Topic: Unsuspected, "unviable" Niche Pokémon of the Day

[Delicious_Scout]

A lot of people have been saying "Oh, lordie, Play Rough on [X]! Let's do it!". Donphan (I doubt I will cover it because Excadrill exists) and Stoutland are examples of good or decent Pokémon that do not necessarily need it. Donphan already has very good coverage with Earthquake + Ice Shard, and Play Rough is quite redundant with Ice Shard. For Stoutland is more or less the same.

Fairy hits Super Effectively Fighting, Dragon, and Dark types. Surprise! It is resisted by Fire, Steel, and Poison! What does that mean, at the end of the day? Taking into account this list, Fire Fang (if you ever use it) is resisted by Fire and Dragon, Return by Steel, Superpower by Poison and Fighting, Crunch/Pursuit by Dark and Fighting, and Wild Charge by Dragon. By that I mean that, no matter how you try to fit it without losing STAB in Return, Play Rough will be redundant in some way or another; moreover, most Dragons (barring Dragonite and some Latias) are not bulky now, Steel Types are always around, Tyranitar is hit harder by Superpower, Crunch/Pursuit is necessary to end Latios and hit a lot of things for neutral damage (even more than Play Rough), and Wild Charge is its only means barring Fire Fang to finish Skarmory.

In other words, being locked into Play Rough is not very fortunate, especially with all those Steel and Fire types roaming around. If you want to give it a chance, change it for Return, at the risk of missing some accuracy, more Neutral damage, and being walled with ease if you do not play properly. At least you will OHKO Conkeldurr and some Dragons if they dare to switch into you.

If you give me a reason why, I might cover Hypno as well, but for now…

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Today, we will review one Pokémon that has been annoying around since the dawn of the new millenium. May the power of Jumpluff compel you!

MetaSprite, here are your readers (is it just me or Jumpluff has some kind of scratch on its face?).

Jumpluff has always been a Pokémon that has trolled everyone who did not know how it worked. In fact, some sources tell us that Jumpluff's father was Eduard Jil; such level of trolling can only be achieved with an expansive movepool and stats like this:

Jumpluff

HP: 75 | Attack: 55 | Defence: 70 | Special Attack: 55 | Special Defence: 95 (85 before Generation VI) | Speed: 110

Moreover, Grass/Flying typing, along abilities in Leaf Guard, Chlorophyll, and Infiltrator, are what turn Jumpluff in one of the gods of annoyance. Ah, and it can even hit hard when needed.

Let's check the set:



Magic Balloons

Jumpluff @ Leftovers
Jolly/Timid Nature (+Spe, -SpA/Att)
EV: 232 HP/24 Def/252 Spe
Ability: Chlorophyll/Infiltrator

Sleep Powder
Encore
Memento/Stun Spore
U-Turn

Ah, the peak of trolling with a Grass type without resorting to Leech Seed. Basically, Sleep Powder puts one opponent to sleep (ideally a counter), giving it an extra turn to do anything, but one should be careful because all three moves play differently, but are hard to use if they opponent is asleep. Encore forces an opponent to repeat an attack (Earthquake or a Status move is what Jumpluff wants to Encore), but if the opponent is asleep, it might switch and send in something unaffected by Encore because it would not have even moved. Memento is useful for ending your own life and lowering the opponents offensive stats by two stages each, but a switch can fix this, and specific partners might be needed by that time; keep in mind, as well, that Stun Spore might be very useful to keep dealing status without breaking the Sleep Clause, and it really helps if you opt for Infiltrator. U-Turn works as a means to scout the opponent, ideal if the rival does not have any hard counter to anything in your team.

252 EV in HP would be for maximum overall bulk, but this is a strange cause because Jumpluff has SpD>HP>Def. This means some part of the EV must go to defence to make it balanced; this being, at the end, 232 HP/24 Def/252 Spe, as seen before. A Timid nature can be used if you are paranoid about Foul Players, but Jolly should be used instead. Chlorofphyll outspeeds virtually anything in the game when the Sun is up, but Infiltrator, and thanks to Jumpluff's natural Speed, is very viable to cripple opponents behind a Substitute.

A Sword Dance set with Sword Dance/Acrobatics/Seed Bomb/Sleep Powder or Encore could be used, but Jumpluff lacks Flying Gem right now, thus not allowing it to function very well at first, thus granting it less opportunities to be successful -yet-. Do not consider Leech Seed; it is better suited to Whimsicott due to Prankster.

Jumpluff, the Blue Kirby Pokémon. No, these are not bubble-gums, but their annoying factor is as sticky as them; therefore, try to never, NEVER underestimate Jumpluff, as it is bulkier than it seems.

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So, what do you think about Jumpluff? Should it be qualified as a T++ troll like Sableye? Will my cat stop using Scratch on me? More during the next issue!

[Kerou 犠牲]

Haven't read the article yet but that 'scratch' is a highlight =P

[MonsterMon64]

Ah, thanks for clearing things up regarding Play Rough! (you went the extra mile, too, very helpful and informative!) And yeah, Jumpluff... I have to admit mere in-game Jumpluffs have given me trouble,* so I shudder to even think of facing one used by a competent human opponent. (Didn't know it could learn Memento, though! )

*Well, at least Skyla's in the PWT and Ramos' in Pokemon Y. ACROBATICS, man. I assume we haven't seen Flying Gems in Gen 6 so far because of Gale Wings, but I could be wrong. Acrogem power is just too fun to pass up, though.

[SaRo|Rapidash]

I assume we haven't seen Flying Gems in Gen 6 so far because of Gale Wings, but I could be wrong. Acrogem power is just too fun to pass up, though.

Acrobatics Talonflame would be everywhere if it were legal, but fortunately only normal gem is legal so far in gen 6 xD

[Delicious_Scout]

Acrobatics Talonflame would be everywhere if it were legal, but fortunately only normal gem is legal so far in gen 6 xD

"Fortunately".

Yes, Talonflame apparently can do it better, but Jumpluff has access to other abilities that are very related to trolling and another STAB, as well as more support moves. As many support moves as today's Pokémon.

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Today, one of the biggest trolls in the Pokémon world is our object of study: our "victim" is Cradily.

MetaSprite has symbolised very well the evilness of this creature.

Cradily has a unique Rock/Grass type, which is not bad at all by any means, but this is not the only thing Cradily has to offer: very trollish abilities in Suction Cups and Storm Drain, as well as a lot of support/status moves only turn Cradily into an even more annoying Pokémon to face, and, after a few turns, it can actually deal considerable direct damage. Its stats might be useful for understanding why it should not be underestimated:

Cradily

HP: 86 | Attack: 81 | Defence: 97 | Special Attack: 81 | Special Defence: 107 | Speed: 43

Sets? As you wish.



Do you even Curse!

Cradily @ Leftovers/Lum Berry
Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Ability: Suction Cups/Storm Drain

Curse
Rest/Recover
Sleep Talk/Earthquake
Rock Slide/Seed Bomb

Guess what, Cradily is very hard to take down without super effective moves or critical hits, especially under Sandstorm, boosting its already notable Special Defence to the likes of Support Tyranitar. But being a wall is not enough for our favoruite Rock/Grass friend, it has to deal some kind of damage as well. To achieve a respectable damage output, Curse is chosen (with the added bonus of boosting its weaker Defence); due to its bulk, it might Curse more than once, and, because of Suction Cups, Cradily will not be forced out against its will. After this, Cradily might have taken some damage; Rest is ideal to restore all its health, but Recover can be used if you do not like to rely on Sleep Talk. Talking Sleep Talk, this should be the third move used, unless you decide to use Recover, then Earthquake is the best option; without it, Bisharp can 2HKO Cradily without being able to fight back, and that is not good at all. In the last slot, both Rock Slide and Seed Bomb are good options, regardless of your choices before; Rock Slide has better coverage (especially with Earthquake), but Seed Bomb hits significantly harder and eliminates Ground, Water, and possible Fighting types that might like to exploit your weak points. Water Types can be handled with more ease if optiong for Storm Drain (now it is legal with Sleep Talk!), but keep in mind that most of them carry Ice Beam; Ground Types might represent a long battle (careful with your PP), and Fighting Types are not usually hit hard enough by Earthquake and Rock Slide.

The EV are to patch Cradily's Special Defence before it can grab a Boost; if you do not feel safe enough and want to avoid a OHKO by Jolly, Life Orb Terrakion (using Close Combat) after Stealth Rock damage and one Curse, then 252 HP/240 Def/16 SpD should do the trick, but keep in mind that you will need Sandstorm to be Specially Bulky.

Cradily, the Protobarbaracle Pokémon. Although majestic, witnessing how it curses upon you is not wise, as you will not be able to take its tyranny down.

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So, what do you think about Cradily? Should I have covered it right after Armaldo? Would you use it as a full support Pokémon? Next very soon!

[E.C.A.M.B.S.]

First Armaldo and now Cradily? I was expecting it much sooner.

[Delicious_Scout]

Check my edit for further rage. Talking about rage…

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Today, prepare to ragequit at the smug face of our Pokémon of the day. Cringe at Floatzel's face.

MetaSprite forecasted the Doge and made it a Floatzel

If you ask me, Floatzel is a cross between Raticate and Infernape if oen is talking about the skills it takes to use; Raticate being the hardest and Infernape the easiest (and using Infernape is not easy), meaning that Floatzel is hard to use, and sometimes frustrating to use. Nevertheless, Floatzel, despite being one of those hard-to-use mammals, is effective enough to justify its use. A priori, due to its stats, it might not seem the case…

Floatzel

HP: 85 | Attack: 105 | Defence: 55 | Special Attack: 85 | Special Defence: 50 | Speed: 115

… but Floatzel's expansive movepool, along its great abilities in Swift Swim and Water Veil (prevents Burn, something most physical sweepers would kill for) might be enough to convince a few to give Floatzel a try, which would not be a crazy idea. However, one must wait until ORAS (if the leaks reagarding the Tutor Moves are true) to unleash Floatzel's potential.

Sets here!



Why is BW even a thing?

Floatzel @ Choice Band/Life Orb
Jolly/Naïve Nature (+Spe, -SpA/SpD)
EV: 252 Att/4 Def/252 Spe (Jolly) or 60 Att/196 SpA/252 Spe (Naïve)
Ability: Water Veil

Waterfall/Hydro Pump
Ice Punch (Ice Fang if it is illegal with Water Veil)/Ice Beam
Brick Break/Crunch
Switcheroo (Currently legal)/Brick Break/Crunch

First off, assume I am just talking about the Choice Band set. Waterfall is the STAB, often scoring a flinch due to Floatzel's high Speed; Ice Punch (Ice Fang if you are being legal now) is to eliminate possible threats resistant to Water, and Brick Break and Crunch are to create a an almost-perfect type combinatio, only resisted by Heracross, Toxicroak, and Fairy types. In case you want to play smart, forget any of the latter to include Switcheroo instead, possibly crippling any defensive Pokémon expecting a safe switch; be careful, though, because Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Gliscor can prove to be quite dangerous with a Choice Band. If you prefer being more legal but keeping the damage output from Ice Punch (Ice Fang does make a difference), a Naïve/Mixed set with Hydro Pump/Waterfall, Ice Beam, and any two coverage moves (even HP Grass is useful, but do not choose Switcheroo) can do plenty of damage while using a Life Orb.

The EV are very explicit with Jolly: hit as hard and fast as you can. However, in the Naïve set, 196 EV in Special Attack are there to 2HKO Impish Mega Scizor that runs 248 EV in HP and 100 in Special Defence; however, those are rare, so in case they are running the standard 176 EV in Special Defence, you can fully invest in Special Attack to 2HKO 99.7% of the time with Stealh Rock up; nevertheless, the original spread is there because it offers a better mixed offence.

Floatzel, that little annoying Pokémon. Please, do not let it go, or else it will either run away or sanicfast (steamroll) your team.

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So, what do you think about Floatzel? Nothing? Should it be more adorable? More in the next article!

[Delicious_Scout]

Nothing.

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Today, because it was supposed to be a Halloween Pokémon, I present Dusclops to the section.

MetaSprite: collaborating with Sauron since 2004.

Pain. Madness. Chaos. Maximum trolling. These are the concepts one would use when trying to defeat Dusclops by using neutral hits and Super Effective, non-STAB moves. And it goes better by knowing that, along its pure Ghost Type, Dusclops has two very good abilities to use: Pressure is excellent for stalling, whilst Frisk can be used to avoid being tricked your item away, or simply avoiding getting a Choice item. Its stats also work quite well:

Dusclops

HP: 40 | Attack: 70 | Defence: 130 | Special Attack: 60 | Special Defence: 130 | Speed: 25

What about some spooky sets?



Burning Defence

Dusclops @ Eviolite (do not even think in anything else)
Bold/Calm Nature (+Def/SpD, -Att)
EV: 252 HP/Split between both defences as you wish
Ability: Pressure

Curse
Pain Split
Will-O-Wisp
Night Shade/Ice Beam/Infestation

If you have taken down all defoggers and you have entry hazards in the opponent's field, this set is very proficient at cleaning weakened Pokémon late-game, and even eliminate some key targets when required (consider this as a "soft" MegaPerishGengar). How does Dusclops actually do anything to the opposition with such low offensive stats? The answer lies in shenanigans given by this set. Curse, although almost useless in most Ghost types, is effectively used by Dusclops due to its high bulk, especially with Eviolite. Although Pain Split combined with Curse's damage output might seem a stupid idea, it works because of the great number of switches it can cause, thus restoring most of your health if a Pokémon switches in at full health. Will-O-Wisp is for those cases (Tyranitar the clearest) that Dusclops is actually threatened by a very powerful Physical hit, which is the most common kind of attack used in OU; moreover, the burn status can actually force even more switches, just turning Dusclops into a very interesting "passive scout". In the last slot, Night Shade is usually the best option, although, if you are eager enough, Ice Beam and Infestation are very interesting, interesting enough to consider them in some scenarios; Ice Beam can hit most threats by quadruple Super Effective damage, and Infestation, combined with Will-O-Wisp, and in some desperate cases, with Infestation, can wear an opponent down quite quickly.

Although Pain Split works better with 0 IV in HP, do not even think about it; maintaining Dusclops' bulk is a priority. The EV can be very flexible, but 252 in HP should always be used (unless you are going kamizake) and they should be divided between Defence and Special Defence; you might even find a case in which using 252 EV in one stat is beneficial. And be careful with Clefable with Magic Guard, since it takes no damage from indirect damage and it can cure itself with Sofboiled and Wish in case you start spaming Night Shade. And the last but not least, staying against a Pokémon that knows Knock Off is one of the most dangeours scenarios Dusclops can live: it is not only hit for Super Effective damage, but also loses its adored Eviolite, hence reducing its walling capabilities.



Your ex

Dusclops @ Eviolite (do not even think in anything else)
Calm/Bold Nature (+SpD/Def, -Att)
EV: 252 HP/Split between both defences as you wish (again)
Ability: Pressure

Rest
Sleep Talk
Night Shade
Will-O-Wisp/Toxic

If you want to go even further, this set can cause some ragequits due to its almost unmatched staying power. Rest and Sleep Talk are staples, and they work in a different manner with respect to Pain Split: RestTalk heals Status problems, restores all of Dusclops' health, and it does not rely that much on the other moves' PP, thus providing excellent synergy with Pressure, ending most stall wars in Dusclops' favour. Night Shade is the attack of choice, and Ice Beam is not listed because Dusclops can not use it at its own will while RestTalking, therefore not obtaining optimal results; the same happens with Infestation. In the last slot, since Dusclops can stay for longer than in the other set, it can actually choose between Toxic and Will-O-Wisp; depending on your team needs and how sadistic you are, one will be better than the other.

As with the other set, the EV are very flexible. Once again, be very careful with Clefable and Knock Off.

Dusclops, the non-clopper Pokémon. You'd better carry a team with six nukes to take it down, or else you will have a nightmarish day.

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So, what do you think about Dusclops? Does it completely outclass its evolution (Dusknoir)? 2spoopy4u? Do not miss the next article!

[SirBlaziken]

I honestly like both, dusclops mainly for h3x.

[Delicious_Scout]

I honestly like both, dusclops mainly for h3x.

Dusclops does not rely on h4x. But our member of the week does.

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Today, because it is 1st of November and it is close to the first of her month, it is convinient to remember how awesome our Shrub/Alice is.

Credit to the Pokémon Company.

Alice is one of those members that are not directly OP at first sight, but require a further analysis to discover her full potential, which happens to be close, if not already, broken. Her Grass/Ice typing might seem disastrous, but if Abomasnow is decent, Alice (from now on, Lals) is great, even being affordable some kind of reference to "Frozen". Her stats are as well off charts:

Lals

HP: 70 | Attack: 150 | Defence: 60 | Special Attack: 120 | Special Defence: 120 | Speed: 160

And because I am not taking the National Novel Writing Month I will just go ahead with the sets (sorry):



Do you even flail!

Lals @ Shiny Stone
Quirky Nature (+Lulz, -Ladder)
EV: 85 HP/84 Att/85 Def/84 SpA/85 SpD/85 Spe
Ability: Prankster

Splash
Confuse Ray
Thunder Wave
Flail

Alice is good at doing this in Showdown: being confused, and this set capitalises on that. Splash, Confuse Ray, and Thunder Wave all cause frustrating, confusion, ragequit, and h4x against you, being this the ideal choice for a trolling n00b. In the last slot, Flail is used just to write (in case you KO something) "Epic Flail" in the message box, causing infinite amounts of rage to the opponent, thus granting your victory somehow.

The EV given are this because they look nice and, let's be honest, "no one uses them in Showdown" (?). The nature, in the other hand, is fitting for the nature of this set (pun intended), and so does Prankster. As well, a Shiny Stone is there because it distracts the enemy from its duty: fleeing from Lals.



R.I.P. (Rekt In Pieces)

Lals @ Reaper Cloth
Naughty Nature (+Demoniac, -Life)
EV: 128 Att/128 SpA/252 Spe
Ability: Adaptability

Blizzard
Giga Drain
Earth Power/Earthquake
Ice Shard/Extreme Speed

If Alice is known by something in IRC is her ability to easily rek through anyone's defeces. For example, she can easily OHKO Delicious_Scout, even him being at +6. In any case, Blizzard and Giga Drain are her STAB moves, and, despite using her weaker Special Attack, she can actually damage a lot thanks to Adaptability; moreover, Blizzard stops cold turkey anyone's silly arguments and jokes, while Giga Drain absorbs their energy so that they can not harm anyone else ever again. Earth Power or Earthquake are both excellent options: Earth Power works well with her vegetarian condition, but Earthquake is, overall, more powerful, at the cost of less femenity (who would think a Shurb that causes Earthquake is girly?). In the last slot, both Ice Shard and Extreme Speed are acceptable options with access to priority to shut down one's mouth, and they hit with the same Power; however, Ice Shard can hit for Super Effective Damage, whilst Extreme Speed is more consistent, while also being even faster, hence shuting mouths even quicker than expected by the Spanish Shurbquisition.

128 EV in both offences are necessary to hit as hard as possible, while 252 EV are moved to Speed to be the fastest user. A Naughty Nature, then, is chosen to improve her mixed capabilities, and Reaper Cloth to cloak her victims with ease (and it can also be worn to pretend you are their death!).



Let it sing

Lals @ Metronome
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Att)
EV: 4 Def/252 SpA/252 Spe
Ability: Synchronize

Sing
Hyper Voice
Diamond Storm
Energy Ball

Because reading in a dramatic manner is not always acceptable, Lals had to develop an alternative method for attention-seeking; that's right, Sing is this procedure. By using Sing, her voice become melodious and posh, thus making everyone fall asleep. Since this is not what Lals is looking for, she will try to wake them up by raising her volume; Hyper Voice, then, is an obvious pick, as it will ensure a OHWU (One-Hit Wake Up) against any target. After her spectacular performance, she will obviously require love and a present in order not to rek everyone who finds at home (looking at you, bro); Diamond Storm is a perfect complement for her and her set, granting her enough pleasure to raise her Defence by one stage 50% of the times; moreover, they can be used (with Modesty, ensuring they do not hit that hard). The next is preparing for the next day, as it is by night; in order to charge up for what is coming, Energy Ball is used to extract energy from anyone who dares crossing her path of evil yet beautiful musical banter; it can also be used in yourself to create an infinite bucle of energy, thus trolling the energy company and most physics around the world forever due to the great energy it emanates and the implied immortality, but one should be careful with this because if too energy is accumulated it could melt and even burn Alice, as she is a Grass/Ice type.

The EV spread is simple: hit as hard and fast as possible, and a Modest nature is used because "the Diamonds are not that necessary"; moreover, being faster would not be that good, another trait of Modesty. Synchronize is the ability chosen for being able to synchronize yourself with the tempo and tone required for the next melody, and the same happens with the item, Metronome.

Lals, the totally-not-a-scrub user. If you try to bully the bully, you will likely win, but if you try to bully Lals, then what is coming next is pain, humilliation, and being politely asked to "leaf".

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So, what do you think about Alice? Is she really undervalued? How would she like her throne? More in the next week!

Schedule: Dusknoir will appear at some point.

[The Shrub Dragon]

i'd like to qualify that the diamonds are in fact necessary and i will not take anything less


aside from that, this gave me a good few chuckles - thanks bud

[Kerou 犠牲]

Cute article Martí =]

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Will I get a shot?

[Delicious_Scout]

Will I get a shot?

CJ, please; there are better ways to die. Shame is not one of them, and I would need to know you a bit more first. Get on IRC before, perhaps.

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I was only asking. I just don't understand how others got mentioned on this topic.