Nimbasa City Gym Leader: Elesa

Name: Elesa
Moniker: The Shining Beauty
Region: Unova
Role: Leader of the Nimbasa City Gym and distributor of the Bolt Badge
Type Specialty: Electric


BACKGROUND

While she might not look like the kind of person that really thinks hard about the decisions she makes, Elesa is an intelligent lady that more than knows how to make things difficult for others in battle. Elesa grew up amongst the glitz and glamour of Nimbasa City and has always been connected to the area for one reason or another. While she moved away for a few years after finished high school, it wasn't long before she returned to the city with a modeling career on her belt. Assisting with the creation and maintenance of the city's new power grids, Elesa went from a normal model to local stardom as her acts of charity in the city became part of her image both physically and mentally. For a considerable amount of time, Elesa was not really that interested in her modeling career and instead wasted most of her time working as the City's Gym Leader and playing at the amusement park in her spare time; after the First Plasma Crisis, however, Elesa got her affairs in order and made her modeling career the best it could be, changing her overall appearance completely and participating in numerous shows across the planet, even going so far as to construct a fashion stadium within the confines of the city. Although she tends to come off as looking cold and callous the average observer, Elesa is a kind-hearted girl that is more than self-conscious about her image and what people think of her, which makes her job easier in regards to knowing exactly what the world wants to see. Elesa can be a bit stiff and callous when not in a good mood, but when electricity is the subject of concern or someone is looking for a battle, Elesa is more than willing to oblige and may occasionally lighten the mood with a bad pun or two, though she tends to keep that side of personality hidden as much as possible.


STRATEGIES

Many of Elesa's Pokémon are built for offensive battling and tend to take this to the extreme in some cases, but each of her Pokémon are nonetheless able to employ some tactical moves here and there in order to make their lives easier in battle. The fact that most of her Pokémon are weak to the Ground-type makes it rather easy for some to simply sweep thorough her team with little effort, but this is not so easy in truth as many of her Pokémon are armed with a wide variety of attacks and are generally strong enough to inflict considerable damage on anything that dares to get in their way. The Electric-type is always a touchy type to work with as it tends to be limited in its effectiveness in most battles, only having a serious impact against Water and Flying-types under most circumstances. Even so, though, Elesa has done an excellent job of training her Pokémon to be dangerous fighters and is thus able to make herself a bit of a challenge to most opponents regardless of their experience. Her Pokémon might not have enough protection to be a dreadful bother to get through, but some caution is nonetheless recommended if only to deal with the crippling effects of Paralysis that will likely come into play sometime during a battle with her.


PRIMARY POKEMON

Zebstrika: This powerful beast might not look like the most dangerous of opponents to face, but its incredible agility and powerful physical attacks are nonetheless something that even Ground-types should be aware of. The moment this animal is released onto the battlefield, it will waste no time preparing itself and will charge directly at its target, attempting to unleash devastating Quick Attack, Stomp, Thrash, Return, Wild Charge and Flame Charge attacks in close quarters while using moderately effective Volt Switch and Overheat attacks when desperate in battle. Even if the opposition proves to be more of a concern than originally thought, this creature can still use the opposition's power against it, as its Me First technique can allow it to copy and use the opposition's move on them before it can be used on it. The Sitrus berry, Liechi berry and Life Orb items that the beast holds can definitely make it a serious contender in battle, but thankfully this beast of burden has only moderate defenses and is thus little more than a big target for powerful Ground-type Pokémon.

Ampharos: Though certainly not among the most powerful of Electric-types, this strange sheep can more than prove to be a hazard if it isn't watched carefully in battle. After using its Cotton Guard technique to heavily fortify its physical defenses and its Thunder Wave and Confuse Ray techniques to heckle its opponent, this creature will remain as far away from its target as it can, striking from afar with powerful Signal Beam, Electro Ball, Volt Switch, Discharge, Power Gem and Focus Blast attacks as well as a Take Down attack in close quarters. The Shuca berry that the creature holds can make it a bit difficult for some opponents to defeat it with a single strong attack, but its defenses are still only moderate and its strategy leaves it vulnerable to special attacks like Earth Power, so it is not as difficult to defeat as some might otherwise think.

Galvantula #1: This beast's moderate stats might not help it in terms of surviving a lot, but its incredible Speed is still enough to make it difficult to catch and even harder to defeat. Relying on its natural ability to stick to walls and ceilings, this monster insect will utilize its Thunder Wave and Disable techniques to incapacitate the opposition (in conjunction with an Agility technique to keep itself moving at top speed) before striking from afar with powerful Bug Buzz, Energy Ball, Electro Ball, Volt Switch and Thunder attacks in addition to Bug Bite and X-Scissor attacks up close. The Sitrus berry that this insect holds can help it survive an otherwise nasty attack, but even then it just doesn't have the defenses to last very long in battle, though it can still be a bit of a heckler.

Luxray: While most Electric-types are designed for special attacks only, Luxray is an important step in the other direction that can often catch traditional strategists off-guard when it counts the most. Relying on its Quick Attack move to confuse its target at the start of battle, this beast will lash out in close quarters with Fire Fang, Ice Fang and Wild Charge attacks in an effort to deal as much damage as possible before it needs to move away to stay out of harm's way. The Expert Belt the beast holds can make it a serious type-trumping hazard in most cases, but its defenses are thankfully not that high and more than exploitable with a powerful Ground-type attack like Earthquake.

Emolga #1: This is by far one of the least-impressive Electric-types out there and better assigned as cannon fodder than anything else, but Elesa's specimen is still worth looking out for if only because it has learned to use its relatively high Speed as much as possible to win battles. This flying rodent will usually start off battle by using its Thunder Wave, Charm and Attract techniques to incapacitate the opposition and prevent it from dealing any significant damage with physical attacks. Once this is accomplished, this little mammal will flit about randomly and attempt to use its U-turn, Aerial Ace, Acrobatics (both potentially powered up by a held Flying Gem), Electro Ball, Volt Switch and Wild Charge attacks (the last three potentially powered up by its Charge technique) to deal as much damage as it can within a relatively short period of time. This beast can more than be a nuisance to most opponents in battle, but as long as one has access to a relatively powerful attack of nearly any type, it won't take a lot to take this beast down in a single strike (provided its held Sitrus berry does not come into play).

Stunfisk: This creature is about as unorthodox as one can get for an Electric-type but is nonetheless a decent defensive fighter that can take a lot more hits than one might otherwise think it can. Relying on held Sitrus and Petaya berries to assist it in desperate situations, this fish will use its Astonish attack repeatedly to make the opposition Flinch as much as possible while throwing out moderately powerful Earth Power, Stone Edge, Muddy Water, Discharge and Scald attacks from afar. Though it might not look like anything that should be feared in the slightest, this bizarre fish is still a dangerous beast that should be taken out as quickly as possible if only to avoid taking too much damage.

Eelektross: This monster is among the most feared of all Electric-type Pokémon and is more than a simple menace, especially considering its Levitate Ability effectively ensures that it cannot be normally hit by a Ground-type attack. After using its Coil technique to increase its physical offenses, mobility and Accuracy, this monster will lash out in close quarters with devastating Brick Break, Dragon Claw, Thunder Punch and Fire Punch attacks while further utilizing powerful Flamethrower and Zap Cannon attacks to strike from afar. This deep-sea beast might not have outstanding stats in any one category, but the Salac berry and Choice Band items it carries can still make it a serious threat in just about any situation and thus a target worth eliminating before it can build up any steam.


RESERVE POKEMON

Galvantula #2: This bug is not as powerful as the other Galvantula in Elesa’s team and is thus not a serious threat to most opponents in battle. This beast will usually forgo any advanced strategies, instead relying in its Gastro Acid technique to eliminate any chance of an opponent’s Ability assisting them while attacking with potent Electroweb, Volt Switch and Signal Beam attacks from afar. It may not be able to last very long, but this bug can set up its partners for an easier win and should thus be quickly eliminated before it gets the chance to mess with the Abilities of one’s Pokémon.

Emolga #2: This beast is not quite as strong as the other Emolga on Elesa’s team, and considering that the other specimen is not that powerful as it is, there is little that can said further on this rodent. This mammal will rely on its Light Screen and Encore techniques to heckle the opposition a bit before attacking up close with its Quick Attack, Pursuit, Aerial Ace, Acrobatics and Spark attacks while relying on its Volt Switch attack from afar to get it out of a bad situation. This rodent can prove to be at least slightly annoying in some cases, but it is otherwise a simple target that few trainers will have any trouble eliminating in battle.


OVERALL DIFFICULTY: 2/5

As with many Electric-type specialists, Elesa does not have much in the way of offense or defense that is capable of easily defeating Ground-types and is thus unable to really put up much of a fight unless the opposition is using fairly slow Pokémon in battle. Most of Elesa's Pokémon are able to move at least moderately fast in battle and are strong enough to make the most with this Speed, so defeating her is not as easy as it may seem from type weaknesses alone. Elesa has done a good job of teaching her Pokémon moves that can help them overcome opponents with a bit of tactical battling over purely offensive assaults, but this doesn't really do her a lot of good in most cases due to the limited variety of moves that each of her Pokémon can learn, Eelektross being the only major exception. Elesa has done an excellent job of raising her Pokémon and is able to wield the Electric-type more effectively than most Gym Leaders, but even then she is limited in her counterattacks and is an easy target for Ground-type Pokémon, though the deliverance of Ground-type attacks is best delivered by a non-Ground-type if only to counter what little power her Pokémon have against their only true weakness.


REWARDS FOR DEFEAT

Defeating Elesa will allow trainers to have the Bolt Badge, one of ten (though only eight are offered at any one time) badges found within the Unova region. In addition, trainers will receive a TM that contains the Volt Switch attack, a relatively decent move that might not do a ton of damage but is nonetheless capable of getting a fast but defensively-weak Pokémon out of battle before it can be targeted and destroyed in battle.

Professor Wormwood