, Lvl. 88
• Mega Garchomp, Lvl. 89
• Mega Tyranitar, Lvl. 89
• Ferrothorn, Lvl. 88
• Moltres, Lvl. 88

For this battle, you’ll mostly need Fire-types to deal with Ferrothorn, Fighting-types to deal with Heatran, and Rock-type moves to deal with Moltres and Tyranitar. Steven will do the rest.

Help Steven by defeating Tyranitar with a good Fighting-type move, then bring in a tanky Pokémon with Rock and Ground-type moves that can resist Fire-type moves to tank damage.

Time to head to the Seafloor Cavern. It’s the last time you’ll be facing Archie.

Boss #21, Archie, On Seafloor Cavern

This is Archie’s team:

• Kyogre, Lvl. 90
• Overqwil, Lvl. 89
• Serperior, Lvl. 89
• Aegislash, Lvl. 89
• Zapdos, Lvl. 90
• Mega Swampert, Lvl. 90

Kyogre is slow until you get it to ¼ of its HP. Then, it’ll eat its Custap Berry, making it move first unless you use moves like Quick Attack, Sucker Punch or Extreme Speed. Other than that, go for an Electric-type move.

Kyogre will set a rain, so Zapdos can use it to land a Thunder on you. Ground or Rock don’t work as well, as its Weather Ball will be Water-type. Go with a fast sweeper that isn’t weak to Electric, Flying, or Water, and you’ll be good.

Overqwil is easy to take down through a Fighting-type move. Serperior has Contrary as its ability and also has Leaf Storm, so it’ll be increasing its Special Attack constantly. Use a Fire-type to handle the damage and take it down.

Aegislash is weak to Ghost-type moves, a Pokémon like Dragapult can quickly eliminate it. Mega Swampert can deal with Grass-types through Ice Punch, but it’ll not be enough to kill a good Grass-type. Go for it.

Now, you can head to Sootopolis to face Juan. The Level Cap increased to Level 92.

Boss #22, Last Gym Badge, Juan

You’ll have a double battle against Juan, and this is his team:

• Sneasler, Lvl. 91
• Mega Glalie, Lvl. 93
• Keldeo, Lvl. 92
• Salamence, Lvl. 91
• Basculegion, Lvl. 92
• Glastrier, Lvl. 92

For this battle, you’ll need Ghost-types, which can deny damage from Sneasler and can hurt Basculegion. Dragon-types are helpful too, and lastly, Fighting and Grass-types will be good to have here.

Sneasler and Glalie will open the battle. Use a Fighting-type against Glalie, and use something like Fake Out on Sneasler. It is weak to Ground-type moves, but you can take it down with almost any decent move.

Salamence can do much if you let it, so focus on taking it down. Dragapult, which is also a Ghost-type, is good for this task. It’ll also deal with Basculegion perfectly, but if you don’t have it available, you can use a Grass-type against it. Keldeo is weak to Grass-types as well! Lastly, Glastrier is weak to Fighting-type moves.

After beating Juan, you’ll have to head to Victory Road. There, you’ll face Wally. The Level Cap is set at Level 95.

Wally

Wally’s not a Boss, but that’s not a problem; I’ll cover him as well, as his battle is complicated. This is his team:

• Vikavolt, Lvl. 94
• Roserade, Lvl. 94
• Azumarill, Lvl. 94
• Genesect, Lvl. 95
• Obstagoon, Lvl. 95
• Mega Gardevoir, Lvl. 95

The battle starts with Vikavolt, which only mission is to set up a Sticky Web. It’s easy to take down with a strong attack. Roserade suffers from the same issue as its Defenses are poor. You’ll be good if you try to attack these two with fast Sweepers.

As for Azumarill, you should go for a Poison-type move. It has Belly Drum and Aqua Jet, so it’ll hit first and hard. You can use Extreme Speed to outspeed it, as Sucker Punch won’t work in this case.

Genesect has Explosion, Flash Cannon, Bug Buzz, and Flamethrower. Its typing makes it only vulnerable to Fire-type moves, which is an excellent way to attack it. You can also go for a strong attack, but be aware of the type effectiveness of its moves.

A Bug or Fighting-type will also be good to take Obstagoon down. Lastly, Gardevoir is vulnerable to Poison-type moves. That’s the way to attack it.

Time to take on the last formal Boss of the game, Winstrate Vito.

Last Boss, Winstrate Vito, at Victory Road

This is Vito’s team:

• Indeedee, Lvl. 96
• Aggron, Lvl. 95
• Pheromosa, Lvl. 96
• Cloyster, Lvl. 95
• Hawlucha, Lvl. 95
• Mega Alakazam, Lvl. 97

Indeedee will set a Psychic Terrain, then will attack. Dark-types work wonders against it, as well as Bug-types. You’ll need them for Mega Alakazam as well.

Aggron has Sturdy and can set Stealth Rocks. Ground and Fighting-type moves seriously hurt it. Pheromosa has Ice Beam, so it’s better to attack it through Fire-type moves. It’s swift, but it’s fragile.

Cloyster has a Focus Sash and can also do Explosion if threatened. Try with a good attacker with neutral moves to chip it down until you know you’ll sweep it. Fake Out + any strong move can do the job.

Hawlucha is weak to Electric-type moves, so that’s the best way to take it down. It has Swords Dance, and it’s fast, so be fast on taking it down.

Now, the Level Cap is officially at Level 100! Time to take on the Pokémon League.

The League

The Pokémon League is unique; you can choose if you have a single or double battle against the Elite Four. Their teams and strategy change depending on the battle type, so bring on Pokémon you know will excel against the last five battles of your journey.

Your team has to be balanced and with a clear strategy. You’ll usually want fast sweepers who can learn Fake Out or Sucker Punch and have strong attacks. Fighting, Dark, Bug, Fire, and Dragon-types are good at this point of the adventure. Of course, these lads have to have a good moveset so you can have an excellent response to deal with any threat you’ll find.

With that out of the way, I’ll show you the teams and give you some tips on how to beat them.

Sidney

Solos

• Greninja, Lvl. 99
• Necrozma, Lvl. 99
• Nidoking, Lvl. 99
• Urshifu, Lvl. 100
• Yveltal, Lvl. 100
• Mega Gyarados, Lvl. 100

Be aware of Greninja’s Toxic Spikes and Necrozma’s Stealth Rocks for this battle. Fake Out + Strong move works wonders here! Also, Yveltal has Oblivion Wing and Roost, so it’ll be constantly healing. You should try to poison it if things go badly.

Doubles

• Incineroar, Lvl. 99
• Galarian Articuno, Lvl. 99
• Overqwil, Lvl. 99
• Urshifu, Lvl. 100
• Darkrai, Lvl. 100
• Mega Gyarados, Lvl. 100

Mega Gyarados has Icy Wind. Incineroar has Fake Out and Knock Off, and Galarian Articuno has Hypnosis. They don’t have any joint strategy or something like that, so choose wisely, and you’ll win.

Phoebe

Solos

• Crobat, Lvl. 99
• Hisuian Zoroark, Lvl. 100
• Gothitelle, Lvl. 99
• Lunala, Lvl. 100
• Marshadow, Lvl. 100
• Mega Gengar, Lvl. 100

Mega Gengar has Destiny Bond, so you know what to do. Bait it into spamming Destiny Bond until it runs out of PP. It has 8 PP. Marshadow has Bulk Up and Knock Off, so be careful.

Gothitelle and Gengar have Shadow Tag as their ability, so you won’t be able to switch if they are on the field. Gengar also has Destiny Bond; be careful with that.

Doubles

• Hisuian Decidueye, Lvl. 100
• Chandelure, Lvl. 100
• Blastoise, Lvl. 100
• Lunala, Lvl. 100
• Origin Giratina, Lvl. 100
• Mega Gengar, Lvl. 100

Blastoise has a reason to be here, as it has Follow Me. Whether you aim to hit Chandelure or Decidueye, you’ll land the hit on Blastoise, so it’s obvious you must focus on it. You can also get some time by Fake Outing it. 

Giratina has Poltergeist, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Sneak and Flamethrower, and Lunala has Moongeist Beam, Meteor Beam, Dazzling Gleam and Tailwind.

Glacia

Solos

• Mamoswine, Lvl. 100
• Mega Abomasnow, Lvl. 100
• Arctovish, Lvl. 100
• Therian Forme Enamorus, Lvl. 99
• White Kyurem, Lvl. 100
• Ice Calyrex, Lvl. 100

Mamoswine will set Stealth Rocks. It has Focus Sash, so a Fake Out + Fighting-type move will take it down. Mega Abomasnow has Aurora Veil, so you must take it down quickly, or else you’ll be doing just half of your damage. Abomasnow will also set a hail, so it’s ideal to have a Pokémon to set any other weather effect, as Arctovish benefits from it.

Enamorus has Rest and Calm Mind, but you can take it down with a strong Rock or Electric-type move. Kyurem hits very hard, but it’s relatively slow. A strong Dragon-type that can outspeed it will take it down.

Calyrex-Ice has Swords Dance, but nothing to worry about; go for Ground-type moves against it.

Doubles

• Magearna, Lvl. 100
• Crabominable, Lvl. 100
• Mega Abomasnow, Lvl. 100
• Porygon2, Lvl. 99
• Ice Calyrex, Lvl. 100
• Black Kyurem, Lvl. 100

Glacia’s tactic in Doubles is to set up a Trick Room. Hence why most of her Pokémon are slow, knowing this, focus on taking Magearna down. Don’t even try to defeat Crabominable; focus on Magearna. It’ll be very dangerous otherwise. Ground and Fire-types (it has an Occa Berry, so Fire won’t do much in the first turn) will be good against it.

With the Trick Room out of the way, you can easily take the rest of her Pokémon down by outspeeding them.

Drake

From now on, all the Pokémon you’ll face are at Level 100.

Solos

• Dragapult
• Crawdaunt
• Zygarde
• Suicune
• Reshiram
• Mega Salamence

Dragapult’s Dragon Darts are really strong. But Dragapult is easy to take down; you only need a Pokémon with Fake Out and Sucker Punch in your team. Sneasler is a good option for all of this League. First turn, use Fake Out. Second turn, go for Sucker Punch.

Crawdaunt has a Focus Sash, and Reshiram has a Lum Berry. Suicune has Leftovers. Zygarde can buff itself via Coil, while Suicune has Substitute and Calm Mind. Lastly, Salamence has Roost to heal itself.

You can sweep most of Drake’s team through a fast and reliable Dragon-type like the same Dragapult. None of them has a good way to hurt it seriously, but it’ll need some help towards the end of the match.

Salamence or Dragonite can also do the job but try to use fast Pokémon and a good Fake Out + Attack combo.

Doubles

• Dragapult
• Suicune
• Zygarde
• Charizard
• Zekrom
• Mega Salamence

Drake’s tactic here is to set both a Light Screen and a Reflect with Dragapult while buffing Suicune with Calm Mind and making them faster with Tailwind. To counter this, go for a Fake Out + a Dark-type move (I don’t recommend Sucker Punch as it can fail) to take Dragapult down. After that, the rest of the battle can be a stroll in the park.

Wallace

The final battle. Are you ready? This is Wallace’s team:

• Primal Kyogre
• Barraskewda
• Hisuian Goodra
• Palkia
• Manaphy
• Mega Swampert

Wallace opens the battle with Primal Kyogre, which sets a Heavy Rain that makes Fire-type moves fail, and you can’t change it to any other weather. Do you have a Thunder user? Use it against it!

Barraskewda only has a Choice Band and Liquidation and Flip Turn as damaging moves. If you lock it into using Liquidation, you can easily take it down with Electric-type moves.

Hisuian Goodra will use Curse to buff itself, then can attack with Heavy Slam and Aqua Tail. Fighting-types can seriously hurt it.

Palkia has Scope Lens, so it can land Crit Hits on your Pokémon. Its moveset is Draco Meteor, Hydro Pump, Earth Power and Focus Energy. Focus Energy will make it prone to land Crits on you. It’s obvious you must use a Fairy-type against it.

Manaphy is easy to take down as it’s pretty weak. It has Hydration as its ability, so you can’t burn or poison it, and it has Scald, Energy Ball, Ice Beam and Tail Glow, which drastically increases its Special Attack, making it a dangerous threat. I would recommend a Fake Out + damaging combo.

Mega Swampert has pretty much what any other Mega Swampert has: Earthquake, Liquidation, Stone Edge, and Ice Punch. This one can’t have a Rindo Berry, so Grass-type moves, even if has Ice Punch, will do a lot against it.

FAQs

Pokemon Run and Bun Guide: Conclusion

And that’s it! Congrats on beating one of the hardest Pokémon games of all time! For me, it was a nightmare, easily compared to other kaizo-like games like Pokémon Radical Red or Pokémon Emerald Kaizo, but this one has a lot more enjoyable things, like the EV removal and the wide variety of Pokémon at hand.

In my opinion, this game is unfairly balanced; you can beat it if you have enough competitive knowledge; it’s not something to argue about.

I hope you enjoyed it a bit more than me, as I suffered through it, and you feel rewarded for beating such bestiality of a game.