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

[Delicious_Scout]

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

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. This is how most members get to know each other.

If nothing happens this will be Dusknoir's spot

[the bread dragon]

pls you gotta give me one before him come on now

[SirBlaziken]

You've been on IRC more, so I think you will. However, I may be next. I don't know.

[The Shrub Dragon]

all you kids discussing who's next and i'm just here still basking in my martícle <33

[Spriter]

Well if CJ is up for a set about youknowwhat that's cool ;3

But yeah, that was a nice article to read xD

[Raphetty]

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

It's legal. All you have to do is AR the hidden ability on B2/W2 (or use one you already got from dream world when it was available), breed them so you have a legal Pokémon (with RNG abuse if you want perfect stats), use the B2/W2 move tutor and then transfer. In practical terms it may be better to wait for OR/AS though.

[Spriter]

Uh no. That's not legal, it's still got the illegal ability lmao

[Delicious_Scout]

It's legal. All you have to do is AR the hidden ability on B2/W2 (or use one you already got from dream world when it was available), breed them so you have a legal Pokémon (with RNG abuse if you want perfect stats), use the B2/W2 move tutor and then transfer. In practical terms it may be better to wait for OR/AS though.

Shhh… they are not supposed to know it ;3

__________

Today, because trolling is good for you, I will give you a couple of hints about how to play using our beloved pure Ghost Type Dusknoir.

Sauron 2: By MetaSprite

During Generation IV, Dusknoir was regarded as "the most unnecessary evolution in DPP" by Smogon. And I agree with them; Dusclops was good enough already, and the Speed Buff (not at base 45, the same as Conkeldurr), respectable Attack for a Wall (which allows it to act as a Tank), and pretty much the same duties it used to accomplish and more were reasons to think that; yes, it could attack, but walling was its main purpose. Then, Generation V appeared, and so did Eviolite; for the first time in Pokémon history, an evolution happened to be outclassed by its preevolution (Dusclops became UU and Dusknoir fell from OU to RU)… at least while using it for walling. Its abilities, Pressure and Frisk, are often good enough to work with, and its stats are more than sufficient to accomplish its duty on the battlefield, as seen below.

Dusknoir

HP: 45 | Attack: 100 | Defence: 135 | Special Attack: 65 | Special Defence: 135 | Speed: 45

Let the trolling begin!



Isaac Newton('s Ghost)

Dusknoir @ Leftovers
Impish/Careful/Adamant Nature (+Def/SpD/Att, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP/Divide into Attack and Defence (Special Defence if you wish to), as Dusknoir is flexible in those terms
Ability: Pressure

Gravity
Dynamic Punch/Earthquake
Will-O-Wisp/Shadow Sneak/Sucker Punch
Pain Split/Shadow Sneak/Sucker Punch

The premise of this set might not seem clear at first, but once one pay attention to the first move of the set, Gravity, it becomes easier to understand; Gravity and Dusknoir are actually a good pair due to Dusknoir's high defences, Attack, and resistances and immunities. Moreover, Dusknoir's ways of abusing Gravity do not end here: Dyanmic Punch becomes a move with 83% accuracy, and thus 83% of the times the enemy will become confused (unless it is a Ghost type, has Lum Berry, or has an ability preventing Confusion). In case you prefer something even more accurate and with more Super Effective hits scored thanks to Gravity, use Earthquake; Talonflame, Zapdos, Skarmory, and Rotom-W are all affected a lot because of this, especially Talonflame, which can use niether Roost nor Brave Bird under Gravity. But the main concern is Tyranitar versus Heatran: Heatran is lured with more ease, anyway. Will-O-Wisp's accuracy under Gravity is increased to 100%, making it very spammable and supporting in case runs out of Gravity soon. Shadow Sneak eliminates weakened tagets with priority, and it is surprisingly strong; Sucker Punch is more or less the same, but with a different type (Dark), more potent, and less reliability. And, of course, Pain Split is listed because it is Dusknoir's only souce of recovery (not counting Leftovers), and it can actually put most opponents into Shadow Sneak/Sucher Punch KO range if used properly.

Choosing a proper EV spread for Dusknoir is not an easy task; however, despite being in Conkeldurr's Speed Tier, I do not recommend investing in Speed, since Dusknoir can not actually do much to that super gramps. If you, for some reason, decide to invest full points in Attack, Focus Punch and Substitute can be very good assets, coupled with a form of priority. However, if support is chosen instead, most battlers prefer going Impish with full Defence EV, even with 28 EV in Attack to remember the past (most Tyranitar and Heatran sets can not be beaten now with that Attack investment while going Impish or Careful, not even Adamant).

Dusknoir, the Fegelghost Pokémon. It might not squash you like a bug by itself, but its Gravity might; abuse it or be abused by Dusknoir without any kind of mercy.

__________

So, what do you think about Dusknoir? Why is Gravity so hated? Will Dusknoir ever smile? More in the next issue!

[Sappy]

all you kids discussing who's next and i'm just here still basking in my martícle <33

I had a whole week

[Delicious_Scout]

Yes, you did.

__________

Today, because there is an incoming storm, I find convinient talking about one Pokémon that actually reminds me of them. Ladies and gentlemen, witness our Pokémon of today, Parasect.

MetaSprite likes zombies.

Why does Parasect reminds me of storms? First off, like Frankenstein's monster, it started moving with a storm (a lightning strike), and mushrooms do appear more frequently if it has rained. Moreover, Parasect has access to Dry Skin, Effect Spore, and Damp, all related in a way or another to, at least, heavy rain. And here ends the good news. Parasect is often overlooked due to its unlucky Bug/Grass Type and below-average stats, as seen below:

Parasect

HP: 60 | Attack: 95 | Defence: 80 | Special Attack: 60 | Special Defence: 80 | Speed: 30

However, Parasect is far from unusable (despite Richard, Dick, Lewis, among others, stating otherwise), as seen in the set below:



Shaun of the Sect

Parasect @ Choice Band (lol)
Adamant Nature (+Att, -SpA)
EV: 248 HP/252 Att/4 Def/4 SpD (WTF) or 112 HP/252 Att/144 Spe or 8 HP/252 Att/4 Def/244 Spe
Ability: Dry Skin (At least this makes sense…)

Seed Bomb
Knock Off/Pursuit
X-Scissor/Cross Poison
Brick Break/Spore

Yes, I laughed the first time I came up with this idea, but I have been testing it and it actually works with teammates that can cover its weaknesses (Rotom-W does the trick, and they can make an unsuspected offensive/defensive core). Seed Bomb is the main STAB, and it actually has good coverage in OU, easily 2HKOing and sometimes OHKOing neutral threats (entry hazards are a thing). Knock Off and Pursuit are situational, but in general very useful if played correctly. Knock Off is the most general move to spam, as it has almost no drawbacks, but Pursuit might be more useful in case Mega Venusar comes in, as it will take little damage from Knock Off and the rival will, at least, be weakened. Keep in mind, though, that Keldeo will not take a lot of damage if it switches out, and happens the same with Azumarill and Conkeldurr. The third slot is choosing a target: With X-Scissor, Parasect gets STAB and can hit quite hard Dark and Psychic types, while Cross Poison is necessary to get through Unaware Clefable, and it is a good way of diversificating risk while trying to hit Azumarill. Finally, both Brick Break and Spore have their ups and downs; Brick Break does hit Heatran for decent damage, but Spore is a very rare move that, even locking yourself into it, can be highly beneficial; hiting an incoming Heatran with Brick Break is not that good either, as it can outspeed Parasect and mean our zombie mushroom's end.

There are many different acceptable EV spreads for Parasect: the bulkiest one will always survive a Play Rough from Azumarill (if it is not Banded and Stealth Rock is not in play). From there, 124 Speed allows Parasect to outspeed 0 Speed Conkeldurr, and with 144 the now popular 20 Speed one. If investing heavily in Speed is a priority, 244 EV in such stat can be used to outspeed 0 Speed Clefable, and try to put a timer on it with Cross Poison. An Adamant nature is required for xamimum damage, and entry hazards are always welcome. Paralysis support, although very useful, is not Parasect's main concern, as it can put opponents to Sleep and it is likely that some Choice Scarf users end up outspeeding Parasect (which is pretty sad).

Nonetheless to say, Parasect can run a more defensive role (using a Careful or Impish nature with Dry Skin), but due to its typing full of weaknesses and low Speed it will have a harder time than the offensive set (in experienced hands). If opting for the defensive set, Leech Seed and Aromatherapy should be somewhere. In any case, an excellent partner for Parasect is Rotom-W, which resists all of Parasects weaknesses and can give it a free switch-in due to Volt Switch. Moreover, Parasect takes very little damage from Grass and is naturally resistant to Ground, in case a Mold Breaker Pokémon comes it.

Parasect, the Zombie Crab Pokémon. Craaaaaaaaab Pokéeeee… Craaaaaaaaab Poké, craaaaaaaab Poké, craaaaaaaab Poké… (in its language, Parasect is warning us because it is about to take over the world).

__________

So, what do you think about Parasect? Is it too over powered? Could it please have less weaknesses? More very soon!

[SaRo|Rapidash]

Parasect is fantastic, it needs a mega with like -50 SpA, +71 Speed, +79 Attack xD

But yeah, unfortunately it's access to spore is about all it has going for it, and generally Breloom fits better (although parasect has a niche in not giving a damn about anything Keldeo does, I guess)

[Kerou 犠牲]

I'd love to see a niche for this where it can actually beat a fire type

[Delicious_Scout]

Parasect is fantastic, it needs a mega with like -50 SpA, +71 Speed, +79 Attack xD

But yeah, unfortunately it's access to spore is about all it has going for it, and generally Breloom fits better (although parasect has a niche in not giving a damn about anything Keldeo does, I guess)

False, Keldeo usually runs HP Flying and a chance to use Icy Wind.

I'd love to see a niche for this where it can actually beat a fire type

Brick Break while using a Choice Band can 2HKO Heatran. But what can actually pretty much 2HKO or even OHKO most of the metagame is Mega Medicham, but for our fortune we've got a counter.

__________

Today, following my ill logic, we will focus on hands down the best counter used against Mega Medicham. And that honourable title is held by… Spiritomb.

Again, MetaSprite has been caught collaborating with Satan.

Spiritomb has always been there. Because of its low Speed, lack of reliable recovery, and just average offences, Spiritomb, depsite its extraordinary typing in Dark/Ghost and abilities in Pressure and Infiltrator, has always been an obscure sight in OU. However, its stats are far from calamitous, its movepool is formed by what it needs, and pretty much everything is going to suffer its moves in a way or another. Why don't you take a look at its stats and judge by yourself?

Spiritomb

HP: 50 | Attack: 92 | Defence: 108 | Special Attack: 92 | Special Defence: 108 | Speed: 35

And now it is time for the set:



Spirih4x

Spiritomb @ Leftovers
Impish/Relaxed Nature (+Def, -SpA/Spe)
EV: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Ability: Infiltrator

Will-O-Wisp
Shadow Sneak/Sucker Punch
Pain Split/Foul Play/Dark Pulse
Pain Split/Toxic/Hypnosis

The objective of this set is clear as crystal: troll everything hidden behind a Substitute, especially Medicham, because its STAB moves can not hit Spiritomb at all due to the latter's immunity to Fighting and Psychic.. To accomplish such a noble feat, Spiritomb is the yelder of the fairest of the abilities, and that is Infiltrator. Will-O-Wisp burns Physical attackers that rely in Substitute to avoid being statused, thus ruining their survivability and damage output. If the opponent is weakened, some options can be used: if it is weak in the physical side, Dark Pulse can be spammed. Otherwise, Priority in forme of Shadow Sneak or Sucker Punch should dispatch the opponent with haste, and if it is reliant in Sword Dance as well, Foul Play will easily end its actions. To recover some health, Pain Split, when used with Leftovers, can be very profitable, but keep in mind that this method is not very reliable. Toxic can be used if one desires to defeat an even more titanic wall, and Hypnosis does work with Spiritomb, especially if the rival is behind a Substitute, usually forcing it to stay in order not to lose the full effect from Substitute.

The spread given, along the nature, are the standard ones for a Pokémon that wants to be protected from both sides (physical and special), but it can be very flexible; 252 EV into Defence are acceptable, for example. Try them out to find the one that fits your style the best.

Spiritomb, the wololo Pokémon. It might not force you to switch your clothes, but its pervasing stare of doom should be enough to be warned of its potential danger.

__________

So, what do you think about Spiritomb? Can it work along Slowbro to mean a cold stop to Mega Medicham? Is it useful for anything else? More in the next article!

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I think the real reason why Spiritomb is rarely used is because it was so hard to get in Gen four and five. In gen four you needed to do the whole Underground Greeting thing and then put the Odd Keystone into the Broken Tower. But if you had no friends with DPPt then you were completely out of luck. HGSS made it a bit easier with the PokeWalker but even then you didn't find it too often. And in gen 5 you had to use the Dream World which required a computer and the internet which not everyone has. At least Spiritomb is easier to find now with the Friend Safari feature.

[Delicious_Scout]

I think the real reason why Spiritomb is rarely used is because it was so hard to get in Gen four and five. In gen four you needed to do the whole Underground Greeting thing and then put the Odd Keystone into the Broken Tower. But if you had no friends with DPPt then you were completely out of luck. HGSS made it a bit easier with the PokeWalker but even then you didn't find it too often. And in gen 5 you had to use the Dream World which required a computer and the internet which not everyone has. At least Spiritomb is easier to find now with the Friend Safari feature.

No; Smogon tiers are determined by the usage in some simulators ("Showdown!" as their own one, "Pokémon Online" as another example). It is too hard to keep track of other ways of tiering such as 3DS matches, especially when do not follow Smogon rules most of the times. As today's Pokémon.

__________

Today, in order to keep trolling hard, the governor of ragequits shall be presented. And that is… Shadinja.

As usual, this Pokémon has been drawn by MetaSprite

Shedinja can just be defined by saying that Shedinja is Shedinja. Nothing else is like this Pokémon; its ability, typing, and HP stats are all unique. Wonder Guard, basically, avoids all direct damage provided it is not Super Effective; Bug/Ghost typing is a decent combination, and these are its stats:

Shedinja

HP: 1 | Attack: 90 | Defence: 45 | Special Attack: 30 | Special Defence: 30 | Speed: 40

Yes, one freaking hit-point. One. And you might be wondering: "what are defences for?". They are very situational, but they can be used: if Shedinja is granted a Substitute via Baton Pass, Shedinja's defences will count to defend the passer's Substitute given its HP; therefore, more than 1 HP can be present. In any case, if it is hit by entry hazards or any damaging weather condition, Shedinja will faint. So, how does one play with Shedinja?

Fancy a set?



Commit suicide… yes, please!

Shedinja @ Safety Goggles/Focus Sash
Adamant Nature (+Att, -SpA)
EV: 252 Att/4 Def/252 Spe
Ability: Wonder Guard

X-Scissor
Will-O-Wisp
Shadow Sneak
Sleep Talk/Sword Dance/Grudge

Yes, Shedinja's movepool is scarce, and these are its best moves, which are not bad at all if used properly. X-Scissor acts as the main STAB, dealing healthy amounts of damage. If this is not enough, Will-O-Wisp burns the opponent so that it can take even more damage; the advantage of Shedinja with respect other burn spreaders is that Shedinja can actually force switches if the opponent has no means to harm Shedinja; moreover, it is necessary to damage Ferrothorn, as touching it would mean Shedinja's last move, and it can also act as a pseudo-defence increase if Shedinja has been passed a very necessary Substitute. Shadow Sneak acts as a secondary STAB and also helps Shedinja not moving last; incredibly useful if the enemy is weakened. The last move is mainly filler and situational, but since Shedinja is alredy reliant on shenanigans, it can be used with fair ease. Sleep Talk is for those cases in which Shedinja wants to switch into Breloom and is confident it will not use Rock Tomb, among other Pokémon which use such kind of moves. Sword Dance allows Shedinja to reach actually threatening physical offences, thus causing more panic and being even able to spread more burns. Grudge, in the last place, works very well with Shedinja's only HP; any hit will activate Grudge, but keep in mind that it requires either heavy prediction and/or a paralysed/Sticky-Webbed enemy.

The EV for Shedinja, along its nature, should be obvious: the only things it will use are Attack and perhaps some Speed, thus Adamant with 252 Att/4 Def/252 Spe. It is highly recommended playing Shedinja with one Baton Passer with access to Substitute due to the fact it will be able to annoy some more. The item of choice depends on your team: if you do befall to have that Baton Passer, Safety Goggles are necessary to ensure you will not be KOed by Sandstorm or Hail damage, but if Shedinja is going solo, both items are acceptable, even Focus Sash being preferred.

Shedinja, the "what" Pokémon. What?

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So, what do you think about Shedinja. What? Next? Next.