[Meta thread] Iron's PokeRole Adventure: The Skull Ruins

[Dragonstrike]

As for Heart just calling it quits, I actually agree and respect his decision, as besides getting Toxic Spikes out those first two Rounds were almost a total wash. Spinda wailed on Nido HARD, while he could hardly dent them even with Double Kick, which if they hit average damage would have at least taken off a half its HP, so it was a bad, lopsided start for Heart overall. If he had continued, he would have a heck of a time wrestling momentum back from Tanuki and that drunken bear, so just leaving the battle and retrying at another point in time for a better start/Pokémon and moves that can undermine her more is quite smart. Only downside I can see is that the rest of the team she'll use against you is still mostly unknown, but hey, thems the breaks.

I respectfully disagree when Heart has a perfectly good Clawitzer with Aura Sphere and Bubble (and Water Pulse), an Infernape with a Black Belt boosted CC and Blaze, and a Lairon with Iron Head and Rock Tomb.  Plenty of momentum that could be gained there, particularly if Spinda (and potentially later pokemon) failed an Insight -2 check from the Confusion (it's 50-50. It got REALLY lucky). Gambling with that coin flip didn't help much, but the only way to know for sure that Tanuki would have kept that momentum is if the battle had continued.

I do also think evolving Viktor and getting Horn Leech (and 2 more HP) would also be a good idea.  Tanuki's probably very well prepared for Ghosts, though.

When I said battling Tanuki is like battling Nathan, I meant that.  3 Str, 5 Dex, 3 Vit, 3 Ins, 3 Fight, 4 Survival, 3-4 Canalize and Brawl. Looks familiar, right? Tanuki currently has 1 more Dex, 1 more Survival, and 1 more Brawl, but it's exactly like Nathan's current stats otherwise (with the potential exception of other specialties).  She does her damage fast and in smaller chunks.  Match her speed or have the bulk to withstand it while still hitting her decently hard in response, and you'll do fine because she's not the bulkiest thing in the world.  Just be careful of the little tricks she has.  Her gimmick is purposely trying to get challengers to underestimate her (it clearly isn't going to work on anyone at this point, so I might as well say that now.  Didn't want to ruin the 'surprise' IC, though).  Hence why she 'accidentally' confused her Spinda with a bad throw of her pokeball into the Furret tubes.