The Battle Agency

[A Wild Luxray]

I don't think I've seen a thread for this yet, but what what are your thoughts about the Battle Agency? Is it any easier to play through than the Battle Tree, and can we get a chance to face trainers like Champion Cynthia, Wally, or Grimsley?

 

[Bob Fizzle]

I gave it a go to see what it was like. I did 3 rounds, and here are my thoughts.

(Points marked with '+' are things that I think are positives, while '*' are neutral, and '-' are things that I don't like about the facility.)
+Much more casual than the Battle Tree. Since only rental Pokemon are used, you don't have to worry about creating a perfect team; just choose from what you're given.
+You only need to win 3 battles in a row in order to be rewarded (in this case with FC).
*The selection of Pokemon you have to choose from is a little bit limiting at times, but I guess that's the nature of using rental Pokemon.
*Your Battle Agency rank goes up after winning a specified amount of battles. When this happens, the level of the Pokemon you get to choose from also goes up.
-The opponents' Pokemon are leveled to the highest leveled Pokemon in your party, meaning that you are ultimately penalized for being unable to find friends/StreetPass/SpotPass users who have the same Battle Agency rank as you.

I haven't found whether you can battle alongside other NPCs like you can in the Battle Tree. My guess is that you can't since your allies all seem to be people encountered in the Festival Plaza (or sometimes "fake" player characters if you don't choose enough real players).

 

[デオキシス]

It's easier in that you do not have to create a team, and just pick one of three pokemon available at the reception. You can also shuffle the pokemon up to 3 times a day via the new facility Switcheroo for 10FC, which increases your choices to 12. The other two pokemon are derived from the online players in your festival plaza, or from your VIP list. If no one's available the agency will provide Level 50 pokemon.

The main issue is that each grade corresponds to the level of the opponent's pokemon as well as the pokemon you borrow. For instance Grade 0 is level 50 pokemon, and Grade 50 is level 100 pokemon. Everyone starts at Grade 0, meaning most of the people you can recruit in the plaza will be a lot lower than your opponents if you are a high grade. This means you must add people to your friends/VIP list of the same or higher grade to stand a chance against your opponents. Furthermore, their available pokemon changes every day and also as they advance in the Agency. At the moment, pretty much everyone in the plaza is Grade 0, which is useless to me at Grade 30.
The only bosses I've seen is Sophocles or Giovanni after the RR story, every 10 grades.

 

[Alola]

The whole Grade and level correlation is stupid and unfairly inconsistent. Especially since a lot of people aren't raising their ranks higher than 3 or 4 (at least the ones I've seen).

 

[Soki]

Tried it for the first time recently, and while I really like that we're finally getting the concept of rental Pokémon back, I hate that it's so relaint on other people.

I'm battling against one person, why do I need to be with three people? Any reason I can't handle three rental mons on my own? It just feels so weird playing as a different person, and being a team with random Festival Fans :/

And the whole depending on other people's ranks is utterly ridiculous, it just makes the facility unplayable once you reach a high rank, who ever thought this was a good idea, damn.

And I'm sad you only get FC for it, a currency I very rarely use. Would have preferred this thing to just be an actual facility in the region itself where you can earn BP.

So yeah nice idea, extremely terrible execution.

 

[SpikOriundo]

Spoiler: Swearing that I don't want to have it shown normally

FUCKING HELL PEOPLE CHOOSE DECENT POKÉMON! MEDICHAM? LONELY ALTARIA? FUCK OFF, CHOOSE SOMETHING GOOD, FOR FUCK'S SAKE

Caham, anyway, nice idea.
However, the first Global Mission should of have been Battle Agency already, or at least, the second and HAVE HAD ALREADY STARTED!
Freaking hell, how am I supposed to get to Grade 30 without anyone helping me out? EVERYONE IS GRADE 0!
They definitely should of have made it so you can find higher grade people. I stay connected on the internet for the whole time while I play the Battle Agency, but rarely does anyone with any grade whatsoever appears. Here I am, trying to help someone, but there is no one to help me. Now what?



Does anyone want to help me out? I reeeaalllyy need to get the Agents Sunglasses you get at Grade 30, but Grade 24 is being completely against me. Random misses, strong-as-the-devil Weaviles, etc etc...

 

[Muur]

You don't seem to get BP so I stopped caring after a few battles

 

[Fluttershy of Light]

Some of the Pokemon honestly don't make much sense.. Physical Gengar? Who even gives it the Elemental Punches passed Gen 4 when they became physical? also the grade + with Level is horrible.. I'm at rank 11 and can't even get that far with the Grade being that dramatic of a change.. everyone being a 0 grade really hinders everyone else wanting to actually play the Agency.. the Next Global Mission is probably going to fail unless people actually start playing it as well since literally no one is going to be at Grade 50 in 2018.. if only you the players you could recruit that weren't from other players were not effected by the independent grade system then we could actually get somewhere but it's mostly restricted with other players..
It's a good concept but they failed on the execution..

 

[SpikOriundo]

Okay, I'mma throw this out, maybe someone will be able to help out.
I really need those sick glasses you get at grade 30, and I'm only one more set of battle away to get them.
If someone with a high grade wanna help me out, I'll gladly accept that.
You don't have a high grade? I will gladly add you if you are to marathon a huge chunk of the Battle Agency to possibly help me out.
As said, I'm grade 29, so my Pokémon is level 79. I have a Thundurus, Timid nature, 252 on Speed and Special Attack, Electrium Z, Volt Switch, Discharge, Taunt and Focus Blast. With this, you should be able to rush through mostly everything.
The problem is, all I had prior was a grade 22 M-Blaziken, and a grade 20 Latias as my companions. As good as these Pokémon may be, RNG was not on my side, so I was getting terrible match-ups. Not only that, the level difference was biting them in the ass. And now, because they haven't connected at the same time as me, I can't use them anymore.
Please, someone, all I need is a grade 20+ with a nice Pokémon and I might even be able to somehow defeat everyone.
Do it not for me.
Do it for the Agent Sunglasses.
Edit: WELP, NEVERMIND!

Spoiler: [WARNING] MOST STYLISH GLASSES EVAR

View: https://imgur.com/a/dNQlK

I somehow managed to beat Giovanni with a Grade 13 Barbaracle and a Grade 11 Sharpedo. Barbaracle took the Fake Out lead from the Mega Kangaskhan. Then threw in Sharpedo, and took a Double Edge to the face, that activated Rough Skin twice, and gave a bunch of recoil damage to it. Then Thundurus hit Focus Mis-BLAST, Discharged and paralysed Arcanine. It was still a 3HKO, but on the first turn, Overheat missed, and then he just used Sunny Day. Then came Gyarados, who I knew could tank a Discharge because of it's Special Defense + Berry that lowered the damage from Electric attacks. Luckily, I saved the Gigavolt Havoc in case something like him appeared.
How did I even?

Offer is still up, if anyone else doesn't feel like doing such a terrible life choice like I did, of trying to play through BA "legitimately", without too much help from high grades. The only higher grade I got had terrible Pokémon selection.
...
BA...? More like...
BS!!!!

 

[Ree.Dogg]

This is one of the best features ever, in my opinion. You borrow Pokemon to rise through the ranks increasing your Agency grade and Festival Plaza and get festival coins as well as rare candies, its a good way to stack up on both... The only problem is if you don't have any partners you'l hit a wall no matter how good you are, its very community driven which I can appreciate, reminds me of the Friend Safari days. I was wondering if anyone out there plays it since I'd like to make it to the highest level and other people that play it can exchange friend codes here, I didn't see a thread like this so decided to make one, lets get to the top. I'm level 33 right now (almost 34), so if you're a low level you can beast through the lower ranks quickly. Also the Global Mission is coming up soon (We destroyed the Mantine surf one easy, good job guys, another great feature), so its a good idea to start stacking some partners for easy wins and level ups.

 

[Ree.Dogg]

Okay, I'mma throw this out, maybe someone will be able to help out.
I really need those sick glasses you get at grade 30, and I'm only one more set of battle away to get them.
If someone with a high grade wanna help me out, I'll gladly accept that.
You don't have a high grade? I will gladly add you if you are to marathon a huge chunk of the Battle Agency to possibly help me out.
As said, I'm grade 29, so my Pokémon is level 79. I have a Thundurus, Timid nature, 252 on Speed and Special Attack, Electrium Z, Volt Switch, Discharge, Taunt and Focus Blast. With this, you should be able to rush through mostly everything.
The problem is, all I had prior was a grade 22 M-Blaziken, and a grade 20 Latias as my companions. As good as these Pokémon may be, RNG was not on my side, so I was getting terrible match-ups. Not only that, the level difference was biting them in the ass. And now, because they haven't connected at the same time as me, I can't use them anymore.
Please, someone, all I need is a grade 20+ with a nice Pokémon and I might even be able to somehow defeat everyone.
Do it not for me.
Do it for the Agent Sunglasses.
Edit: WELP, NEVERMIND!

Spoiler: [WARNING] MOST STYLISH GLASSES EVAR

View: https://imgur.com/a/dNQlK

I somehow managed to beat Giovanni with a Grade 13 Barbaracle and a Grade 11 Sharpedo. Barbaracle took the Fake Out lead from the Mega Kangaskhan. Then threw in Sharpedo, and took a Double Edge to the face, that activated Rough Skin twice, and gave a bunch of recoil damage to it. Then Thundurus hit Focus Mis-BLAST, Discharged and paralysed Arcanine. It was still a 3HKO, but on the first turn, Overheat missed, and then he just used Sunny Day. Then came Gyarados, who I knew could tank a Discharge because of it's Special Defense + Berry that lowered the damage from Electric attacks. Luckily, I saved the Gigavolt Havoc in case something like him appeared.
How did I even?

Offer is still up, if anyone else doesn't feel like doing such a terrible life choice like I did, of trying to play through BA "legitimately", without too much help from high grades. The only higher grade I got had terrible Pokémon selection.
...
BA...? More like...
BS!!!!

OMG... You recreated the legendary BA queen lol Congrats. I'd like to add you if you don't mind?

 

[SpikOriundo]

OMG... You recreated the legendary BA queen lol Congrats. I'd like to add you if you don't mind?

Of course! My FC is on the signature, just send me yours so I can add you as well. Got a Mega Mawile right now.

 

[Ree.Dogg]

Of course! My FC is on the signature, just send me yours so I can add you as well. Got a Mega Mawile right now.

Sweet 2638-0746-4419 Lets kill it

 

[SpikOriundo]

Sweet 2638-0746-4419 Lets kill it

I'mma wait for the Battle Agency Global Mission, need a break after the Road-To-Grade-30 marathon. After that though, hell yeah, let's finish this thing.

 

[Pyrax]

It's nice to add each other's FCs, but could we keep those to VM/PMs so the thread stays on-topic, please? Thanks ^^;
-
I don't really like the Battle Agency, the fact that BP can't be gained there killed any possible interest I had in it. It would've been so much better had it been an Alolan Battle Factory to serve as an alternative to the Battle Tree imo. At least then it wouldn't be so reliant on recruiting other players.