This is a guide for defeating Clavell during the Academy Ace Tournament in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.

Director Clavell is one of the trainers you can fight in the Academy Ace Tournament. He’s a random participant during the second tournament onwards. He can appear during the fourth round.

What is the Academy Ace Tournament?¶

The Academy Ace Tournament is a single elimination tournament, consisting of 4 rounds, that you can participate in during the postgame. Your opponents will be trainers and faculty members from Naranja/Uva Academy.

To unlock the Academy Ace Tournament, you must complete the Area Zero story, perform the Gym Inspection for Geeta and report the results to her back at Naranja/Uva Academy.

Recommended Pokémon for Clavell (Academy Ace Tournament)¶

Clavell has the same team he used at the end of the Starfall Street story. His team has a variety of types, so your team should also be reasonably varied.

His Pokémon are Level 65 to 66, so you should aim to bring Pokémon of around Level 65+ into the fight.

Here are some recommendations, if you need help:

• The Level 75 Tera Lucario at Dalizapa Passage, in the underground tunnel. High level and a good all-rounder.
• Any of the Treasures of Ruin, powerful Dark type Legendaries, especially Chi-Yu.
• If playing Scarlet, Koraidon, a powerful Dragon and Fighting Legendary obtained in the postgame.
• If playing Violet, Miraidon, a powerful Electric and Dragon Legendary obtained in the postgame.

What Pokémon does Clavell (Academy Ace Tournament) have?¶

Oranguru¶

Like last time, Clavell leads with his Oranguru. It can use Yawn to make you Pokémon fall asleep on the next turn, Dream Eater to steal HP from sleeping Pokémon, Foul Play to deal damage using your Pokémon’s Attack stat, and Reflect to weaken your physical moves.

Bug or Dark types are recommended. If your Pokémon is hit with Yawn, cure them when they fall asleep or switch them out before they sleep.

Abomasnow¶

Brr… it’s feeling pretty chill here. Abomasnow can use Blizzard and Wood Hammer for STAB, Ice Shard to try and attack first, and Aurora Veil to weaken your physical and special moves when it’s snowing. Its Snow Warning ability will activate at the start, triggering snow. This will boost Abomasnow’s Defense stat and make Blizzard 100% accurate.

Fire types are its bane, dealing a massive 4x damage. Fighting, Bug, Poison and Steel types are also great.

Polteageist¶

Care for some tea? Polteageist can use Shadow Ball for STAB, Sucker Punch to try and attack first if you’re using an attacking move, Shell Smash to lower its defensive stats but greatly boost its offensive stats and Speed, and Will-O-Wisp to inflict Burn.

Dark types are strong recommended.

Amoongus¶

This Poké Ball pretender can use Giga Drain to steal HP, Toxic to inflict increasingly damaging Poison, Spore to inflict Sleep, and Hex to deal double damage if you have a status ailment. Its Effect Spore ability may also cause a status ailment if you use a contact move.

Quickly deal with it using super-effective Fire, Flying, Psychic or Ice types before you get hit with Spore. If you get hit, cure it ASAP. Amoongus is slow and doesn’t hit that hard, so it should be safe to use items.

Gyarados¶

This fearsome sea monster can use Aqua Tail for STAB, Earthquake to crush Electric types, plus Stone Edge and Crunch for general coverage. Its Intimidate ability will lower your Attack at the start.

Despite the danger of Earthquake, Electric types are ideal, since they deal quadruple damage. If they’re physical attacks, Intimidate may prevent them from one-shotting Gyarados, but hopefully they’re fast and/or durable enough to get a second shot in.

Houndoom¶

This hellhound can use Dark Pulse and Fire Blast for STAB, Sludge Bomb to counter Fairy types, and Thunder Fang to punish Water types.

Rock, Ground or Fighting types should do well here.

Terastallized Quaquaval¶

For his final Pokémon, Clavell will send out the starter that’s stronger against yours and Terastallize it.

If it’s Quaquaval, it’ll become a pure Water type, further enhancing its Water moves, while retaining its Fighting STAB.

Attack-wise, it can use Aqua Step for STAB and Tera-boosted damage while boosting its Speed, Brick Break for Fighting STAB and to shatter screens, Ice Spinner to destroy Grass types and terrain, and Aerial Ace for good measure.

Aqua Step is incredibly dangerous thanks to the damage boost and the Speed increase it offers. As such, we highly recommend Pokémon that can resist it. Grass types are super-effective and also resist Aqua Step, but may take heavy damage from Ice Spinner. Chances are your Pokémon should be high Level enough to tank a hit though.

If in doubt, the Tera Tsareena from Socarrat Trail is a great counter. You can use Trop Kick to deal super-effective damage and lower Quaquaval’s Attack at the same time. Quaquaval will probably try and use Ice Spinner or Aerial Ace, but you can Terastallize to remove your weakness. After one Trop Kick, Quaquaval should be less dangerous.

Terastallized Skeledirge¶

For his final Pokémon, Clavell will send out the starter that’s stronger against yours and Terastallize it.

If it’s Skeledirge, it’ll become a pure Fire type, further enhancing its Fire moves, while retaining its Ghost STAB.

Attack-wise, it can use Torch Song for STAB and Tera-boosted damage while increasing its Special Attack, Shadow Ball for Ghost STAB, Snarl to lower your Special Attack, and Earth Power to mess up Rock types.

Water types are strongly recommended, to deal super-effective damage and resist Torch Song.

Skeledirge Meowscarada¶

For his final Pokémon, Clavell will send out the starter that’s stronger against yours and Terastallize it.

If it’s Meowscarada, it’ll become a pure Grass type, further enhancing its Grass moves, while retaining its Dark STAB.

Attack-wise, it can use Flower Trick for STAB and Tera-boosted damage with a guaranteed critical hit, Thunder Punch to punish Flying types, plus Play Rough and Shadow Claw for coverage.

Fire, Bug and Poison types are highly recommended, to deal super-effective damage and resist Flower Trick.