Chrono Cross: Time Devourer

Situation 1: Regardless of whether I run from and then reengage the Time Devourer, his first cast when he finally decides to attack is a triple cast: Yellow, Red, Green.
I figure this is perfect because it begins a third of the sequence for me. I cast Blue, Black, White, and use the Chrono Cross... nothing happens.

Situation 2: (After running away and restarting the battle) I ignore TD's first cast, which is, once again, a triple cast: Yellow, Red, Green. I cast the ENTIRE sequence myself and use Chrono Cross... nothing happens.

I've tried both situations twice, having CC in my level 1 and then level 2 column as advised. Thinking that's problematic, I move the element to its proper position in Serge's level 8 column and try the previous situations again... still screwed as, again, nothing happens.

Of course, I can't treat this as a straight fight either because when I reach TD's black battleground, his spells: BlackHole, HellBound, and HellSoul, all kill me instantly. No. I don't have a Black Plate. I don't know how I missed that.

Situation 3: I follow the advice of every game guide I've ever read. Wait till the Time Devourer casts simply a Yellow element. Usually, his pattern is Uplift, Fireball, BushWhacker/BushBasher/AeroSaucer, then I defend, he attacks, I defend, AquaBall/AquaBeam, GravityBlow, PhotonRay, I defend, he attacks, I defend, then he'll use ThundaStorm. I cast the rest of the sequence and use Chrono Cross from the L2 Column as every gamer and guide book advises... f***! Nothing happens! I tried to both chaining to his Yellow in the sequence and, when that didn't work, I tried following with my own Yellow.

From what I remember of a Tips & Tricks magazine's advice. The sequence is supposed to start with TD casting a Red element. But from his behavior, the only way he'll use a Red is in the Red battlefield or at the end of a triple-cast in the Green battlefield. This battle is supposed to be about probability from what I've heard. It's not supposed to be about waiting for a certain battlefield.

If I'm not remembering the TNT advice correctly, then maybe it was something more like this: after TD's cast, I follow with the color that precedes the last and then finish out the sequence normally, casting the elements I've neglected at the end before using the Chrono Cross... nope. That doesn't work either..!

Should I not have Pip in my party? Should I not be equipped with the Mastermune? Should I not be wearing accessories. What the hell am I doing wrong?

Everything about the way the TD attacks hints at how I'm supposed to approach this, but just for the hell of it, I also tried casting the elements in the order I defeated the Tor Dolls. Yellow, Red, Green, White, Black, Blue, Chrono Cross... nothing...

I've tried fighting it with Kid in my party after saving her from her coma. I've also tried casting the sequence before TD can get a single spell off. Nothing, nothing, nothing...

Am I suppose to build up a precise amount of damage before I do this? What the hell?
I'm starting to think I'm surrounded by liars and that no one has ever finished this game. If that's not the case, then how is it that no one's advice worked for me? This isn't a strategy. It's the solution to a puzzle. Time Devourer isn't interrupting my casts, so my efforts should've paid off. I am so irritated.

Did you kill its initial form first? You only use Chrono Cross on its second form iirc.

Well... ... ... thank you for that.
So I'm supposed to be strong enough (or be equipped with a Black Plate) to survive TD's Black Innate skills toward the end of the first form's fight?

I may've read this in the T&T guide and forgot DUE TO so many wannabe guide-writer-asswipes out there saying all you have to do is use the CC.

Have you done this? Has anyone? Does anyone know how to survive TD's BlackHole, HellSoul, HellBound if by chance those skills end up killing you? Because they sure as hell killed me. I practically went the whole fight without a scratch till he whipped out those instant kill Elements. I had Norris in my group and he took 500+ damage, whereas I'm usually relieved to find the randomness of HellSoul and HellBound means they usually don't do anything, but damn! This game needs more Revive elements for when those skills actually work.

It's been so long that I don't remember, but I have done it. I probably had the black plate.

I have only ever done it by doing the whole sequence myself, minus the green elements it always starts with. I think that after you get all six of the color orbs locked in he doesn't attack anymore and just lets you activate the Chrono Cross.

Does the Chrono Cross have to be on Serge?

Some part of me knew this whole thing was supposed to end at Opassa Beach. Problem one of trying to defeat the Dragon God (i.e. not Time Devourer) was that I was equipped expecting a quick-cast battle. Non-offensive casts. Truth be told, by the time I reached the Black Innate battlefield, I'd already used up one Revive (I only have two, I missed the one at the sink hole in Viper Manor's rubble) and Serge's FullRevival (cause he's the one I give it to) and so I was left on my last legs by the time he whipped out his heavy hitters.

Knowing that this was the wrong battle, I re-outfitted my characters and added Grobyc to my team hoping his Black Innate and high HP would help him withstand the Black elements DG would use. Naturally, the one and only time DG actually uses HellSoul, Grobyc is killed. Luckily, I haven't had to Revive anyone yet. But later on, DG casts a UltraNova, and Grobyc bites it again. But I had my full party on their feet by the time Norris landed the killing shots (2 Fierce followed by 1 Weak) and I watched the Dragon God distort and fade to black. The arrogant thought that drifted through my head: That was easier than I thought it would be.
At least I know it was easier than my previous machinations made it on me.

The actual Time Devourer kept casting Green elements. Never once a Yellow. But that doesn't matter because only your sequence matters as I learned by pulling it off and beating the game, y'all! Boo... yeah!
Now I'm conducting an experiment. I already had a second save file wherein I'd recruited Guile instead of Pierre. I went back in with Continue+, got my stats raised to what they'd been pre-TD battle, then saved. Now I've started a New Game+ where I hope to recruit Nikki and see if using the Chrono Cross at Sprigg's can still get me Guile without having to play through the whole game two more times. I haven't read anywhere about it not being possible. I don't know if anyone's ever tried.

By the way, in my first post, I mentioned it in a way that completely gleaned past the awesome of it (or at least my estimation of its awesome). I BEAT DARIO. I had had such a hard time with that for so long. It's why I put off beating the game for nearly eight years (aside from occasionally forgetting I own it). My thanks goes out to KC Carter, author of ShadesofSilence.net whose strategy finally pinned down how to knock that brainless bastard back on his keister. Trust me! I've been through the list when it comes to strategy guides of players who've supposedly beaten Dario. None of them have ever worked. Not to mention over half of them propose that without the Black Plate from Black Dragon, you're screwed.

Once I had the strategy (which was enough for me to beat Dario with Serge and have my party survive with me), I went back to a previous save as Lynx and tried again. I won, barely when Dario, on his last legs, wiped out Riddel and my third party member and brought Lynx to his knees. I didn't have enough elements available in this game and was too impatient to go out hunting for more just for a chance to beat Dario as Lynx. But I didn't need them. The last few hits (naturally, Dario only wiped out my party because I'd been attacking physically for the past few rounds) brought Dario down a few thousand pegs. I was originally gonna take a picture of Lynx wielding the Mastermune as proof. But, who needs it?

Thanks for the advice. Oh and to VeloZer0... I think the Chrono Cross gets blacked out while you're allocating to anyone other than Serge. I'll have to back and check, but I'm sure that's what it is.