Unsuspected, "unviable" Niche Pokémon of the Day

[Delicious_Scout]

No, I will not kneel before you because of Wailord.

__________

Therefore, today should stink. And the responsible for such a task is Skuntank.

MetaSprite. No question.

Poison/Dark is only shared with Drapion, and it seems it has taken Skuntank's attention spot. Nevertheless, Richard apparently loves it, and being it from Sinnoh and not a "competitive option", at least I will make someone happy. Skuntank is about h4x; its moves, its abilities, and its stats all indicate Skuntank has a means to disturb the regular gameplay. In therms of moves, Toxic will never miss (unless the victim is immune to Toxic) and Poison's Jab chance of poisoning is 30%; if one thinks about abilities, Keen Eye does not catch anyone's eye (HA!), but Stench (10% of flinching the enemy by using a non-flinch inducing move) and Aftermath (depletes 25% of the enemy's total bar if Skuntank has been fainted using a contact move) are all of them very annoying to face; and stat-wise... better check them out by yourself:

Skuntank

HP: 103 | Attack: 93 | Defence: 67 | Special Attack: 71 | Special Defence: 61 | Speed: 84

Haxy sets are about to be presented. Please, bring and carry your lucky charm at all times.



Do you even Control?

Skuntank @ Black Sludge
Adamant/Impish/Careful Nature (+Att/Def/SpD, -SpA)
EV: Very hard to determine
Ability: Aftermath/Stench

Defog
Crunch/Sucker Punch/Play Rough
Poison Jab/Pursuit
Taunt/Sucker Punch

The standard Skuntank set. The primal objective of this Pokémon is the removal of any hazards on the field; thankfully for Skuntank, its great typing, decent bulk, offensive pressure, and access to moves that actually put other Defoggers and Rapid Spinners on a timer are enough to make it function with, at least, sufficient results. Defog is, obviously, a necessity for Skuntank's support role. After this move, Crunch and Sucker Punch can be used; Crunch is usually to avoid being victim of some shenanigans caused by those pesky status abusers, but Sucker Punch is excellent to catch fast attackers off-guard. Play Rough is also an option if other Dark Types are a problem; the Dark STAB can be used in any other slot. In the thrid one, though, Poison Jab can go there to hit a wider array of targets, but Pursuit is ideal if one Spinner or Defogger is forced to leave, or even a Choice-Locked Pokémon. In the last slot, Taunt is the last resort in case Skuntank does not want the others to set up, and it pairs fairly well with Sucker Punch, talking of which, can be slashed in the last slot.



Whoops

Skuntank @ Black Sludge
Impish/Careful Nature (+Def/SpD, -SpA)
EV: Undefined (Too many possibilities, and 252 HP would be hard to justify given Skuntank's great HP compared to its defences)
Ability: Stench

Taunt
Sucker Punch
Pursuit/Poison Jab
Explosion/Memento

This set is experimental, nuts, weird, and pretty non-sensical. This is why it is the best for gimmicks (I am saying this like Skuntank was nota gimmick in OU). In any case, the objective of this set is to troll h4x hard, and a combination of Taunt + Sucker Punch + Stench + Decent Defences + Great Defensive Typing should allow you to abuse Flinch h4x up to some extent. If the Pokémon is tired of such shenanigans, Poison Jab can be used to finish the job or simply hit them while also having a health chance of poisoning them. Pursuit, on the other hand, actually hits those Pokémon that flee because they are fed up of Sucker Punch's mindgame. If you think it should be over, Explosion causes a big boom and large chuncks of damage, but Memento actualy leaves room to some Pokémon that rely on setting up to have a much easier time. Use this if you are crazy enough.

Skuntank, the spiky sausage Pokémon. Lewis, would you like some?

__________

What is a Skuntank? What is consistency? Next?

[Delicious_Scout]

Lewis is Illuminati, and so does our Pokémon for today.

__________

Illuminati? Dunsparce confirmed.

MetaSprite confirmed

A normal type whose OT is 01337, has abilities in Run Away, Serence Grace, and Rattled, and likes to make Lewis happy? This reminds me of hacking!

Dunsparce

HP: 100 | Attack: 70 | Defence: 70 | Special Attack: 65 | Special Defence: 65 | Speed: 45

DUNSPARCE!



Dunsparce @ Leftovers
Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Ability: Serene Grace

Glare
Coil
Headbutt/Rock Slide
Roost/Substitute/Rock Slide

DUSNPARCE! Paralyse with Glare (Dusnparce can not afford to lose a turn trying to paralyse a Pokémon with Body Slam, this is why it is not listed), Coil until you've got enough defence and attack to stay in, and then Heabutt of Rock Slide things to death. In the last slot, Roost can be used to restore so lovely health, but Substitute turns any other move easier to perform, while Rock Slide takes care of other Pokémon that wish to be parahaxed to death. Use this spread and nature to cover Dunsparce's frail point after some Coil boosts; Impish would let Dunsparce be attacked by heavy Special Attackers and rarely survive.

DUNSPARCE!

___________

Do you think that Dunsparce is what begins? Yes, yes indeed!

[Kerou 犠牲]

You said you couldn't do Wailord as it only has one set but you've done Dunsparce with one set

This is clear Pokémon Discrimination =[

[Hahex and Oshawott]

that dunsparce somehow looks familiar

[Richard and Blaziken]

Skuntank is awesome. Bit late there, but last gen it was necessary on my NU team to not be swept my Musharna, which was a huge threat if you didn't have Skuntank.

[Sappy]

that dunsparce somehow looks familiar

Na mine's shiny.

[Delicious_Scout]

Na mine's shiny.

And so is the sprite. What else can we...? Oh, I've got something!

__________

Today, in order to keep with our "what" tradition, one of the best crabs is about to get starred. It is... Kingler.

Kingler, when not being half a person, can give credit to MetaSprite for this drawing.

Kingler was our first crab, and it did not befall to be crap (HA!); however, it lacks a move most Water-Types have access to: Waterfall. Do not worry for this detail, though, as Kingler has access to an equally important move in Crabhammer, hitting even harder at the cost of some accuracy. Its abilities are no laughing matter either, as Hyper Cutter, Battle Armor, and Sheer Force are very respectable. To add even more emotion to this show, Kingler's stats are decent enough to hold a little niche in OU:

Kingler

HP: 50 | Attack: 130 | Defence: 115 | Special Attack: 50 | Special Defence: 50 | Speed: 75

Let's check the sets.



Can you feel it, mr. Bands?

Kingler @ Choice Band
Adamant/Jolly Nature (+Att/Spe, -SpA)
EV: 252 Att/4 Def/252 Spe
Ability: Hyper Cutter

Crabhammer
Knock Off
Superpower
Return/X-Scissor

Being in an above-average Speed Tier and being blessed with a crushing Attack and proper physical defence, Kingler is ready to use a Choice Band without much fear of being trapped by Scizor or Bisharp, which are hard-pressed by Kingler alone (especially Bisharp, which does not like switching tino a Superpower at all). The three first moves are pretty self-explanatory: Crabhammer for STAB, Knock Off for support and one-hit power, and Superpower for great coverage along Knock Off. In the last slot, though, two options are acceptable. Not running Return would mean being walled by Azumarill, which is very unfortunate because Kingler actually has a 100% chance to 2HKO 228 EV HP Azumarill (in the switch, Choice Band Azumarill can OHKO Kingler most of the times with Play Rough), and it is usually the best choice, but X-Scissor can ease prediction against Pokémon that are weak to Knock Off and have lost their item or are sure you will not use Knock Off.

The EV spread is simple, but the nature is not that easy to choose: yes, Adamant gets a lot of power, but Jolly allows Kingler to outspeed Jolly Breloom, and Kingler is able to put it on a timer when using Return in the switch. Choose carefully, and, of course, hazards and Paralysis are Kingler's best friends (if they are on the other side).


Krabby, would you like some dances?

Kingler @ Life Orb/Leftovers
Adamant/Jolly Nature (+Att/Spe, -SpA)
EV: 252 Att/4 Def/252 Spe
Ability: Hyper Cutter

Sword Dance
Agility
Crabhammer
Knock Off/Superpower/Return/X-Scissor

Whilst more dangerous to use, it can be even more effecitve than the Choice Band set, provided you are not walled by any other Pokémon, fact determined by the fourth move used by Kingler. In any event, use Sword Dance against slow, sturdy threats, while Agility should be used against frailer yet quicker opponents. Bonus points if you are able to use both without having to switch out. Obviously, Crabhammer is in the third slot, as it is Kingler's best move due to its STAB and natural power. The last slot is very hard to decide, and other teammates should be considered in order not to die because of stress whilst choosing a move. Knock Off is more useful in this set than in the other one because Kingler can actually target what it wants to negate its item, thing Choice Band Kingler envies. Superpower might seem counterproductive, but it's Kingler's only means of getting through Ferrothorn, and it severely harm Chansey without having used a Sword Dance boost. Keep in mind, though, that the rare Jellicent can easily wall this set. Return, although being walled by Jellicent as well, can actually OHKO or 2HKO most of the metagame with a boost. X-Scissor, therefore, should be used only in case one finds Knock Off and Supowerpower unappealing, although the chances of this befalling are quite low.

Once again, EVs and nature are the same as in the previous set. Hyper Cutter is superior in order not to be trolled by Intimidate users, and Life Orb is the preferred ability, but since Kingler has a surprisingly high physical dirability, Leftovers can be used (keep in mind that Sword Dance shoukd be used more often, and this can be detrimental to one's team success).

Kingler, the Jack is Alive Pokémon. According to Oscar/Richard, it likes to break my spine. 10/10 would be murdered again.

__________

So, what do you think about Kingler? Should it be respected a bit more? Will its claws become more or less equal in size? More in the next episode!

[Richard and Blaziken]

Jack will break your spine in half.

[Delicious_Scout]

Absolutely.

__________

Today, since I want to prove you everyone hates me, I will write about one Pokémon no one seems to like (and no, Infernape is liked by few members here, and it is ranked in Smogon's viability rank). No, I mean another Fire/Fighting. I mean... Emboar.

MetaSprite does desire my doom, and this is why they have made this Emboar sprite.

As with Serperior, Emboar requires its Hidden (and very Hidden...) Ability to perform middly well, and no, I will not tell you again how it works. Just trust me this Emboar bears a lot of power and suicide, especially the latter. For those who do not know of which ability (instead of Blaze) I am talking about, I will say that this one is Reckless, which boosts all Recoil Attacks' damage output, causing even more recoil. Yes, this is the price of Emboar's success, as if it is on the field, it is ensured that there will be something KOed; either the rival or the Emboar itself; the case of both suviving in one turn is extremely strange. Especially with stats like this:

Emboar

HP: 110 | Attack: 123 | Defence: 65 | Special Attack: 100 | Special Defence: 65 | Speed: 65

Consider sets like this (if you have access to them):



Ganon OP. Pls nerf.

Emboar @ Choice Band
Adamant Nature (+Att, -SpA)
EV: 248 HP/252 Att/8 Spe
Ability: Reckless

Flare Blitz
Superpower
Head Smash
Wild Charge/Sucker Punch

While taking a look at this set you might be wondering "Does Darmanitan not do the same?". Not exactly: the only similarity is Flare Blitz's damage output, which in Life Orb Darmanitan's case is marginally superior; in any other case, Emboar's damage output is greater. To put this into perspective, I present these calculations to you:

252+ Atk Choice Band Reckless Emboar Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mew: 373-439 (92.3 - 108.6%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mew: 383-452 (94.8 - 111.8%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Emboar Superpower vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mew: 155-183 (38.3 - 45.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Darmanitan Superpower vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mew: 99-116 (24.5 - 28.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

Basically, due to Emboar's Fire/Fighting STAB, along better coverage, nothing will enjoy switching into that monster. Fire, Fighting, Rock, and Electric/Dark hits every single target for, at least, neutral damage. If the rival survives but it is not able to outspeed Emboar (which is not very difficult, though), then it is a good game for the rival. The premise is very simple: hit the right target with the right move; nevertheless, the fourth slot is not very easy to choose: yes, Electric can eliminate Water Types, but predicting the wrong rival will obviously put you in a very tight spot; on the contrary, Sucker Punch allows Emboar to outspeed most Pokémon, but being Choice-Locked into Sucker Punch is very unfortunate, however, Emboar is, at least, resistant to Pursuit.

An Adamant nature is recommended, as it allows Emboar to be one of the most feared wallbreakers in the entire game. If 8 EV in Speed do not appeal you, 48 EV in Speed allow Emboar to outspeed most Magnezone, which try to outspeed most Skarmory. Outspeeding Azumarill is worth nothing beacuse of this:

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Emboar: 338-402 (79.7 - 94.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Oh, a 2HKO! This means Emboar should commit suicide to eliminate Azumarill from the battlefield.



2fa(s)t4(o)u

Emboar @ Choice Scarf
Jolly/Adamant Nature (+Spe/Att, -SpA)
EV: 252 Att/4 SpD/252 Spe
Ability: Reckless

Flare Blitz
Superpower
Head Smash
Wild Charge

If Tyranitar could, why not Emboar? It lacks Pursuit, but its sheer power (Head Smash with Reckless deals more damage than STAB Stone Edge from Tyranitar) is enough to force switches and shenanigans. As I assume you are already faimiliar with what moves hits hard some rival in OU, I will directly go to the set specifications (keep in mind that Sucker Punch is not listed because its power is very low and being locked into it is even more unfortunate in the Scarf case). Instead of investing in HP, this set actually focuses in Speed, as it can terminate fully invested, positive-natured base 115 Base Speed freaks; unfortunately, if fully invested, Emboar can only speed-tie with HP Fire Timid Greninja, which means that Grass Knot variants will terminate Emboar's run. Other Speed Tiers? 236 EV in Speed are sufficient to outspeed Thundurus, 180 EV to outspeed the infamous base 108 Speed, and going anything lower would make no sense, since those are the most dangerous fast attackers.

Emboar, the Ganon Pokémon. It might not like to kidnap Zeldas, but commiting collective suicide is for sure one of its favourite activities. Just make sure you are not in the middle of the mayhem.

__________

So, what do you think about Emboar? Should it be faster or bulkier? Even more powerful? Will you stop hating it? Next issue will be released very soon!

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I've always likes Emboar. In fact its signature move is one of my favorite attacks from the fifth gen.

[Delicious_Scout]

So you might be wondering "Scout/Martí, what user will you cover today? Most girls present in IRC have already been written about, and the others are just avoiding you". Yes, this is true, both in the virtual and the physical world; nevertheless, I've got a resource.

__________

Please do Stantler.

Nope, I am doing you instead.

Credit to the Pokémon Company

E.K.A.N.S.' name would be longer, but it seems we have been lucky because she decided some time ago that it would be like today's. Nothing else is known about her and her short data, but, at any rate, what is not short is her set of stats, as well as her excellent Dark/Fairy Type.

E.K.A.N.S.

HP: 115 | Attack: 89 | Defence: 113 | Special Attack: 120 | Special Defence: 113 | Speed: 130

Settings are important, or else extensive questions to either Lewis or me shall be asked.



Is this relevant?

E.K.A.N.S. @ Weakness Policy
Naïve Nature (+Hope, -Seniority)
EV: 4 Att/252 SpA/252 Spe
Ability: Oblivious

Nasty Plot
Mooblast
Hyper Beam
Explosion

Due to her big load of homework, E.K.A.N.S. has no time to read these articles (if she had time she would not read them anyway), and thus has doubts about Hyper Beam and Giga Impact. Nonetheless, they should be exploited, and this set capitalises on this. Nasty Plot ensures that E.K.A.N.S. will think of an even more painful way to punish the rival for daring fight her, and from that point, two things might happen: either the rival is squashed like a bug via Moonblast, or gets demolished by Hyper Beam, being this a remembrance of Porygon-Z's former days. If the rival is too shamrock, Explosion is useful for attacking it on the physical side, at the cost of no more battles and gg wp.

No other nature and ability other than Naïve and Oblivious can be used, unless E.K.A.N.S. cheats on us and enhances her battling knowledge by defeating Richard using an Infernape. As such, Weakness Policy is an ideal item, as it grants a possibility to do some damage if her n00b-ness strikes back. The EV spread is the basic for a specially-based attacker.



Have you ever wished for a cookie?

E.K.A.N.S. @ Honey
Modest Nature (+Intelligence, -Cookies)
EV: 4 Def/252 SpA/252 Spe
Ability: Pickup

Calm Mind
Confuse Ray
Fire Blast
Moonblast

In forums, E.K.A.N.S. is known for asking a lot of questions. "Will you cover Tropius?", "Why is my Pokémon too overpowered in your game?" are a few examples of such attitude, and this set is the pinnacle of being Descartes. Calm Mind, unlike Nasty Plot, improves her trolling capacity because she also gets her Special Defence (counterarguments) reinforced, a vital point in the world of trolling. Up there, Confuse Ray is a necessity to confuse, for example, Sappy, so that he can answer any question in a wrong manner. Now that he is unable to do anything right, Blasting questions to him is the key to victory, and Fire Blast and Moonblast are great to take care of him; Fire Blast by burning him, and Moonblast by lowering his Special Attack or argument capacity. By this point, Sappy will grant you a lot of cookies, no matter what you say.

Although trolling is often associated with being Naugty, a Modest nature is chosen instead in order not to harm, as E.K.A.N.S. is good (not like the writer of this article). The EV is designed to hit as hard and fast as possible, whilst 4 EV are put into Def just in case any random user uses Download and gets a SpA rise. In order to properly receive Sappy's presents, Pickup is the ability of choice, and Honey is the preferred item, as Cookies with Honey make an outstanding combination.



Why are exams and family arguments so easy?

E.K.A.N.S. @ Lava Cookie
Mild Nature (+Smart, -Clear)
EV: 252 SpA/56 SpD/200 Spe
Ability: Illuminate

Baby-Doll Eyes
Dark Pulse
Moonblast
Protect

As read before, little is known about E.K.A.N.S.' physical world's life, but one thing is sure: she enjoys laughing, as any other human (?) does. To force this chain of events, E.K.A.N.S. should first use Baby-Doll Eyes, thus decreasing the rival's Attack. Why is this important? Because aggressive rivals are serious business, of course. Due to her natural appeal, everyone should be lol-ing by then, but some rivals just want to watch the world burn: in those cases, either Dark Pulse or Moonblast may compel them, eventually causing a trauma on them, hence making them think for the first time in their lives how beautiful laughing with E.K.A.N.S. shoud have been. For her mis(s)fortune, the burning desire to watch the world burn can even outperform our wonderful E.K.A.N.S.' will, but thankfully for her, Protect exists, and because all of these rivals use a locking-to-confusion move, she is either immune to them (Outrage) or has enough defence to survive some hits, Protect, and cause them confusion, and, as read on the other set, confusion means her wishes come true, thus lols become rofls.

Mild is the essential of this set, as without it, most thugs would just roll over her, and that is unacceptable. With the given EV spread, E.K.A.N.S. can hit as hard as possible while outspeeding most silly humans out there. Not investing in physical defence might seem a suicide, but "the laughter is mightier than the sword" is the idiom applied here, and most intelligent detractors will, of course, use their SpA to try to annihilate her noble objectives. Illuminate is used in order to find brilliant jokes, and, because Sappy is not there, E.K.A.N.S. is already equiped with a Lava Cookie in case no one has this kind of food.

E.K.A.N.S., the "Luggy" user. Unlike "Supra Mayro Kratt", she has "question", and is not broken. Despite this, treating her like garbage will break your arguments and self-esteem.

__________

So, what do you think about E.K.A.N.S.? Should she be more popular around here? Are you wondering why some of her questions are in your head as well? More during next week!

Schedule: What is a schedule? (I am running out of Pokémon as well!)

[SirBlaziken]

You know, you could try covering LC or NFE pokemon or irrelevant pokemon from the past that are good now.

My suggestion still stands as Ninetales.

[Delicious_Scout]

Ninetales? That reminds me of another fox!

__________

Today, in order to keep on waiting, let me introduce you the Pokémon which changed battling forever. Today's guest is... Zoroark.

"Illusion", by MetaSprite

It might seem an exaggeration, but Zoroark, or, better said, its ability, Illusion, has been the responsible of Team Preview. If that Pokémon did not exist, most battles would be against an unknown team. Basically, Illusion changes Zoroark's appearance to the one of the Pokémon at the bottom of one own's team. If Team Preview had not been implemented, Zoroark would basically be overpowered, even with pure Dark Type and these stats:

Zoroark

HP: 60 | Attack: 105 | Defence: 60 | Special Attack: 120 | Special Defence: 60 | Speed: 105

This does not mean Zoroark is not one of the best Pokémon for shenanigans; with such stats, expansive movepool, and tricky ability, Zoroark's sets are not scarce.



Surprise, you fool

Zoroark @ Life Orb
Naive nature (+Spe, -SpD)
EV: 100 Att/176 Spa/232 Spe
Ability: Illusion

Knock Off/Sucker Punch
Dark Pulse/Sucker Punch
Flamethrower
Focus Blast/Hidden Power Ice

Despite the fact it is not fully invested in any stat, Zoroark does pack quite a punch with a Life Orb in its hands, as it is capable of OHKOing the right Pokémon with its STAB moves and the rest of the coverage. In particular, Knock Off is an ensured OHKO against standard Mew if Stealth Rock is up, and Sucker Punch eliminates all hopes for Latios, which otherwise would be able to outspeed Zoroark; but Dark Pulse is an adequate move in case you desire to have access to a Special STAB. Flamethrower is necessary to ensure some surprise OHKOs, and with this spread, the elimination of Ferrothorn is guaranteed. In the last slot, Focus Blast means power, while Hidden Power Ice is translated into smart targeting: Landorus, Gliscor, and Dragons will not like taking such a powerful attack.

The EV are very specific and efficient: 232 EV in Speed are sufficient to outspeed non-scarfed Garchomp, while 176 in SpA guarantee a OHKO against Ferrothorn is Flamethrower is used. The rest is dumped into Attack, and Knock Off is enough to OHKO Latias and Mew, the latter with some Stealth Rock damage. Honourable mention to a Hasty set with Focus Sash,Counter and Sucker Punch, which can prove to be a road kill for teams that rely in a specific physical sweeper. By the way, it is not easy to determine Zoroark's disguise; the most effective ones are disguises that can actually lure Ferrothorn, Latios, Latias, and Mew, Zoroark's top targets; ergo, Venusaur and Slowbro are great choices, and due to their high defences, opponents will be most likely to switch into a frail and heavy hitter, thus easing Zoroark's job.

Zoroark, the shenanivixen Pokémon. Is it a plane? Is it an illusion? Nope, Chuck Testa disguised as Zoroark!

__________

So, what do you think about Zoroark? Did you have any problems against it? Or even using it? More very soon!

[Captain Jigglypuff]

What is fun is to pose as a "weak" Pokemon like Magikarp and then baffle opponents when you use a move the "weak" Pokemon cannot learn at all like Dark Pulse or Hyper Beam with Zoroark.

[Hahex and Oshawott]

What is fun is to pose as a "weak" Pokemon like Magikarp and then baffle opponents when you use a move the "weak" Pokemon cannot learn at all like Dark Pulse or Hyper Beam with Zoroark.

My favourite Zoroark moment is when I posed it as a Samurott when I was battling against a friend. Before I confirmed my turn I  looked at my screen in shock and said "oh crap, is this one of those dodgy hacked samurott's I got off of GTS?" or words to that effect.

Even after the "Samurott" took a psychic, I mannaged to convince him it was a weird hacked mon until it fainted.