Am I doing something wrong?

[malfunctiones]

I just started my Emerald again just for fun, and now I'm at the electric gym leader, Watson or whatever his name is. I'm having a LOT of trouble beating him. A) He taught all his Pokemon Shockwave and they all spam it over and over again until you die, B) He uses SO many Super Potions over and over, C) His Pokemon have the most annoying and strong attacks, especially Manectric..., and D) When one Pokemon uses Shockwave, I have to use a Super Potion, and then they just keep using it over and over so I just keep using the potion and I can't attack because they'd kill me with Shockwave. Oh, and E) His Pokemon are EXTREMELY fast and will always attack before me, so they have a big advantage. I was wondering if something was wrong with my team. I don't have many Pokemon that are a good level for battling him, but I use some to switch my Combuseken out and heal/use paralyz heal on him.

Pokemon used to battle
Cat, my Combuseken.
Level 21
Double Kick Cut
Rock Tomb Sand-Attack
Cat is my main battler in this. I just keep spamming Double Kick because it has a great effect and does good damage against electric pokemon. Sometimes I sacrifice other Pokemon just to heal Cat, he's that important. Most of my others are like 'AAAH IM DYIIINNGGG' right away when they get hit by one Shockwave, so I have to use Cat a lot.

Fox, my Sableye
Level 21
Astonish Fury Swipes
Fake Out Night Shade
Fox is another main battler. I keep spamming Night Shade with him, which is also a good attack against electric Pokemon. He doesn't live as long as Cat though, but he's a good helper. One thing that bugs me-- It says that Fake Out attacks first and makes the opponent flinch, and I'm like 'Yay! Now I can have an advantage!' but whenever I use it it says 'But it failed!'. It NEVER works so I don't really see the point of it. Can anyone tell me what it's supposed to do?

Bunny, my Ralts
Level 18
Double Team Confusion
Flash Teleport
Although she has mostly useless attacks, Bunny's Confusion helps out a little. She is also a low level for this gym, so she dies pretty fast. Once I was lucky enough to get most of Manectric's health, Watson's last Pokemon. He then used a Super Potion and proceeded to own me with Shock Wave. Over and over. Bunny can be a bit of a use in sticky situations, but I have to be really lucky to pull her attacks off because of the electric Pokemon's stupid speed. D=

Pokemon I switch in to heal my battling Pokemon (sacrifices)

Bird, my Wingull
Level 21
Steel Wing Water Gun
Mist Wing Attack
While being a good level for this gym, Bird is a Water Flying type, so she has no chance of even landing one attack. Whatever attack the electric Pokemon use, it OHKOs Bird. So, I don't risk attacking and I use her to make my battling Pokemon well again.

Elephant, my Gulpin
Level 12
Pound Yawn
Poison Gas
Waaaaay too low a level for this gym.

My strategy in this gym:
Take out Cat against the first Pokemon, Voltorb. Use X Defend. Get hit. Use X Speed. Get hit. Heal with Super Potion. If I can, use Dire Hit. If I do all this, I can proceed to own Voltorb with Double Kick and heal when needed.
Second electric Pokemon is Electrike. Easily owned with Cat.
Switch Cat out, heal Paralyz and health if needed. Switch him out for Fox. Do the best you can with Fox, spamming Night Shade. Sometimes I am lucky and he can kill Magneton. But sometimes I'm not and I have to get Cat to kill Magneton.
Last Pokemon is Manectric. This is the hardest one, being level 24. I take out Bunny and try to land a Confusion or two. When Bunny dies, switch back to Cat/Bird or Elephant (to heal Cat). Once Cat is ready to fight, use Double Kick. I might get lucky and win.

Of course, Watson uses Super Potions, so sometimes I have to improvise on that strategy. Am I doing something wrong? Any tips on how to beat this hard gym leader easier? Thanks in advance. I am really, really stuck. =P

 

[SubparSmashBrother]

First of all, I read that you're using X-defend. Don't use that, especially against Wattson. He 'spams' special attacks, and X-Defend only defends against physical ones.
Second, a general rule I always fallow in the game, is to not get caught up with 4 or 5 pokemon so early in the game, just focus on 3 for now, and maybe add some more later on. Get Ralts and Sableye to around 22-ish, and Combusken up to around 24-ish, because without type advantages, over-leveling is about the best thing to do against a gym leader. Ralts learns Calm Mind at level 21, and I'm sure that will help you a lot vs. his Manetric since he likes to spam Shock Wave, and Calm Mind increases special defense(and special attack too!). Wingull and Gulpin should only be used to stall for time with potions (It asks you if you want to switch, say yes, send out Gulpin, use Super Potion on injured Combusken)

Now about that, make sure you set in options the ability to switch out in-between Wattson's Pokemon.

For strategy, send out Sableye vs. Voltorb. Night Shade it to death and when it asks to switch, send out Combusken. Double Kick should be a one-hit-ko against his Magneton. Spam Double kick against Manetric, maybe sacrifice something if your HP gets low and send out a level 5 Wurmple to stall time with Super Potion. If Combusken faints, send out Ralts, Calm Mind up, healing whith Potions if needed, and Confusion when you think you're ready for a final blow.

I hope this helps.

 

[malfunctiones]

Thank you so much! I will try this now. One thing-- what should I do for his Electrike?

 

[Wolfblade]

Thank you so much! I will try this now. One thing-- what should I do for his Electrike?

Electrike is the pre-evolved from of Manetrike. He has low defences and Cumbusken should have no problem with it. But level up the ralts, it evolves into Kirlia at lv 20. That should aid you a bit as well. In Pokemon if yer ever having trouble with any gym leader, lv up. Simple as that.

 

[malfunctiones]

Thanks. =D

 

[leafgreen386]

In Pokemon if yer ever having trouble with any gym leader, lv up. Simple as that.

In pokemon if you're ever having trouble with a gym leader... why are you playing?

On a serious note, using any of the X "blah blah blah" is pointless. Just spam attacks. Stat up if you can, and sweep. Every battle ingame is a sweepfest, and you should be the one doing the sweeping.

 

[Kujirudo]

Well almost everything has been said. About Fake Out: It only works the first turn after you switched your Sableye in. After that, it will fail. It gives you a small advantage cause you will at least do some damage without risking a counterattack.

 

[malfunctiones]

Thanks all, you've all helped me a lot.

By the way, I don't think I'm a bad Pokemon trainer because I'm having trouble with a gym leader. The gyms were supposed to give you a little of a challenge. The game would not be too fun if you won every battle so easily.

 

[leafgreen386]

The game would not be too fun if you won every battle so easily.

Which is exactly why it isn't fun... you do "win every battle so easily."

It's one of two reasons I stopped playing the gba games, and now only play netbattle, the other being that next to no one in my area is any good at the game and doesn't even give me a reason to train my pokemon.

 

[SonicZeroX]

Which is exactly why it isn't fun... you do "win every battle so easily."

It's one of two reasons I stopped playing the gba games, and now only play netbattle, the other being that next to no one in my area is any good at the game and doesn't even give me a reason to train my pokemon.

You can train em for D/P.

 

[greenblob]

The best strategy to get through the 1P game is to build a team of non-comboing (combos as in subpunching, thunderdancing, etc. although sunnybeaming is decent) sweepers. Forget about low-damage moves, most stat upgrades other than maybe swords dance and calm mind (and bulk up if it can't learn swords dance), and slow, low-attack Pokemon. Get high-speed, high-attack/special attack Pokemon and teach pretty much all of them accurate, high-power moves. Kill off in-battle stat-boost items like X-defend. Recovery moves are good though.
From your team, I'd cut Gulpin. Wingull and Sableye preferrably too since there are better water/flying/dark/ghost types out there, although those two aren't too bad--just level them up a bit more before each boss to make up for their lower stats.
As for defeating this particular boss, as always, focus on power attacks. Confusion, ember, and double kick should be able to sweep his whole team. Main thing here is to get around Magneton's high defense by exploiting his low special defense as well as his weakness to fire. The other three--it really doesn't matter which attack out of the three.

Also, get a HM slave. No need to teach your prized Pokemon cut and flash.

 

[Super Samus 99]

If you're still having trouble beating him after all the above tips,then go back to Dewford and get a Geodude and evolve it into a Graveler(at Lv.25).It will learn Magnitude,which will destroy his low-defence Pokemon.Plus Graveler,being part Ground...well,you know. This Graveler will also be useful against the next Gym(Fire)and the 2 Gyms after that(Normal and Flying).If that doesn't work,you may as well just fricken evolve your Combusken.