Finally beat Ula'ula Island! Thoughts after the break:

In accordance with my own rules (you can’t use a Pokemon until every other Pokemon in your team are at least the same level) I can finally add Ditto Lv. 30 to the 6th team slot! I’ve never used Ditto before. I’ve read Choice Scarf is the best item for it, so it’ll always go first, but I don’t have one!

Finally! Dartrix evolved into Decidueye! My team is incredibly weak to fighting! I’ve been waiting so long for this! Plus, I almost never use Ghosts.

It is at this point I realize I never even said what my team is! We have Sandslash, Alola Sandslash, Decidueye, Heliolisk, Ditto, and Eevee. Of note, The Sandslash and Ditto have their hidden abilities, and the Eevee has the egg move Wish. Also of note, the Sandslash, Heliolisk, Ditto, and Eevee all have very strong IVs.

Oof. Using a Ditto is rough. So far it’s a hit-or-miss. I can’t even win consistently with it. Gotta figure out a good hold item for it.

The Abandoned Thrifty Megamart was pretty cool!

Golly, Guzma is hard! It might be typical in real Pokemon battles, but you don’t expect an NPC Trainer to use Sword Dance. This is easily the weakest team I’ve ever composed, but even still they have good moves/abilities/EVs. So if I almost got swept, I could easily see someone losing here. Which is good! Challenge!

On the other side of the coin when I used my Sword Dance Ice/Steel Sandslash (which I shouldn’t have yet, shhh) for the rematch, I utterly devastated him. One Pokemon, full health at the fight’s conclusion.

Ah ha! Berries! I’ve been giving Ditto Mago berries to hold and it’s doing much better!

OH MY GOSH YOU CAN PRESS AND HOLD TO COLLECT BEANS IN THE POKE PELAGO! WHY WASN’T THAT IN THE TUTORIAL?!

Okay that same strategy did not work for round 3 against Guzma. Unexpectedly, his Pinsir was super threatening. Between Brick Break and X-Scissor everyone was getting shredded. In a twist of fate, Ditto was the one to finally bring the Pinsir down.

We’re just going to ignore what happened, huh? I was getting attacked from all sides but we’re all just cool now. None of you are even acknowledging it. And you know what? Why would you? My endlessly smiling, silent protagonist butt won’t even say anything about it!

Huh… There was no travel scene this time as we drove toward Poni Island. I am disappoint.

Pretty happy about the game’s challenge at this point! I just wish the levels would even out!