Stratos
Banned deucer.
Cresselia in A or S rank?
I feel more strongly about this than any other. A Rank. Cress's major fall is thanks to the rise in substitute users, which frankly don't give two shits about whatever Cress can do. Icy Wind? Thunder Wave? Helping Hand? All useless. And the big kicker is how hard of a time support cress has busting subs on its common users. The only role I feel comfortable using it in is OTR, but the thing has no recovery and can only usually set once. That can turn the tables yes but YOU CANNOT HONESTLY TELL ME that cress in this meta is as good as kang, better than thundurus or even better than latios or gyara or cube.
Thundurus rising to S?
No. It's not quite as good as it was last gen; the meta is overall less likely to cry in a corner when it gets paralyzed. Strong STAB electric is still great but the offensive set doesnt really like the 30% chance (80% if edge) to lose to landorus-t. Defensive set isnt what it used to be now that electrics can dong on it.
Charizard falling to A?
No. Charizard is still one of the most powerful Pokemon in the metagame, it has good resists, and X is sorely underrated as well for its ability to set up on most usual Y counters (rotom-h being the main one that comes to mind) and being a burn-immune physical attacker who eats the most common FM/RP users for breakfast. Unequivocally better than the things in A+ rank.
Hitmontop dropping to B rank?
Yes. Fake out ain't what it's cracked up to be unless it's backed up by actual power, and very little in this metagame is actually fighting-weak. Top's main goal last gen, generating momentum, it's really terrible at now. Do u honest think this pooper is better than rotom-h, or sylveon, or gardevoir??? if so ur bad.
Scrafty dropping to B rank?
Abstain. This call isnt as easy to make as Top because Scrafty can actually do more; for one it gets knock off, for two it has much higher bulk. It's actually a good Landorus switchin, unlike Top. And things don't switch into it as easily as they do Top. But I'm still not sure that that's better than Rotom-H. We'll see.
Gothitelle rising to C rank?
Yes. trapping is pretty legit and goth can do it without using your mega. definitely a niche worthy of greninja-tier.
Ampharos rising to B rank?
No. Word of the day with Amph is "competition." Theres so many dragons and electrics that can do basically exactly what it do without being Mega. Yes it's the only thing that is both dragon and electric. But that's not worth it; dragon/electric isn't unstoppable enough of a typing to have to smash together instead of doing something like thund/cube or latios/manectric.
Aerodactyl rising to B rank?
Abstain. Dont really know anything about aero tbqh.
Milotic being added to C rank?
Yes. Life orb +2 hydro pump is v scary even from mediocre SpA. Ice/Water is good enough two move coverage that you can run like, swag and protect or something in the last two slots. Or HP Elec / Protect. idc.
Gardevoir rising to A rank?
Yes. Honestly Gardevoir is terrifying if you have no (non-Bisharp) steels as it can tank special attacks and most Pokemon faster than it are Special Attackers. The few physical attackers (scarf landorus, terrakion) dont want to switch in and have a very hard time OHKOing. I've changed my tune on this after I stopped using a defensive steel every match and now think it definitely deserves A.
Mew rising to A rank?
No. It's good in its niche, but the niche is still niche. Unless I see popular mews being used for more than Transform, it's B.
I feel more strongly about this than any other. A Rank. Cress's major fall is thanks to the rise in substitute users, which frankly don't give two shits about whatever Cress can do. Icy Wind? Thunder Wave? Helping Hand? All useless. And the big kicker is how hard of a time support cress has busting subs on its common users. The only role I feel comfortable using it in is OTR, but the thing has no recovery and can only usually set once. That can turn the tables yes but YOU CANNOT HONESTLY TELL ME that cress in this meta is as good as kang, better than thundurus or even better than latios or gyara or cube.
Thundurus rising to S?
No. It's not quite as good as it was last gen; the meta is overall less likely to cry in a corner when it gets paralyzed. Strong STAB electric is still great but the offensive set doesnt really like the 30% chance (80% if edge) to lose to landorus-t. Defensive set isnt what it used to be now that electrics can dong on it.
Charizard falling to A?
No. Charizard is still one of the most powerful Pokemon in the metagame, it has good resists, and X is sorely underrated as well for its ability to set up on most usual Y counters (rotom-h being the main one that comes to mind) and being a burn-immune physical attacker who eats the most common FM/RP users for breakfast. Unequivocally better than the things in A+ rank.
Hitmontop dropping to B rank?
Yes. Fake out ain't what it's cracked up to be unless it's backed up by actual power, and very little in this metagame is actually fighting-weak. Top's main goal last gen, generating momentum, it's really terrible at now. Do u honest think this pooper is better than rotom-h, or sylveon, or gardevoir??? if so ur bad.
Scrafty dropping to B rank?
Abstain. This call isnt as easy to make as Top because Scrafty can actually do more; for one it gets knock off, for two it has much higher bulk. It's actually a good Landorus switchin, unlike Top. And things don't switch into it as easily as they do Top. But I'm still not sure that that's better than Rotom-H. We'll see.
Gothitelle rising to C rank?
Yes. trapping is pretty legit and goth can do it without using your mega. definitely a niche worthy of greninja-tier.
Ampharos rising to B rank?
No. Word of the day with Amph is "competition." Theres so many dragons and electrics that can do basically exactly what it do without being Mega. Yes it's the only thing that is both dragon and electric. But that's not worth it; dragon/electric isn't unstoppable enough of a typing to have to smash together instead of doing something like thund/cube or latios/manectric.
Aerodactyl rising to B rank?
Abstain. Dont really know anything about aero tbqh.
Milotic being added to C rank?
Yes. Life orb +2 hydro pump is v scary even from mediocre SpA. Ice/Water is good enough two move coverage that you can run like, swag and protect or something in the last two slots. Or HP Elec / Protect. idc.
Gardevoir rising to A rank?
Yes. Honestly Gardevoir is terrifying if you have no (non-Bisharp) steels as it can tank special attacks and most Pokemon faster than it are Special Attackers. The few physical attackers (scarf landorus, terrakion) dont want to switch in and have a very hard time OHKOing. I've changed my tune on this after I stopped using a defensive steel every match and now think it definitely deserves A.
Mew rising to A rank?
No. It's good in its niche, but the niche is still niche. Unless I see popular mews being used for more than Transform, it's B.