u/BeneficialPear3

One of my favourite runs/teams of all my hardcore runs. Ghost/Fire, Normal/Flying, Water/Dragon now Poison/Dark ticked off.

Started a hardcore run, picked a fire starter and cheated in Ekans, Grimer, 2x Qwilfish, Stunky & Skorupi Route 1 then completed the whole game without making a change

Drapion - Sniper/Wicked Blow is a delete button, crazy crazy damage. Choice Band/Scarf throughout

Eviolite Qwilfish Intimidate/Swift Swim - biggest surprise of the run, better than Overqwil in some situations

Overqwil - really good all around

Strong Jaw Arbok MVP of the run - Crunch/Poison Fang/Sucker Punch/Jaw Lock (or an elemental fang). Really high damage on multiple types, STAB priority move, what more can I say

Assault Vest Muk - Sp Tank of the run

Skuntank the most disappointing of the run, average stats all around, normal gem & explosion tended to be its most effective setup

Following on from ghost/fire and normal/flying I’ve done a hardcore water/dragon run. Cheated the team in on route 1 and played the whole game without switching (even soupercells team before the E4).Crazy OP almost too easy/boring at time. Only 2 very manageable weaknesses. 2 legends and a mega may be too easy even with restrictions. Hardest battle by far was the surge rematch.

Next run thoughts - Dragon/Flying only has 5 possible pokemon but they are all insane, this might have to be my first sub 6 pokemon run. Water & Psychic/Dark/Fighting all seem possible. Flying & Dark/Psychic seem possible but I got walled with the psychic team, I may have to revisit.

Choice Scarf/Jolly/Strong Jaw/Fishous Rend Dracovish is a nuke button. 255 base power (382 STAB) on anything it outspeeds, which is most things with a scarf.

Walking wake MVP of the whole run by far; Walking Wake/Palkia obviously both really good. Palkia doesn’t get the best moves until later on in the game but walking wake carries all the way through. Walking wake also amazing for sun teams with Protosynthesis/hydro steam/flamethrower.

Mega Lapras is a wall, Liquid Voice boosted boomburst does crazy damage.

Kingdra has its uses with swift swim or sniper/scope lens/snipe shot 50% chance to get a boosted crit. Tatsugiri disappointing but it doesn’t matter when the rest of the team is this good.

Following on from the Fire/Ghost playthrough - https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemonradicalred/s/lKwFQ71Ank

No idea where to go next, anything with a 4x weakness (bug/fire, water/rock, water/ground) is impossible. Water/Fighting and Water/Dark seem possible.

Overall easier than Fire/Ghost but the harder battles of this run were definitely harder. Was quite nice to not have to cheat in any Pokemon there’s a lot of flying/normal from very early. A lot of focus sash, endeavour, quick attack needed.

Mega pigeot was the biggest surprise of the run, I’ve used Fearow/Staraptor/Swellow before. Braviary & Toucannon slightly disappointing but had their uses. I tried using Unfezant but even with 100% crit it just didn’t hit hard enough.

E4 wasn’t too bad, water Lorelei was manageable, Bruno easy, Agatha hard, Lance & champion medium.

Hardest Battle Brock Rematch - https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemonradicalred/s/VBUXkdlLLx

This is probably my hardest battle ever, I thought it would be quite cool to record it.

3 days of planning/trial and error/memorizing when and when the AI would switch in/out.

Pretty sure I got crazy lucky with some of the RNG. Damage calcs would hate this battle.

Is this type of content people would be interested in?

This run was ridiculously hard i gave up a few times, im convinced now that pretty much anything is possible with enough planning/trial and error.

Fire/Ghost is my favourite typing, Ceruledge is my radical red GOAT. Also had a lot of use out of Marowak/Chandelure in other runs so wanted to see if this was possible. My biggest 3 concerns were Brock, Misty & Koga.

I started by picking a grass starter (for a sun team champion) then cheated in Cubone, Cyndaquil, Litwick, Fuecoco, Charcadet & Blacephalon on route 1. Then didn’t make a single change for the entire game.

Brock & Misty 1 were rough but after that fairly smooth sailing until sandstorm Geovanni. Brock & Misty 2 were absolutely ridiculous I needed RNG luck/crits/burns etc to win. Fairly easy again until Koga - I dreaded this from the start of the run but surprisingly easy after some poor AI turns. Sassy Liechi Berry Ceruledge to tank Hoopa Dark Pulse and 1HKO with bitter blade, focus sash Blacphalon mind blown to deal with moxie boosted Krookadile .

Late game & E4 difficult but manageable, nothing compared to the 3 previous battles.

Blacephalon is useless early game, crazy OP when it gets Mind Blown (with choice scarf) the definition of a glass cannon.

I have done 50+ hardcore/challenge runs, I get asked a lot about different Pokemon/strategies. IMO this is the best E4 team for hardcore (without using 6x pseudo/legend). This team absolutely flies through the E4 with no planning. I think with more planning and moving items/moves around you could get close to a deathless run.

Sneasler - Normal Gem/Focus Sash - Fake out to activate normal gem/unburden, you can now outspeed anything. Close Combat for crazy damage, drain punch to recover, Dire Claw to deal with fairies + also a 30% chance to status.

Delibird - Life Orb/HeavyDutyBoots - refrigerate boosted fake out/extremespeed deals with Landorus, Dragonite, Eternatus, Rayquaza, Yveltal (priority moves still work). Life Orb for max damage or boots to switch in/out

Floatzel - Life Orb - Outspeeds Infernape, Krookadile, Glimmora + surging strikes hits 3 times so 1HKO even with a focus sash. Completely gets rid of stealth rocks (but not toxic spikes)

Flutter Mane - Life Orb/Choice Scarf - crazy speed & special attack, deals with most of Agatha easily

Mega-Gallade - IMO the best mega in the game. Can do crazy damage + hit super effective against most enemies.

Donphan - Expert Belt - Technician boosted Bonemerang does crazy damage to Dialga. Bulldoze/Rock Tomb for speed control.

Honourable mentions - Meowscarada Protean, Greninja-Ash (basically a free mega), Sharpness Ceruledge, Technician Fearow, Technician Maushold, Life Orb/Sheer Force Alakazam

Rules - only legal pokemon/moves/abilities at that time, no duplicates. I don’t think any other ability runs are possible being this strict. I only broke the rules for one battle; Iron Fist Viridian Forest Dustox needed a non iron first monferno.

I had a lot of fun with these runs, tried out a lot of new pokemon and got a lot of surprises.

Early game gave the most challenges purely down to lack of availability. Any starters that needed their hidden ability had to wait for a dream patch.

I find the fire starter generally gives you the nicest battles/champion.

Sniper was the hardest by far, second hardest was guts it takes some serious planning. Clear body probably the easiest there’s so many choices you can have a really OP team (could of had legends & Metagross but it would of been too easy ) Strong Jaw/Iron Fist were the funnest, you can just brute force through the game. Technician was medium difficulty requires some planning but nothing too crazy.

Technician, Intimidate, Guts, Strong Jaw, now Iron Fist Ticked off - https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemonradicalred/s/KhPT5glu4A

Not quite as fun as Strong Jaw but another fairly easy run, late game team is really good.

Rules - Only legal pokemon, no duplicates, must have the ability.

I had to cheat and use non-iron first monferno for 1x battle at the end of veridian forest (Pawmo & Ledian couldn’t touch dustox). Falkner & Brock were awful with only Pawmo, Ledian & Pancham. The game opened up abit more with Timburr, Elekid & Hitmonchan before Misty.

This team (-melmetal) completed the majority of the game. Ursaring came in for a few battles. Conkeldurr very unlucky to miss out on the E4.

I think the only abilities left that have even a slight chance following my rules are Clear Body, Sniper, Serene Grace & Defiant. I’m not sure if any are possible though.

Technician, Intimidate, Guts all checked off - https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemonradicalred/s/zXaoW0vUbK

This was by far the funnest/most enjoyable. Not many pokemon to choose from but they are all so good.

Early game is easy Granbull & Mightyena carry massively.

Boltund was the MVP of the run; adamant with Muscle Band/Expert Belt/Life Orb Thunder/Psychic/Ice/Fire fang can outspeed and deal with so much.

Dracovish choice scarf fishous rend is ridiculous may be one of the hardest hitting moves in the game? (Moving first) 255 base power + STAB + possibly 2/4x effective?

Aqua Fang/Aqua Jet/Jaw Lock Feraligatr & Drednaw really effective.

Avalugg Ice Shard to deal with Dragonite/Rayquaza/Sceptile/Eternatus

Arbok really good throughout the game, switch in and beat up 1HKO (3 hits) calyrex, deals Mewtwo in the double battle.

I’m really not sure what to try next, sheer force looks good but I think you only have croconaw for veridian forest?

Following on from my Intimidiate & Technician Playthroughs - https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemonradicalred/s/zHIFjsmEeu

I’m genuinely not sure what other ability runs are viable; maybe sheer force or strong Jaw?

This was a lot harder than Intimidate & Technician runs, early game was crazy hard - only Raticate & Luxio for veridian forest, machop for Brock. A lot more availability before misty, she also used scald a lot which is amazing for me.

Flame orb made the game a lot funner, mid game got alot better with Ursuluna and Obstagoon/Luxray getting sucker Punch.

Following on from the technician run - https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemonradicalred/s/GK9fKrIloq

Another really fun run overall, early game was easier than technician (so many Intimidate Pokemon even before brock) but hard game/E4 was harder.

Certain pokemon made this awful, competitive articuno double battle (double intimidate), defiant annihilape, contrary spinda. If you can’t get them out there quickly the stat boosts soon add up

The team didn’t change much from when I had it, it was very hard to go for Staraptor over Salamence but it was a lot more satisfying.

Insane run I had a lot of fun playing this. I was mega strict I could only use a pokemon if it currently had the Technician Ability, some of the more useful pokemon learn it on evolution or via dream patch which made it more of a challenge.

Brock #1 with spearow, Kriketune, meowth was awful.

This is one of the easiest E4 challenge runs I’ve had.

Eviolite Scyther narrowly missed out on the E4 team.

Breloom was the biggest surprise of the run, I thought it would get replaced with mega Sceptile but I was that impressed and it came in clutch up until getting the mega stone I thought I’d give it a go at the E4.

Life Orb - Floatzel - Surging Strikes - Jolly -was so OP. 1HKO and outsped Bruno’s Infernape & agathas Krookadile so they couldn’t set up rocks. If it could learn it before level 80 it would have made the game too easy.

Donphan & Maushold both really good, they’ve been in so many of my HC runs.

Kleavor & Scizor (mega) both really good, Pounce, Rock Tomb/Metal Claw, Accelerock/Bullet Punch, Dual wingbeat was so effective. Speed control, good STAB move, priority, dual wingbeat to make up for missing Scyther.

10/10 playthrough.