Name: Second Chance
General Description: A pokemon that can, if on a team, can reduce or negate the effect of a misplay by the user.
Justification: You forgot the opponent had Doryuuzu and got swept at the last minute. Your only pokemon faster than your opponent's Gliscor was killed by a poor prediction so 'Scor outlasted you. We've all been there. This Pokemon would serve as "insurance" for a mistake made by the user. It's a fitting concept because it effectively fills all three of the Justification questions. It has a positive effect on the metagame by making it easier to get into. The current metagame is very offensive and is centered around ridiculously powered (though not broken) pokemon like Terrakion or Volcarona setting up and sweeping. However, in the new metagame, one poor play can cost you the game. If you predict a Swords Dance by your foe's Terrakion and it Close Combats your Ferrothorn, it could end up costing you the match. If you had a way to make up for your mistake, it could even out the score and not make one turn the deciding factor in a game. It allows us to learn more about the metagame by seeing that if Bulky set-up pokemon and other do-or-die pokemon are weakened, what new threats will pop up? If wins are harder to come by, what new faces will gain popularity? It somewhat introduces a new niche by reshaping the metagame around new threats, but it shakily at best answers this question. It still tackles the first two, though!
Questions to be answered:
1. Since players who use this pokemon can afford to play more liberally, what new playstyles will emerge?
2. Since making a mistake in playing can cause a myriad of problems, can one pokemon theoretically handle all of them without breaking the metagame?
3. How can one pokemon neuter the opponent's momentum without building offensive momentum for themselves (as making a mistake should never result in a favorable situation for the user)?
4. What threats are most important to check when building this pokemon?
5. What playstyles are most effective for the user when this pokemon is covering common threats?
6. How will opponents react to this pokemon when they see it in Team Preview?
Explanation: In an offensive metagame, players can often feel in a "do-or-die" situation especially with the advent of Team Preview. The entire game is about gaining momentum with offensive juggernauts like Mole, Landorus, and Volcarona while trying to counter your opponent's with Gliscor or Ferrothorn, both of which cannot last forever. Latios is often used as a means to rip holes in the opponent's pokemon, with a deadly Draco Meteor and HP Fire to round out coverage against Ferrthorn. Obviously, there is no room for error when dealing with these monsters, as they can reach nearly four digit (Special) Attack and sometimes even 500 speed in only one turn. If you screw up, you have to sacrifice one pokemon for a switch in, then another to take it out. And losing one third of your team is a little costly for making one error. This pokemon would attempt to nullify the effect of the mistake and give the user another chance at victory. If I can post the "illegal" stuff here, I would think of a pokemon with high defenses, as it would need to come in on these super-threats and force them out, without being broken. By this, I think a very high stat spread and maybe a hindering ability would be in order, though that's up to the community if this concept is lucky enough to be chosen. This is like the concept "Momentum" in a sense, as the entire metagame is based on momentum, no? Just this one serves as a one-time halt to the opponent's momentum.
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