Temporary Sootopolis City Gym Leader: Juan

Name: Juan
Moniker: The Gym Leader with the Beauty of Pure Water
Region: Hoenn
Role: Temporary Leader of the Sootopolis City Gym and distributor of the Rain Badge
Type Specialty: Water


BACKGROUND

Sootopolis City is a thriving community nestled within the confines of an ancient impact crater in the middle of the ocean and is so cut-off from the world that trainers and tourists alike actually have to dive to the ocean floor in order to reach the entrance of this isolated city. Despite its isolation, the city is quite prosperous and is filled with powerful trainers of all sorts, but the most brilliant and dashing of all is the man who trained the Gym Leader of the city, Wallace...and that man is Juan. Juan is a self-made romantic who enjoys not only stylish clothes but also the graceful movements of Water-type Pokémon, hence his type specialty. Juan was the once the teacher of Wallace and retired years ago from his position as Gym Leader to allow Wallace to serve as the Gym Leader of the isolated city. However, when emergency situations call Wallace forth and away from the Gym, Juan once again takes up his place as the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City. Although he is far older than he may initially appear, Juan is adored by the many women within Sootopolis City as a result of his flamboyant clothes and bizarre mannerisms. It is unknown if Juan is in fact anything like the Casanova that he tries to appear to be, but it goes without saying that he is a talented trainer with a lot going for him aside from his looks. Juan is a caring and careful man who will gladly challenge anyone bold enough to challenge him, and even if he loses, he always takes the loss in stride and continues on as if nothing had ever happened. Although he might not be as spry as he used to be, Juan is a powerful fighter that can easily take apart even the most fully-rounded teams and destroy them with his powerful Water-type Pokémon. Whether it's getting fashion tips for the ladies or earning a Rain Badge to go to the Pokémon League with, the man to meet is Juan and he is certainly more than willing to give just that, as long as one can demonstrate the expertise needed to overcome his years of practice in training Pokémon.


BATTLE STRATEGIES

Juan uses an interesting combination of Pokémon that can utilize a variety of different strategies to win a battle, though their actual move variety might be a bit more than limited. In particular, Juan enjoys using moves like Rest to completely heal his Pokémon as well as the Rain Dance technique to increase the overall power of his Pokémon’s Water-type moves. In addition, Juan is known to be a bit of a gambler in the right situations, relying on moves like Guillotine and Fissure to potentially knock out an opponent before they can even begin attacking, as well as the Double Team technique to make his Pokémon difficult to hit. Overall, this makes Wallace a fairly balanced fighter despite the fact that his Pokémon may not be quite as strong as those possessed by other Gym Leaders. Battling Juan might seem easy, but it should never be assumed that that is indeed the case, as this strange man has more than a few unique tricks up his sleeve for just about any situation imaginable.


PRIMARY POKEMON

Kingdra: This powerful creature is among the rarest of Water-types and is able to resist the natural effects of Grass and Electric-type attacks as a result of its partial Dragon-type assignment, making it only vulnerable to Dragon-type moves in practice. Juan's Kingdra will often times rely on its Rain Dance and Double Team techniques to power it up and make it nearly impossible to hit before striking with Ice Beam, Muddy Water, Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse and Water Pulse attacks to deal maximum damage. Even if the beast is hurt, it can recover its energy with a Rest technique before its Chesto berry wakes it back up, leaving no chance for the opposition to take advantage of its incapacitated state (unless it is holding a Haban berry, which is merely there to protect against its only true weakness). Overall, this fighter is well-balanced and is Juan's most powerful Pokémon in short, so it should be taken out as quickly as possible with whatever firepower is accessible; otherwise, it may become impossible to hit before long and therefore impossible to actually defeat.

Crawdaunt: This beast does not have much to offer in the way of special offenses but is still a powerful fighter in close quarters regardless. In the case of Juan's Crawdaunt, though, direct damage is at least somewhat balanced by a bit if tactical skill in combat. This beast will use its Rain Dance, Dragon Dance, Double Team and Taunt techniques to make it difficult for the opposition to attack with anything useful in battle while increasing its own stats in turn. While in this state, Juan's Crawdaunt will take advantage of the situation and attempt to use its Crabhammer, Night Slash and Superpower attacks to soften the opposition. If things become desperate, however, this crustacean will not be afraid to use its Guillotine attack to instantly cut down an opponent in a single strike. The chances of this move working can be quite small, but even then, it's a risk that few trainers will be willing to take in the long-run. If worse comes to worse, this beast can use Rest to recover its energy which, in combination with the Chesto berry, Wacan berry or Life Orb items it holds, can quickly make it a major threat in battle.

Walrein: This massive beast is not the best when it comes to moving very fast but is more than supplemented for this loss with incredible firepower and defensive determination. While using its Protect, Stockpile, Aqua Ring and Toxic techniques to buffer against any damage done to it in battle as well as damage the opposition, this beast will rely on its powerful Body Slam, Super Fang, Surf, Blizzard and Water Pulse attacks to deal damage. If severely threatened, this creature will additionally rely on its Sheer Cold attack to potently knock the opposition out in a single shot; the fact that Walrein is relatively immobile, however, can limit the effectiveness of this move, making it more of a last resort than anything else (though the Sitrus berry or Leftovers it holds can still help it survive for a while in battle and thus make better use of this move).

Whiscash:  As with many of Juan's other Pokémon, Whiscash is designed to act both offensively and tactfully in battle despite what its stats might otherwise suggest. Aside from its Water Pulse, Earthquake, Waterfall, Spark and Rock Slide attacks, this creature will rely on its Double Team, Dragon Dance and Rain Dance techniques to keep itself safe from damage and simultaneously power up its own power in the process. If it is called for, though, this fish will gladly use its Rindo berry for protection or, in the case of a Chesto berry, use its Rest technique to bring itself back to full working order again before striking with its devastating Fissure attack to potentially defeat the opposition in a single blow; the chances of this happening are slim, but it is still something that trainer would be very careful of in battle.

Politoed: This frog certainly doesn't have a whole lot to offer in the way of true variety, but it is still a pain to deal with as a result of its Rain Dance, Scald, Icy Wind, Focus Blast and Hydro Pump moves (all helped out by its held Wide Lens). Aside from sheer offense, though, this creature is capable of using a Hypnosis technique to put the opposition into a state of immobilization before using its Perish Song technique to set a damage counter in battle. While a Sleeping Pokémon can still be switched out afterwards, it nonetheless can prove to be an obstacle if a trainer is on their last Pokémon and is otherwise in need of a wing and a prayer to save themselves afterwards.

Huntail: This fish was never meant to survive very long in battle, but this matters little to Juan as this beast is perfect for offensive battling. After using its Shell Smash technique to increase its offensive strength and mobility, this fish will lash out with devastating Ice Fang, Crunch and Aqua Tail attacks in close quarters in an effort to defeat the opposition as quickly as possible. The Liechi berry that the beast holds can make it a pain to deal with if it is not taken out with a single strong attack, but its moderate defenses make this a slim possibility and thus a fairly easy target to deal with.

Gorebyss: Juan's Gorebyss is effectively a special 'mirror-image' of his Huntail and follows the same general strategy in battle. After using a Shell Smash technique to increase its mobility and overall offenses, this beast will hang back and strike from afar with powerful Psychic, Icy Wind and Hydro Pump attack to deal damage. The Petaya berry that the beat holds can make it a pain to deal with if it is not taken out with a single strong attack, but its moderate defenses make this a slim possibility and thus a fairly easy target to deal with.

Relicanth: This fish is definitely not among the most common of Water-types but can nonetheless play a decent defensive position in battle. After using a Rain Dance technique to increase the power of its Water-type abilities (which is helped out by its held Damp Rock), this beast will attack full-force with Earthquake, Rock Slide and Waterfall attacks in close quarters. There might not be much more to this fish, but its high physical defenses can still make it a problem to deal with without access to strong special attacks.


RESERVE POKEMON

Lapras: This juggernaut of the sea might only be a recent addition to Juan's team, but it is still a powerful fighter that can more than make things difficult for trainers in general. Aside from Confuse Ray and Perish Song techniques that can quickly clean the opposing side and keep it from dealing any damage, this beast is armed with devastating Ice Beam and Hydro Pump attacks capable of inflicting massive damage on any opponent that gets in its way.  Juan still might need to work out the kinks with this beast and make it a bit more efficient in battle, but even in its current state, it is a formidable opponent that should definitely not be underestimated.

Luvdisc: This bizarre fish is only ever used by Juan for friendly battles, as it is poorly suited for any kind of intense combat situation. Although it does have a Water Pulse attack to strike from afar and a Flail attack to use when its energy is low, the amount of damage this fish is able to do really isn't worth using in most cases. It can effectively Confuse and Infatuate opponents with its Sweet Kiss and Attract techniques, but even with both of those effects in place, the chances of this poor fish surviving very long are still slim to none as a result of its poor defenses.


OVERALL DIFFICULTY: 3/5

Although Juan's Pokémon rely on a bizarre combination of pure luck and beauty to win, this combination is still very hard to break down in many cases and serves to keep his party as healthy as possible while the opposition suffers from the effects of Confusion and Sleep as well as the effects of draining an opponent's stamina and preventing them from using their best attacks. All of Juan's Pokémon have been expertly trained in the water and are much more of a threat than their attacks and stats alone would say, so any trainer thinking that they can win with brute force alone will likely find themselves lacking the capacity to deal any real damage in a heartbeat. Few trainers have managed to master the use of the Water-type like Juan and even fewer can attest to the experiences with which he battles, so trainers looking for a Rain Badge had better leave their doubts on the ground before stepping into his Gym. Otherwise, there's a good chance that even the best type advantages will do little to protect one's Pokémon from the evasiveness of Juan's team, a trait that more than makes him a nightmare to deal with in most cases when the opposition does not have ready access to any attacks that can hit their target perfectly every single time.


REWARDS FOR DEFEAT

When he is the active Gym Leader, defeating Juan will allow trainers to have the Rain Badge, one of eight badges found within the Hoenn region. In addition, trainers will receive a HM containing the Waterfall attack, a powerful Water-type attack that can not only deal strong physical damage with a chance of Flinching but is also completely necessary for Pokémon to transport trainers up and across large waterfalls; in the past, Juan gave out a TM that contained the Water Pulse attack before that TM was discontinued.

Professor Wormwood