After rewatching the fight I realized something.
Ash is a Setup*/Bulldozer trainer unless forced to adopt another style(Greta forced him to play Iron Wall with Snorlax).
However, Paul, at least in latest battle uses Iron Wall/Counter style.
A very defensive style that's perfect against Ash's "build". In the anime, that is. I dunno how that'd work in the game.
*I do not mean setup as in setting up Light screen and such, I mean using an attack to force the enemy into another attack- or simply using combos.
Gliscor sets up for an attack combo, and executes.
Torterra acts as an Iron Wall, then counters.
Ash is in trouble.
-
Ash makes Staraptor attack. Torterra counters with a stone edge.
-
Ash makes Staraptor attack. Weavile first acts Iron Wall, then prepares itself... to counter when Ash has Staraptor attack again(and how!).
up until this point, Weavile had the clear advantage.
Now Paul actually takes the offensive, and Weavile gets in close- too close, and gets Close Combatted in the face. Staraptor keeps Weavile in it's setup and deals one blowafter another setting up for the next.
They split again, and once again Paul tries to take the offensive. Weavile launches a Blizzard, but Staraptor waits it out and finishes it off by bulldozering straight through the now pretty spread out blizzard.
Paul tried a more offensive style with Weavile, and that... wasn't that much of a success.
-
Realizing that, Paul sends out Electabuzz briefly and puts up a light screen up.
-
He the sends out Honchkrow.
Ash attacks, Paul counters.
Paul has Honchkrow use haze.
Ash responds by attacking, and Paul counters.
Ash attacks, but is blocked by Light screen.
After that Paul manages to pull off offense better, and finishes Grotle off.
-
Magmortar is sent out to fight Pikachu.
Ash takes the offensive, and lands himself an unlucky burn.
Ash attacks again, Paul blocks.
Ash tries Volt Tackle, but it's blocked and countered.
Paul tries an attack, but it fails.
He tries again, but Magmortar ends up taking a hit.
-
Buizel sent in.
Buizel attacks, but it's blocked.
He attacks again, but Magmortar counters.
-
Ursaring is sent out.
Buizel attacks, but is blocked.
Ursaring uses Bulk up.
Buizel attacks.
Ursaring iron walls and counters the attack.
Ursaring attacks, but is counter-shielded.
Buizel attacks, Ursaring iron walls and counters.
Buizel attacks, Ursaring counterattacks. KO.
-
Staraptor out!
Staraptor attacks.
Ursaring tries to counter, but misses and takes a hit.
Ursaring pulls of a successful attack.
Staraptor attacks, gets countered and then finished off with a followup.
-
Chimchar and Electabuzz sent out.
Electabuzz blocks an attack, and then uses light screen and is recalled.
-
Torterra out!
Ash orders an attack, and Paul counters, and Ash tries to have chimchar evade the counter, but fails.
Ash attacks, but is light screen'd.
-
Gliscor sent out!
Gliscor attacks, but is countered an KO'd.
-
Pikachu sent out. Ursaring in.
Ash attacks, Ursaring iron walls and counters.
Pikachu attacks again, Ursa tries to counter, but is fully paralyzed and takes the hit.
GUTS activates.
Ursaring attacks, is countered, but pushes through the counter and KO's Pikachu.
-
Chimchar sent out.
Chimchar attacks. Ursaring counters, but leaves itself open while not really landing a hit. Chimchar uses the opening to score a hit.
Chimchar uses dig, and Ursa tries to counter but Chimmy is too fast and lands a hit.
KO
---
Chimchar evolves into Monferno.
Electabuzz is sent out.
Monferno scores a surprise hit.
Electabuzz attacks, but the attack is mostly blocked- although it causes a paralysis that will have effect later.
Ash attacks, but is blocked.
He attacks again, but is countered, although the counter misses.
Monferno scores another hit.
Ash attacks, is blocked, but pushes through and hits.
Ash attacks, but is blocked and eats a powerful counter.
Ash attacks, Paul counters and the attacks hit eachother, and the resulting explosion knocks Monferno out.
So basically, everytime Paul really went on the offensive, Ash gained the upper hand. His problem was pushing through Paul's defense, a task that proved too much for him.
So how can Ash pull a victory in the league without it being DEM, and yet not be that much stronger than now?
He must learn to let his opponent drive the battle, and use that against him. Paul, as this battle shows, isn't that good at offense. If Ash can make Paul go on the offensive, he can win. But if he plays offensive again, he'll have to rely on either a lot more training or DEM.
TL;DR: Ash must force Paul to take the offensive.
Ash is a Setup*/Bulldozer trainer unless forced to adopt another style(Greta forced him to play Iron Wall with Snorlax).
However, Paul, at least in latest battle uses Iron Wall/Counter style.
A very defensive style that's perfect against Ash's "build". In the anime, that is. I dunno how that'd work in the game.
*I do not mean setup as in setting up Light screen and such, I mean using an attack to force the enemy into another attack- or simply using combos.
Gliscor sets up for an attack combo, and executes.
Torterra acts as an Iron Wall, then counters.
Ash is in trouble.
-
Ash makes Staraptor attack. Torterra counters with a stone edge.
-
Ash makes Staraptor attack. Weavile first acts Iron Wall, then prepares itself... to counter when Ash has Staraptor attack again(and how!).
up until this point, Weavile had the clear advantage.
Now Paul actually takes the offensive, and Weavile gets in close- too close, and gets Close Combatted in the face. Staraptor keeps Weavile in it's setup and deals one blowafter another setting up for the next.
They split again, and once again Paul tries to take the offensive. Weavile launches a Blizzard, but Staraptor waits it out and finishes it off by bulldozering straight through the now pretty spread out blizzard.
Paul tried a more offensive style with Weavile, and that... wasn't that much of a success.
-
Realizing that, Paul sends out Electabuzz briefly and puts up a light screen up.
-
He the sends out Honchkrow.
Ash attacks, Paul counters.
Paul has Honchkrow use haze.
Ash responds by attacking, and Paul counters.
Ash attacks, but is blocked by Light screen.
After that Paul manages to pull off offense better, and finishes Grotle off.
-
Magmortar is sent out to fight Pikachu.
Ash takes the offensive, and lands himself an unlucky burn.
Ash attacks again, Paul blocks.
Ash tries Volt Tackle, but it's blocked and countered.
Paul tries an attack, but it fails.
He tries again, but Magmortar ends up taking a hit.
-
Buizel sent in.
Buizel attacks, but it's blocked.
He attacks again, but Magmortar counters.
-
Ursaring is sent out.
Buizel attacks, but is blocked.
Ursaring uses Bulk up.
Buizel attacks.
Ursaring iron walls and counters the attack.
Ursaring attacks, but is counter-shielded.
Buizel attacks, Ursaring iron walls and counters.
Buizel attacks, Ursaring counterattacks. KO.
-
Staraptor out!
Staraptor attacks.
Ursaring tries to counter, but misses and takes a hit.
Ursaring pulls of a successful attack.
Staraptor attacks, gets countered and then finished off with a followup.
-
Chimchar and Electabuzz sent out.
Electabuzz blocks an attack, and then uses light screen and is recalled.
-
Torterra out!
Ash orders an attack, and Paul counters, and Ash tries to have chimchar evade the counter, but fails.
Ash attacks, but is light screen'd.
-
Gliscor sent out!
Gliscor attacks, but is countered an KO'd.
-
Pikachu sent out. Ursaring in.
Ash attacks, Ursaring iron walls and counters.
Pikachu attacks again, Ursa tries to counter, but is fully paralyzed and takes the hit.
GUTS activates.
Ursaring attacks, is countered, but pushes through the counter and KO's Pikachu.
-
Chimchar sent out.
Chimchar attacks. Ursaring counters, but leaves itself open while not really landing a hit. Chimchar uses the opening to score a hit.
Chimchar uses dig, and Ursa tries to counter but Chimmy is too fast and lands a hit.
KO
---
Chimchar evolves into Monferno.
Electabuzz is sent out.
Monferno scores a surprise hit.
Electabuzz attacks, but the attack is mostly blocked- although it causes a paralysis that will have effect later.
Ash attacks, but is blocked.
He attacks again, but is countered, although the counter misses.
Monferno scores another hit.
Ash attacks, is blocked, but pushes through and hits.
Ash attacks, but is blocked and eats a powerful counter.
Ash attacks, Paul counters and the attacks hit eachother, and the resulting explosion knocks Monferno out.
So basically, everytime Paul really went on the offensive, Ash gained the upper hand. His problem was pushing through Paul's defense, a task that proved too much for him.
So how can Ash pull a victory in the league without it being DEM, and yet not be that much stronger than now?
He must learn to let his opponent drive the battle, and use that against him. Paul, as this battle shows, isn't that good at offense. If Ash can make Paul go on the offensive, he can win. But if he plays offensive again, he'll have to rely on either a lot more training or DEM.
TL;DR: Ash must force Paul to take the offensive.
