The deal at the Gyms.

[BugCatcher6]

Just had to ask since the Gyms have been really slow lately.

Are people waiting for the Shiny Badges to be released? Or maybe the Gym Leaders scare?

[S Tailor]

im busy and still need a strong team so im not trying yet.(noooooooooooo to many exams nooooo) i would try if i didnt have so many exams

[SharinganGirl176]

I'm battling belnumcree right now:D

[timmyeatsfood]

i'm thinking about challenging the gyms soon, but my whole team isn't bred by me, and i'm debating whether or not to spend more time breeding to go for the shiny badges, or just go for the regular badges.
meh. i'll prolly just go for the regular badges.

[S Tailor]

yeah just saw you in battle. are the leaders hard?

[BugCatcher6]

I suggest dropping out of school. The Gym Leaders are getting bored he-he.

No seriously I have like 1 member in my request pool. So maybe if the Gyms are slow I could shut down for a bit and work on some new teammates. I am really falling behind with my new Gym team and farm events.

[S Tailor]

im falling behind with my team and once these exams are done i can relax all year until september

[joinred1127]

The only reason I haven't battled any gyms yet is that I'm going to wait for the summer to come, when I have more free time, and breed my own team. Then in the summer I can leisurely go about and battle the gyms and earn the shiny badges too. I'm way too chock full of other activities to do this now, so alas I will be forced to wait until summer.

only 3 months until my summer break whoooh! :lol:

[BugCatcher6]

The only reason I haven't battled any gyms yet is that I'm going to wait for the summer to come, when I have more free time, and breed my own team. Then in the summer I can leisurely go about and battle the gyms and earn the shiny badges too. I'm way too chock full of other activities to do this now, so alas I will be forced to wait until summer.

only 3 months until my summer break whoooh! :lol:


You would spend all summer playing video games?

I am thinking this summer I will take a sabbatical.

[S Tailor]

i spend my summer playing video games because the wether here sucks

[joinred1127]

You would spend all summer playing video games?

I am thinking this summer I will take a sabbatical.
No of course not Buzz; I'm a teenage boy, I'll spend most of my summer looking for girls :lol:

But I have to have down time sometime and during that time I'm going to breed my own awesome team.

[BugCatcher6]

Man I hope when summer roles around I hope to have my knee completely back in shape and be playing Softball, Basketball, Fishing, or anything outside. Camping is this years thing to do, but with a new baby on the way I don't know if that is doable. Zoos, Museums, Aquariums, and Parks are this summers goals. My wife has never been to the ocean and I keep promising we will get there. This summer I am making it happen.

I know this stuff is not 100% on topic, but it is reasons why you have not battled yet, so I declare it on topic and a ranting thread now he-he.

[S Tailor]

by the sounds of it, your summers are great. obviously you have not been to london in the summer. either its raining or its schorching. thats why i play video games all summer

[joinred1127]

Wow Buzz, your wife has never been to the ocean! Which ocean are you thinking of taking her to? Since you live in Pennsylvania, I suggest driving to the state directly south of you (Delaware) and going to the beaches there! (specifically my location!)

Back on topic:
I go to a private school, so we get off of school a whole month before all the other public schools in the area; I'll have plenty of time this summer to create a team to rival the gym leaders here. he-he!

[Master]

I am really waiting for the shiny badges. It is become kinda boring around here. I might get into farming, but have no idea how how to really get started.

[nana nettie]

I don't challenge, because I'm better at baking brownies :)

Well, if I make it through the Breeders & Battlers progam, then maybe I'll know more and challenge :)

[cisco]

The only badge I need i from W.C.N. The reason I haven't challanged him yet is becase im training a very important(Shiny Dragonite! With awesome nature! WOOT!!!)pkmn. Anyway as soon as im done ill battle him

[BugCatcher6]

Wow Buzz, your wife has never been to the ocean! Which ocean are you thinking of taking her to? Since you live in Pennsylvania, I suggest driving to the state directly south of you (Delaware) and going to the beaches there! (specifically my location!)

Back on topic:
I go to a private school, so we get off of school a whole month before all the other public schools in the area; I'll have plenty of time this summer to create a team to rival the gym leaders here. he-he!

Oh I like the beaches in Delaware. Wait is Bethany Beach in Delaware or Maryland? I also use to go to Virgina Beach every year as a kid, to touristy now. I like The Outer Banks also. Rehobeth is awesome. Ocean City is great. The beaches in Florida are awesome. I have been to alot on the East Coast. One of these days I will make it farther west. My goal is a Fly Fishing trip to Montana. A trip to Wrigley Field. Camping in Yellow Stone.

Oh I love camping and hiking. Not sure how much hiking I can do anymore.

[joinred1127]

Yes, Bethany Beach is in Delaware. Actually, Bethany Beach is right next to my location, Ocean View is the town next the Bethany. Wow, I could have seen you on the Bethany boardwalk and never have known…

[BugCatcher6]

Yes, Bethany Beach is in Delaware. Actually, Bethany Beach is right next to my location, Ocean View is the town next the Bethany. Wow, I could have seen you on the Bethany boardwalk and never have known…

Bethany is awesome. I can't remember if it is Bethany Beach or Ocean City that has a Philip's. Best seafood ever.

Why do I feel that we are the only interested in talking about the outdoors?

This thread is discuss reasons you are not challenging the Gyms, discussing any reason, be it summer activity or just don't wanna, it is all o.k.

[Deltoid]

I dont think Im a good enough battler to challenge the gyms
I used my team of lvl 100s that I used through the game and got destroyed by my friend who had only just beaten the elite four!
I wouldnt last 2 seconds against the gym leaders

[Bobreeder]

I am waiting for the shiny badges, and my team isn't completely finished anyway, will maybe challenge a gym or two in a week or 2...

[Master]

People should try to challange the gym leaders, even if you think your team stinks. You won't know how good you will be untill you try.

[joinred1127]

Bethany is awesome. I can't remember if it is Bethany Beach or Ocean City that has a Philip's. Best seafood ever.
O_o Philip's (located in Ocean City) has the worst seafood ever!

If you want good seafood you should go The Blue Coast (located on route 1 between Bethany and Dewey), Northeast Seafood (located on route 26 in Ocean View), or The Big Fish Grill (located on route 1 in Rehoboth). The first two are good for you and your wife and the last one is good for your son. Be aware though, The Big Fish Grill's food is so good that there is a long line outside of that place, every night, for an hour before it opens (it opens at 4 o'clock)


do I feel that we are the only interested in talking about the outdoors?
Hey, it's their loss; we both can talk about the best summer location in the world. XD

[Babael]

This summer I'm hoping to go on a week long fishing trip with my grandpa, hehe. It has been really slow, I've actually got more than enough time to re-breed my competitive teams, and add one more, so I'll have 3 soon. *goes back to IV breeding*

[Jhamin]

`My experience battling the Gyms is that I either go 0-1 or go 0-5 depending on the leader.

I got one badge my first try.
I got one badge on my third try (and just barely won)
I don't really count one badge as Steve was out and out saying he wasn't even trying.

The other gyms have thrashed me pretty soundly. If I get close to the win, I will make adjustments and come back in a week. If I get thrashed, I will be absent for a while. It isn't that I don't think I can win, it's that I don't want to be the guy who looses 5 times before he wins. (The gym leaders seem to make a point of saying there is no reason you can't win on your second or third try). When I get whupped, I don't come back until I feel my team has made real improvements. I know I'm not setting any records for the speed at which I am gathering the badges, but I am enjoying the experience.

Given that I have a job, a wife, friends, and so on, I'm lucky to get one team member trained up a week. I just rechallanged Bugcatcher after a 3 month absence, and don't feel up to going after WCN yet. (So I'm kind of bummed he is giving up his gym)


When you have the best battlers on the site with finely honed teams, it isn't suprising that people eventually start giving them a wide berth. :)

[BugCatcher6]

I know the answer to who is the best Gym Leader. I think we all agree that WestCoastNinja is great. I was just curious what people thought about each Gym and it's Leader?

I mean besides the details of Pokemon and such.

I'll give you an example. I just battled cisco the other day. I won our first battle so this was a rechallenge. He made a switch early in the battle that I though 100% my team was done, but I figured out a small trick to use and regain the lead. His last Pokemon I knew if I did not do something status wise, he would run straight threw my team, well he used a setup move and I got my status move off, but dang he had Lum Berry. I knew my team was done, but I had one shot to turn the tide back to my side. Well my one shot had a 30% chance to work and it did not. So I lose 0-1. The next battle came down to almost the exact same thing, but this time my long shot 30% ability effect hit and I came back, but not enough to win.

What does that mean, well cisco's win, even though the move had a 30% chance to hit, cisco had a 50/50 chance of winning. If it hit I win, if it didn't he won.

So I know some Gym Leaders are good at setting up and some are just nasty. I on the other hand like to think that I am pretty good at coming back when I am down.

Also I would like to ask the other Gym Leaders a question. I don't mean to cause a problem. I would just like to know how your team is setup tier wise?

Like my is 2 OU, 3 BL, and 1 UU or is it 2 OU, 2 BL, and 2 UU? It all depends on the site he-he.

But with that said and asked, I believe I am now able to upgrade to a few more OU Pokemon.

[Babael]

Most of my team are in the OU tier, except for Tasty Tai. I think she's considered Bl on most sites, but OU here.

[Master]

In some gym teams it is hard to use OU. But I think you should use as many as you can, but you might say "everyone uses that, how about more variety?" I don't really care how much a pkmn is used. If it can help me win, it can help me win.

[BugCatcher6]

I have to upgrade my Gym just to stay competitive anymore. Almost all challenger have 6 OU Pokemon in their team. Very few use anything considered weak, even if they fit a need.

[Master]

You could really use some good OU with your typing.

[BugCatcher6]

You could really use some good OU with your typing.

Yeah I know of some major upgrades, but I have a bad habit of falling in love with my Pokemon and look at them as real creatures and don't have the heart to tell them they can't cut it on my team anymore.

Come on how many people can you say you know that sweep people with a Lanturn? My old Lanturn has done it 3 times in the Gym. I do miss that Pokemon on my team.

[Master]

Well, use what you like or what you want. I look at it like a video game, some I don't really care about cutting the weak and keeping the strong. True, I should give away the left overs instead of releasing them, but the are just pixels, not real animals.

[Paws_Of_Fate]

I'm waiting until I finish breeding my own Poke'mon. There are very few that I actually bread for myself, and everything else I got from someone. I want that feeling of accomplishment knowing that they were my own, not just winning the battle.

[michael16]

well, i dunt challenge gyms coz im waitin for the breeders and battlers class to finish, then try the gyms with that team...

[Trombones13]

well, i dunt challenge gyms coz im waitin for the breeders and battlers class to finish, then try the gyms with that team...
That's kind of the same deal with me. I'm using the class to help me breed a specific team for another purpose, but I'm going to use the information I get to build a team after the class ends.

[BugCatcher6]

I have notice alot of people saying they don't think their team is good enough. I have seen people come into the Gym with Squirtle, Monfernape, and alot of under evolved Pokémon. If you think your team is no good, then you already lost the first battle. I am not saying be all like I am the greatest of all time, but you need to think you will win. I personally think I am going to win every battle.

I can also see wanting to wait for the shiny badges. I may have a fix for that part.

We recently had trouble with Hacked Pokémon being used in a Gym Battle. So I was thinking of a mandatory inspection after the battle. If you logged out of wi-fi before conducting a trade to inspect things like OT, Items, and Stats, you forfeit your badge if you won.

This would allow us to give you your shiny badge without a rematch.

Does this sound like a good idea or is it just another way for BugCatcher to be in control? he-he

[Trombones13]

I have notice alot of people saying they don't think their team is good enough. I have seen people come into the Gym with Squirtle, Monfernape, and alot of under evolved Pokémon. If you think your team is no good, then you already lost the first battle. I am not saying be all like I am the greatest of all time, but you need to think you will win. I personally think I am going to win every battle.

I can also see wanting to wait for the shiny badges. I may have a fix for that part.

We recently had trouble with Hacked Pokémon being used in a Gym Battle. So I was thinking of a mandatory inspection after the battle. If you logged out of wi-fi before conducting a trade to inspect things like OT, Items, and Stats, you forfeit your badge if you won.

This would allow us to give you your shiny badge without a rematch.

Does this sound like a good idea or is it just another way for BugCatcher to be in control? he-he
Sounds appropriate to me. We wouldn't want anyone cheating...

[joinred1127]

I think it sounds like a good idea because you can get the shiny badges on your first battle.

[BugCatcher6]

Yeah it would make it that if you had Pokemon all bred by you, you would be able to have the shiny badge as soon as they are released.

But, if we did not check and you had to rebattle to prove it and you lose the rematch, yikes.

[S Tailor]

ill bring some porygon then and my e4 team

[belnumcree]

*Belnum finds two cents* Uh oh.... *he decides to put them in* lol

(In reference to those who are worried about their skills). The only way to see how you stack up is to get out there and try. If you need help, there are a lot of members on this site with a lot of knowledge and a lot of knowledge in the forums as well. Theres even a class that Buzz has graciously hosted. They say experience is the best teacher, so get into some random battles, join the tournaments, challenge the Gyms. I didn't know the first thing about competitive battling before I joined Pokefarm and started battling. I had to get quite a few losses under my belt before I started winning. And I still can't win them all.

I also don't always agree that it's a standard that you win on your 3rd or even 4th try in the Gyms sometimes. That's only true if your breeding specific counters for each gym. Otherwise, it's just like any other battle. The Gym leaders are good, so don't get discouraged if you take a loss. Learn from it. :D

*looks for more coins on the floor* lol

[S Tailor]

ah well i can only try. also why you flipping coins?

[Cherkat]

Well I for one hate to lose:lol: I might try my hand at the gyms I have battled one gym, and lost, but I will try again. I did gain valuable experience and information from my battle. So, to any one that is hesitant or unsure I say go for it!

[belnumcree]

ah well i can only try. also why you flipping coins?

I'm not. "Putting your two cents in" means adding your thoughts to the discussion.

[razorbeam]

Well I for one hate to lose:lol: I might try my hand at the gyms I have battled one gym, and lost, but I will try again. I did gain valuable experience and information from my battle. So, to any one that is hesitant or unsure I say go for it!

I love your spirit, cherise. Battling is all about having fun. just like any other video game, win or lose, always be positive. Go for it :D

[Nak]

My thoughts exactly. I never dreamed of being a Gym Leader, yet I am one today. I am not nearly the best battler in the forum. I've never battled competetively before I came to PokeFarm. I learned as I battled and I still do. For those who are scared of hurting their ego b/c of a loss, buck up and remember that you win some and you lose some. But as you gain more experience, you'll begin winning more and losing less. ;)

[Trombones13]

My thoughts exactly. I never dreamed of being a Gym Leader, yet I am one today. I am not nearly the best battler in the forum. I've never battled competetively before I came to PokeFarm. I learned as I battled and I still do. For those who are scared of hurting their ego b/c of a loss, buck up and remember that you win some and you lose some. But as you gain more experience, you'll begin winning more and losing less. ;)
Hey, congrats on your Shiny Badge! I think I'll be battling the Gyms, but probably not until spring.

[Cherkat]

@ Razor - Yea but its you that I am coming for:lol: j/k. Seriously, thank you Razor for the compliment.
@Nak - oooh shiny! Congrats!

[Nak]

@ Kurt and Cherise: Thank you. ^_^ There is a somewhat complicated story behind it, lol.

[Cherkat]

Nak - Are you the first to get a shiny badge?

[Nak]

Technically, yes. :)

[joinred1127]

Hmm, technicalities… do I smell a loophole you used? XD

[Trombones13]

Hmm, technicalities… do I smell a loophole you used? XD
Probably because she's the first person to get one, but not the first person to battle with a team fully raised on their own. I really think that I could get a Shiny Badge, since I'll be breeding all competitive Pokemon that I'll use.

[joinred1127]

^ I'm doing the same thing as you; I'm breeding a team for me to battle the gyms with and then I'll be able to get my shiny badge on the first try.

[Trombones13]

^ I'm doing the same thing as you; I'm breeding a team for me to battle the gyms with and then I'll be able to get my shiny badge on the first try.
If you win. :D

[joinred1127]

Well maybe you won't win on your first try either! :lol: jk

[Nak]

I beat Boulder Gym with my own team before the shiny Badges. Steve told me that if I did him a favor (announce about the shiny Badges being ready), I could go ahead and keep it w/o battling a second time with my own team.

[joinred1127]

That certainly is nice of him; you also did a nice job on the page announcing that the shiny badges were ready.

[Trombones13]

Well maybe you won't win on your first try either! :lol: jk
Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me any...

I beat Boulder Gym with my own team before the shiny Badges. Steve told me that if I did him a favor (announce about the shiny Badges being ready), I could go ahead and keep it w/o battling a second time with my own team.
Well, congratulations!

[Nak]

Thanks, you two. :D

[Jhamin]

Well I for one hate to lose:lol: I might try my hand at the gyms I have battled one gym, and lost, but I will try again. I did gain valuable experience and information from my battle. So, to any one that is hesitant or unsure I say go for it!

I think some people may be misunderstanding what I meant by my post.

I have lost badly in a couple gyms and learned a great deal from that experience. I learned I had issues with my team. Early on, I learned that my sweepers weren't as strong as they needed to be on a competitive level. Then I learned the hard way that walls are important. I am now really feeling the lack of a good baton passer & status blocker/healer. I don't have time to correct all this on one go, so I didn't come back to a couple of the Gyms for quite some time after my first loss. The Gyms I felt I was ready to tackle I challenged every week.

I'd rather loose bad twice in two months and win in the third than keep coming every week until I get lucky on week six.

When I win a badge, I want to feel like I have improved my skills as a breeder *and* battler. I don't want to feel like I got lucky on the 6th try.

[Cherkat]

Hey Jhamin - my comment wasn't directed at you at all. It was my comment about myself. You have 3 gym badges so you have beaten some gyms, me, no gym badges. I have only battled one gym and lost. But I will battle again and I did gain so much from the experience. Unlike you, I wouldn't mind getting lucky on any try:lol: Take care and sorry for any misunderstanding:oops:

[Jhamin]

Sorry if it sounded like I was picking you out, or in fact if it sounded like I was feeling defensive.

I was trying to give a counterpoint to all the "just keep trying" posts. I just feel like there are other approaches to gym battles than coming back as often as possible.

[BugCatcher6]

I think people should maybe worry less about losing. WTF BugCatcher said what. I know I hate losing more then anyone else alive, but at the same time I am trying to work on it. I just realized something recently, Pokémon is just a game. I was shocked. For the last 8 months it has ran my life. The thought of me losing does not stop me from battling. It did not stop me from accepting my position as Gym Leader. I thought for sure I would embarrass myself when I accepted the Beacon Gym Leader position. I think I have done pretty well at the Gym. No matter what someone says, I am the Beacon Gym Leader and that must make me some kinda battler. I have for most of my life tried to stay out of the spotlight and help others shines, but the problem with that is, I will always be in the dark. I know I need to take more credit for myself. I mean come to think of it, I am the BugCatcher, Buzz, The Source. I worked hard to get everything I have, real life and game life. I started out a nobody forum annoyance, now I am an Administrator, run a Gym, a Sub-Forum Farm, and help other people. I deserve it and am just now trying to accept it.

So what is the meaning of this rant.

Don't be afraid to try, in game or in life.

[Trombones13]

*applauds* :) Nice rant, Buzz. I'm inspired; once class is out, I'm off for some vacation studying, if you know what I mean! :D

[S Tailor]

i can only try with my shiny porygon and my e4 team. i can battle well as i defeated the e4 in the 40s and i have stacked up 79 wins in the battle tower. also the pporygon was obtained through lots of breeding(600 eggs). problem is my battle tower team wont fit in my team(unless i build a new one) thats anoying as theyre trained far better than my e4 team(which consists of 2 starters and various others)

[joinred1127]

Congrats on the porygon; you should get a special badge if you beat the gyms with a shiny pokemon hatched through breeding!

[S Tailor]

thanks but i wish i could have a shiny sneasel. also which leader is easiest in your view?

[Babael]

I'm looking forward to getting some challenges, I have 0 join requests. *sobs* Oh well, I've had time to re-breed team members and make them stronger.

[belnumcree]

thanks but i wish i could have a shiny sneasel. also which leader is easiest in your view?

Babael is. :twisted: lol j/k

[Babael]

I think I'm pretty easy to beat, lol.

[belnumcree]

I think I'm pretty easy to beat, lol.

:rolleyes: Yeah suuure you are. lol :wink:

[S Tailor]

ok seriously who is best to try first?

[WestCoastNinja]

Currently all the gym are challenging. Just look at the typing of each gym and figure out which ones you can beat with the pokemon you have.

[Viscosity]

To address the poll question: To me, it's a combo of "too busy" & "too scary."

:( It takes me so long to get any decent IVs and I have zero experience battling that I know I'll get trashed in a Gym Battle.

[S Tailor]

ok i could easily take down a fighting fire team with my current team.(with tower team and help from a complete rebreed of my porygon***shiny one***(that one has great ivs and natures so itll be a great parent) its suited to killing blissey and messing up weavile and zam.

[pokemasterSD]

In my opinion:To scary.I could be beaten easily.

[Master]

You will never know or get better until you try. You should be afarid to lose. Losing only helps you get better. So try the gyms and see if you stand a chance. You won't know till you try.

[BugCatcher6]

Really the Gyms are as hard or easy as you make them. Are teams are set to 2 types, unless you can use the dual type rule. So knowing the weaknesses of those types, puts you ahead of the game.

As the Gyms stand right now, I believe I may be the only one left still trying to figure out what my type will be so I can get a dual type advantage, so I could be the easiest to figure out a strategy against.

But I thought in the secret Gym Leader meetings we all voted Nak as the easiest Gym?

[Nak]

But I thought in the secret Gym Leader meetings we all voted Nak as the easiest Gym?*stammers* I... I missed that meeting! >.< Sadly, I have to agree. TT^TT Oh, except for cisco's case. Anyone notice how he has all 8 Badges but no Ribbon? He has my Badge because he is my assistant, but he has not actually won my Badge yet. He will be going to my Gym for the 5th time next week. The poor little square. XD

[belnumcree]

You will never know or get better until you try. You should be afarid to lose. Losing only helps you get better. So try the gyms and see if you stand a chance. You won't know till you try.

I believe you meant shouldn't (stop scaring off challengers lol j/k)






But I thought in the secret Gym Leader meetings we all voted Nak as the easiest Gym?

I was kinda sad that my name was on that poll. :( lol j/k

[Master]

I meant should.

[belnumcree]

Oh...sorry :oops: Why should you be afraid to lose though? As you said losing helps you get better.

[Master]

Sorry, I meant you shouldn't be afarid to lose. You get better from losing because what do you learn from winning? Nothng. But from losing you learn where you are weak at and can improve it.

[BugCatcher6]

*stammers* I... I missed that meeting! >.< Sadly, I have to agree. TT^TT Oh, except for cisco's case. Anyone notice how he has all 8 Badges but no Ribbon? He has my Badge because he is my assistant, but he has not actually won my Badge yet. He will be going to my Gym for the 5th time next week. The poor little square. XD

I believe it also took your Assistant 4 tries in my Gym.

You ever notice when he had that little record thing in his signature, everytime he added 1 lose, it jumped up like 10 wins?

I have detailed proof of my 56 wins and 29 loses. Although I should tack on 14 wins and 16 loses for battles that were not in the Gym.