Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Competitive Battling!
Most players who play very well in competitive battling usually read a lot of guides before they actually play the game. So, I’ve decided to make my own guide that teaches everything you need to know about battling competitively before and after you touch the game, build a team or train your Pokemon. I made this guide by many past experiences against other players (mostly from smogon), my own theory which worked, and many more. So, read it!
Techniques to Practice
In many battles, you’ll be using the following techniques. These techniques might be the ones that can determine victory or defeat, can get you out of tight situations as well as helping you to handle certain Pokmon.
Prediction
Oh, this is so very important. Without prediction, you can lose a game easily and look like a fallen orange. Now, what does “prediction” have to do with battling competitively? Let’s separate them and look at what prediction helps with.
a) Helps with switch in and out of Pokemon, both yours and your opponents’.
Using simple predictions, you can always do a lot of harm to your opponent and bring him or her into panic status. But, how? Well, here’s an example. You are currently using Jolteon with HP [Ice] while your opponent has a Skarmory at 11% HP. Most people would go using Thunderbolt as a disposal. But, Skarmory predicted the Thunderbolt and..:-
Example Battle Log Wrote:
Opponent withdrew Skarmory!
Opponent sent out Hippowdon!
[Twi] ArmaldoEX’s Jolteon used Thunderbolt!
It doesn’t effect Hippowdon!
From here, Skarmory managed to not only switch out from a KO, but nullify a turn of Jolteon’s nasty Thunderbolt+STAB, and maybe even got a boost from Choice Specs. Now, Jolteon wants to HP [Ice] Hippowdon, but obviously, Hippowdon doesn’t know what’s coming next from Jolteon. So, what does Hippowdon do?
Example Battle Log Wrote:
Opponent’s Hippowdon used Protect!
[Twi] ArmaldoEX’s Jolteon used Hidden Power!
Hippowdon protected itself!
With this, Hippowdon can expect a Hidden Power that is effective against it. So, for you, using another Thunderbolt will be useless while another Hidden Power [Ice] would usually be absorbed once Hippowdon switches into a Special Wall. So, switching into Medicham can give an advantage over the switch in of a Special Wall. However, Hippowdon predicted the switch in of a Physical Sweeper, so, it uses Earthquake instead.
Example Battle Log Wrote:
[Twi] ArmaldoEX withdrew Jolteon!
[Twi] ArmaldoEX sent out Medicham!
Opponent’s Hippowdon used Earthquake!
65% damage!
Hippowdon left a dent on Medicham. Now, see how prediction helps with switch ins and outs? By predicting correctly, the opponent managed to leave a big dent on Medicham while taking no damage at all. =]
b) Stalling for Damage.
Yup. We can say that leaving status ailments on the opponent can do a lot of damage when we predict correctly. I shall use Toxic as the example.
So, your Crobat just used Toxic-ed a Rhyperior that switched in. Apparently, you don’t have any Pokemon that can do major damage to Rhyperior packing Expert Belt. You’ve only got a Forretress with no Gyro Ball or Explosion. So, here’s what happened.
Example Battle Log Wrote:
[Twi] ArmaldoEX withdrew Crobat!
[Twi] ArmaldoEX sent out Forretress!
Opponent’s Rhyperior used Stone Edge!
10% Damage!
End of turn!
Rhyperior is hurt by poison!
6% damage!
Forretress’s Leftovers restored its HP a little!
Since Forretress can easily absorb almost any Physical Attack, making a smart switch from Crobat to Forretress managed to make one turn quite wasteful. Rhyperior barely touches Forretress but gets 6% damage back in the face. Now, Rhyperior estimates that Earthquake can do a lot of damage to Forretress with the boost from STAB and Expert Belt. However, with prediction…
Example Battle Log Wrote:
[Twi] ArmaldoEX withdrew Forretress!
[Twi] ArmaldoEX sent out Crobat!
Opponent’s Rhyperior used Earthquake!
It had no effect…
End of turn!
Rhyperior is hurt by poison!
10% damage!
By switching Forretress out and sending Crobat in, an Earthquake was avoided, and another 10% damage is inflicted by poison. So, here’s the next thing, your opponent suspects Forretress coming in, so it doesn’t use Stone Edge, it uses Earthquake instead, and what happens?
Example Battle Log Wrote:
[Twi] ArmaldoEX’s Crobat used Confuse Ray!
Opponent’s Rhyperior is confused!
Opponent’s Rhyperior hurt itself in its confusion!
15% damage!
End of turn!
Opponent’s Rhyperior is hurt by poison!
14% damage!
Crobat has, what I like to call, counter-predict Rhyperior. It had predicted an Earthquake coming and used Confuse Ray to make Rhyperior’s chances of attacking lower and might cause damage. In three turns, Crobat and Forretress managed to damage Rhyperior by 45% of its HP, which is almost half of its total HP, and this is just by simply predicting the opponent’s moves and acting accordingly.
Note
Now, you must be thinking. Why did Crobat wait for two turns until it used Confuse Ray? Couldn’t it just use Confuse Ray at the start and cause damage? Well, there is almost something called “psychology” in the game. Like for example, if you keep repeating the same move during switch ins (like having Jolteon use HP [Ice] when Dragonite switches out and Thunderbolt when Starmie switches out. From here, Jolteon can just use HP [Ice] twice, which is when Dragonite is switching in). By switching Crobat out when a Stone Edge is predicted and Forretress when Earthquake is predicted, and then using Confuse Ray is a smart way to trick the opponent and then stall more time for damage from Toxic.
Notes on Predicting
When you are predicting a move from your opponent, you should find out the worst-case scenario that will be the outcome of your move. Let's say it's my Salamence against Machamp with Guts and Life Orb. My Salamence is currently packing HP [Flying], Stone Edge, Dragon Dance and EQ with Leftovers while I found out my opponent's last two Pokemon are Donphan and Swampert. I also have a Skarmory.
So, Salamence can continue to use Dragon Dance while Machamp can go on using Cross Chop and it'll hurt me, but not too much. But what if Machamp is packing Stone Edge? Do I switch out to Skarmory? But what if my opponent switches out to Swampert which can usually 2HKO Skarm with Surf? But if Salamence stays in and Dragon Dances, Swampert or Donphan can come in and Roar them away, or possibly OHKO me with Stone Edge or Ice Beam/Avalanche.
So what does this tell you? Always expect the unexpected, expect the worst that can happen if a move was done. However, this technique is most effective when you're opponent's Pokemon has been scouted and are in limited numbers (3 or less).
Common Sense
Common Sense is in everyone, but how you use it matters. Like for example, would you keep a Special Sweeper when Blissey is in? It is common sense that tells you to switch to a Physical Sweeper to demolish Blissey. Nothing much to say here, but you should really check out other examples on common sense in competitive battling. It helps, a lot.
Technique to use Moves effectively
In competitive battling, there are certain moves that needs a “technique” to be used to its full potential. So, here it goes, starting off with moves.
Moves
Almost all moves can work effectively if used correctly. Most stat up moves and offensive moves are the easiest to pull off especially when the Pokemon is a threat to the one that switched in. The other ways are by inflicting status ailments. Inflicting Burn on Gyarados, Thunder Wave on Salamence and Spore on almost anything (except Sleep Talk Heracross and Restalkers) can force them to switch out, which is when you can execute your move. I personally like using Dragon Dance, and I decided to use it as an example.
Explaination to Friend about DD with Elaboration and Extra Notes Wrote:
Most DD-ers are quite fragile, like how Salamence is to Ice and how Thunderbolt shoots Gyarados down like an orange. So, how do you use DD effectively? Well, the most efficient way to use DD, IMO, is by switching the Pokemon into something that will switch out. Like if you switch a Gyarados into a Sceptile without SubSeed or HP [Electric], Sceptile will definitely switch out, which is the time where you can pull off a Dragon Dance and continue to sweep. =] This method works for almost any stat up moves such as Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, but DD increases both Speed and Attack, which is certainly an additional plus.
Some Sayings and Theories that can be used in Competitive Battling
So, there really are some sayings/theories that can be used in competitive battling. All of them is from the Thirty-Six Strategems, which is a book which has 36 famous Chinese proverbs about war. However, I’ve transferred some of those theories into facts.
Strategy 3 : Kill with a Borrowed Knife
Meaning
Attack using the strength of another (in a situation where using one's own strength is not favourable). Trick an ally into attacking him, bribe an official to turn traitor, or use the enemy's own strength against him.
This is the third strategy of the Thirty-Six. Killing with a borrowed knife must sound VERY irrelevant to battling, but it does help. Like let’s say, you predicted a Toxic coming from Blissey, but you switched into a Lum Berry-ed Umbreon. By doing this, Synchronize has made Blissey poison, and curing yourself from Toxic, and it wasn’t your attack. However, it was your opponents. Some of others are also like switching Salamence into a Skarmory. If Skarmory thought that it was an Elemence, it would switch out, which is where EQ or Dragon Claw comes in and might OHKO or leave a dent on something. Again, it was your opponent’s move, not yours.
Strategy 5 : Loot a house on fire
Meaning
When a country is beset by internal conflicts, when disease and famine ravage the population, when corruption and crime are rampant, then it will be unable to deal with an outside threat. This is the time to attack.
Nope, no countries involved. It simply means that when you have an opportunity, use it to your advantage. This can be like when your opponents’ Pokemon is burned, let’s say a DD-mence. Since its attack is halved, why not use offensive moves? This can be in any other situations, find them out.
Strategy 7 : Make something from nothing
Meaning
A plain lie. Make somebody believe that there was something, but in fact there was nothing.
Here’s an example battle log to show an example. I’m using Lapras and my opponent uses a Pokemon weak to Physical moves, such as Gengar for example.
Example Battle Log Wrote:
[Twi] ArmaldoEX’s Lapras used Dragon Dance!
Lapras’s Attack rised!
Lapras’s Speed rised!
Opponent’s Gengar used Hypnosis!
The attack of foe’s Gengar missed!
From here, let’s say Lapras managed to outspeed Gengar. Gengar is of course afraid, a simple Physical attack might OHKO Gengar. So, it switches to Skarmory. Well, big mistake!
Example Battle Log Wrote:
Opponent withdrew Gengar!
Opponent sent out Skarmory!
[Twi] ArmaldoEX’s Lapras used Thunderbolt!
It’s super effective!
59% damage!
Now, by using Dragon Dance, it made Gengar think it was “something”, which in this case, was a Physical Attack. By switching to Skarmory, because the opponent thought there was “something”, it had a huge dent on it with Thunderbolt. Because, Lapras used DD to make look like “something”, which again, is a Physical move, when in the end “nothing” happened (which means it wasn’t related to a Special Move).
Strategy 12 : Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat
Meaning
While carrying out your plans be flexible enough to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, however small, and avail yourself of any profit, however slight.
This means that if you get a chance, even a small one, use it. Like, if you just so happened to switch a Donphan into a Skarmory that was switching in as well, use the oppurtunity to use Stealth Rock. If it Whirlwinds, your Stealth Rock priority is first, which means Whirlwind is a waste. Donphan is beasty in Defense, so Drill Peck won’t even scratch Donphan. Using Spikes still allows Donphan to Rapid Spin it away.
Strategy 20 : Catch a Fish while the water is disturbed
Meaning
Create confusion and use this confusion to further your own goals.
One of the easiest examples is by using Confuse Ray and Thunder Wave then act accordingly. Nothing much, but it can still be taken into a count.
Strategy 22 : Shut the door to catch the thief
Meaning
If you have the chance to completely capture the enemy then you should do so thereby bringing the battle or war to a quick and lasting conclusion. To allow your enemy to escape plants the seeds for future conflict. But if they succeed in escaping, be wary of giving chase.
Dugtrio-Blissey. Bring in a Special Sweeper, and on the switch to Blissey, bring Duggy in and start to bring Blissey down. Easy example.
Closing Words
I definitely hope this guide helps in more ways than one. It might prove useful to anybody, veterans and beginners. I have no idea how much it will help though. If there is anything, feel free to drop a questions here or ask me personally.
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