The player in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s main game has a lot of tasks to complete, such as defeating the massive new Titan Pokemon, going up against each Gym Leader in the Paldea region, squaring off against the mysterious Team Star, competing in the Pokemon League to try to become a Champion and be the best like no one ever was, and capturing every Pokemon in the region because, well, you gotta catch ’em all!
One of these unique activities or missions in which the player can participate in the Academy Ace Tournament! Even after completing all of these, players can still participate in post-game missions, such as facing off against former Team Star teams and Pokemon Gym Leaders in a rematch right after the last mission, and the credits begin to roll.
This guide will teach you how to defeat Hassel in the Academy Ace Tournament!
The Academy Ace Tournament
Nemona and the Pokemon League organized the Academy Ace Tournament to recognize the player’s achievement of becoming a Champion in the Paldea region. To enable Top Champion Geeta to compete in the Academy Ace Tournament, the player must first assist Top Champion Geeta by engaging in a rematch against each Pokemon Gym Leader in Paldea. After defeating each Gym Leader in a rematch, access to the Academy Ace Tournament will become available.
Read: How to Defeat Top Champion Geeta in the Academy Ace Tournament
If the player wants to participate in the Academy Ace Tournament, go to the Academy in Mesagoza, and enter the Entrance Hall. Once there, talk to the employee in the blue shirt at the front desk next to a Gengar/Psyduck.
In the Academy Ace Tournament, the player faces off against four Pokemon Trainer instructors, staff members, or other students. To earn the title of academy ace and become the ultimate champion, the player must defeat all four trainers.
In their first attempt at the Academy Ace Tournament, the player will face a specific set of four Pokemon Trainers: Arven, Jacq, Dendra, and Top Champion Geeta. On subsequent attempts, the player will face four random Trainers. They will be selected from Arven, Jacq, Dendra, Salvatore, Tyme, Miriam, Raifort, Saguaro, Hassel, Penny, Director Clavell, or Nemona.
After each round/battle of the tournament, the player cannot modify the Pokemon in their party. Following each battle, the player’s Pokemon’s HP will be healed, and the player’s Tera Orb will be recharged.
Rewards
The Sporty Cap (Pokemon League) and 6-Star Tera Raids (if the player has finished at least ten 4-Star Tera Raid battles) are unlocked, as well as money and EXP points for winning the Academy Ace Tournament for the first time.
With each subsequent victory of the whole tournament, the player will receive the following rewards at random: up to 10 Rare Candies, a maximum of three Nuggets, one Big Nugget, three random Tera Shards, three random Vitamins, a rare Apriball (a Beast Ball, a Dream Ball, a Fast Ball, a Friend Ball, a Level Ball, a Lure Ball, or a Moon Ball), a random-natured Mint, a Bottle Cap, a Gold Bottle Cap, or a very rare Ability Patch.
Hassel
The new Paldea Champion might face Hassel, the academy’s art teacher and a member of the Elite Four, if the player returns to compete in the Academy Ace Tournament after initially becoming the academy’s ace!
Hassel will use the following six Dragon-type Pokemon: a Level 67 Noivern, a Level 67 Dragalge, a Level 67 Haxorus, a Level 67 Flapple, a Level 67 Dragonite, and a Level 68 Baxcalibur.
How to Defeat Hassel’s Noivern
A Dragon and Flying-type Pokemon, Noivern is weak (super effective) to Dragon-type, Fairy-type, Rock-type, and especially Ice-type moves, resistant (not very effective) to the Bug-type, Fighting-type, Fire-type, Water-type, and especially Grass-type moves, and immune (no effect) to Ground-type moves.
Hassel’s Noivern will use the following moves:
- Air Slash is a Flying-type special attack with 75 Power and 95 Accuracy. Aside from delivering damage, it has a 30% chance of making the target Pokemon flinch.
- Dragon Pulse is a special Dragon-type attack with 85 Power and 100 Accuracy.
- Super Fang is a physical Normal-type move with 90 Accuracy. It will deal damage equal to half of the max HP of the opposing Pokemon.
- Boomburst is a special Normal-type move with 140 Power and 100 Accuracy.
Also, Hassel’s Noivern has the Ability called Infiltrator, which ignores the opposing Pokemon’s protective moves and stat boosts.
Hassel’s Dragalge
Dragalge is a Dragon and Poison-type Pokemon that is weak (super effective) to Dragon-type, Ground-type, Ice-type, and Psychic-type moves and resistant (not very effective) to the Bug-type, Electric-type, Fighting-type, Fire-type, Poison-type, Water-type, and especially Grass-type moves.
Hassel’s Dragalge will use the following moves:
- Sludge Bomb is a Poison-type move with 90 Power and 100 Accuracy. It deals damage and has a 30% chance of inflicting Poison on the target Pokemon.
- Dragon Pulse is a special Dragon-type attack with 85 Power and 100 Accuracy.
- Hydro Pump is a special Water-type move with 110 Power and 80 Accuracy.
- Thunderbolt is a special Electric-type move with 90 Power and 100 Accuracy. Alongside inflicting damage, it has a 10% chance of inflicting Paralyze the opposing Pokemon.
It has the Ability called Poison Point, which gives a 30% chance of inflicting Poison on the opposing Pokemon.
How to Defeat Hassel’s Haxorus
A Dragon-type Pokemon, Haxorus is weak (super effective) to Dragon-type, Fairy-type, and Ice-type moves and resistant (not very effective) to Electric-type, Fire-type, Grass-type, and Water-type moves.
Hassel’s Haxorus will use the following moves:
- Dragon Claw is a physical Dragon-type attack with 80 Power and 100 Accuracy.
- Crunch is a physical Dark-type move with 80 Power and 100 Accuracy. It deals damage and has a 20% chance of reducing the target Pokemon’s Defense stat by one stage.
- Iron Head is a physical Steel-type move with 80 Power and 100 Accuracy. Aside from dealing damage, it has a 30% chance of making the enemy Pokemon flinch.
- Rock Tomb is a physical Rock-type move with 60 Power and 95 Accuracy. It deals damage and lessens the target Pokemon’s Speed stat by one stage.
Additionally, it has the Ability called Mold Breaker. It makes the attacking Pokemon use moves without being affected by the opposing Pokemon’s ability.
Hassel’s Flapple
Flapple is a Dragon and Grass-type Pokemon that is weak (super effective) to the Bug-type, Dragon-type, Fairy-type, Flying-type, Poison-type, and especially Ice-type moves and resistant (not very effective) to Ground type and especially Electric-type, Grass-type, and Water-type moves.
Hassel’s Flapple will use the following moves:
- Dragon Rush is a physical Dragon-type move with 100 Power and 75 Accuracy. It deals damage and has a 20% chance of making the enemy Pokemon flinch.
- Seed Bomb is a physical Grass-type attack with 80 Power and 100 Accuracy.
- Aerial Ace is a physical Flying-type move with 60 power. It never misses except when the opposing Pokemon uses a few specific moves.
- Leech Seed is a Grass-type status move with 90 Accuracy. It inflicts damage by stealing an eighth of the enemy Pokemon’s HP to regain the user’s HP.
Aside from its moves, Hassel’s Flapple has the Ability called Ripen, which will double the effects of the Pokemon with the Ability’s held Berries if they are eaten in battle.
Hassel’s Dragonite
Dragonite is a Dragon and Flying-type Pokemon meaning it is weak (super effective) to Dragon-type, Fairy-type, Rock-type, and especially Ice-type moves, resistant (not very effective) to the Bug-type, Fighting-type, Fire-type, Water-type, and especially Grass-type moves, and immune (no effect) to Ground-type moves.
Hassel’s Dragonite will use the following moves:
- Extreme Speed is a physical Normal-type move with 80 Power and 100 Accuracy. It has an increased Speed priority of two, allowing it to go before most moves, even moves like Quick Attack.
- Dragon Rush is a physical Dragon-type attack with 100 Power and 75 Accuracy. It inflicts damage and has a 20% chance of making the enemy Pokemon flinch.
- Fire Punch is a physical Fire-type move with 75 Power and 100 Accuracy. Aside from dealing damage, it also has a 10% chance of burning the opposing Pokemon.
- Stone Edge is a physical Rock-type move with 100 Power and 80 Accuracy. It is also an attack with a 1-stage increased Critical Hit ratio.
Also, Hassel’s Dragonite has the Ability called Inner Focus which will protect the Pokemon with the Ability from flinching.
Hassel’s Baxcalibur
Baxcalibur is a Dragon and Ice-type Pokemon. Still, as Hassel will terastallize Baxcalibur, it will change into a pure Dragon-type because of its Tera type, so it is weak (super effective) to Dragon-type, Fairy-type, and Ice-type moves and resistant (not very effective) to Electric-type, Fire-type, Grass-type, and Water-type moves.
Hassel’s Baxcalibur will use the following moves:
- Icicle Crash is a physical Ice-type move with 85 Power and 90 Accuracy. It deals damage and has a 30% chance of causing the enemy Pokemon to flinch.
- Brick Break is a physical Fighting-type attack with 75 Power and 100 Accuracy. It destroys the defensive barriers active in the battle and inflicts damage.
- Glaive Rush is a physical Dragon-type move with 120 Power and 100 Accuracy. It not only deals damage but also ensures that the Pokemon using the move’s next move will not miss and will deal double the damage.
- Ice Shard is a physical Ice-type move with 40 Power and 100 Accuracy with a Speed priority of one, making it move first before most moves.
Aside from its moves, Hassel’s Baxcalibur has the Ability called Thermal Exchange, which will raise the Pokemon with the Ability’s Attack stat by one stage if a Fire-type move hits it. Also, the Pokemon with the Ability will be immune to the status condition Burn.
Tips On How To Defeat Hassel
As Hassel’s Pokemon are Level 67 and 68, it is advised that the player use Pokemon that are Level 62 and higher with Fairy type and Ice type moves to defeat Hassel and his Pokemon comfortably.
Hassel’s Pokemon are weak against these moves, especially Hassel’s Noivern, Flapple, and Dragonite, as they are 4x weak to Ice-type moves. Hassel’s Pokemon are also weak against Dragon-type moves, but Dragon-type Pokemon are not recommended as Hassel’s Dragon-type team will also deal super effective damage to it.
With that in mind, Pokemon like Tinkaton can be great against Hassel’s Pokemon as it can learn various Fairy-type moves and one Ice-type move (Ice Hammer, which can be learned via Egg Moves) to deal super effective damage to Hassel’s Pokemon.
Additionally, Tinkaton has resistance to Dark-type, Flying-type, Grass-type, Ice-type, Normal-type, and Rock-type moves and immunity to Dragon-type and Poison-type moves, all of which Hassel’s Pokemon will use.
Using a Pokemon with a high-Speed stat against Hassel’s Noivern is also recommended, as its Super Fang attack can deal massive damage while having a high-Speed stat.
You now know how to defeat Hassel in the Academy Ace Tournament! Follow the advice above, become acquainted with Hassel’s Pokemon, moves, and abilities, and the player can easily defeat Hassel, one of the members of the Elite Four and the academy’s art teacher!
