Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire: Norman

Since he’s the player’s father, it feels thematically appropriate that Norman would be one of the tougher fights in Ruby and Sapphire. The fight occurs around the midpoint of the game, and challenging him requires you to go back to Petalburg City, which you already passed through early on knowing you weren’t quite ready to face him at the time. Norman acts as a sort of gatekeeper for the new challenges you’ll face in the Hoenn region’s second half, and he whoops your ass on the way through. He both leads and closes the match with a Slaking, with a Vigoroth vibing in between the two. Slaking is a menace because it has incredibly high base attack stats, is bulky, and despite being a sloth, is pretty fast. If that sounds overpowered to you, that’s because it is, but Slaking also has an inherent disadvantage baked into its build with its ability Truant, which requires it to loaf about for a turn between attacks. It gives you an opening, but the second Slaking is ready to fight again it will Focus Punch your best ‘mon through the wall.

Norman’s battle is a reminder that sometimes just having a hulking tank of a Pokémon can be enough to challenge even the most proficient trainer, but as your father, he’s gotta teach you that sometimes life is hard and hits you like a truck. And that truck looks like the backside of a giant sloth’s hand.