Losing to Volo Means Starting Your Climb to Arceus Over Again

As a passionate Pokémon fan on a quest to complete the first Pokédex in the Hisui region, I lived and breathed Pokémon Legends: Arceus earlier this year. After catching countless wild Pokémon and honing my team to stand above the rest, I felt unstoppable. But that confidence came crashing down when I challenged Volo, the boss of the Ginkgo Guild.

In perhaps the toughest Pokémon battle I‘ve ever endured, including facing champions like Cynthia, I ultimately met defeat at Volo‘s hand. And I soon realized that losing to Volo means you have to challenge him from the very start once more if you want to continue your pursuit of the legendary Alpha Pokémon Arceus.

In this guide from one unprepared player to another, let me walk you through why exactly Volo manages to crush so many teams and share some hard-earned advice for eventually overcoming this colossal challenge after you too taste defeat against him.

Why Facing Volo Feels Like Battling Two Elite Four Teams Back-to-Back

Simply put – Volo doesn‘t play fair when it comes to his final showdown team. As you face him and his unique haircut at the peak of Mt. Coronet, he unleashes not six, but eight powerful Pokémon against you in succession. Essentially battling two elite four caliber crews without any chance to heal in between.

And it‘s not just about numbers – his Pokemon are a menacing mix of bulk, power, and coverage:

With most trainers in Hisui topping out teams around level 70-72 in the late game, Volo‘s crew soars far above at level 75-85. He handily outlevels you for extra power. And with carefully chosen coverage, abilities, held items, and movesets he can counter most standard team builds.

Many consider Volo the most difficult Pokémon NPC ever conceived for these reasons. So don‘t feel bad if he stomps your initial attempt – even champions fall to Volo the first time!

Losing Means Starting Volo‘s Fight From Scratch Once More

So what actually happens when you lose to commanding boss Volo? Unfortunately you don‘t get any mercy or handicap – it‘s back to square one.

Losing knocks you out and places you back in front of the Volo/Giratina showdown, forcing you to challenge him fresh again or quit. There are no mid-battle checkpoints or continuing where you left off. It‘s all or nothing each time you step up to face his barrage of beasts.

This means that if you had chipped some of his team down or exhausted their most dangerous moves in the first doomed attempt, that progress evaporates. You again have to take down the entirety of his roster with no prior advantage.

It‘s a crushing realization for newcomers that Volo offers no shortcuts – only through raw preparation, training, and perseverance can you eventually topple this titan. Half-efforts or under-developed teams simply bounce helplessly off his elite squad time and again.

Essential Tips to Finally Beat Back Volo From a Fellow Survivor

Thankfully, with diligent work to upgrade your team, some wise Pokémon selections to counter Volo‘s unique roster, and a battle plan going in, victory CAN happen! Here are my top tips after eventually overcoming him myself:

Choose Types Volo Struggles Against

Lean on Fairy, Steel, Ground, and Fighting type Pokémon – they counter many of Volo‘s lineup and force switches. Some great options:

• Kleavor wrecks Bronzong, Lucario. But watch for Fire attacks!
• Gastrodon walls electric and water attacks.
• Ursaluna hits Ghost, Dark, Psychic types.
• Lucario with Fighting coverage damages half his team.

Pack Plenty of Healing, Revive & Status Cure Items

You‘ll need to continually heal and revive Pokémon to stay the 12+ round distance. Stock up on:

• Max Revives & Revives
• Full Restores
• Lemonades/Moomoo Milks
• Cheri/Chesto/Peachy Berries

Don‘t be shy about using them if it lets a power player stay in the game longer!

Use Agile & Strong Styles Strategically

Getting big damage faster with Strong Style or sure hits with Agile Style can make or break close matchups. Some good uses:

• Ursaluna: Agile Stone Edge to bypass Togekiss evasiveness
• Gastrodon: Strong Storm Drain to absorb big water attacks
• Roserade: Strong Sleep Powder to cripple Volo‘s heavy hitters

Stall Out PP of Scary Moves

Moves like Gastrodon‘s Recover, Lucario and Togekiss‘ healing, Roserade‘s Sleep Powder, and Spiritomb‘s Dark Pulse have limited uses. Outlast them!

Don‘t Get Swept By Giratina‘s Entrance

Even if you somehow overcome Volo‘s 8 monsters, Giratina enters immediately after with no break! Make sure to conserve 1-2 of your top fighters just for handling this final legendary threat in back-to-back brawls.

After multiple attempts and reflection on where my initial teams fell short, these were the keys for me finally conquering Mt Coronet‘s vicious villainous leader. For the good of Hisui, don‘t let Volo break your will! You can do it, Pokémon Master.

Still Stuck? Check Out My Volo Counter Team Video

If you still need more guidance, also check out my video guide breaking down the Volo counter team I finally won with, move by move. Watch how I adapted my plan based on his constantly shifting battlefield dynamics:

After hitting that wall against Volo over and over, I questioned if I could ever rise to this ultimate Pokémon challenge. But trusting the bonds with my team and fine tuning my plan ultimately let us triumph. You can do the same – I believe in you! This dramatic victory over Volo opens up the mythical encounter every Hisui wanderer dreams of.

Let me know in the comments if these tips help you finally conquer this fearsome foe or if you have your own hard-earned words of wisdom to share so we can all overcome this mountainous roadblock together!