[Ray Jay]

Originally Posted by Fat macle

I don't see anything wrong with the metagame atm but the only suspect that I think could possibly maybe use a ban is Scraggy. Mienfoo is the center of the metagame. A lot of people run it just to deal with Scraggy. With a Scraggy ban, Mienfoo usage might decrease, allowing a more versatile metagame which can be a good thing. Overall though, this might not work and Mienfoo will still be #1 and we lose a nice Pokemon in Scraggy.

opinions?

I have to disagree with this for the same reasons I posted in the usage stats thread. Mienfoo is crazy common but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. We can't argue that it's only used to check Scraggy; otherwise, you should expect to find Timburr at #1 or #2 in usage as well. The fact of the matter is that it may have arisen to check Scraggy, but it stays consistently at #1 in the usage stats because it's an all around solid Pokemon. Even during the late Gligar era, Mienfoo peaked at #1. If Mienfoo was a one-trick pony (ie: only countered Scraggy) it wouldn't hit number 1 in usage; furthermore, people are not using Mienfoo for the sole purpose of dealing with Scraggy. When I put Mienfoo on a team, I do it because it can help me check Scraggy and ________, whether that be maintain momentum, Knock Off items, take on some variants of Drilbur, use Fake Out, or sweep with Hi Jump Kick. Using a Pokemon for 1 single purpose (especially in LC, where there are a wealth of threats) is simply bad team building, and I believe it's not present here.