Lately I’ve realized there’s very little content for my favorite Pokémon characters. I tried making a couple of drawings of Adaman but I wasn’t satisfied (in my defense, I was experimenting with styles different from my usual one), and then out of nowhere it occurred to me to try Nezu / Piers in my style. I’ve got two hundred WIPs going on, but this one was really something I made with no prior plan or intention, and it ended up satisfying me a lot.
The Simplicity of Spikemuth: A Reflection Through Piers
Sometimes, simplicity is key.
When I first played through Shield, one of the things that I picked up on was how different Spikemuth was in terms of set up and gym. It’s a rather simple area when compared to the other major cities in Galar. And thanks to it not having a Power Spot, it sticks out visually. There’s also the fact that Piers, as a Gym Leader is pretty interesting.
Piers
Piers was one of the first characters I was really drawn to when I first got into the games (Leon being another). He was the first Dark type Gym Leader (not counting Nanu since he’s a Kahuna), uses Obstagoon, who’s become one of my favorite Galar and overall favorite Pokémon, I like his team and I enjoyed his aesthetic and personality. I also think it’s really sweet how he looks out for Marnie, with Team Yell initially being a way to support her while he’s running the gym. Even if Team Yell does get a little over the top with their support.
When it comes to his team, I like how it’s set up. Dark is one of my favorite types and it’s interesting to see how he built his team up to help with coverage. Skuntank is great for Fairy coverage, Malamar is good for Fighting coverage, and Toxtricity, which he uses during the Champion and Galarian Star Tournaments, is another good pick for Fairy coverage that also fits his aesthetic as a musician. I also think it’s really neat how his Obstagoon has max IVs in both Defense stats. While this was probably done to give him an edge since he doesn’t Dynamax, it’s interesting to see a more “competitive” aspect added to his team.
When it comes to his aesthetic, what really drew me to it, is what it reminded me of. While his color scheme and hairstyle reflects Obstagoon and Spikemuth to a degree, the black, white and pink also remind me of 2000’s/2010’s punk rock/goth aesthetic. This makes sense since the general aesthetic for everyone in Spikemuth is based on the UK punk scene. I find this aesthetic enjoyable since I remember growing up during this period and knew people who had it. So I have a bit of a soft spot for it.
One of the criticisms I’ve come across in regards to his Gym Challenge is how it doesn’t do much. It’s just the player walking down a path way, battling a few gym trainers along the way. And since Team Yell may be more of nuisance for some, facing them again before Piers may feel stale or annoying. In that regard, I would agree that it could have used a different gym challenge. I don’t think it needs to be super elaborate, but I could see it having a gym challenge similar to Ryme’s in Scarlet and Violet, where you go through a “warm up” routine before facing Piers. Or, if that would feel too similar to Opal’s gym challenge, where you battle trainers on stage and are quizzed, It could be something like a “find the Galarian Zigzagoon” type challenge. Kind of like how Iono has the “Find Mr. Walksabout” challenge, but more interactive.
However, while I do think that the challenge could have been a bit different for the players, from an aesthetic and story perspective, I do think it makes sense. Spikemuth doesn’t have a Power Spot and it doesn’t seem to get the same kind of attention that other cities get because of that. And with it possibly being based on run down, gang/punk run areas in the UK, it works.
Because of this, I don’t think it’s the worst gym or even the worst gym challenge. Yes, it may not have the best gym challenge, but it does make sense from an aesthetic and in universe perspective. Out of all the gym challenges, I would argue that Hammerlocke’s gym challenge would be worse. Raihan’s battle is interesting since he specializes in both weather effects and dragon types, but his gym challenge has the player face off against three gym trainers using three different weather effects. And given the fact that Hammerlocke is essentially a historic city and a hub for Dynamax energy, it doesn’t feel like it lives up to its potential.
There’s also the fact that he’s the “leader” of Team Yell. While they’re more of a nusiance than an actual evil team, I think that it’s a sweet gesture. Team Yell was a way for Piers to show his support for Marnie. Especially since he can’t leave Spikemuth all that often as it Gym Leader, which he does want to step down from during the main game. Team Yell may be a bit overzealous with their support, but it’s the thought that counts.
In summary, Piers’ gym challenge, though flawed, does fit the city. Since it’s a more neglected city, it won’t have the same resources to do an elaborate gym challenge. And since it doesn’t have a Power Spot, it doesn’t have the size to do as much.
The Traditional Gym Battle
This may sound odd since gym battles haven’t really changed all that much over the years. For the most part, facing the gym leaders hasn’t really changed, with the exception of Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, where Kahunas/Trial Captains replaced Gym Leaders. However, when I say a “traditional” battle, I’m more so referring to a gym battle that doesn’t use the generations gimmick (when it applies). X&Y and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire do this to a degree since Mega Evolution was mostly used in late and post game battles with the only real exception being Korrina when she battles you then gives you a Lucario that can Mega Evolve.
That said, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the traditional execution of Piers’ gym the first time I played through Shield. After six gyms worth of Dynamaxing, not having to Dynamaxing, not even being allowed to for that matter, was a nice change of pace. The first time I battled him, I remember thinking something along the lines of, “oh, not having to Dynamax is nice”. Granted, Dynamaxing isn’t necessarily required during the other gym battles, but it does make it easier to handle a gym leader’s ace since Dynamaxing gives them a three turn HP and stat buff.
However, not having to in this instance helped me appreciate the traditional gym battles from previous generations. Which was something I never really thought about until that point. I also didn’t play any of the generation six games until recently and still have to get around to Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon. So while gimmicks weren’t a new thing by the time SwSh, Sword and Shield were my first experiences with them since I had skipped over Mega Evolution and Z Moves. And since the gimmick is used more during the main compared to X&Y and ORAS, it’s a lot more noticeable when only one gym leader doesn’t use it.
It is worth noting that Piers isn’t the only one to not Dynamax since every battle with Hop, Marnie, and Bede prior to the Championship Cup don’t use it. However, every battle with your rivals prior to the Championship Cup are done on a route, in a cave, outside of a house or Spikemuth, and so on. So, they aren’t battling in an area that has access to a Power Spot. Unlike Piers, who doesn’t by choice, feeling that it gives a more “authentic” battle according to his Rare League Card. Going even as far as to refuse Rose’s request to go to a faraway city. Instead choosing to stay at Spikemuth as the only Gym Leader not to Dynamaxing.
This choice also sets up how well a gym leader can fare without it. Even if we don’t always see it. For instance, while we don’t get to see his match against Raihan during the Championship Cup, we do get a snippet of it during the post game with Sordward and Shielbert. Raihan complements Piers stating that, despite Piers losing to him, he gave Raihan quite the challenge. To the point that he would want to battle Piers again without Dynamaxing. I feel like that says a lot, especially since Raihan is considered Leon’s greatest rival.
He’s also the seventh Gym Leader. In terms of level and challenge, he would be the second most difficult gym leaders behind the eighth, in this case Raihan. So from an in world perspective, he’d certainly be one of the more challenging gym leaders. And since he doesn’t Dynamax, not that he could even if he wanted to, it forces challengers to change their strategy.
All in all, him not Dynamaxing was a nice change of pace that found a way to work in game. That by no means means that Dynamaxing/Gigantamaxing is necessarily a “bad” regional gimmick. It fits the more spectacle nature of Galar since battles are treated like sporting events. And whether or not a player likes it as a gimmick will come down to preference. I just appreciate that Piers doesn’t need to use it in order for his battle to stand out and still be enjoyable.
Is There Any Way that Spikemuth Could Have Been Better?
If there’s one thing that I felt could have done better, is maybe giving the city more areas to explore. Outside of the gym challenge, that’s another major complaint that I’ve seen. Which I agree with.
Had they released a third installment, I feel like that could have been a possibility. Especially since it feels like there were areas that were meant to be explored throughout the region (ex. the area behind the upper level Pokémon Center in Motostoke and the mining facility on Route 3 that Sonia points out). However, since DLC ended up being the way to go with these games and Scarlet/Violet, we didn’t get that. I’ve got nothing against the DLC since it’s a logical next step for the franchise. In fact, I enjoy the DLC quite a bit. However, I do feel that, if Sword and Shield had gotten the third installment treatment, players would have gotten more areas to explore in Galar. Including the DLC areas.
That said, if they were to expand explorable areas in Spikemuth, I don’t think they’d need to add a whole lot. For instance, I could see Marnie inviting the player over to her and Piers’ house, giving the player a glimpse into their personal lives. Maybe they have a few Galarian Zigzagoon that Piers fosters or caught running around, guitars and/or other instruments decorated around the house, and Marnie’s room having posters and a little set up for Morpecko. It could also have an area that leads to the water area on Route 9. Maybe even a private studio for Piers when he’s practicing/rehearsing for his next performance.
All in all, as much as I love the simplicity of Spikemuth, I do think it would have been nice if players had more to explore. If it did, I feel that players who weren’t a fan of the singular, linear pathway might have have liked Spikemuth a bit more.
In Summary
In conclusion, I have a sense of appreciation when it comes to the more simple nature of Piers’ battle and Spikemuth as a whole. His battle gives me a sense of nostalgia while having me realize that I enjoy the straightforward gym battle without gimmicks. Though it could have used more explorable areas, his city’s run down nature makes sense for the city’s more neglected nature and the lack of a Power Spot. And despite not Dynamaxing by choice he shows how that can look, while providing a unique challenge.
What are you’re thoughts on Piers? Did you like his battle? Was there anything you’d change? What are your thoughts on the more traditional battles versus ones that use the region’s/generation’s gimmick?
Sources
Power Spots Bulbapedia: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Category:Power_Spots
