Well, I've managed to get through the first two Gyms. Striaton was pretty much a case of wiping & restarting until you either get two different encounters or you get good nature matchups. Nacrene was a bit more brutal though. Sacking my low HP Herdier to bring in Purrloin at full HP was necessary because those S.A. stacks were vital. The desert will bump my team size back up anyway if I can avoid over-levelling in the forest.
>>50534868"Hardcore" is just shorthand for restricting item use in battle. Only held items can be used so if you want to heal / cure any status effects then you either have to use moves or held items / berries. It makes it harder to cheese fights and encourages you to use more of your team in a fight.
