the very best, pt. xxi

04 Aug, 2025

Welcome back once again to The Very Best, the ongoing thing where we talk about how cool and talented everyone is in Pokemon X. Last week we finally finished the main story, but there's still the actual main story ahead: the story of how absolutely sick with it we are. So let's continue!

A Terminal Case of Cave

Having saved Kalos (possibly the world?) and to a lesser extent Geosenge Town from the evil machinations of Lysandre, we return east to route 18 to attend to some more pressing matters: hanging out with our Pokemon pals and getting ready to finish challenging all eight Gyms in Kalos! Here we get to hang out in the Terminus Cave, which is 100% optional. Zygarde¹ will be in there after we become Champion (spoiler alert, I guess?), but for now it's just a place to hang out and battle some trainers. This optionality (that's a word now) means they can make the layout a bit less linear, and I think that rules.²

Route 18: Youngster Jayden

Jayden has a Scolipede and a Pinsir at level 48. This is a perfectly serviceable team; Bug isn't a particularly strong type, but this is a Youngster who has managed to wander far from his home territory. I'll cut him some slack on that one. I don't think he's going to be winning a lot of fights at this level but either one of these Pokemon is capable of holding their own. Skill Rating: 3/5

Jayden . . . likes shorts. He believes they make him unstoppable. But he recognizes, on his defeat, that shorts are no replacement for having Pokemon who haven't just been utterly destroyed by my Aerodactyl. Coolness Rating: 2/5

Route 18: Battle Girl Justine

Justine has a level 52 Mienshao. I think Mienshao is very cool, and even considered using one on my team, but the fact that it takes until level 50 to become Mienshao led me to pursue other options. That's not a slight on the Pokemon, it's just that I prefer to have my team locked in earlier than that. Skill Rating: 4/5

Justine dreams of using Pokemon Moves. Though she is fond of Brick Break, her real aspiration is to be able to use Hydro Pump to "spray everyone down". This is some powerful gremlin energy. Coolness Rating: 4/5

Route 18: Hiker Orestes

Orestes has a level 50 Stunfisk. Regrettably, I don't think Stunfisk is the pick if you're only bringing one Pokemon to a fight; it's got some potential as a lead, but it's too slow, with no really outstanding stats. Skill Rating: 2/5

Like many Hikers, Orestes seems at first to be trying to wax philosophical about the hike: "When it comes to climbing, you can ascend or descend. Which do you prefer?" But there is no profundity here: he's just being literal. He likes climbing because he likes going back down again. He does quip that his "battling luck is going downhill, but . . . I dunno. Feels like Orestes doesn't have a lot to say. Coolness Rating: 2/5

Route 18: Sky Trainer Jeremy

Jeremy has a Ninjask, a Drifblim, and a Flygon. The Drifblim isn't impressive, and normally I'd be sitting here like "really? a Ninjask?" but it's got Speed Boost, and it's got Baton Pass, and it's got Protect. This strategy rules. You just Protect for a round or two, then pass that speed boost on to Flygon, which has Stone Edge, and you've got a pretty speedy Pokemon which can hit pretty hard against the birds you're probably using here. Drifblim is also there, I guess. Skill Rating: 5/5

Jeremy is very excited about flying. His enthusiasm takes the form of shouting, by way of greeting, "Woo hoo! I'm a Sky Trainer! Look at me go! Woooo!" which honestly comes off as sarcastic, but I think he may just be very excited. Normally I'd say I ain't here to judge but that is literally why I'm here. Coolness Rating: 3/5

Route 18: Black Belt Yanis

Yanis has a Sawk at level 49 and a Pangoro at level 50. Black Belts and Battle Girls occupy this odd point where they usually have fairly strong Pokemon, but they only ever use Fighting types (and maybe the odd Rock type? Maybe?), so it's pretty easy to counter them. Still, this is a good team. I am pretty sure the Sawk had access to Rock-type moves and Pangoro is half Dark-type, so they have an answer to the Flying and Psychic types that will often be fielded against them. No answer to Fairy types, but then, very few Pokemon do. Skill Rating: 4/5

Yanis has decided that if he wins, he will reward himself with cookies; he loses, so he gets no cookies. You should treat yourself for putting in the effort, Yanis. Coolness Rating: 3/5

Route 18: Lass Sara

Sara has a Granbull and Dedenne at level 48. Neither of these are really offering anything to help them hold their own as we approach level 50; I'm sorry, Sara. Your team just isn't going to cut it on Route 18. Skill Rating: 2/5

Sara is running late, and in a terrible hurry, and appears to have been on her way to the Trainers' School over in Santalune City--that's four Routes away! She also seems very disoriented, beyond what you'd expect from simply making a wrong turn. One wonders if she has wandered into a spacetime anomaly or something. Coolness Rating: 3/5

Terminus Cave: Worker Narek

Narek has two Gravelers and a Golem, at level 46, 47, and 48, respectively. I find this team extremely funny; the Golem and one of the Gravelers also have Sturdy, so you can't just cleanly annihilate them³. Don't get me wrong: it's a bad team, but I respect his commitment to the bit. I also respect that he is running Self-Destruct on at least one of those Sturdy Gravelers, which is a very funny way to make someone's day a little worse. Skill Rating: 2/5

Narek threatens to force us to help him work if we lose; I'm pretty sure that's illegal on, like, several different levels, Narek. We're like sixteen. Coolness Rating: 1/5

Terminus Cave: Hiker Aaron

Aaron has a level 50 Rhydon. I will say one thing for Rhydon: it has very good physical stats. But that x4 weakness to Water and Grass, that appalling speed and special defense, make it pretty disappointing, especially at level 50. Skill Rating: 1/5

Aaron is delivering a series of puns whilst jogging back and forth on the bridge. No notes. Aaron gets a gilded invite to my birthday party, no question. Coolness Rating: 5/5

Terminus Cave: Hiker Bergin

Bergin has a Boldore at level 48 and a Steelix at level 48. Boldore might as well not be here, and Steelix . . . I like Steelix, it's a great physical wall, but that's not enough to salvage this team. Skill Rating: 1/5

Bergin has apparently been standing under the bridge Aaron is on for several days watching him run back and forth. He's worried about Aaron. I hope they get together one day. Coolness Rating: 3/5

Terminus Cave: Worker Dimitri

Dimitri has a level 50 Octillery. Octillery is fairly underwhelming, but its base stat total is brought down considerably by a poor Speed. And while a poor Speed is bad, its other stats are solid enough that it's not a trivial presence to deal with. Skill Rating: 2/5

Dimitri is enamored of the poetry of being a Worker in a cave. He describes this cave as completely untouched, which . . . it's an abandoned mine, man. There's so much touching that has happened to this cave. He also thinks an untouched cave is more likely to have treasure? I don't think that's accurate. Coolness Rating: 2/5

Terminus Cave: Worker Yusef

Yusef has a level 50 Probopass. In my enormous mind brain I have, for some reason, filed Probopass as an Electric type, but nope, it's Rock/Steel. It does learn a lot of Electric moves, though, but in this case I don't think it had any, so my Blastoise was able to crush it with ease. Still, I think I like Probopass here. Not terrible, not impressive. Skill Rating: 3/5

Yusef is upset that we disturbed his work, so he challenges us to a battle. Then he gets back to work. I think he would have been better off by simply not doing a battle, but hey, what do I know? Coolness Rating: 3/5

Terminus Cave: Battle Girl Andrea

Andrea has a level 49 Throh and a level 50 Conkeldurr. As is fairly traditional of Battle Girls at this level, solid team, no complaints; due to the particular nature of my setup I actually have to expend some resources to deal with them. Skill Rating: 4/5

Andrea, like Justine outside, likes Pokemon moves, but she likes just combining the names of multiple moves to make it sound cool. This is poser talk, Andrea. Coolness Rating: 2/5

Terminus Cave: Black Belt Gunnar

Gunnar has a level 49 Toxicroak and a level 50 Sawk. I like Sawk as much as anyone who played Pokemon Black--it absolutely carries a huge chunk of that game--but Toxicroak is falling off a touch here as we're pushing level 50. Skill Rating: 3/5

Gunnar seems to be loud; at least he tells us that his "manly roar echoes throughout this cave" and also that his howl of pain on defeat will likewise be audible to everyone. Look, I'm a naturally quiet person, so maybe I'm biased, but I think there is something to be said for not roaring and howling all the time. Speak softly and carry a big stick, and all that. Coolness Rating: 2/5

Terminus Cave: Battle Girl Hailey

Hailey has a level 48 Medicham and a level 51 Hawlucha. Medicham hits hard but is pretty mediocre otherwise; Hawlucha rules. Everyone should have a Hawlucha on their team. I think Hailey's team is a bit marginal for the rating I'm giving of her but I do believe she deserves a Skill Rating of 4/5.

Hailey seems to be focusing on breathing exercises. She also may be breathing too hard as a result and may be hyperventilating? Or perhaps when she says the cavern air is thin she's being serious. Unclear. However! I like Hailey. She's polite. Coolness Rating: 4/5

Terminus Cave: Black Belt Ricardo

Ricardo has a level 52 Hariyama. Maybe it's just me, but I don't really understand the "high HP, mediocre most other stats" archetype. Hariyama does at least hit hard, so that's good, but its defenses are poor and its speed is worse, both of which sort of negate the advantages its high HP and high Attack have, in my estimation. Skill Rating: 3/5

Look, I don't think it's Ricardo's fault, but he reminds me of Jordan Peterson. Listen to this: "People often say, 'It’s the beginning of the end.' Whatever do they mean? Even if I lose, it’s not the end... Could that be what it means? Perhaps it’s only the end when there’s nothing left... But if 'nothing' is left, then that means there’s 'something'! Hmm..." It ain't that deep, man. Coolness Rating: 2/5

Terminus Cave: Rangers Fern & Lee

Fern and Lee have a Nidoking and a Nidoqueen a level 51. The Nidomonarchs are solid but not impressive Pokemon, both Poison/Ground types, both with very even stat spreads and the same base stat total. It's sort of the archetypical Teamwork Team, despite not really being built for teamwork, but it's . . . it's fine, y'know? It does the job. Skill Rating: 3/5

I like Fern and Lee. They travel around with their trusty Pokemon and battle the Trainers they encounter. That's fun! That describes basically everyone but they seem so earnest and they really do seem to be enjoying the journey and the chance to meet people. As an added bonus, they have special dialog if you only have one Pokemon where they are impressed that you've made it this far with just one Pokemon. (Maybe all the double battles have that? I haven't been paying attention.) Anyway, Fern and Lee are cool. Coolness Rating: 5/5

And that wraps up Route 18 and the Terminus Cave. Next week, we get access to Waterfall and can finally go back and beat up some Route 22 Trainers we didn't have access to before! And I think maybe we have some other clean-up on some other Routes to do, which I may have forgotten to do when I got access to Surf. The Route 22 Trainers are notable, though, because we need Waterfall for them, which we only get right now, but they're only, like, level 30. Someone in development clearly assumed we'd have Waterfall way earlier than we do. Time permitting we'll also do some progress but I do need to get this previous-route cleanup out of the way while I still remember it. I will see you then, friends.

#the very best