Kanto Classic: Pokémon's 20th Anniversary Tournament!

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Snorlax

Amazing, Snorlax finally got up after a two-decade nap!

Bulky Attacker

Snorlax

Ability: Thick Fat

EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 Spe

Adamant Nature

-Body Slam

-Crunch

-Rest

-Sleep Talk / Fissure / Pursuit / Curse

What's the big deal?

Here it is: the king of Kanto Classic, Snorlax! This metagame is a perfect storm for everyone's favorite napper: with the lack of offensive boosting items, Snorlax is bulkier than it's been in a long time. Base 110 Attack is great for Kanto Classic too. Combine this with a great movepool and only one weakness, and you got the best tank and quite possibly the best Pokémon in Kanto Classic!

What can I expect to see?

Snorlax is almost always going to go with Body Slam, as the chance to paralyze is extremely valuable, plus it protects Snorlax from Minimize spam. However, Return is viable as well if you want some extra power. Crunch gives Snorlax perfect neutral coverage and deals a ton of damage to Gengar to boot. Rest is perfect for keeping Snorlax up and running for a while, especially when run with Sleep Talk. However, if you have Aromatherapy support or can deal with the dead Rest turns, there are other viable options. Fissure gives Snorlax an edge against walls like Slowbro with the ability to OHKO them and makes No Guard Machamp lose its ability to switch in safely. Pursuit allows Snorlax to trap unsuspecting Alakazam, making it an extremely valuable asset for Poison-types such as Nidoking. If you want to boost Snorlax's tankiness even further, you can use Curse. Finally, Snorlax has access to Superpower, which can give you an edge against opposing Snorlax and does plenty of damage to Golem switch-ins.

Because Snorlax can tank most special attacks just fine, maxing out Defense and Attack EVs makes the most sense. However, if you want Snorlax to have a shot at surviving Machamp's Close Combat after Stealth Rock, you can use maximum HP and Defense with an Impish nature. Just note that this drastically reduces Snorlax's power.

What are its flaws?

Snorlax's biggest vulnerability is its physical bulk. While it's still difficult to 2HKO Snorlax with them, Snorlax's lack of reliable recovery means it can be seriously worn down by physical attacks. Machamp in particular can smash Snorlax with its Fighting-type STAB moves. Golem tends to take anything from Snorlax well except for rare Superpowers and Earthquakes, is immune to Fissure, and can deal serious damage to Snorlax with Earthquake. Rhydon is in a similar boat, though it does risk an OHKO from Fissure.

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Clefable

Wow... Clefable actually has a pretty good Green sprite! I hope whoever drew that one got a raise.

Calm Mind Tank

Clefable

Ability: Unaware / Magic Guard

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

Bold Nature

-Calm Mind

-Moonblast

-Moonlight / Softboiled

-Thunder Wave / Stealth Rock / Aromatherapy / Psyshock

Evasion Spam

Clefable

Ability: Unaware / Magic Guard

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

Nature: Bold

-Minimize

-Calm Mind / Cosmic Power

-Moonlight / Soft-Boiled

-Moonblast / Stored Power

What's the big deal?

Clefable has gone through one heck of a transformation over the past 20 years. Now that Clefable is a Fairy-type instead of a Normal-type and has two excellent abilities, it has become one of the most important Pokémon in this 20th birthday bash!

What can I expect to see?

Clefable is an extremely effective Calm Mind user, since it's nearly impossible to 2HKO without a super effective STAB attack. Moonblast is the perfect STAB move too, only being resisted by Poison-types, Arcanine, and Magneton. Clefable is fortunate enough to get recovery as well, with the choice depending on which ability you choose. The last moveslot is highly team dependent. Thunder Wave makes Clefable one of the best paralysis spreaders in Kanto Classic and, as a bonus, can ruin Gengar and Tentacruel that attempt to switch in. Clefable also is a fairly bulky user of Stealth Rock, which is invaluable for offensive support, while Aromatherapy pairs very well with common users of Rest such as Snorlax and Articuno and in general puts some of the pressure of status moves off your team. Psyshock pairs well with Calm Mind, giving Clefable a 75% chance to OHKO offensive Gengar after a boost. Finally, if you just want to screw up opposing Clefable and avoid Calm Mind wars, Toxic will cripple the Unaware variants.

There is an alternative, and some daresay evil, variant of Clefable to consider as well: Minimize. Evasion is actually allowed in Kanto Classic, and Clefable is the best user of that strategy. Minimize makes Clefable much more difficult to check without Body Slam Snorlax, and it has two more boosting options to consider as well. Calm Mind might be a more reliable setup move, but Cosmic Power deserves mention for making Clefable even more difficult to bust through. Clefable can also used Stored Power over Moonblast to potentially sweep through everything in the game if it gets enough boosts. This is especially recommended if you're using Cosmic Power, or Moonblast will remain fairly weak. Just note that with Stored Power, Clefable is no longer able to check Dragonite and Machamp nearly as well.

Finally, we have to discuss the most difficult decision to make with Clefable: using Unaware or Magic Guard. Unaware allows Clefable to check some very dangerous sweepers, such as Dragonite and Cloyster, further increasing its utility. However, this also means Clefable is stuck with Moonlight for recovery, which can be stalled out fairly easily because of its low PP. Magic Guard means Clefable is no longer as effective of a check against sweepers, but it lets Clefable laugh at Toxic (especially useful against Toxic lures like Machamp), allows Clefable to avoid residual damage from Stealth Rock, and gives Clefable access to the awesome Soft-Boiled, which has twice the PP of Moonlight.

What are its flaws?

Considering Clefable is such a dominant force in Kanto Classic, almost every team you'll encounter is bound to have multiple plans to use against it. Common Poison-types such as Nidoking, Gengar, and Tentacruel have ways to bust through Clefable's defenses. While Clefable may be bulky, Unaware variants are particularly vulnerable to residual damage from the likes of Toxic and Stealth Rock, as these can turn important 3HKOs into 2HKOs, such as Dragonite's Iron Head and Machamp's Poison Jab. They also do poorly against Chansey due to Toxic. Clefable is particularly vulnerable to OHKO attacks from the likes of Articuno, Snorlax, and Seaking, especially because they ignore evasion boosts. Finally, Snorlax destroys Minimize Clefable with Body Slam and can even elect to use Whirlwind to get rid of its boosts. Since Clefable is such a well-prepared-for Pokémon, double switching can be a particularly effective tactic to control the flow of the game. Alakazam and Starmie can also revenge kill Clefable's Poison-type checks, though note that both do poorly against Snorlax.

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Alakazam

I think Alakazam has been using the same spoons for 20 years (gross)!

Interference

Alakazam

Ability: Magic Guard

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Substitute / Protect

- Disable

- Encore

- Psychic / Psyshock

Offensive

Alakazam

Ability: Magic Guard

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Psyshock / Psychic

- Energy Ball / Shadow Ball

- Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ice

- Calm Mind / Substitute / Recover

What's the big deal?

Alakazam has always been one of the best Pokémon since it was introduced 20 years ago, and it's no different in Kanto Classic. Thanks to sky-high Speed and Special Attack stats, a large movepool, and a great ability, Alakazam is able to fit into a lot of teams and give its foes a hard time.

What can I expect to see?

There are two main Alakazam sets that are used in this format. One of them utilizes Alakazam's decent support moves in Encore and Disable combined with its high Speed to greatly limit the foe's options, while the other uses Alakazam's wide offensive movepool to hit almost everything super effectively.

The Interference set usually uses Substitute or Protect on the first turn. It will then use Disable if you used your primary attack against it or use Encore if you used a status move or Sucker Punch. Don't use Sucker Punch against an Alakazam unless you are sure that it doesn't run Encore.

The offensive set takes advantage of its wide coverage to try to hit as many foes as hard as possible. Psyshock or Psychic is Alakazam's hardest-hitting move. Psyshock is the more common of the two, as it hits specially defensive Pokémon that the other moves won't do much against. Psychic is still useful, though, since a lot of Pokémon like Clefable are heavily invested in Defense and it has 10 more Base Power than Psyshock. Psyshock variants often carry Energy Ball because it's great against physically bulky Pokémon like Cloyster and Rock-types, while Psychic variants usually carry Shadow Ball to still be able to 2HKO opposing Alakazam. Some Alakazam will opt to have a support move in the last moveslot, while others will have four attacking moves to maximize coverage.

While they're rare, Alakazam also has access to Taunt and Thunder Wave, so keep these possibilities in mind when fighting against it.

What are its flaws?

Alakazam cannot take any physical hits whatsoever, as even resisted physical hits like Dynamic Punch from Machamp and Psyshock from other Alakazam deal over 50% damage to it. Due to this, it's very reliant on its high Speed stat to revenge kill foes, meaning that paralysis will render this Pokémon almost completely useless. The availability of Gen 4 tutors means more Pokémon have access to Sucker Punch, which requires Alakazam to be used a lot more carefully than in pentagon-only formats. Both sets are also countered by the king of this format: Snorlax.

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Machamp

Machamp, please never ever experiment with Botox again!

No Guard

Machamp

Ability: No Guard

EVs: 204 HP / 252 Atk / 52 Spe

Nature: Adamant

- Dynamic Punch

- Stone Edge

- Toxic / Poison Jab

- Heavy Slam / Payback

Guts

Machamp

Ability: Guts

EVs: 204 HP / 252 Atk / 52 Spe

Nature: Adamant

- Close Combat

- Payback

- Poison Jab / Toxic

- Stone Edge / Ice Punch / Sleep Talk

What's the big deal?

After doing some mad bench presses for two decades, Machamp finally has strong Fighting-type STAB moves instead of the awful Submission! With Snorlax being such a dominant threat, Machamp stands out as an excellent check to it, and as one of Kanto Classic's premier physical attackers in general.

What can I expect to see?

Most Machamp are going to use that sweet, sweet No Guard Dynamic Punch whenever they get the chance to attack. This works especially well with Stealth Rock support, as Trainers tend to switch out confused Pokémon more often. Stone Edge pairs perfectly with Dynamic Punch, OHKOing Dragonite after Stealth Rock damage and doing plenty of damage to Zapdos and Gyarados. The last two moveslots are where Machamp gets a bit more creative. Toxic may seem strange on such an offensive Pokémon, but it happens to make Machamp a great lure to cripple two of its most common switch-ins, Slowbro and Clefable. Futhermore, this pairs well with Heavy Slam, which 2HKOes Clefable after some residual damage and does over 50% to Gengar switch-ins. If you don't care for Toxic, Poison Jab does the same amount of damage as Heavy Slam against Clefable, with a chance of inflicting poison to put it into 2HKO range. If you really want to nail Gengar, Payback lands an easy OHKO on it while also having an 81% chance to OHKO maximum HP Starmie after Stealth Rock. The 52 Speed EVs are for outspeeding 4 Speed Clefable, but if you plan on using Toxic and Payback together, it's best to invest in HP instead of Speed. Speaking of Speed, Bullet Punch can be used to give Machamp some priority, but note that it's extremely weak and only really works late-game.

No Guard may seem like a no-brainer, but there is one serious drawback: it guarantees Machamp will be hit by OHKO moves. With dangerous Pokémon such as Snorlax and Rhydon running OHKO moves, this can make Machamp harder to switch in than you'd expect. This is where Guts comes in. Guts not only allows Machamp to become an even more reliable Snorlax check but also means Will-O-Wisp is no longer an issue! Close Combat is an obscenely powerful alternative to Dynamic Punch in this case, and Payback ensures a healthy Machamp destroys Gengar. If you're worried about Stone Edge's ability to miss now, you can run Ice Punch to slam Dragonite. Finally, since Machamp has Guts, Sleep Talk can be used to make it a great sleep absorber.

What are its flaws?

Machamp's biggest flaw is its weakness to Psychic-type attacks. Much like the days of Gen 1, Kanto Classic is just full of good Psychic-types such as Starmie and Alakazam. Slowbro in particular completely walls Machamp, while Clefable can beat Machamp that lack Speed investment or a super effective attack. Finally, Machamp is pretty slow, leaving it especially vulnerable to revenge killers. Like most slow Pokémon, Machamp will heavily benefit from paralysis support in this case, with Slowbro, Chansey, and Clefable working particularly well.

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Slowbro

Considering Slowbro's pathetic reaction time, I bet it still thinks it's actually 1996!

Physical Wall

Slowbro

Ability: Regenerator

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA

Bold Nature

- Slack Off

- Thunder Wave

- Scald

- Psychic / Psyshock / Ice Beam / Calm Mind

What's the big deal?

Slowbro has a lot of things going for it. It has great physical bulk, combined with a Water typing, Scald, Slack Off, and even Regenerator to boost this bulk even further. What's more, it can also start setting up Calm Minds and slowly become a huge threat that hits hard while tanking hits. Aside from switching into physical hits, Slowbro also serves as a great Thunder Wave user, crippling the opponent's team to make it easier for its teammates later on in the game.

What can I expect to see?

Slowbro has access to what many consider to be the two best moves in the game: Thunder Wave and Scald. Slack Off is almost mandatory to fully utilize Slowbro's bulk. The last move is usually Psychic or Psyshock for a Psychic STAB move, Ice Beam to allow Slowbro to counter Dragonite, or Calm Mind to start boosting up for a potential sweep. A few Slowbro carry Toxic to allow them to win Slowbro mirror matches.

What are its flaws?

The only real flaw Slowbro has is its Speed, as it can easily be Taunted, Encored, put to sleep, or revenge killed if it has taken too much prior damage. It's also not very specially bulky, and most of its weaknesses show up in the form of special attacks like Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, and Energy Ball. It is also very susceptible to OHKO spam, as Slowbro cannot apply a lot of offensive pressure without Calm Mind boosts.

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Chansey

See that smile? That smile represents the lost of one's sanity when everything in the Safari Zone runs!

Special Wall

Chansey

Ability: Natural Cure

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Nature: Bold

- Thunder Wave

- Seismic Toss

- Soft-Boiled

- Toxic / Aromatherapy / Stealth Rock

What's the big deal?

Chansey may have lost its awesome Special stat from RBY and its equally-as-awesome Eviolite from this generation, but don't be fooled: Chansey is still by far the most specially bulky Pokémon in Kanto Classic!

What can I expect to see?

Chansey tends to focus on paralyzing as many foes as it possibly can. This is especially needed because without Thunder Wave, Gengar can switch in for free. Seismic Toss ensures Chansey can at least do some form of damage, while Soft-Boiled gives it some serious staying power. Toxic may seem like an odd choice when Chansey is focusing on spreading paralysis, but with this move, Chansey can defeat bulkier special attackers that carry recovery, such as Zapdos, Slowbro, and Unaware Clefable. Aromatherapy saves your own team from paralysis and works especially well with Rest Snorlax and Articuno. Chansey also gets the rare and valuable Stealth Rock, which is worth considering if you can't fit it on any other Pokémon. Finally, if you want to make a deal with Lady Luck, Chansey also learns the irritating Minimize. Just note that with Minimize, Chansey will get obliterated by anything using Body Slam!

Maximizing HP and Defense may seem extreme on Chansey, but since it lacks Eviolite, physical attacks hit it far harder than usual. In fact, Chansey needs this investment in order to avoid a 2HKO from Alakazam's Psyshock after Stealth Rock 91% of the time. It may seem really tempting to use Wish Chansey, but unfortunately, because the event to get one was so obscure, getting a legal one is impossible.

What are its flaws?

As you might expect, without Eviolite, Chansey is 2HKOed at minimum by any strong physical attacker. Snorlax and Machamp are especially problematic, since they can usually deal with paralysis. Taunt Gengar is also a big issue as long as it avoids Thunder Wave, since it's immune to Seismic Toss. Chansey is also especially vulnerable to OHKO spammers such as Articuno and Seaking.

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Dragonite

Good lord, Dragonite, you used to have a really bad case of scoliosis!

Dragon Dance

Dragonite

Ability: Multiscale

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Nature: Adamant / Jolly

- Dragon Dance

- Outrage / Dragon Claw

- Iron Head

- Extreme Speed

What's the big deal?

Dragonite isn't just the prize Pokémon of Kanto Classic, it's also the only available Dragon-type. It might have lost its ability to Wrap Pokémon to death, but I can't imagine people 20 years ago would have imagined how dangerous Dragonite could be with Multiscale and Dragon Dance!

What can I expect to see?

Dragonite is among the most dangerous late-game sweepers of Kanto Classic, thanks to Multiscale giving it many setup opportunities. After a boost, Outrage is obscenely powerful, grabbing a OHKO on Snorlax after Stealth Rock damage. However, since Clefable is extremely common, you can use Dragon Claw to avoid getting revenge killed; do note that it's significantly less powerful. Iron Head is Dragonite's important tool against Clefable, with Adamant Dragonite being able to 2HKO Unaware Clefable after some residual damage. Extreme Speed is Dragonite's backup plan, allowing it to snipe weakened Pokémon if it can't set up Dragon Dance.

Dragonite has a few other tricks up its sleeve if you're willing to use more obscure options. While an Adamant nature is preferred to maximize Dragonite's power, Jolly allows Dragonite to outspeed Jolteon and Aerodactyl after a Dragon Dance. If your team has huge problems with Magneton, you can use Earthquake, though Iron Head and Extreme Speed are difficult to give up. Finally, if your team has severe problems with Cloyster, you can use a mixed attacking set with Draco Meteor, which thankfully OHKOes 164 HP Cloyster even with no Special Attack investment after Stealth Rock damage.

What are its flaws?

Dragonite's biggest issue is the ubiquity of Stealth Rock, which really limits its ability to set up or switch in. There's also, of course, its 4x Ice-type weakness, which is a problem considering how common Ice-type attacks are as coverage moves. Cloyster and Slowbro in particular are big problems for Dragonite due to their physical bulk, while Starmie and Hidden Power Ice users such as Jolteon, Zapdos, and Magneton can revenge kill weakened Dragonite. Getting rid of Stealth Rock makes Dragonite a far more dangerous Pokémon. Rapid Spin Starmie and Tentacruel work especially well with it due to their resistances to Ice, and Tentacruel's ability to defeat Clefable is a big bonus. Defog Zapdos also works despite its weakness to Ice-type attacks.

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Gengar

Why on earth did Gengar use to have a beer belly? I guess it cut down on its Dream Eating two decades ago.

Offensive

Gengar

Ability: Levitate

EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Shadow Ball

- Sludge Bomb / Clear Smog

- Will-O-Wisp

- Taunt / Substitute / Hypnosis

Bulky

Gengar

Ability: Levitate

EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Shadow Ball

- Clear Smog

- Will-O-Wisp

- Taunt

What's the big deal?

Being the only viable Ghost-type in Kanto Classic, Gengar carves a unique role for itself on any team. Thanks to its secondary Poison typing and ability in Levitate, it can check threats such as Machamp, Snorlax, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and even Clefable, to name a few. With a great base 110 Speed stat, Gengar outpaces a large portion of the metagame, and it also packs a movepool that allows it to hit most Pokémon respectably hard or cripple them with the appropriate status move.

What can I expect to see?

A base 130 Special Attack stat is nothing to sneeze at, so most Gengar sets will generally be offensive variants running both its STAB moves in the form of Shadow Ball and either Sludge Bomb, which nets Gengar neutral coverage on every Pokémon, or Clear Smog, which allows it to dismantle a boosting sweeper, the foremost of which is Clefable. Will-O-Wisp and Taunt let Gengar cripple Pokémon such as Golem, Snorlax, and Chansey, so teams that need more leverage against these Pokémon will typically run a bulky variant of Gengar to stretch out its durability. With investment in bulk, Gengar is capable of surviving hits that it otherwise couldn't, such as Crunch from Snorlax. Gengar also has access to moves such as Substitute, Focus Blast, Hypnosis, and even Destiny Bond, so be wary, as these options may catch you off guard when you face it.

What are its flaws?

Gengar's most notable flaw is its atrocious bulk. With 60 / 60 / 75 defenses, strong resisted hits such as Nidoqueen's Sludge Wave can do a notable chunk of damage to even bulky Gengar variants. Gengar is also heavily reliant on its Speed tier to maintain its advantages, so it must avoid paralysis at all costs. Thunder Wave from Pokémon Gengar typically would switch into, such as Chansey and Clefable, will render it absolutely useless, as it is now not only frail but also too slow to do anything before taking a hit. Gengar's Speed also falls short of some of the premier offensive threats in Kanto Classic, such as Alakazam, Starmie, Jolteon, and Aerodactyl, all of which are capable of revenge killing it with relative ease.

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Golem

Is it just me, or does Golem's original sprite look more like some sort of cauliflower monster?

Offensive Stealth Rocker

Golem

Ability: Sturdy

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Stealth Rock

- Earthquake

- Stone Edge / Rock Blast

- Sucker Punch / Explosion

What's the big deal?

Part one of the famous Gen 1 Rock / Ground type duo is back in action after two decades, and it's all thanks to being one of the best offensive Stealth Rock users in Kanto Classic!

What can I expect to see?

Golem is one of the most common Stealth Rock setters around, so normally its number one mission is to set it up as soon as possible, to shut down shenigans such as Multiscale Dragonite and Articuno. Don't be fooled into thinking that Stealth Rock is all that Golem is good for, though, as sometimes, keeping it healthy can pay good dividends. Golem's physical bulk and Sturdy make it an excellent switch-in to the dreaded Fissure Snorlax, and in general, Golem can get clutch wins against other physical attackers if kept healthy. Even better, if you're using teammates that can get rid of your opponent's Stealth Rock such as Starmie, Tentacruel, and Zapdos, you could even get a KO against a special attacker thanks to Sturdy acting like a pseudo-Focus Sash.

Stone Edge is the obvious Rock-type STAB move to use in most cases, but Rock Blast is an entirely reasonable consideration. While it's usually weaker than Stone Edge, it'll do more damage to Dragonite thanks to hitting through Multiscale, and it can damage common Substitute users such as Alakazam and Gengar if they expect Golem to use Sucker Punch. Speaking of Sucker Punch, having strong priority lets Golem do an awesome job at revenge killing offensive Pokémon. Just make sure you scout the Pokémon before you use it, as more savvy trainers may attempt to use Substitute to make Golem into setup bait. If you'd rather let Golem go out in a blaze of glory and potentially grab a surprise KO, Explosion is still a very reasonable option, especially if you elect to run more Speed investment. While focusing on bulk with Golem is just fine, you can run 132 Speed EVs to outspeed 4 Speed Clefable and Machamp. In the most extreme case, if you want to surprise your opponent with Rock Polish Golem, you can even run a Jolly nature with 220 Speed EVs to outspeed every Pokémon in the game after a boost.

What are its flaws?

Golem may have great physical bulk, but much like its day in the spotlight 20 years ago, special attackers are a serious problem for our old rocky pal, as it'll get 2HKOed by almost every common one at minimum. Golem's poor Speed stat isn't helping here either, since most special attackers outspeed it. Even outside of special attacks, Golem's typing gives it a ton of weaknesses, leaving it open to be 2HKOed by a surprising number of physical attackers. This makes Golem a prime candidate for Thunder Wave support from Pokémon such as Clefable, Chansey, and Slowbro, since this allows Golem to seriously damage would-be revenge killers. As a bonus, Slowbro is also one of the best Machamp counters in the game, while Clefable also does well against it as long as it avoids Poison Jab and Heavy Slam. Chansey, meanwhile, absorbs most special attacks pretty well. Snorlax works well too, though Body Slam isn't as reliable of a paralysis spreading method as Thunder Wave.

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Starmie

I guess with a design as simple as Starmie's, not even Game Freak could screw that up in the original Pokémon Red and Green.

Bulky Rapid Spin

Starmie

Ability: Natural Cure

EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Rapid Spin

- Recover

- Psyshock / Psychic

- Scald / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt

Offensive

Starmie

Ability: Natural Cure / Analytic

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Psychic / Psyshock

- Ice Beam

- Rapid Spin / Thunderbolt

- Scald / Hydro Pump / Rapid Spin / Grass Knot

What's the big deal?

Starmie is one of those rare Pokémon that have been OU in every single generation. In Kanto Classic, Starmie may not be as powerful as Alakazam, but it has an excellent movepool, terrific ability, and better bulk to differentiate itself. Most notably, Starmie is quite possibly the best Rapid Spinner in the format!

What can I expect to see?

The most common thing to expect on Starmie is Rapid Spin, since it's one of the best hazard removal Pokémon available in Kanto Classic. Many teams opt to go for a more bulky Starmie with Recover and maximum HP investment so that it can last long enough to remove Stealth Rock throughout the match. Bulky Starmie should always be running a Psychic-type attack to deal with Gengar. Psyshock is the most reliable option, since it always OHKOes offensive Gengar with just 4 SpA EVs. However, if you're especially worried about Cloyster setting up, Psychic does far more damage at the cost of only OHKOing offensive Gengar 75% of the time without Stealth Rock. Bulky Starmie's last attack can be a bit tricky to choose. Scald allows it to deal with Rock-types more reliably, while Ice Beam OHKOes Dragonite after Stealth Rock damage. If you're especially worried about Gyarados and Cloyster, Thunderbolt OHKOes them after Stealth Rock damage as well.

Starmie's base 100 Special Attack may seem mediocre, but its excellent coverage makes an offensive set fairly dangerous. You'll still want a Psychic-type attack to smash Gengar with, but this time, Psychic easily OHKOes offensive Gengar, and it also OHKOes Cloyster after Stealth Rock. Psyshock, however, does a lot more damage to Snorlax, which can be especially useful when it's worn down. While Scald's burn chance still makes it very attractive, Hydro Pump is worth considering, since it's Starmie's strongest attack. With the increased Special Attack, Thunderbolt now 2HKOes Slowbro, and while Rapid Spin is still great for removing hazards, feel free to replace it with another coverage move if you feel your team needs that more. If you're especially strapped for coverage and want Rapid Spin, you can use Grass Knot over a Water-type attack to both smash Ground-types and 2HKO Slowbro after Stealth Rock.

Natural Cure is awesome on Starmie, since it means that Thunder Wave won't completely ruin it for the rest of the match compared to other special sweepers. However, on offensive Starmie sets, Analytic is still worth considering, since a 30% harder hit on foes switching in can give Starmie the chance to unleash a surprise sweep. Finally, although this is very difficult to fit in, Starmie does learn Minimize, which can always make it dangerous to face if Lady Luck isn't on your side!

What are its flaws?

Even bulky Starmie doesn't actually take hits very well, getting 2HKOed by most powerful neutral attacks. Also, for such a speedy Pokémon, Starmie has a difficult time sweeping teams without having some serious residual damage racked up due to its average Special Attack. These factors mean that Snorlax in particular is a huge problem for Starmie, being able to 2HKO it while not getting 3HKOed by any of Starmie's moves. Healthy Electric-types also tend to fry Starmie before it can do too much, though they can be 2HKOed by offensive Starmie. Since offensive Starmie has trouble fitting in support moves, it's especially vulnerable to Sucker Punch from Golem and Nidoking. Its lack of Recover also means that Chansey can wear it down.

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Zapdos

Look at those dark rings around Zapdos's eyes: it must have partied hard back in 1996!

Defogger

Zapdos

Ability: Pressure

EVs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe

Bold Nature

- Defog

- Roost

- Discharge / Thunderbolt

- Hidden Power Ice / Extrasensory / Heat Wave / Hidden Power Water

Offensive

Zapdos

Ability: Pressure

EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid / Modest Nature

- Thunderbolt

- Roost

- Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Water / Defog

- Heat Wave / Extrasensory / Defog

What's the big deal?

Zapdos might not be a mixed attacker anymore, but its typing is still superb offensively and defensively in Kanto Classic. It also gets the rare Defog for clearing hazards, making it a valuable support Pokémon.

What can I expect to see?

Zapdos may have an excellent Special Attack stat, but many Zapdos sets are going to focus on playing defensively because of Defog. Discharge is nice for spreading paralysis, while Thunderbolt gives Zapdos a slight kick offensively. Roost is the usual recovery move, though be careful about using it against Ground-types, which can hit Zapdos with Earthquake while it's Roosting. The last move depends on what you want covered the most. Hidden Power Ice has a 56% shot at OHKOing Dragonite after Stealth Rock, Heat Wave hits Magneton and Venusaur hard, and Extrasensory hits Gengar and Venusaur better. If you especially hate Golem and Rhydon, Hidden Power Water is the only way to even have a shot at OHKOing them. You'll probably want to run at least 20 Speed EVs, as this guarantees Zapdos will outspeed Adamant max Speed Cloyster.

Zapdos doesn't have to stick to being bulky, though, since it is pretty fast and powerful and has an extremely valuable immunity to paralysis. You can use a similar set to the bulky one and replace Defog with an extra coverage move. A Timid nature usually makes the most sense to outspeed even Jolly Arcanine, but Modest is perfectly acceptable as well, as it guarantees a 2HKO on Clefable with Thunderbolt after Stealth Rock.

What are its flaws?

Zapdos might usually get rid of Stealth Rock, but it actually really hates the hazard itself, because it turns many potential 3HKOs into 2HKOs. Zapdos also has a bad case of four-moveslot syndrome, meaning that it'll usually always be walled by something. In particular, Golem and Rhydon aren't even guaranteed to be 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice and hit Zapdos hard with Stone Edge or Rock Blast. Chansey walls the heck out of Zapdos too and can potentially ruin the thunderbird with Toxic. Although it's uncommon, be especially wary of Seaking, which isn't even 3HKOed by any of Zapdos's moves and can threaten to spam Horn Drill.

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Rhydon

Wow, looks like Rhydon had a fairly successful diet. I mean, at least it has a chin now!

Offensive Stealth Rocker

Rhydon

Ability: Rock Head

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Stealth Rock

- Earthquake

- Stone Edge / Rock Blast

- Horn Drill / Megahorn

What's the big deal?

Believe it or not, Rhydon is the very first Pokémon ever made, which makes this anniversary extra special for it! It may seem like Rhydon is outclassed by Golem despite having several superior stats because it lacks the incredible ability Sturdy, but don't be fooled: Rhydon has a trick up its sleeve in the form of Horn Drill!

What can I expect to see?

Much like Golem, Rhydon's primary objective is to lay down Stealth Rock. While the lack of Sturdy means Rhydon fears things like Snorlax's Fissure, it still does an admirable job at tanking physical attacks. As usual, Earthquake is Rhydon's reliable STAB attack, while Stone Edge is the riskier option that allows Rhydon to slam Flying-types and Gengar. If you're worried about Substitute and Multiscale Dragonite, Rock Blast is a fine option too. Rhydon's real magic, however, begins with Horn Drill. While Horn Drill may only have 30% accuracy, even a 30% chance to OHKO common switch-ins such as Slowbro can completely turn the game around in your favor! As a bonus, Horn Drill always hits No Guard Machamp, making it a good indicator of what ability your opponent's Machamp has depending on if they switch it into Rhydon or not. Even better, if you decide to go a more exotic route and use Jolly Rock Polish Rhydon, Horn Drill will ensure No Guard Machamp can't even check Rhydon. If you want a more reliable last option, consider Megahorn, which actually 2HKOes Slowbro switch-ins.

What are its flaws?

Rhydon may have great physical bulk, but its Special Defense is just as poor as it was 20 years ago, meaning it'll get 2HKOed by even most neutral special attacks. Its wide array of weaknesses and low Speed also make it fairly easy to revenge kill. Because of this, paralysis support from the likes of Slowbro, Clefable, and Chansey is much appreciated. Slowbro and Clefable in particular can help out against Machamp (with Slowbro being the more reliable check out of the two), while Chansey helps take on most special attackers.

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Jolteon

That Green Jolteon sprite looks pretty happy. I bet it just got five critical hits on Exeggutor with Pin Missile!

Revenge Killer

Jolteon

Ability: Volt Absorb

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Thunderbolt

- Volt Switch

- Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Water

- Shadow Ball / Yawn

Substitute Pass

Jolteon

Ability: Volt Absorb

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Substitute

- Baton Pass

- Thunderbolt

- Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Water

What's the big deal?

Jolteon's excellent base 130 Speed (making it the second fastest Pokémon around), useful paralysis immunity, and good offensive typing make it one of the best revenge killers in Kanto Classic.

What can I expect to see?

Jolteon is a pretty simple revenge killer, using its STAB Thunderbolt to pick off weakened threats and deal massive damage to Starmie (even max HP Starmie is OHKOed after Stealth Rock) and Slowbro. Volt Switch does a great job at allowing Jolteon to maintain control of the match, and it still does good damage against some of the frailer threats of Kanto Classic. Jolteon's Hidden Power type can be a bit tricky to choose. Hidden Power Ice allows Jolteon to OHKO Dragonite after Stealth Rock damage and 2HKO Ground-types like Nidoking, Golem, and Rhydon. Hidden Power Ground lets Jolteon 2HKO opposing Jolteon, OHKO Magneton, and still 2HKO Nidoking, Golem, and Rhydon. If your team is especially vulnerable to Golem and Rhydon, you can use Hidden Power Water to guarantee a OHKO on them after Stealth Rock. Note that if you are using Hidden Power Ground or Water, you should use 248 Special Attack EVs and put the extra EVs in Special Defense for Hidden Power Water or in Defense for Hidden Power Ground. This is because at level 50, 248 EVs is the maximum investment a stat with an IV of 30 can increase with.

The last moveslot is simply filler, with Shadow Ball doing more damage to Alakazam and Gengar than Jolteon's other moves and Yawn potentially forcing Jolteon's checks to switch out with the threat of sleep. Since Jolteon's last moveslot is flexible, you may see some other strange moves used, such as Toxic to ruin Unaware Clefable and force Snorlax to Rest earlier, Heal Bell to save your team from status, Charge Beam to potentially sweep with a +1 Special Attack boost, or even Magnet Rise to remove Jolteon's Ground-type weakness.

A particularly surprising and dangerous variant of Jolteon to watch out for is the Substitute + Baton Pass set. Jolteon's Substitutes may be frail, but they allow Jolteon to potentially get a teammate in for free with Baton Pass to turn the tables on its checks, especially in the case of Venusaur, which may opt to use Sleep Powder against it. Baton Pass also has the nice bonus of guaranteeing a switch out against foes that are immune to Electric-type attacks.

What are its flaws?

Jolteon is a very frail Pokémon, being easily 2HKOed by most neutral attacks at minimum. This means Jolteon has a difficult time switching in on any non-Electric-type attacks, forcing it to stick to revenge killing most of the time. Snorlax in particular easily walls Jolteon while 2HKOing it, while Chansey can Seismic Toss it into oblivion. Venusaur is an especially dangerous check, since it can use Jolteon as a free opportunity to launch Sleep Powder (unless Jolteon is carrying Substitute). In general, Jolteon is forced to mainly rely on Volt Switch early on in the match because it doesn't OHKO many Pokémon, leaving it especially vulnerable to being worn down by Stealth Rock.

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Articuno

Yikes, Articuno, I guess you weren't getting much vitamin D in the Seafoam Islands, were you?

Sheer Cold Spammer

Articuno

Ability: Pressure

EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SpD

Bold Nature

- Sheer Cold

- Roar / Freeze Dry

- Rest

- Sleep Talk

Articuno

Ability: Pressure

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Sheer Cold

- Freeze-Dry / Roar

- Rest

- Sleep Talk

What's the big deal?

Articuno's massive bulk allows it to sit in front of many common Pokémon and spam Sheer Cold until it takes them out.

What can I expect to see?

Articuno can switch into many passive Pokémon, including Clefable, Slowbro, Venusaur, Chansey, Vaporeon, and Tentacruel, making it a huge threat to stall teams. Most of the time, Articuno will be attempting to get KOs by spamming Sheer Cold, but it can also use Freeze-Dry to deal guaranteed damage, which can help it perform a late-game sweep more easily. Roar can be used to force setup sweepers out and rack up hazard damage. When Roar is chosen by Sleep Talk, it also does not have negative priority. Rest is chosen as a recovery move over Roost because it lets Articuno use Sheer Cold with Sleep Talk even if Sheer Cold is out of PP while also healing Articuno of status conditions. It is also important to note that Sheer Cold will always hit most Machamp due to No Guard. Mind Reader is tempting to consider, since it forces opponents to switch out to avoid a 100% accurate Sheer Cold. However, this strategy doesn't work too well unless you have hazards stacked in your favor, so usually, this moveslot is better taken by Roar or Freeze-Dry.

The bulky EV spread avoids the 3HKO from max Attack Snorlax's Body Slam and also survives +2 Dragonite's Outrage. If you want more Speed, use a Timid nature with maximum HP and Speed investment. The fast EV spread outspeeds as much as possible, notably Gyarados, Dragonite, and Cloyster, while still having very good bulk.

What are its flaws?

Sheer Cold is still fairly unreliable. The chance of at least one landing after two uses is 51%, and 65.7% after three. When Sheer Cold runs out of PP, the chance of both Sleep Talk choosing Sheer Cold and it hitting is only 10%. Sturdy users such as Magneton and Golem are immune to Sheer Cold, and Magneton also takes little damage from Freeze-Dry. If Roar is used over Freeze-Dry, Sheer Cold becomes Articuno's only form of damage. Since it has a 4x weakness to Rock, Articuno needs a Rapid Spinner or Defogger on the team so it doesn't take 50% damage from Stealth Rock every time it switches in. Once Articuno gets a KO, threats such as Arcanine, Aerodactyl, and Jolteon can revenge kill it if it's weakened.

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Magneton

Magneton is more like a smartphone than I thought: its first generation is chunky and lacking in features!

Offensive

Magneton

Ability: Analytic / Sturdy

EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe

Modest Nature

- Flash Cannon

- Thunderbolt / Discharge

- Volt Switch / Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground / Sleep Talk

- Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground / Thunder Wave

What's the big deal?

Magneton famously became part Steel-type a generation after its introduction, making it the only Steel-type around in Kanto Classic. It may not be very bulky, but the multitude of resistances Steel provides it is extremely valuable! Magneton is also one of the most powerful special attackers in the format and has two excellent abilities in Analytic and Sturdy.

What can I expect to see?

You can expect every Magneton to at least have Flash Cannon, which allows it to 2HKO Clefable. Thunderbolt is Magneton's most powerful Electric-type STAB move, 2HKOing the menacing Articuno, but if you want a better chance at inflicting paralysis, Discharge is still a reasonable option. Volt Switch is nice for keeping the match's momentum in your favor, but it's fairly easily replaceable if you desire an extra coverage move. Hidden Power Ice can allow Magneton to act as an emergency check against weakened Dragonite that lack Earthquake, OHKOing it after Stealth Rock damage. If you care more about 2HKOing Jolteon and OHKOing opposing Magneton, then Hidden Power Ground is more useful. Sleep Talk is a useful filler move if you desperately need a sleep absorber, while Thunder Wave can be run to cripple Dragonite if you opted to use Hidden Power Ground.

The tough choice to make for Magneton is between using Analytic and Sturdy. Analytic takes advantage of Magneton's mediocre Speed, giving it plenty of extra power against faster threats and switch-ins (about the equivalent of a Life Orb boost). Sturdy, on the other hand, makes Magneton the most reliable check to Articuno's OHKO-spamming shenigans and lets it potentially save you from powerful sweepers when Stealth Rock isn't on the field with Sturdy's pseudo-Focus Sash properties. If using Sturdy, consider using hazard removal from Rapid Spin Starmie or Tentacruel or Defog Zapdos to make Magneton much more difficult to check. Finally, if you want to make Magneton speedier, consider a Timid nature with maximum Speed, which allows Magneton to outspeed Adamant Gyarados and Dragonite.

What are its flaws?

For being the first fully evolved Steel-type ever, Magneton actually doesn't take hits too well, getting 2HKOed by most neutral special attacks and taking a lot of damage from boosted resisted physical attacks such as Dragonite's Outrage. Magneton's Speed exacerbates the problem even more, leaving it outsped by most prominent special attackers. Finally, there's the obviously huge weakness to Ground-type attacks, which Gyarados, Nidoking, and some Dragonite can fully take advantage of.

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Nidoking

Looks like Nidoking has calmed down over the years.

Special Attacker

Nidoking

Ability: Sheer Force

EVs: 12 Atk / 244 SpA / 252 Spe

Naive Nature

- Sludge Wave

- Earth Power

- Ice Beam / Rock Slide / Thunderbolt

- Sucker Punch / Stealth Rock

Physical Attacker

Nidoking

Ability: Sheer Force

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Naive / Jolly Nature

- Poison Jab

- Ice Beam / Earthquake

- Superpower

- Sucker Punch

What's the big deal?

Nidoking is back in action thanks to its ability to counter the queen of this format, Clefable. Thanks to its great new ability Sheer Force, Nidoking has transformed from an all-talk, no-walk Pokémon into a powerful monster. Another notable trait is that Nidoking is immune to Thunder Wave thanks to its Ground typing, which is huge in this format where Thunder Wave spam is quite prevalent.

What can I expect to see?

Nidoking is a versatile Pokémon capable of running two sets, physical and special. Although the special set is more common, the physical set does have its merits. Nidoking is the best Clefable counter in this format, and it is not even close. Nidoking's Poison typing allows it to resist Moonblast and hit back with a STAB Sludge Wave that has a good chance of knocking out Clefable. Earth Power is used as a secondary STAB move to take care of pesky foes such as Golem, Rhydon, Jolteon, and Magneton. Maximum investment in Speed is necessary because it allows Nidoking to outspeed max Speed Dragonite and KO it with Ice Beam provided that Multiscale isn't active. Ice Beam also 2HKOes Zapdos, which can come in very handy. Rock Slide may be used instead of Ice Beam if your team has a weakness to Articuno. Sucker Punch is used as a way to catch opposing Gengar and Alakazam off guard. However, it must be used cautiously, since Alakazam can trap Nidoking using the combination of Encore and Disable. Thunderbolt is used to check both Gyarados and Slowbro.

Stealth Rock is an alternative option, but it doesn't have much utility. Physical Nidoking is mainly used to check Snorlax and Chansey, as Superpower 2HKOes both. Poison Jab is a necessary move used to check Calm Mind Clefable. Ice Beam is Nidoking's only way to seriously damage Dragonite and Zapdos, while Earthquake is a powerful move with an effective 150 Base Power thanks to STAB. Another great trait of the physical set is that Sucker Punch now OHKOes Gengar as well as Alakazam.

What are its flaws?

Nidoking is quite vulnerable to top threats in this format such as Alakazam, Slowbro, Starmie, and Gyarados. Even though it has a decent Speed stat, common Pokémon such as Aerodactyl, Alakazam, and Gengar can outspeed it and finish it off. Nidoking also suffers from four-moveslot syndrome. Finally, Nidoking can't be used to pivot in and out of the field because it is quite frail and will faint to all super effective moves.

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Cloyster

Oh neat, unlike Cloyster's RBY sprite, its Green sprite has its head in the right orientation!

Shell Smasher

Cloyster

Ability: Skill Link

EVs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 92 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Shell Smash

- Icicle Spear

- Rock Blast

- Rapid Spin / Ice Shard / Spikes / Toxic Spikes / Toxic

What's the big deal?

Cloyster may not be able to make its opponents lose their minds with a continuous Clamp anymore, but Shell Smash's sweeping potential more than makes up for it!

What can I expect to see?

Cloyster is all about the wonderful Shell Smash, which it can set up on physical attackers such as Dragonite to potentially sweep during the late-game. Icicle Spear always hits five times thanks to Skill Link, and it's especially wonderful for breaking through Dragonite's Multiscale and Golem's Sturdy. Rock Blast covers important Pokémon that resist Ice-type attacks, such as Snorlax, Starmie, and opposing Cloyster. You can get a bit more creative with the last move. Rapid Spin gives Cloyster the ability to remove hazards, giving it some utility before it can guarantee a sweep against a weakened team. Ice Shard allows Cloyster to pull off emergency revenge kills against weakened Dragonite and Nidoking. Spikes allows Cloyster to set up entry hazards of its own, though remember that they can be easily removed. Toxic Spikes works similarly, except Nidoking and Tentacruel can remove them just by switching in. Toxic may seem strange on a sweeper, but it allows Cloyster to effectively lure in and cripple Clefable and Slowbro.

The given EVs allow Cloyster to outspeed everything after one use of Shell Smash, but if you want to give Cloyster some extra Speed, you can use a Speed-boosting nature and 252 Speed EVs to outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados before a boost. If you want to get more exotic with something more difficult to breed, Cloyster can actually run Hidden Power Ground to ensure a OHKO on Magneton after a boost with a Naughty nature. Signal Beam is also a reasonable mixed option, doing 59% minimum to Slowbro after a boost.

What are its flaws?

Cloyster's Special Defense is absolutely pathetic, making it impossible to set up on the many special attackers that roam Kanto Classic. Even with that awesome base 180 Defense, Stealth Rock's prominence means that Cloyster's lifetime is much shorter than you'd expect. More specifically, Unaware Clefable is a huge problem for Cloyster, since it can simply ignore Cloyster's boosts, cripple it with Thunder Wave, and eventually KO it with Moonblast. While Slowbro does have to be wary about being 2HKOed by Rock Blast after Stealth Rock damage, it easily 2HKOes Cloyster with Scald after Shell Smash's defense drops, and it can use Regenerator to bring its health back up to acceptable levels. Even worse, Psychic actually OHKOes Cloyster 75% of the time without Stealth Rock.

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Venusaur

Goodness gracious, Venusaur really went on one of those crash dietary plans to try and look good for Green version!

Defensive Staller

Venusaur

Ability: Overgrow

EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 SpD

Calm Nature

- Sleep Powder

- Leech Seed

- Giga Drain

- Sludge Bomb

What's the big deal?

Venusaur's decent mixed bulk and defensive typing let it check a large number of threats, most notably Clefable, Jolteon, and Machamp. It can also spam Sleep Powder freely because there is no Sleep Clause and is happy that it gets better STAB moves than Razor Leaf and Mega Drain this time around.

What can I expect to see?

Venusaur usually uses Sleep Powder first to temporarily immobilize the foe. This is followed by Leech Seed, which drains the health of foes while healing Venusaur. Venusaur will then proceed to wear the target down further with Giga Drains and Sludge Bombs, putting it back to sleep as needed, or it can switch out into a more appropriate counter, which will also gain health from Leech Seed. More Speed is sometimes run on defensive sets to outspeed foes such as slow Articuno and max Speed Machamp and Golem. Synthesis and Substitute are also sometimes chosen over Giga Drain or Sludge Bomb. More offensive sets that take advantage of Sunny Day or Ninetales's Drought to get a Speed boost using Chlorophyll are occasionally seen but generally less effective.

What are its flaws?

Both Sleep Powder and Leech Seed have low accuracy that can cause them to miss at crucial times. Pokémon that use Sleep Talk, such as Snorlax and Articuno, can switch into Sleep Powder and attack afterwards. Machamp and Magneton have also started to sometimes use Sleep Talk. Alakazam is Venusaur's best check, as it can switch into a Leech Seed without taking damage and can survive an attack if needed. Psychic and Psyshock do a lot of damage, but this EV spread lets Venusaur survive either one even after being damaged by Stealth Rock. Liquid Ooze Tentacruel counters Venusaur, since it causes Venusaur to take damage instead of heal from Leech Seed and Giga Drain. Due to relying on Leech Seed and Giga Drain for recovery, Venusaur can be worn down if the opponent switches often.

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Arcanine

Arcanine used to be really cocky when it thought it was a legendary Pokémon...

Physical Attacker

Arcanine

Ability: Intimidate

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Adamant / Jolly Nature

- Flare Blitz

- Close Combat

- Extreme Speed

- Morning Sun / Will-O-Wisp / Wild Charge / Toxic

What's the big deal?

Compared to the RBY days, Arcanine has a lot more going for it: strong physical attacks, decent Speed, an excellent movepool, and a very useful ability that effectively increases its bulk!

What can I expect to see?

Arcanine loves throwing out powerful Flare Blitzes, which will usually 2HKO anything that doesn't resist it. Close Combat is the most important coverage move, allowing Arcanine to 2HKO Snorlax, Golem, and Rhydon. Extreme Speed is excellent for picking off fast, weakened threats. For the last slot, Morning Sun makes a lot of sense, since Flare Blitz's constant recoil and Arcanine's Stealth Rock weakness wear it down extremely fast. Will-O-Wisp is a nice last-ditch move to surprise Dragonite and Gyarados that may attempt to set up. If you especially dislike facing Gyarados, you can use Wild Charge to fry it before it can set up and also OHKO Aerodactyl switch-ins after Stealth Rock. If Slowbro is giving you problems, Toxic makes Arcanine a fairly good lure against it.

Choosing natures can be a bit tricky: Adamant gives Arcanine plenty of power and is especially useful for boosting Extreme Speed. However, Jolly lets Arcanine always outspeed Nidoking, which will OHKO Arcanine otherwise. Also, if you really want to take advantage of Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp, a bulky Impish set with Morning Sun and Will-O-Wisp is an option.

What are its flaws?

Arcanine's frequent use of Flare Blitz and weakness to Stealth Rock wear it down extremely fast, especially if it's not running Morning Sun. Arcanine also happens to be stonewalled by Slowbro, as not even Wild Charge 2HKOes it! Any Arcanine that lacks Will-O-Wisp is prime setup bait for Dragonite, while Gyarados can handle Arcanine that lack Will-O-Wisp or Wild Charge. Although Aerodactyl takes a ton of damage from Flare Blitz, its STAB Stone Edge is usually too much for Arcanine to handle.

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Gyarados

Gyarados, it's enough that you have your mouth wide open, you don't need to be cross eyed too!

Dragon Dancer

Gyarados

Ability: Intimidate / Moxie

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Dragon Dance

- Waterfall

- Earthquake / Taunt

- Stone Edge / Ice Fang / Taunt / Crunch

What's the big deal?

When you bring up Dragon Dance, everyone is going to think of Dragonite. However, Gyarados is no pushover either, having a different set of weaknesses than Dragonite and an interesting movepool.

What can I expect to see?

Most Gyarados are going to be Dragon Dancers. Waterfall is Gyarados's main STAB move, while Earthquake slams Jolteon and Magneton. Stone Edge's accuracy may be shaky, but it allows +1 Gyarados to OHKO bulky Zapdos after Stealth Rock, and it is Gyarados's best way to hit opposing Gyarados. Ice Fang isn't as powerful, but it's the more accurate Dragonite slayer. If you're willing to give up some coverage, Taunt can work very well, destroying the ability of walls to burn or paralyze Gyarados. You can even pair it with Crunch, which allows Gyarados to potentially defeat Slowbro if Scald doesn't burn it. For a more exotic option, Gyarados can run Toxic to lure and cripple Slowbro and Unaware Clefable.

While it may be tempting to use an Adamant nature like on Dragonite, Jolly is generally preferred, since it allows Gyarados to outspeed Jolteon and Aerodactyl after one Dragon Dance. Intimidate is usually the best ability, since it gives Gyarados more setup opportunities and can save your team from sweeps in emergencies. However, Moxie puts serious pressure on your opponent to avoid sacrifices, which can make Gyarados more difficult to check.

What are its flaws?

Much like with Dragonite, Stealth Rock is a serious problem for Gyarados, severely limiting its ability to switch in and almost mandating the support of Defog Zapdos or Rapid Spin Starmie or Tentacruel. Gyarados's weaknesses to Electric- and Rock-type attacks also make it extremely vulnerable to getting revenge killed by Jolteon and Aerodactyl. Starmie can revenge kill any Gyarados that hasn't set up with Thunderbolt, while Magneton grabs an easy OHKO if its Sturdy has not yet been broken or if Gyarados lacks Earthquake. Slowbro and Unaware Clefable are capable of crippling Gyarados with paralysis as long as it lacks Taunt too.

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Weezing

This sprite is pretty ordinary, so how about a fun fact: Weezing's original English name was LA! Wow, what a low blow to Hollywood!

Physically Defensive

Weezing

Ability: Levitate

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Bold Nature

- Will-O-Wisp

- Sludge Bomb / Clear Smog

- Pain Split / Taunt

- Taunt / Thunderbolt / Destiny Bond

What's the big deal?

Several factors make Weezing a great Pokémon against physical attackers. It is blessed with a great defensive typing combined with an ability that nullifies one of its weaknesses, a great Defense stat combined with access to Will-O-Wisp, and a decent movepool.

What can I expect to see?

Most Weezing will heavily invest in physical bulk and will often switch into physical attackers. It will attempt to burn Pokémon with Will-O-Wisp. It will also switch into Clefable and either hammer it with a strong Poison-type attack like Sludge Bomb or spam Clear Smog to render Clefable's Minimize and/or Calm Mind boosts useless. Pain Split is also commonly seen on Weezing to increase its longevity, especially when used on Pokémon like Snorlax and Chansey. The last moveslot is often filler, but Taunt is pretty common to prevent Snorlax from using Rest to get rid of burns or prevent other Pokémon from using support moves like Stealth Rock and Heal Bell. Thunderbolt hits Gyarados harder than any other attack, while Destiny Bond could let Weezing get a surprise KO against slower foes such as Slowbro. Weezing can run Toxic Spikes, but it is not really recommended, as it interferes with Will-O-Wisp.

What are its flaws?

While Weezing can take care of itself very well against the majority of physical attackers, it struggles against almost all special attackers, especially since a lot of them are Psychic-types. It also doesn't have access to reliable recovery like Clefable and Slowbro do, so its walling capability is not as good. Weezing's offensive presence isn't impressive either, which makes it a lot more susceptible to getting hit by an OHKO move.

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Aerodactyl

Wow Aerodactyl, does it hurt to have your mouth open for so long?

Suicide Lead

Aerodactyl

Ability: Pressure

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Earthquake / Aerial Ace

- Stone Edge / Rock Slide

- Taunt

- Stealth Rock

What's the big deal?

If your team desperately needs a fast Pokémon and a guaranteed Stealth Rock setter, look no further! Thanks to its base 130 Speed and commendable base 105 Attack, Aerodactyl has a good reason to flaunt its wings.

What can I expect to see?

Aerodactyl mainly functions as a suicide lead whose role is to set up Stealth Rock, stop the opposing team from setting up any hazards, and deal serious damage before fainting. Aerodactyl is almost always going to set up Stealth Rock, since it is one of the fastest Pokémon in the metagame. This is why Aerodactyl is a great addition to teams that fear Dragonite and Articuno. The only Pokémon that can outspeed Aerodactyl are Electrode and Jolteon, with the former being rare and the latter relying on a Speed tie. Stone Edge or Rock Slide is standard, as they are STAB moves and hit threats such as Zapdos and Dragonite quite hard. Earthquake is used to hit Golem and predicted Jolteon switch-ins. Another noteworthy trait of Aerodactyl is that it serves as a soft check to Snorlax, since it is immune to Fissure and resists Body Slam. When facing Aerodactyl, make sure to always go for the KO, since Taunt can render setup sweepers such as Clefable useless, which can be quite detrimental in the long run.

What are its flaws?

Aerodactyl's biggest flaw is its subpar bulk, which means it is going to faint to all super effective moves. It is usually quite obvious to competent players that Aerodactyl will be the lead, so your opponent may choose to lead with Pokémon such as Slowbro and Starmie, which are going to stop it right in its tracks. It also has a weakness to Rock, so it can't be used to pivot in and out when Stealth Rock is set up on your side of the field. Finally, it is somewhat outclassed by Golem, which is much bulkier and more powerful.

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Tentacruel

This is a snapshot of Tentacruel's short-lived ballet days.

Rapid Spinner

Tentacruel

Ability: Liquid Ooze

EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 140 Spe

Timid / Bold Nature

- Rapid Spin

- Scald

- Acid Spray / Sludge Wave

- Ice Beam / Acid Spray / Haze

What's the big deal?

Tentacruel is a nice two-for-one deal: it's both one of the few viable Rapid Spinners and a decent Clefable check.

What can I expect to see?

Tentacruel will always run Rapid Spin, since eliminating hazards is one of is big selling points. Scald is common too, ensuring Tentacruel can slam Golem and Rhydon and potentially burn physical switch-ins such as Snorlax. Acid Spray may seem a bit strange, but it removes Clefable's Calm Mind boosts and, as a bonus, allows Tentacruel to deal good damage to slower switch-ins. For a more reliable Poison-type attack, Sludge Wave is always an option. Ice Beam gives Tentacruel a 56% shot at OHKOing Dragonite after Stealth Rock, while Haze can be paired with Sludge Wave to ruin Minimize Clefable. Tentacruel also happens to learn Toxic Spikes if you want to use that, though with all the other Poison-types around, it's difficult to keep it on the field. Toxic is nice for Slowbro switch-ins, but if you really want to shock them, you can run Acid Spray and Giga Drain together, which allows you to deal over 50% to them.

Liquid Ooze should always be run, as this allows Tentacruel to ruin Venusaur's Leech Seed strategies. A Timid nature with this EV spread allows Tentacruel to outspeed Nidoking and Dragonite, but if you wish, you can run a Bold nature and maximum HP and Defense EVs to maximize Tentacruel's ability to survive weaker physical attacks.

What are its flaws?

Tentacruel's Poison typing may be useful against Clefable, but unfortunately, it also leaves it very vulnerable to Psychic-types such as Alakazam, Starmie, and Slowbro. Even with investment, Tentacruel's physical tanking ability is rather poor, meaning it can't take repeated Body Slams from Snorlax, and Aerodactyl can revenge kill weakened Tentacruel.

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Exeggutor

What on earth did they put in Kanto's soil 20 years ago?!

Sunny Day Sweeper

Exeggutor

Ability: Chlorophyll

EVs: 52 HP / 252 SpA / 204 Spe

Modest Nature

-Sleep Powder

-Giga Drain

-Psychic / Psyshock

-Sunny Day

Trick Room

Exeggutor

Ability: Harvest

EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD

IVs: 0 Spe

Quiet Nature

-Trick Room

-Giga Drain

-Psychic / Psyshock

-Sleep Powder

What's the big deal?

Exeggutor used to be the best Grass-type in Gen 1, but Venusaur has really eaten Exeggutor's lunch due to its better Special Defense and ability to take on Clefable. However, not being weak to Psychic and having superior offenses give Exeggutor a decent niche.

What can I expect to see?

Most Exeggutor are going to attempt to take control of the battle's tempo, either by taking advantage of Chlorophyll via Sunny Day or Ninetales's Drought or by setting up Trick Room to make themselves and their slower teammates extremely fast. Giga Drain allows Exeggutor to restore its health, and it happens to OHKO bulky Starmie after Stealth Rock damage. Sleep Powder allows Exeggutor to take a gamble and potentially put any major checks to sleep. Psychic does more damage to physically bulky Pokémon such as Clefable, but Psyshock has the notable advantage of 3HKOing Chansey. Finally, 204 Speed EVs are needed to outspeed Jolteon and Aerodactyl while the sun is up.

If you're up for using a more exotic Exeggutor, consider Trick Room. Trick Room allows Exeggutor to run much more bulk while still outspeeding many threats in Kanto Classic. Harvest itself is a useless ability on this set, but it's the better option on Trick Room Exeggutor to avoid getting a Speed boost from sun.

What are its flaws?

What really lets Exeggutor down in Kanto Classic is its poor Special Defense, something it didn't have to worry about in Gen 1. Since it relies on Sunny Day or Trick Room to outspeed its foes, it's fairly easy to revenge kill once those are down.

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Ninetales

I see that Ninetales fired its old hair stylist!

Drought Attacker

Ninetales

Ability: Drought

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

-Fire Blast / Flamethrower

-Solar Beam / Energy Ball

-Hidden Power Ice

-Nasty Plot

What's the big deal?

Ninetales is the only automatic weather setter in Kanto Classic! Its stats may leave something to be desired, but sun-boosted Fire-type attacks make it a lot more powerful than you'd expect.

What can I expect to see?

Most Ninetales tend to play rather offensively instead of taking on a support role, since sun-boosted Fire-type attacks give it an offensive edge over most special attackers. Fire Blast is extremely powerful, 2HKOing Clefable and bulky Zapdos. You can use Flamethrower for reliability, though note that Ninetales will now need Stealth Rock to get the same 2HKOs. Solar Beam guarantees a 2HKO on Slowbro, but Energy Ball allows Ninetales to smash Golem and Rhydon even when the sun runs out. Hidden Power Ice is rather weak, but it's the best Ninetales can do against Dragonite switch-ins. Nasty Plot isn't easy to set up, but if you pull it off, Ninetales can actually OHKO major threats such as Zapdos and Slowbro. With a Nasty Plot-boosted Fire Blast in the sun, Ninetales can even 2HKO Chansey after Stealth Rock.

Since Ninetales's Drought provides nice support, consider using a Chlorophyll Pokémon. Venusaur is usually the best choice with its ability to smash Clefable, but Exeggutor is also a reasonable option if you desire more power. If your team can deal with stacking weaknesses, Arcanine also gets a healthy power boost from Drought.

What are its flaws?

For a Pokémon that provides valuable sun support, Ninetales really doesn't last too long. Its mediocre bulk and weakness to Stealth Rock mean it tends to go down fast. Ninetales is especially weak to Snorlax, which tanks all of its attacks and threatens to 2HKO it with Body Slam. Ninetales is also extremely vulnerable to paralysis, as most of the slower threats of Kanto Classic have no problem tearing it asunder when it goes last. Finally, when the sun runs out, Ninetales loses much of its power.

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Vaporeon

I heard Vaporeon auditioned to become the next Swamp Thing during its Gen 1 days.

Wish Passer

Vaporeon

Ability: Water Absorb

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

Bold Nature

-Wish

-Protect

-Scald

-Heal Bell / Roar / Ice Beam

What's the big deal?

Vaporeon has a lot of competition in the bulky Water department with Slowbro running around, but it has two very nice qualities to set it apart: the lack of a weakness to Ghost-type moves and being the best Wish passer in Kanto Classic!

What can I expect to see?

Wish and Protect provide Vaporeon with the recovery it needs to stick around, all while offering your other Pokémon a chance to heal if you switch Vaporeon out after using Wish. Scald is Vaporeon's STAB move of choice, since the ability to burn the foe is extremely valuable. The last moveslot is a bit tricky to decide on. Heal Bell is a fantastic option that sets Vaporeon apart from other Water-types, acting as a great buffer against status moves. Roar is also a good option, racking up Stealth Rock damage and preventing Dragonite and non-Taunt Gyarados from setting up. If you need a more direct answer to Dragonite, Ice Beam OHKOes it after Stealth Rock damage.

What are its flaws?

Vaporeon may have better special bulk than Slowbro, but Electric-types still beat it rather handily. Venusaur is also a fairly good check, since Ice Beam won't 2HKO it. Anything with Taunt, such as Gyarados or Weezing, handily shuts down Vaporeon's ability to Wish, drastically reducing its utility.

  »»»»  

Lapras

I'm glad Lapras went down a few shell sizes over the past two decades!

OHKO Spammer

Lapras

Ability: Water Absorb

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

Bold Nature

-Sheer Cold

-Rest

-Sleep Talk

-Freeze Dry / Surf

What's the big deal?

Lapras is the only other Pokémon besides Articuno that learns Sheer Cold in Kanto Classic. It's surprisingly overshadowed by Articuno in some respects, mainly due to its Fighting-type weakness and lower Speed, but it's still nerve wracking to face with that Sheer Cold! Also, its lesser Stealth Rock weakness and ability to restore its health with Water Absorb can be helpful.

What can I expect to see?

Lapras is always going to carry Sheer Cold, as it's this tool that allows it to put fear in the hearts of stall teams. Rest and Sleep Talk not only allow Lapras to stick around for a while but also give it more shots at firing off Sheer Cold. Freeze-Dry is a great choice for the last slot, allowing Lapras to smack Dragonite, Gyarados, and Starmie without being forced to resort to Sheer Cold. However, Surf has the unique selling point of 3HKOing Magneton, a foe that Articuno struggles with.

What are its flaws?

Like it's been said, Articuno tends to overshadow Lapras despite the extra Stealth Rock weakness, since it deals with Machamp and Venusaur better than Lapras can. Much like Articuno, Lapras has difficulty getting past Magneton, and Sheer Cold's unreliability poses a problem against more offensive teams.

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Venomoth

Sheesh, Venomoth used to be such a hipster!

Quiver Dance

Venomoth

Ability: Tinted Lens

EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

-Quiver Dance

-Sleep Powder

-Bug Buzz

-Baton Pass / Sludge Bomb / Substitute

What's the big deal?

Venomoth once blended in with Gen 1's array of useless Bug-types, but 20 years later, it's back for revenge! Two factors have dramatically changed Venomoth's fortunes: access to the awesome boosting move Quiver Dance and the lack of Sleep Clause allowing it to spam Sleep Powder as much as it wants.

What can I expect to see?

Venomoth may be a one-trick bug, but it can be an extremely dangerous Pokémon if you're willing to flip a few coins. Since Venomoth is rather frail, it's almost always going to Sleep Powder on turn one (unless, of course, a Grass-type such as Venusaur is on the field). After a Quiver Dance, Venomoth easily outspeeds everything in Kanto Classic and can simply put another Pokémon to sleep if the opponent dares switch out (and if the user is willing to risk a potentially devastating miss)! Thanks to Tinted Lens, Bug Buzz hits nearly every Pokémon at least neutrally, and as a bonus, it ignores Substitute.

With Tinted Lens, Venomoth has little in the way of coverage issues, so you can get a bit creative with the last moveslot. Baton Pass is an excellent choice, allowing Venomoth to get out of the battlefield before the foe wakes up and destroys it while passing its valuable boosts to a dangerous teammate such as Zapdos, Nidoking, or Clefable. Sludge Bomb does more damage to opposing Clefable, which is always nice, but it doesn't offer much extra coverage otherwise. Finally, Substitute can save Venomoth from getting zapped by a foe waking up early, but remember: with Stealth Rock on the field, it's very easy for Venomoth to get seriously worn down in conjunction with Substitute.

What are its flaws?

Venomoth's trump card just so happens to be its Achilles heel! Because Venomoth is frail and weak to Stealth Rock, missing Sleep Powder or a foe waking up early can be absolutely devastating for the poor little moth. In particular, Dragonite and Arcanine are very good at picking Venomoth off due to Extreme Speed 2HKOing it, while Venusaur is immune to Sleep Powder entirely and can put Venomoth to sleep itself! If you don't want to totally rely on Venomoth's Game Corner-like attitude to either win or lose it all, you may want to consider Defog Zapdos or Rapid Spinners such as Starmie or Tentacruel to ensure Venomoth has more chances to switch in and out of the battlefield.

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Pinsir

Hey Pinsir, how did that laser eye surgery go?

Physical Attacker

Pinsir

Ability: Mold Breaker

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly / Adamant Nature

-X-Scissor

-Earthquake

-Stone Edge / Close Combat

-Close Combat / Swords Dance / Stealth Rock / Guillotine

What's the big deal?

Pinsir is unique as one of the few viable physical Bug-types. While it isn't particularly fast, it's just fast enough to outspeed Dragonite, and thanks to an awesome ability in Mold Breaker, it ignores Levitate and Multiscale!

What can I expect to see?

You can always expect to see Pinsir's STAB move X-Scissor, as it allows Pinsir to 2HKO Slowbro after Stealth Rock damage, a rare quality for a physical attacker. Thanks to Mold Breaker, Earthquake OHKOes Gengar and also 2HKOes Weezing after Stealth Rock damage. Stone Edge is nice for doing 69% minimum to Dragonite and 2HKOing bulky Zapdos after Stealth Rock damage. However, Close Combat is Pinsir's only way to 2HKO Snorlax. If you're willing to give up coverage, Swords Dance is an excellent option, allowing Pinsir to OHKO many of Kanto Classic's slower threats. If you're desperate for Stealth Rock, Pinsir isn't a bad option for setting it up either. Pinsir also gets a OHKO move in Guillotine, which is nice for revenge killing No Guard Machamp and having a shot at destroying Clefable. However, Pinsir itself is rather poor at spamming OHKO moves compared to the likes of Snorlax and Articuno. A Jolly nature is recommended to outspeed Dragonite, but if you aren't using Stone Edge, Adamant is a fine option as well, since it guarantees a 2HKO on Slowbro without Stealth Rock.

What are its flaws?

Pinsir's low Special Defense and Stealth Rock weakness are serious problems that usually cut its lifespan short, as it even gets 2HKOed by Slowbro's Scald after Stealth Rock. While Pinsir does outspeed many of Kanto Classic's slower threats, it's trivial to revenge kill with faster threats such as Aerodactyl and Arcanine. Finally, Pinsir's only hope against Clefable is to land a lucky Guillotine, as Clefable otherwise walls it.

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Dugtrio

I think Dugtrio used to suffer from angry Kirby syndrome. Seriously, how could anyone consider those faces threatening?

Trapper

Dugtrio

Ability: Arena Trap

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

-Earthquake

-Stone Edge / Rock Slide

-Sucker Punch

-Fissure / Stealth Rock / Memento

What's the big deal?

Dugtrio's ability Arena Trap enables it to revenge kill many Pokémon without fear of them switching out. Its base 120 Speed lets it outspeed everything but Electrode, Jolteon, and Aerodactyl and Speed tie with Alakazam.

What can I expect to see?

Dugtrio will most often be used to take out Magneton to allow Cloyster or Dragonite lacking Earthquake to sweep more easily. Earthquake is Dugtrio's strongest move and lets it take out Magneton. Rock Slide and Stone Edge hit Flying-types for super effective damage and have excellent coverage alongside Earthquake. The choice between them is mostly personal preference between power and accuracy. Sucker Punch can take out weakened Jolteon, Aerodactyl, and Electrode if they go for an attacking move. It can also hit Alakazam without risking a Speed tie; however, Substitute is a relatively common move on it and can cause Sucker Punch to fail.

The fourth slot on Dugtrio is rarely used, and using it often results in Dugtrio being taken out after. Stealth Rock can be used if a team desperately needs it. Fissure can revenge kill healthy Machamp because the latter's No Guard makes it never miss and also gives Dugtrio a 30% chance to take out a threatening Pokémon that you have no other options against. Memento sacrifices Dugtrio to make it easier for a teammate to set up and is useful in matchups where Dugtrio has little use.

What are its flaws?

Dugtrio's main flaw is its incredibly low bulk. Dugtrio's frailty stops it from switching into any move that is not Electric-type without losing a majority of its health. Moves such as Magneton's Flash Cannon even have a chance to OHKO Dugtrio without any prior damage, and Jolly Dragonite's Extreme Speed does over 70%. Dugtrio also only has base 80 Attack, which makes its damage output very disappointing. For example, both Sucker Punch and Earthquake do not always KO an Alakazam from full health, and Stone Edge does not KO less bulky Articuno. Dugtrio also cannot trap Flying-types and Gengar because they are immune to the effects of Arena Trap.

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Kangaskhan

You know, why do baby Kangaskhan hatch out of the egg anyways?

I Can't Believe It's Not Mega

Kangaskhan

Ability: Scrappy / Early Bird

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

-Chip Away / Body Slam / Return

-Fake Out

-Sucker Punch

-Power-Up Punch / Earthquake

What's the big deal?

While Kangaskhan faces stiff competition from Snorlax, it brings to the table two things Snorlax only wishes it had—a great base 90 Speed stat and access to useful priority in Fake Out and Sucker Punch. Kangaskhan also has access to the ability Scrappy, which gives it a much better matchup against Gengar, as well as access to Early Bird, which can be useful if your team lacks a decent sleep absorber. On top of all this, Kangaskhan still hits fairly hard and has good bulk for an offensive Pokémon; at worst, Kangaskhan may be 2HKOed by strong attacks such as Thunderbolt from Jolteon and Psyshock from Alakazam, but it is fully capable of KOing back with ease.

What can I expect to see?

Just as in the Safari Zone, Kangaskhan only appears once in a blue moon. When Kangaskhan does appear, however, expect to be greeted immediately by a quick Fake Out. The move hits decently hard due to the STAB boost, netting free chip damage while breaking Sturdy on Pokémon like Magneton and Golem. If Kangaskhan runs Scrappy, even Gengar isn't safe to switch in on Kangaskhan without losing a nice portion of its health to Fake Out, let alone any of its stronger Normal-type STAB moves. Sucker Punch is Kangaskhan's go-to answer for most faster Pokémon, especially key threats such as Gengar, Alakazam, and Starmie, so be sure to have a way to play around the move with these Pokémon if Kangaskhan is up against them. Of Kangaskhan's Normal-type STAB moves, Return is the strongest and most reliable, though Body Slam and Chip Away both have their perks. Body Slam's paralysis chance is appealing, but its biggest use is dealing double damage to Clefable after it has used Minimize, allowing Kangaskhan to still have a chance to beat it. The only drawback to this is that a legal Body Slam Kangaskhan is a massive pain to obtain, needing to be transferred from Gen 3. However, Chip Away is a viable, much easier-to-obtain alternative to Body Slam; at the cost of a little Base Power, Kangaskhan can still bypass Minimize, as well as Curse from Snorlax. Lastly, Power-Up Punch lets Kangaskhan work as a sweeper and a wallbreaker in one, boosting its Attack while still dealing some damage, while Earthquake lets Kangaskhan beat down Sturdy Pokémon, namely Golem and Magneton.

What are its flaws?

Kangaskhan's biggest flaw may actually be within one of its strengths— it is a well-rounded Pokémon offensively and defensively, yet it doesn't excel noticeably in either department. Kangaskhan lacks significant raw power, making it very reliant on using Power-Up Punch to break through bulkier threats such as Slowbro and Clefable, especially if Kangaskhan runs Body Slam or Chip Away over Return. Similarly, while Kangaskhan also has good bulk, its bulk is not exceptional to the point that it can switch in on a number of offensive threats easily, and thus it needs to be played with a bit of care. Kangaskhan is also heavily reliant on Sucker Punch to take out fast sweepers such as Gengar and Alakazam, and this can be exploited by the opponent by use of status moves such as Substitute. Lastly, Aerodactyl can easily switch in on any of Kangaskhan's attacks and threaten it, not even fearing Sucker Punch due to its bulk.

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Nidoqueen

Nidoqueen must have paid a lot of money for the plastic surgery and fitness trainer!

Stealth Rocker

Nidoqueen

Ability: Sheer Force

EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe

Modest Nature

-Stealth Rock

-Sludge Wave

-Ice Beam / Thunderbolt

-Earth Power / Thunderbolt

What's the big deal?

Nidoking tends to outshine Nidoqueen in most areas, but Nidoqueen has one trick up its horn: better bulk, which makes it a better user of Stealth Rock!

What can I expect to see?

To take advantage of Nidoqueen's better bulk, you can expect players to always run maximum HP investment and Stealth Rock. Sludge Wave allows Nidoqueen to be a respectable Clefable check while also giving it a 90% chance to 2HKO Slowbro. Ice Beam ensures that Dragonite won't easily set up on Nidoqueen. Earth Power does plenty of damage to foes such as Arcanine and Jolteon, while Thunderbolt can destroy Gyarados switch-ins.

What are its flaws?

Nidoqueen might be bulkier than Nidoking, but it still faces must of the same issues: Psychic-types give it serious trouble, making it fairly easy to revenge kill for the likes of Alakazam and Starmie. Additionally, Nidoking outclasses Nidoqueen offensively, meaning that there's no reason to use Nidoqueen outside of the bulky set, reducing its versatility. Finally, Nidoqueen's bulk isn't bad, but its lack of recovery means it can get worn down very easily considering how average its defensive capability is compared to behemoths like Snorlax.

  »»»» 

Seaking

You know, I don't think 20 years have changed the fact that Seaking always looks like a really dorky cosplaying goldfish.

Stealth Rocker

Seaking

Ability: Lightning Rod

EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe

Careful Nature

-Horn Drill

-Rest

-Sleep Talk

-Waterfall

What's the big deal?

Seaking's stats may be as pathetic as they look, but it has two very unique attributes: the extremely deadly OHKO move Horn Drill and the valuable ability Lightning Rod. These two qualities combined make Seaking an excellent switch-in to Electric-types and the only OHKO move user that defeats both Golem and Magneton!

What can I expect to see?

The moment Seaking swims into the field, you can expect it to start spamming Horn Drill. Since it actually defeats Magneton and Golem, this makes switching into Seaking a surprisingly risky proposition! Rest and Sleep Talk allow Seaking to continue using Horn Drill even after it runs out of PP and give it the lasting power it needs against Electric-types. Waterfall isn't particularly powerful, but it allows Seaking to 2HKO Golem, Nidoking, Aerodactyl, Alakazam, Jolteon, and Gengar and also ensures that Magneton won't outlast it.

A Careful nature with maximum investment in HP and Special Defense allows Seaking to switch into Electric-types as often as possible and also allows it to avoid a 2HKO from Gengar and Substitute Alakazam that use Psychic. If you want to give Seaking an extra edge against certain physical attackers, you can use a spread of 252 HP / 148 Def / 108 SpD with an Impish nature to avoid a 2HKO from Aerodactyl's Stone Edge and Alakazam's Psyshock, but note that Gengar and Nidoking can now 2HKO Seaking with Sludge Wave.

What are its flaws?

While the lack of offensive items helps cover Seaking a bit, let's face it; Seaking's stats are atrocious. Therefore, Seaking is forced to choose between effectively tanking special or physical attacks, meaning Kanto Classic's more powerful offensive threats are often capable of 2HKOing at least one variation of it. While Horn Drill makes Seaking a surprisingly legitimate threat, it also isn't a particularly reliable move, meaning that Seaking will sometimes find itself missing too many Horn Drills to be a huge threat.

  »»»» 

Blastoise

What the... this sprite is actually better than the Red and Blue one!

Defensive Spinner

Blastoise

Ability: Torrent

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Bold Nature

- Rapid Spin

- Scald

- Ice Beam / Dark Pulse

- Roar / Dark Pulse / Toxic

What's up with this Pokémon?

Look, it's another Water-type that can use Rapid Spin. Blastoise sets itself apart from Starmie by having much better bulk and is better than Tentacruel on some teams because it is not weak to Psychic-type moves. Rapid Spin is the main reason to even consider Blastoise, removing hazards from your side of the field to let you switch without taking damage from Stealth Rock. Scald is the best Water-type STAB move on defensive Pokémon, helping to fish for burns. Ice Beam helps Blastoise check Dragonite, but due to Blastoise's low offensive stats, it doesn't even guarantee a KO after Stealth Rock damage on uninvested Dragonite. Roar can force out setup sweepers and rack up entry hazard damage. Roar is preferred over Dragon Tail because it affects Clefable and never misses. Alternatively, Dark Pulse lets Blastoise do more damage to Slowbro and Gengar, while Toxic can help wear down Pokémon like Slowbro and Unaware Clefable.

  »»»» 

Charizard

Oh my lord, I bet if this had been Charizard's sprite in Red and Blue, we would have gotten Mega Blastoise X and Y instead!

Sunny Day Sweeper

Charizard

Ability: Solar Power

EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Fire Blast

- Solar Beam / Hidden Power Grass

- Sunny Day / Hidden Power Ice

- Roost

What's up with this Pokémon?

Charizard wasn't as blessed as fellow starter Venusaur, nor is it as viable as fellow Fire-type Arcanine. However, under the sun, Charizard becomes obscenely powerful by Kanto Classic standards. For example, a Solar Power-boosted Fire Blast in the sun actually OHKOes Clefable, and it 2HKOes Chansey after Stealth Rock! Solar Beam works well with the sun, allowing Charizard to instantly OHKO Slowbro. If you want to take a less risky route, Hidden Power Grass still OHKOes Golem after Stealth Rock. Sunny Day ensures that Charizard can break through walls, but if you want to be a risk taker and pair Charizard with Ninetales, Hidden Power Ice snags a OHKO on Dragonite in the sun once you break though Multiscale, or after Stealth Rock damage outside of it. Charizard isn't bulky to begin with and gets worn down by Stealth Rock and Solar Power damage, so Roost can save it from being KOed. While Charizard may have plenty of power, with Stealth Rock, Solar Power, and its mediocre bulk getting in the way, it requires a huge amount of support in order to work, especially since Snorlax does a good job at defeating it.

  »»»» 

Kabutops

Did... someone just glue googly eyes onto Kabutops's head?

Offensive Rapid Spinner

Kabutops

Ability: Weak Armor

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Adamant / Jolly Nature

- Rapid Spin

- Stone Edge

- Waterfall / Swords Dance

- Aqua Jet / Swords Dance

What's up with this Pokémon?

Kabutops is an interesting alternative Rapid Spinner to Starmie. It's a lot slower (unless it gets hit by a physical attack to get a Speed boost from Weak Armor), but in exchange, it has good Attack. Stone Edge is nice for nailing slower Zapdos and Dragonte, while Waterfall hits Golem and Rhydon. If you want priority, Aqua Jet is a good choice, doing tons of damage to Aerodactyl and allowing Kabutops to snipe weakened Alakazam. You can also replace either Water-type move with Swords Dance if you are willing to sacrifice coverage or priority. Kabutops's biggest problem that prevents it from being used more is that it has difficulty getting past Gengar, which can easily cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. It also isn't outrageously powerful for a physical attacker, so it's easily walled by Slowbro and needs a Swords Dance boost to 2HKO Snorlax.

  »»»»  

Omastar

Look at Omastar's Pokémon Green pose: I think it knew all along it was going to be crowned as Lord Helix!

Hazard Setter

Omastar

Ability: Weak Armor

EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Spikes

- Stealth Rock / Toxic Spikes

- Ice Beam

- Scald

Shell Smash

Omastar

Ability: Weak Armor

EVs: 12 HP / 248 SpA / 4 SpD / 244 Spe

Modest Nature

- Shell Smash

- Hydro Pump / Scald

- Ice Beam

- Hidden Power Electric / Hidden Power Grass / Scald

What's up with this Pokémon?

With access to many different entry hazards and Shell Smash, Omastar can either support its team or attempt to sweep the opponent. Omastar is one of the two fully evolved Kanto Pokémon with access to Spikes, which is very dangerous to defensive teams. Snorlax and Clefable especially suffer from Spikes because they tend to switch in and out often. Stealth Rock should be used if there is no other setter of the move on team, because the hazard is important for breaking Dragonite's Multiscale, which Spikes and Toxic Spikes cannot do, making it easier for teams to deal with it. Toxic Spikes helps wear down defensive teams through poison instead of damaging a foe when it switches in. While it still helps against defensive teams, the lack of immediate pressure can make it less desirable. Ice Beam and Scald provide good coverage for the last moveslots. All three hazards generally shouldn't be used on the same set because Omastar will not usually get six free turns to fully set them all up. Weak Armor is the superior ability because it can increase Omastar's Speed to let it get up an extra layer of hazards and its other abilities, Swift Swim and Shell Armor, are very situational.

Shell Smash turns Omastar into a powerful sweeper that can easily tear teams apart. Hydro Pump is an incredibly strong STAB move that, at +2, has a chance to 2HKO standard Bold Chansey without any chip damage and also 2HKOes Unaware Clefable. Scald can be used if the lower accuracy is undesirable, and Hidden Power or Substitute is chosen in the last slot. Ice Beam provides coverage against Dragonite and Venusaur. At +2, Ice Beam OHKOes most Dragonite, even with Multiscale active, and Venusaur, depending on their investment into Special Defense. Hidden Power Electric and Grass are mostly used to hit opposing Water-types for super effective damage. Electric should be used in most cases because it hits Gyarados and Tentacruel harder, but Grass can be used if the team is very weak to Seaking, which is immune to Electric-type moves due to Lightning Rod. Scald can also be used alongside Hydro Pump to have both a STAB move that hits very hard and one with perfect accuracy. Earth Power is unnecessary because Scald OHKOes both Jolteon and Magneton (if Sturdy is broken) at +2. Despite being very good once it has used Shell Smash, Omastar will often struggle to find an opportunity to use it against most teams.

  »»»»  

Kingler

Has anyone noticed that Kingler's big claw switched sides?

Agility

Kingler

Ability: Hyper Cutter

EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Agility

- Crabhammer

- X-Scissor

- Toxic / Guillotine

What's up with this Pokémon?

Kingler has got a massive Attack stat by Kanto Classic standards, as well as the most powerful physical Water-type STAB move, Crabhammer. Agility and the 84 Speed EVs ensure it outspeeds every Pokémon in the game after a boost, while X-Scissor has an 87% chance of OHKOing offensive Starmie after Stealth Rock damage. Toxic is used to ruin Unaware Clefable and Slowbro switch-ins, while Guillotine is a riskier alternative to defeat them altogether. Kingler's big problem is its poor Special Defense. With a Special Defense stat that awful, you're often better using Shell Smash Cloyster and simply eating the Stealth Rock damage.

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Scyther

No wonder Scyther couldn't use Fly: its head is massive!

Physical Attacker

Scyther

Ability: Technician

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Acrobatics

- Bug Bite

- Swords Dance

- Quick Attack / Roost / U-turn

What's up with this Pokémon?

Scyther is the other physical Bug-type attacker of Kanto Classic. Technician is great, but with the lack of items, Acrobatics is a more powerful Flying-type choice than Aerial Ace, guaranteeing a OHKO on Machamp. Bug Bite allows Scyther to 2HKO Slowbro. Swords Dance is hard to set up, but if you pull it off, Scyther can pull stunts like OHKOing Dragonite after Multiscale is broken! Quick Attack is great for picking off weakened threats such as Alakazam and can let Scyther sweep through a weakened team with a Swords Dance boost. Scyther isn't bulky, but Roost can save it while Stealth Rock is up. Finally, U-turn allows Scyther to scout its switch-ins. Scyther sounds great on paper considering its good Speed and decent power, but its 4x Stealth Rock weakness destroys much of its viability, forcing it to almost always be run with Rapid Spin or Defog support.

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Parasect

Oh god Parasect, I never knew you lost your mouth 20 years ago. Amazing what reconstructive surgery can do nowadays!

SubSeed

Parasect

Ability: Dry Skin

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

Careful Nature

- Spore

- Substitute

- Leech Seed

- X-Scissor / Seed Bomb

What's up with this Pokémon?

Oh my god, it learns Spore! And that's just about where Parasect's coolness starts to end. Parasect does have another neat trick up its sleeve, though: it's one of the few Grass-types in Kanto Classic that aren't weak to Psychic, meaning that Alakazam has a difficult time revenge killing it. Spamming Spore is always fun, while Substitute and Leech Seed give Parasect something to do with the free turns it can rack up. X-Scissor OHKOes Alakzam and 2HKOes Starmie, while Seed Bomb is the best Parasect can do against Golem and Rhydon on the switch. Unfortunately, Parasect's problem is that it simply isn't bulky enough compared to Venusaur. Even with maximum Special Defense investment, many 2HKOs Parasect can avoid from the likes of Starmie and Alakazam are nullified as soon as Stealth Rock comes into play. Parasect's poor Speed also makes it a Grass-type that can actually get revenge killed by Golem and Rhydon, which is pretty embarrassing. Overall, Venusaur is usually the better Pokémon to use over Parasect. Only use Parasect if you're extremely fearful of Sleep Powder misses, have Rapid Spin or Defog support, and desperately need a Grass-type that OHKOes Alakazam.

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Victreebel

Aww, poor Victreebel must have experienced malnutrition from a pure-Rattata diet back in the Kanto days.

Sun Sweeper

Victreebel

Ability: Chlorophyll

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Naughty Nature

- Leaf Blade

- Sucker Punch

- Sludge Bomb

- Sleep Powder / Sunny Day

What's up with this Pokémon?

In most respects, you're better off with Venusaur or Exeggutor as your sun sweeper, as Victreebel's defenses are rather poor. However, Victreebel has one trick up its sleeve that can be devastating: Sucker Punch. With Sucker Punch, Victreebel actually OHKOs Alakazam, OHKOs offensive Gengar after Stealth Rock, and deals massive damage to Starmie. This means that when the sun isn't up, Victreebel can get surprise KOs on these threats! Victreebel can also go specially based to slam Clefable harder with Sludge Bomb, but this means Sucker Punch loses those nice KOs. Otherwise, stick to Venusaur and Exeggutor if you can deal with the lack of Sucker Punch.

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Dodrio

I swear, like at least a third of all Pokémon in Green had weird beady little eyes.

Physical Attacker

Dodrio

Ability: Early Bird

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Brave Bird

- Return

- Steel Wing

- Quick Attack / Taunt

What's up with this Pokémon?

Dodrio has problems competing with Kanto Classic's standard Normal-types, but the neat thing about it is that it's one of the only usable Pokémon that has a good Flying-type STAB move! Brave Bird does a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it, while Return lets Dodrio pick off threats without hurting itself. Steel Wing is weak, but it can at least get some chip damage against Rhydon and Golem. Quick Attack lets Dodrio snipe some weakened fast threats, and Taunt at least prevents defensive Pokémon from spreading status or recovering. Dodrio's big problem is that its shallow movepool makes it easy to wall for the likes of Rhydon, Golem, and Magneton, and its bad defenses, Stealth Rock weakness, and reliance on Brave Bird mean it won't last long in battle.

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Moltres

Is it just me, or did Moltres often get a serious case of the munchies two decades ago?

SubRoost

Moltres

Ability: Pressure

EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Substitute

- Roost

- Flamethrower

- Toxic / Will-O-Wisp

What's up with this Pokémon?

Moltres has trouble competing with the other bulky Fire-type, Arcanine, but unlike the latter, Moltres has the awesome Pressure ability. With this, Moltres can actually use Substitute and Roost to outstall Stone Edges, giving it the potential to defeat Golem and Rhydon (though it should watch out for Rock Blast). Flamethrower is just your generic, high-PP STAB move. Choosing between Toxic and Will-O-Wisp is tough. Toxic allows Moltres to potentially outstall Slowbro and Unaware Clefable, while Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers such as Dragonite and Gyarados. Moltres can also use a more offensive set to take advantage of its base 125 Special Attack, though compared to Zapdos, it's rather slow. The biggest issue that knocks off a lot of Moltres's viability is its 4x Stealth Rock weakness, meaning it requires Defog or Rapid Spin support to function well. Also, Moltres is especially vulnerable to Snorlax, since it can easily use Rest to get rid of its status.

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Arbok

Oh no, I think Arbok blasted off so much in its Team Rocket days that its mouth fell off!

Coil

Arbok

Ability: Intimidate

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Coil

- Gunk Shot

- Sucker Punch

- Earthquake / Ice Fang

What's up with this Pokémon?

Arbok suffers from heavy competition from Kanto Classic's other Poison-types, but it does have one rather unique move: Coil. With Coil and Intimidate, Arbok can take hits better than its below-average defensive stats suggest. Since Coil raises accuracy, Gunk Shot is the perfect STAB move to use, while Sucker Punch destroys all-out attacking Alakazam and defeats Starmie after a boost. Earthquake slams Magneton, while Ice Fang is the most Arbok can do to Dragonite. Coil and Sucker Punch give Arbok a small niche as a Poison-type with setup options, but otherwise, your team is usually better off with Nidoking.

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Raichu

Woah, Raichu didn't even have a head in Pokémon Green; it just had a face and some ears pasted on a torso!

Encore

Raichu

Ability: Lightning Rod

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Thunderbolt

- Grass Knot

- Hidden Power Ice / Substitute

- Encore

What's up with this Pokémon?

In all honestly, Raichu is mostly outclassed by Zapdos and Jolteon, since it's rather weak. However, it does have a few selling points to make it stand out. The biggest one is Encore, which allows it to ruin slower setup Pokémon such as Calm Mind Clefable. Lightning Rod is also nice for boosting Raichu's Special Attack against Jolteon and Zapdos. Finally, Grass Knot is awesome for ruining Golem and Rhydon. Otherwise, if none of these factors sounds extremely appealing to you, Zapdos and Jolteon are probably better fits for your team.

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Rapidash

Huh, another Pokémon Green sprite that's more recognizable than its RB sprite, how odd!

OHKO spammer

Rapidash

Ability: Flame Body

EVs: 248 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Horn Drill

- Flare Blitz

- Morning Sun / Rest

- Will-O-Wisp / Sleep Talk

What's up with this Pokémon?

Rapidash is mostly outclassed by Arcanine in the physical Fire-type department, but it's got one interesting niche: OHKO spam. Unlike other OHKO Pokémon, Rapidash has STAB Flare Blitz, which roasts the annoying Magneton. It can also cripple Golem and Rhydon switch-ins with Will-O-Wisp and in general spread burns when Horn Drill's unreliability makes it too risky. If you want to, you can replace Morning Sun and Will-O-Wisp with Rest and Sleep Talk to use Horn Drill more often and absorb sleep, though forgoing Will-O-Wisp reduces Rapidash's utility. Otherwise, only use Rapidash if you desperately need a OHKO spammer that can burn foes, because otherwise, there are better choices out there for both Fire-types and OHKO spammers.

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Muk

Gross, I'm not giving you a high five until you take a shower, Muk!

Curse

Muk

Ability: Stench

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD

Adamant Nature

- Curse

- Gunk Shot / Poison Jab

- Shadow Sneak

- Toxic / Minimize / Ice Punch / Thunder Punch

What's up with this Pokémon?

Muk has one interesting niche: the combination of Shadow Sneak and Curse. With one boost, Adamant Muk's Shadow Sneak actually has a 50% shot at OHKOing a healthy Alakazam, a unique attribute, since Nidoking has to resort to the unreliable Sucker Punch! Gunk Shot versus Poison Jab is the classic "power versus accuracy" debate, while Toxic lets Muk at least cripple Slowbro. If you want to rely on Lady Luck, Minimize can be bad news for your opponent, while Thunder Punch and Ice Punch just give Muk better coverage. In general, though, you're better off with other Poison-types, since Muk is slow, doesn't take physical hits too well before a boost, and doesn't have overwhelming offenses or great support options compared to Gengar, Nidoking, Tentacruel, and Weezing. Only use Muk if you think your team will heavily benefit from Shadow Sneak's reliability against weakened Psychic-types.

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Hitmonlee

Little-known fact: During Pokémon Red and Green, Hitmonlee had a bad ear infection (despite lacking ears).

Offensive Support

Hitmonlee

Ability: Reckless / Limber

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Adamant / Jolly Nature

- High Jump Kick

- Rapid Spin

- Stone Edge / Poison Jab

- Sucker Punch / Knock Off

What's up with this Pokémon?

Hitmonlee has some cool tricks up its sleeve. For starters, Reckless High Jump Kick is extremely powerful, actually having a small chance to OHKO 204 HP Machamp with an Adamant nature! Of course, if you're OK with giving up power, Limber can be a lifesaver against the massive number of Thunder Waves being thrown around. Another unique thing about Hitmonlee is Rapid Spin, making it a viable alternative to Starmie as well. Sucker Punch allows Hitmonlee to smash all-out attacking Alakazam and also revenge kill weakened Starmie, which is unique among Fighting-type Pokémon. However, if you're worried about Gengar, Knock Off works too, despite being dramatically weaker than usual in this metagame. Stone Edge and Poison Jab are coverage moves for Flying-type Pokémon and Clefable, respectively. While Hitmonlee may have several unique niches, its physical frailty is a huge problem combined with its only alright Speed, making it difficult to justify over Machamp and Starmie. Generally, it should be used only if role compression is of utmost importance for your team.

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Electabuzz

If you've read this entire article, I think you'll notice that half of the cast of Pokémon Green went on a diet for later gens!

Offensive Sleep Absorber

Electabuzz

Ability: Vital Spirit

EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Naive / Hasty Nature

- Thunderbolt

- Low Kick

- Hidden Power Ice

- Volt Switch

What's up with this Pokémon?

In all honesty, Electabuzz is probably one of the worst Electric-types in the metagame, but it does have one nasty trick you must watch out for: Vital Spirit. With this ability, Electabuzz is immune to sleep, which could cost you a Venomoth if you don't know that! Otherwise, Electabuzz is weak for an Electric-type, with its only offensive niche being its ability to 3HKO Snorlax with Low Kick.

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Magmar

I don't think 20 years have done any favors to Magmar's gross forehead.

Offensive Sleep Absorber

Magmar

Ability: Vital Spirit

EVs: 4 HP / 248 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Overheat

- Flamethrower / Fire Blast

- Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice

- Clear Smog / Substitute / Will-O-Wisp

What's up with this Pokémon?

Magmar's niche is being the best counter to Venusaur available because Vital Spirit makes it immune to Sleep Powder. Overheat does a huge amount of damage to Venusaur, if not KOing it. Flamethrower and Fire Blast are STAB moves that do not lower Magmar's Special Attack stat. Hidden Power Grass lets Magmar hit Water-types for decent damage and do a large amount to Rhydon and Golem, which would otherwise wall it. Hidden Power Ice stops Magmar from being setup fodder for Dragonite, but using Will-O-Wisp in the final slot can also help achieve this. Clear Smog is an interesting option to get rid of opposing Pokémon's stat changes, which can be helpful to check threats such as Minimize Chansey and Clefable as well as Calm Mind and Cosmic Power Clefable. Substitute allows Magmar to avoid status moves such as Thunder Wave, and it can also be used to check Articuno better because Sheer Cold will only break the Substitute if it hits. Magmar appreciates Defog or Rapid Spin support because it is weak to Stealth Rock and does not have any form of recovery. Unfortunately, Magmar is also very physically frail, and Snorlax almost always gets a free switch into Magmar because Thick Fat makes it take little from Fire-type attacks, although Magmar could run Low Kick to at least chunk Snorlax.

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Ditto

Something over the past 20 years firmed up Ditto's form, I wonder what it was? Oh dear...

Imposter

Ditto

Ability: Imposter

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Relaxed Nature

IVs: 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 1 Spe

- Transform

What's up with this Pokémon?

Ditto's ability Imposter copies all of the opponent's stats aside from HP, as well as its stat changes, ability, and moves. Therefore, Ditto's presence alone can deter setup moves. Ditto also makes a good switch-in to Jolteon because it copies Volt Absorb and doesn't take too much from a Shadow Ball, and it can also be used to scout the moveset of opposing Pokémon. However, Ditto will only Speed tie with opposing Pokémon because it is not allowed to hold a Choice Scarf. Minimum Speed and maximum Defense EVs allow Ditto to hopefully win a Struggle war against opposing Ditto. The IV spread gives Ditto Hidden Power Ground, which lets it win against opposing Jolteon that carry Hidden Power more easily.

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Sandslash

I guess Pikachu wasn't the only rodent that went on a diet.

Offensive Support

Sandslash

Ability: Sand Rush

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD

Adamant Nature

- Earthquake

- Rapid Spin

- Night Slash / Stone Edge / Super Fang

- Stealth Rock

What's up with this Pokémon?

Sandslash sets itself apart from other Ground-types like Rhydon and Golem thanks to its access to Rapid Spin. It is different from most other Rapid Spinners because it is not a Water-type and also has access to Stealth Rock. Earthquake is Sandslash's most powerful attack and can deal large amounts of damage. Rapid Spin is the main reason to use Sandslash and makes it a good teammate for Articuno and Dragonite. Gengar commonly switches into Sandslash because it is immune to both Earthquake and Rapid Spin, so Night Slash is preferred in the third slot to punish it. Alternatively, Stone Edge gives good coverage by completing the EdgeQuake combination. Super Fang can be useful to help break down very bulky Pokémon such as Slowbro. Stealth Rock helps support the team by getting chip damage on opposing Pokémon. Sandstorm is sometimes used to make Sandslash a late-game sweeper.

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Jynx

Yeah... I don't think I need to explain what happened to Jynx 20 years ago.

Nasty Plot Sleeper

Jynx

Ability: Dry Skin

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Lovely Kiss

- Nasty Plot

- Ice Beam

- Psyshock

What happened to Jynx?

Jynx used to be one of RBY OU's many sleep inducers, but 20 years later, it feels rather left out. The biggest problem for Jynx is that it has serious trouble competing with Venomoth, which takes priority attacks better, has a better boosting move in Quiver Dance, and has access to the awesome Baton Pass. Jynx's poor defensive typing, bad Defense, and lack of Speed-boosting moves make it a lot easier to revenge kill than Venomoth. That being said, Jynx isn't terrible either: Lovely Kiss is still bad news for anything slower without priority, and with Nasty Plot and Psyshock, Jynx can actually break past Snorlax and Chansey if they sleep long enough. Also, Dry Skin is neat, potentially giving Jynx a free switch into Starmie. Overall, Jynx is outclassed by most of Kanto Classic's special attackers, but Lovely Kiss means it should never be underestimated.

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Tauros

See how Tauros sways from side to side 20 years later? I guess it really hit rock bottom after the glory days of Gen 1...

Physical Attacker

Tauros

Ability: Intimidate

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Double-Edge

- Zen Headbutt

- Earthquake

- Toxic / Body Slam

What happened to Tauros?

Tauros was once the superstar of Gen 1, but these glory days are now over for our good old bull. Tauros stands out as a Pokémon that was especially harmed by mechanical changes over the years, such as critical rates no longer being based on Speed, the physical/special split, and the introduction of EVs over stat experience. This means mixed attacking no longer makes too much sense for Tauros, and it isn't that bulky either. Generally, if you want an Intimidate user, you're usually better off with Gyarados or Arcanine, while in terms of Normal-types, Snorlax and Kangaskhan are better. Still though, while Tauros struggles in Kanto Classic, it does have a nice base 110 Speed, making it one of the fastest Normal-types around.

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Persian

Apparently, Persian used to have stubs with spikes in them instead of actual paws.

What happened to Persian?

Persian was hit harder than any other RBY staple, so hard that it doesn't even have a set! Since Persian relied so much on Slash's nearly 100% critical rate, which was raised further by its awesome Speed, Persian has basically been stripped of its entire selling point in Kanto Classic! The only sorta neat thing Persian can do is use Technician Fake Out. Otherwise, Persian is probably better for petting this anniversary than for actually battling.