Project The PU Theorymon Project [Week eighteen: Meganium]

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MZ

And now for something completely different
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The winner is 2xTheTap!

Our next subject is Tentacool! You have 5 days to post.
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rubsomebacononit

I was cringe and annoying when I was on smogon RIP
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Tentacool is a really cool Pokemon with support moves such as Rapid Spin, Knock Off, and Toxic Spikes. It can absorb hits from special attackers such as Simipour and Poliwrath. It has Eviolite to make itself even more bulky. However, its physical defence is awful, can end up being taunt bait and has no means of reliable recovery. By giving Tentacool this ability, it will be able to absorb Water-type attacks and heal itself in rain, providing a mean of recovery.

+ Dry Skin (- Clear Body)

You guessed it! Dry Skin! According to the dex: "Because its body is almost entirely composed of water, it shrivels up if it is washed ashore." Tentacool can now wall special Water-type sweepers such as Simipour and Poliwrath more effectively. It can also fit on rain teams as it can heal itself 1/8HP per turn. However, Dry Skin has its downsides. It takes 1.25x more damage from Fire-type attacks, 1/8HP when the sun is up and has a really poor physical defence stat.

A possible set could be:
Tentacool @ Eviolite
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
 
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Akir

A true villain!
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Tentacool_BW.gif

Tentacool @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Def / 24 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Knock Off/Ice Beam/Sludge Wave

One of the main things stopping Tentacool from being useful is the lack of any kind of recovery. Since spinners come in on hazards as a part of their job, Tentacool finds it difficult to perform its own job well due to the stacking damage of coming on hazards again and again. Regenerator fixes this problem and adds an interesting new and useful spinner to PU.

In practice, Tentacool usually comes in and is able to do 1 action before being forced out by the massive amounts of switch-ins Tentacool has (Poliwrath, Gogoat, Torterra, Piloswine, Pelipper...the list goes on). With this in mind, Regenerator is extremely beneficial to Tentacool since the jellyfish is going to be constantly switching anyway and doesn't have to waste the 1 turn manually healing. Regenerator also heals 33%, which is a little short of the 37.5% that full hazards cause, meaning that Tentacool heals most of the hazard damage off. Anything less than full hazards and Tentacool will spin freely and heal some for the trouble. If only Toxic Spikes are out, then Tentacool can switch in to absorb the hazard without having to spin, do the one action, and then heal for the full 1/3.

As for flavor, some parts of the intricate lifespan of the jellyfish reproduce via budding and fission. Since this is Pokemon, it isn't a large stretch of the imagination to say that Tentacool can use this for healing...or just make a new Tentacool on every switch. No one will notice the difference, I promise.

Having a reliable spinner that isn't weak to rocks and can't be poisoned is something that PU lacks and wants dearly, and Regenerator Tentacool can be just that.
 
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Twix

jicama
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Tentacool @ Eviolite
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic Spikes / Knock Off

Tentacool, the squid, the myth, the legend. Tentacool is pretty terrible in the current meta due to its terrible Physical Defense and pretty low HP levels as well as no recovery. The only real reason to use it is access to Toxic Spikes, Scald and Rapid Spin. The addition of a healing move would allow Tentacool to be a cool Pokemon in the metagame, which contrary to other Toxic Spikers can take on Fire Types barring Drill Run Rapidash which beats all of them regardless. This will also add a pretty reliable remover which doesn't take Super Effective damage from Stealth Rocks and can't be weakened by Toxic.

In all honestly, I believe that Tentacool's abilities match its style completely and I feel a change would actually take away from what the entire point of the Pokemon is.

I found myself thinking that Tentacruel already had gotten Recover for some reason because it seems like something it should get for the most part. Other Bulky Water Types such as Quagsire, Gastrodon, Jellicent, Milotic and even Corsola get this move and it seems like Tentacool should get it as well.

To conclude, the simple addition of Recover on Tentacool will allow it to be a much more viable option for spinning away hazards as well as setting up Spikes and being a defensive Pokemon. Tentacool will no longer be looked at like a terrible Squid Jellifish thingy and can really gain some actual potential in the long run; giving it a better niche over Roselia.
 
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