LogFAQs > #980000413

I did decide to stick with Crabrawler for my Fighting-type instead of swapping to Pancham, so my current team is most likely my final team unless I decide to add Poipole later on. I figured that Crabrawler's higher speed and access to Power-Up Punch would be more useful. If Pancham were actually Fighting/Dark type and didn't only get the secondary Dark type upon evolution, then I probably would have made the switch, but oh well. As for the playthrough...

First, I flew back to Heahea City to buy the TMs for Reflect and Light Screen and taught them both to Cutiefly. Magnemite can learn them too, but Cutiefly is faster. Then I did some training by defeating every trainer on Route 10 and the Malie Cape before taking the bus to Mt. Hokulani to take on Sophocles's island trial. Mudbray's bulk and the Totem Togedemaru being 4x weak to Ground moves let it bring the Totem Pokemon down to pretty low health, but Iron Head flinches got the better of Mudbray in the end. Over half my team was fainted when I finally managed to actually finish off the annoying hedgehog and eventually the SOS-called Skarmory alongside it, but I did win the battle on my first try.

After that, I went back to Malie Garden for my first battle with Guzma. Again, I won on my first try, but again, the battle ended with over half of my team fainted. The fact that it took 5 of my Pokemon to defeat his 2 is a bit concerning. Finally, I made my way across routes 11-13, making sure to defeat every single trainer along the way. It's clear that I'll need levels to make up for the stat difference between my unevolved Pokemon and the evolved Pokemon that I'll be facing in the late game. I don't want to go too far out of my way to overgrind if I don't have to, but at the very least, I'll probably face every trainer I see on the main path for the rest of the playthrough. Up next is routes 14-15 and Acerola's island trial.

My current team: (asterisk = getting boosted experience for being past its evolution level)
Lv38 Popplio*
Lv37 Magnemite*
Lv37 Cutiefly*
Lv38 Gastly*
Lv37 Crabrawler
Lv38 Mudbray*