[US/UM] A How to Easily Beat all of US/UM Totems

[FireTaco]

Hello Pokemon Forever,

Now after Christmas I expect that a lot of people who haven't got the two new Pokemon games before, might have gotten it as a present.  And as to be expected, with all the new changes to the totems in these games some of the strategies you have from sun and moon won't work here.  And so, as someone who has just gotten the game too, I will be helping to make this guide to best each of the trials in this games.

In here will be a list of pokemon that will fair well against the totems and their allies and any moves that could help too.

This will only cover the regular captain's trials and not the grand trials.  

NOW TO BE EXPECTED THERE ARE SPOILERS IN HERE, SO IF YOU WISH TO PLAY THE GAMES WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE TRIALS CLICK OFF NOW. 

Still here? Yeah ok lets go 


TRIAL #1  NORMAL TRIAL

Now for those playing Ultra Sun you will have a Gumshoos, and in Ultra moon you will face an Alolan Raticate.

    
These both are normal types with a defence boost with their aura.  Now a common Idea is to poision these totems so they will die after a certain amount of time, however these totems are holding a Pecha Berry which cures poision so that statigy takes more turns than it would with a far more easiy strategy.  Now outside this trial site, there is a berry tree which you can easily find a Crabrawler, which has a type advantage on both.  Now in the trial site you can find a tm for Brick Break, a high power fighting type move.  This gives a stab super effective move on both of these to your team, which will lead to either a OKO or a TKO on both of these pokes.

TRIAL #1  WATER TRIAL

Now a big surprise for this totem was that the Wishiwashi was replaced with Araquanid.  

Now this pokemon gets a Speed boost with the aura which doesn't make a lot challenge.  HOWEVER this pokemon is holding a Wacan Berry.  This berry weakens electric attacks and makes attacking it much harder.  Now an easy strategy to avoid this is to have a pokemon knowing Pluck, which eats the berry the other pokemon has.  So by using an electric type pokemon like the cap Pikachu event, or Magnmite you can eaily beat this totem.    Now I highly advice against using a Rowlet or Dartrix as it has the move Aurora Beam, which his 4x super effective.

TRIAL # 3 FIRE TRIAL 

The second surprise in these totems is that we have to face an Alolan Marowak
  
Now this pokemon is a huge theat.  It has a Thick Club which doubles its attack power.  Not to mention its +2 Boost to speed.  For this pokemon I HIGHLY RECOMMEND KNOCK OFF.  This will give super effective damage and get rid of that thick club.  To fight this pokemon I suggest using a pokemon like Makuhita or Machop which both learn Knock Off around the same level of the totem, not to mentinon that makes you immune to Marowak's stab hex attack.  


Trial # 4 Grass

IT'S BACK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TOTEM LURANTIS

THIS THING IS STILL A MONSTER.  TOXIC IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN AND BRING PROTECTS AND CLOUD NINE.  Also keep that Kecleonon the field as long as possible, if that Comfey hits the field, KILL IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  You may find use with a Golduck which can easily be found prior, however a much better one will be Swablu or Altaria.  Your knock off user should also be used here in the first turn, as it can get rid of that power herb it holds.  Disable will also help with stopping that Synthesis if you can time it correctly.  

TRIAL NUMBER # 5 ELECTRIC TRIAL

THIS IS A NEW KILLER, A GIANT PIKA-CLONE, THAT IS TOGEDEMARU

This Pokemon has been a struggle for most people who walk in unprepared.  It has one of the most rage inducing movesets of Zing Zap, Iron Head, Spiky Sheild, and Bounce.  Now to easily beat this I suggest a Stammina Mudsdale.  Its stab ground type moves will be able to take it out quickly.  Togedemaru's attacks are all physical and will slowly be weakened by your raising defenses.  Also it's Zing-Zap move is useless against the ground type.  If you also want another suggestion, Inner Focus will allow you to bipass the constant flinching that this entails.

TRIAL NUMBER # 6 GHOST TRIAL

A semi challenging trial is back with Totem Mimikyu


Now this isn't that hard of a trial in my own opinion, dispite it's omni-boost its stong physical attacks can be easily defeated by a attack lowering status move, but avoid using wilo-wisp as it is holding a lum berry.  if you can lower it attack stat enough, the leech life move looses it effect to heal it.  I even am thinking about using a mold breaker pokemon to avoid the disguise ability.  Also the steel type z crystal is obtained prior and it will deal one of the only super effective attacks you can find that is safe to use, as ghost types will also take super effecive damage. If you use the Pluck strategy like before, you will be able to take out that Lum Berry and use wilo wisp better and get rid of that disguise too. 

TRIAL NUMBER # 7 DRAGON TRIAL

One of the best pokemon specific Z move users is here and he is GIANT.  Kommo-o


This Pokemon gains a strong boost to all of it's stats, which makes it rather powerful.  However it's weaknesses is found in the faults of it's movepool, It has no good coverage option to stop it's Psychic type weakness.  It's only conter to that is with its ally Sizor, which you can take out with a fire type move easily.  I also suggest bringing a wilo wisp user to this fight.  If you use the Pluck strategy like before, you will be able to take out that Roseli Berry and spam fairy type moves as well. 

TRIAL # 8 FAIRY TRIAL

SO YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT THIS DUMB FAIRY GETS DOUBLE THE BOOST THAT THIS SUDO LEGENDARY GETS?!


But all joking aside, this thing has little defenses so you can easily defeat this totem.  Its totem is also holding an Orca Berry which weakens fire type moves, so pluck will do well here too.  Also watch out for the Blissey as it has heal pulse.


Conclusion,

So all in all there are a lot of moves and abilities which will help you to avoid the pain some of these trial bring.  As it turns out, moves like Pluck and Knock off become your best friends, and you can work around these issues.  Hope this helps to any of you people who run into problems on your own island challenge.

Have a Good day and thank you for reading and feel free to post any of your own tactics below,

~FireTaco

[croissant]

thats pretty neat. what starter is overall more effective versus all the totems? that might be useful to know as well for people who just got the game and haven't picked a starter yet.

[FireTaco]

Hi @"yung lord" 

So to define the most effective starter I looked into what type and level up moves the starters will have versus what type and moves the totems will have.  

At a first glance I can say with full honesty what Rowlet will not serve you well in completing these trials.  To start off he has no real advantage to the first trial.  Then for the next two trials, where rowlet would most likely evolve into Dartix, he will not survive long against a 4x effective aruora beam from Araquanid or a flame wheel from a Thick Cub A-Marowak.  He finally gains use in his flying stab moves against the Lurantis and, should he evolve into Decidueye prior to the Togedemaru trial, will be able to take non super effective Zing Zaps.  HOWEVER thats where his use runs out again as he will be neither last long against super effecive shadow claws and leech lives from mimikyu, nor a Poision Jab from Kommo-o, nor a bug buzz from a +2 Ribombee.

Next is the Litten line which fares pretty well against the totems.  First of all its level 15 move "Fire Fang" has a 20% chance to burn or flinch, which will tremendously help to weaken and take down the first totem.  Next the water trial, where any chance to use a should be evolved torracat are dampen by a stab-water bubble-rain boosted bubble attack.  Next with totem marowak, you will find some stuggle in using it as it will have only one super effecive move in bite, however this will do little good a flinching a +2 speed marowak.  However this is where things get better as it can obliterate a laurantis with a inferno overdrive.  From there it can attack totem togedemaru with super effective fire and fighting with double kick, and even bypass the defence boost with Darkest Lariat, just watch out for spiky shield.  Then it only takes normal effectiveness on all of totem mimikyu's moves and can still battle trough defence boosts with Darkest Lariat.  Totem kommo-o has drain punch, which will hurt so I advise against that.  And then it can deal super effecive dammage to totem Ribombee.

Now the Popplio Line.  It can first deal super effecive damage in disarming voice to totem raticate, and bypass the defence boost of both of them with the special attacks Popplio is known for.  Then it will serve little purpose to the downfall of totem Araquanid.  Totem Marowak will not appreciate those stab water moves at all, and has no way to conter them. Now, please don't bring this poor creature against totem Lurantis or Togedemaru as you will have a bad time.  Totem mimikyu will be pretty average, unless you want to teach her the only super effective move it can learn against mimikyu which is... Iron Tail.... which might prove useful, but I would just stick with strong stab moves.  Now Totem Kommo-o is something to fear with poision jab, however you will deal 4x damage with stab fairy moves too.  And finally against totem Ribombee you will have to go up against quiver dance on an already +2 special defence pokemon so I am not entirely sure that Primarina will be your best choice.

All in all if you want the pokemon with the best chance against the totem here is a list below of how many totem battles that starter line will help you with:

Rowlet line ---------- 2/8
Litten line ---------- 6/8
​​​​​​​Popplio line ---------- 4/8

So I will suggest the Litten line to anyone just starting out on the new game's trial pokemon.