Haunted BadgeHaunted BadgeChapter 29Chapter 29

Chapter 29 — Haunted Badge

Crescent Gym

You've headed back home with your parents and had a good rest after the events that had just happened. Now, however, it is once again time for another Gym match. Fly to Crescent Town. Remember the area of water previously blocked off by barrels? Well, you are now able to surf into the sunken ship to enter the Gym. Crescent Gym specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon, which is another type after Dragon to be weak to their own attacks, but with the high levels of Pokémon and the extreme damage output of attacks here, bringing your own Ghosts may backfire. Dark-type Pokémon may give you a better chance of victory.

Inside the Gym, you will find various tables, chairs, and other furniture stuck to the walls and ceiling. As it turns out, this is part of the Gym's puzzle. The first trainer you will have to battle is Pirate Smitty. After defeating him, step up the green panel with an arrow on it. You have entered the first control room. Click on the control panel, and it is revealed that the whole Gym is actually a giant folding cube! Move the pieces such that the red panels with arrows on the line up with another such panel, allowing travel between these sides. Once you have solved the puzzle such that it allows access to the other control room, exit the control panel and make your way there — but you'll have to get past Pirate Mary first. In the second control room, switch two of the pieces around in order to gain access to the treasure room. One more battle with Pirate Peterson awaits you before you can face the Gym Leader.

VS Captain B.

When you approach the skeleton in the treasure room, the skeleton's chair will suddenly get up and spin around turning into Captain B. After some slight conversation the real battle begins. Captain B. has a full team of Pokémon above Lv. 80 with her final Pokémon ready to Mega Evolve, which at this point is nothing new. However, she is also the first trainer that you've come across whose Pokémon hold competitive battling items, making these Pokémon even more dangerous. Her Gengar holds a Focus Sash, meaning that it cannot be defeated in one hit unless a multi-strike move is used such as Beat Up, while it possesses Destiny Bond to take down whoever the attacker is along with itself. This move will be used once its health is brought down to red so switch out to avoid getting one of your team members killed. Next up is Decidueye, which is the first Pokémon in your journey to have a Hidden Ability! The Life Orb held by it boosts the damage output, but sacrifices a bit of its health per attack. Spritomb is sent out next. Spritomb is one of the most devastating Pokémon in the match due to its Rest and Sleep Talk combo made worse by it holding Leftovers. Players will have to take out this Pokémon as soon as possible, preferably with Fairy-type moves as that is its only weakness. Here comes Mismagius who has many powerful moves and also holds a Life Orb to strengthen its attacks. Aegislash has one of the best move-sets, able to set up with Swords Dance, block with King's Shield, and attack with Shadow Claw or Sacred Sword. You have to be careful in predicting when King's Shield is used, while also try to take Aegislash down in one hit or else the Weakness Policy it possesses will greatly boost its Attack. The final Pokémon of Captain B.'s party — Mega Sableye, does not try to straight up attack the your Pokémon, but instead will slowly weaken them by using Will-O-Wisp or Toxic to either burn or poison the player's Pokémon. Even if the player manages to severely damage Sableye, it can recover and immediately gain most of its health back. Take it out quickly with a Fairy-type move.

Once you have beaten Captain B., you will be awarded the Haunted Badge as well as TM65 Shadow Claw.

Lumberjack Warehouse

Remember the Lumberjack Boss from before who told you to return once you have all eight Gym Badges? Well, now you can do just that. Go back to the Warehouse on Route 7, but don't forget to heal your Pokémon first! Talk to the Boss, and he will challenge you to a battle! Are you ready for yet another difficult battle after Captain B.?

VS Josh

Just like Captain B., Josh brings a full Pokémon team with almost every one holding battling items and his last Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving.

The first Pokémon that will be sent out is Forretress. Beware of the move Explosion that will deal a lot of damage! However, it is very weak to Fire-type moves, so use that. Take Forretress out as soon as possible — it can set up all sorts of entry hazards, making your battle significantly more difficult by poisoning or damaging all of your party members, unless you have Pokémon with Ability Magic Bounce to reflect the entry hazards, or with the attacks Rapid Spin / Defog to clear them. Bisharp can set up with Swords Dance, and when combined with boosted damage output from Life Orb, will make it very difficult to deal with, so it should be taken out quickly with a Fighting-type attack. Pinsir can counter Flying-type Pokémon with Stone Edge and Rock-type Pokémon with Earthquake, while both attacks cover its weakness to Fire-type Pokémon as well. Should your Pokémon faint, its Ability Moxie will boost its Physical Attack! Haxorus's Mold Breaker will prevent any of your Pokémon's Abilities from taking effect. Fairy-type Pokémon should also be wary of the move Poison Jab. Fighting, Grass, or Electric-type moves can be used to deal with Bibarel. Finally, there is Mega Scizor, which can set up with Swords Dance and recover with Roost. Using a Fire-type Pokémon is the best choice against it.

Once you have defeated Josh, you will be awarded a GS Ball that he had found on Route 9. Go to the shrine on that route and the GS Ball will start reacting, triggering another Roaming Pokémon encounter...