CAP 22 CAP22 - Part 12 - Flavor Ability Discussion

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HeaLnDeaL

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The playtest period will be starting soon, and now we need to finalize the last flavor details for the CAP - those that will have absolutely no bearing on how it plays/is playing on PS! Note that is is fully expected that the playtest will start before this thread concludes. Still, these details will bring Kerfluffle together as a believable Pokemon, so contributions and good discussion are still very needed. This ability should have little significance competitively, and should be all about what makes sense on the Pokemon.

The following abilities are banned from this discussion:

Air Lock
Aura Break
Bad Dreams
Color Change
Dark Aura
Defeatist
Fairy Aura
Forecast
Fur Coat
Huge Power
Illusion
Imposter
Moody
Multitype
Parental Bond
Protean
Pure Power
Shadow Tag
Slow Start
Stance Change
Teravolt
Truant
Turboblaze
Victory Star
Wonder Guard
Zen Mode

Arena Trap
Drizzle
Drought
Magic Bounce
Magic Guard
Prankster
Sand Stream
Snow Warning
Speed Boost​

If you are curious as to why these abilities are banned, check out this thread to learn more. Remember, the ability we choose here is an Ineffective Ability, meaning that it should be inferior to both Natural Cure and Aroma Veil (Kerfluffle's competitive abilities).

This means that abilities posted that have notable competitive merit will not be tolerated. All logic should be flavor-based and even if an ability has a flavor match, it should not be posted or supported if the competitive inclinations of the ability are too strong. Posts that do not follow these rules will be deleted and repeated offenses risk further punishment. For example, someone might argue that since Kerfluffle has claws on its hands that "Tough Claws" might fit for flavor. Tough Claws has a huge competitive effect and so it is not appropriate for this discussion.


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CAP22 so far:

Name: Kerfluffle
Typing: Fairy/Fighting
Abilities: Natural Cure / Aroma Veil
Stats: 84/78/86/115/88/119

Sprites:



Attract
Aura Sphere
Brick Break
Bulk Up
Celebrate
Charm
Close Combat
Confide
Crush Claw
Dazzling Gleam
Double Team
Drain Punch
Draining Kiss
Dream Eater
Encore
Endure
Energy Ball
Facade
Fairy Wind
Feather Dance
Focus Blast
Flash Cannon
Fly
Frustration
Giga Drain
Giga Impact
Grass Knot
Helping Hand
Hidden Power
Hold Hands
Hyper Beam
Low Kick
Metronome
Moonblast
Nightmare
Parting Shot
Play Rough
Power-Up Punch
Protect
Psych Up
Quick Guard
Rest
Retaliate
Return
Round
Scary Face
Scratch
Sleep Talk
Sludge Bomb
Sludge Wave
Snarl
Snore
Strength
Substitute
Sunny Day
Swagger
Taunt
Toxic
Torment
Wake-Up Slap
Wide Guard
Wish
Yawn


Leadership Team:

cbrevan
- Topic Leader
Elite Lord Sigma - Typing Leader
snake_rattler - Abilities Leader
Snobalt - Stats Leader
Deck Knight - Movepool Leader


Concept:
Name: Last Act of Defiance

General Description: A Pokemon that is defined by its use of the move Parting Shot.

Justification: Parting Shot is another move that's pretty amazing on paper, but its true usage has yet to be fully explored because it's only available to Pangoro. Pangoro is not the most viable Pokemon OU and is nearly unusable in CAP due to its 4x weakness to Fairy. Moreover, when I've used it in RU (prior it to being banned) and UU, I found myself clicking an attacking move more often than not. With the optimal Parting Shot user in the CAP metagame, we may be able to tap into this move's potential and figure out how it is best utilized. Maybe Last Act of Defiance will be a fast Pokemon that aims to keep up offensive momentum. Maybe it'll use the move like it would use Memento to help a teammate use a boosting move. Maybe it'll be a slow, bulky pivot intended to discourage switching. Maybe it'll do something completely different.

This falls under both actualization and archetype in terms of being a concept. In terms of actualization, it will teach us how to use Parting Shot "properly." Clearly, no other Pokemon, not even Pangoro, comes close to it. Well, users of U-turn, Volt Switch, and Memento come somewhat close, but even then, we'll be able to see what makes Parting Shot different from (and possibly better than) them. In terms of archetype, Last Act of Defiance will give not just the CAP metagame, but also the whole game of Pokemon, a utility Pokemon that we've never seen before, as Parting Shot was not (and still isn't) one of Pangoro's most important assets. Because Parting Shot has so many potential uses, a utility Pokemon such as this can be the ultimate team player for offensive and defensive archetypes alike.

Questions To Be Answered:
- Whether it's pivoting, offensive momentum, Memento-esque support, or something else, what is the "ideal" way to use Parting Shot? Why?
- Considering Pangoro rarely finds the time to use the move, how much should a Pokemon be willing to sacrifice another offensive option for Parting Shot?
- What makes Parting Shot different or similar from Volt Switch, U-turn, and Memento?
- Pangoro is definitely not the ideal Parting Shot user, so what does the ideal user look like?
- What strategies, whether they be certain Pokemon, playstyles, or other factors, will rise to prominence to combat a Parting Shot user?
 
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I think Klutz is a good option because I don't think Kerfuffle looks like it's going to be carrying things around. I mean, it's hands are pillows. You can't exactly cook dinner with pillows on your hands. I think Klutz also fits with the fairy + fluffy theme.

That's all for now.
 

erisia

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Insomnia sounds funny for the irony??? of a pillow that can never fall asleep, but it's probably too good an ability for this stage.
 
I think Cute Charm fits well since Kerfluffle is an adorable body pillow. I mean, you think that happy face with the tongue sticking out with the tongue sticking out is adorable, too, right? Plus, it fits the Fairy typing
 

Marty

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There are a handful of Abilities I think would make sense flavor-wise, here are a few suggestions.

Healer - Useless in Singles but matches up nicely with the Natural Cure effect of curing statuses, except this time for Kerfluffle's allies.

Friend Guard - Also useless in Singles, but I could see Kerfluffle reducing damage to its allies easily with its cushiness.

Soundproof - Pillows are pretty effective at blocking sound, although this might be slightly too useful for a flavor Ability.
 
I wanted to consider Weak Armor, due to the fact that Kerfluffle is a pillow, which aren't exactly the strongest things. While Kerfluffle's bulk is decent enough, it's not gonna be able to consistently sponge up hits, so I can see it having an ability where physical attacks just wear it down. Though I'm not 100% sure about that one, since one could make the argument that Weak Armor does have some competitive merit. With that being said, most of the pokemon who have Weak Armor as an ability have better abilities to utilize, and that's how I would see Weak Armor on Kerfluffle.

Alternatively, I agree with Cute Charm. Kerfluffle is subjectively cute enough, with it's unassuming, goofy face, and light colors. At first glance, it doesn't even seem like a fighting type.
 
I think that Early Bird and Keen Eye could make decent flavor abilities.

Early Bird obviously plays on the sleep/pillow theme of the design, and its effect is pretty much outclassed by Natural Cure in any situation. Why take a sleep move and sit through 1-2 turns when you can just take the move and then switch out, right? Besides, one would think that a pillow would get enough sleep that it wouldn't take long for it to wake up again.

In terms of Keen Eye, I mainly thought of this one just because of Kerfluffle's cross-shaped left eye. It just kind of worked a bit too well for me to not at least mention it.
 
Personally speaking, I think Aftermath could be an interesting Ability for Kerfuffle. Basically, it could be a reminder of pillow fight, with pillows "bursting" and releasing feathers all around. Kerfuffle could do something like this.
 
I like Early Bird, Vital Spirit, and Friend Guard are my favorite options right now. Early Bird is fitting to some degree because its a pillow, and relates to sleeping and waking up early. Vital Spirit is fitting because it is a pillow fight Pokemon. Friend Guard just seems to really suit it. Soundproof would be nice but I think is too good as it would give an immunity to Sylveon's Hyper Voice.
 
I like Friend Guard a lot. It's cutesy and goofy. Any of the sleep immunities are pretty flavorful too, even if it is ironic in some instances.
 
Klutz could work if Kerfluffle has a difficult time carrying objects. However, Friend Guard may let an ally in Doubles bounce back into battle with less damage, thanks to our streetest pillow fighter. Fortunately, both are useless in Singles.
 
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HeaLnDeaL

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Just as a moderator reminder, posts in this thread should aim to have some level of substance; one liners are not helpful and don't really add to any discussion. Please, explain your flavor and if the ability you're proposing has mild competitive aspects to it, you need to carefully explain why you think that the competitive aspects do not outshine the previously decided abilities / why your proposed or supported ability does not have a competitive impact on Kerfluffle.

I'm not saying multi-paragraph posts are required, but if you're posting one short sentence, you're not contributing enough. You can make concise and effective explanations, but explanations are an inherent part of posts here. Don't support or propose something without telling us why.
 
Wait until Gen 7 and give it Fluffy

Thusly, my support goes to Friend Guard. Because it's a pillow, an ability that cushions blows made to its partners is completely appropriate. While simply flavor in singles (which is the requirement), it has a niche in doubles (like Telepathy on Necturna and Plasmanta).
 
I always thought of Kerfluffle as having a latent protective side, so I'm inclined to throw my support behind Friend Guard too - this CAP looks like it has the personality and the physical capability to pull off an ability like that.

On the other hand, I dislike Cute Charm as a flavour ability for Kerfluffle; a Fighting-type with Cute Charm really seems wrong to me.
 
Personally speaking, I think Aftermath could be an interesting Ability for Kerfuffle. Basically, it could be a reminder of pillow fight, with pillows "bursting" and releasing feathers all around. Kerfuffle could do something like this.
I really like the idea of Aftermath.
If a pokemon is based on a fighting pillow, it isn't too farfetch'd to say that it can also hurt its enemy if it gets beat.
Especially Darklatias92 's idea of the ripped pillow sounds very fitting.
 
Woukd Scrappy be considered a flavour move? We hit Ghost types anyway through Fairy Typing. It fits its nature as well.


It isn't a pointless ability, but it's clearly subpar compared to its other ones, yet still has a purpose.
 
I'm going to back Cute Charm being its flavor ability. It makes sense because it's a pillow, and it's pretty cute.
 
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It can't even abuse it that well due to its Attack being lower than its Special Attack, resisting two of the types, and being neutral on the other.
Rattled raises Speed, not Attack, and resisting two of the types which activate it would make it pretty abusable.

I don't think Weak Armor fits flavour-wise: most Pokémon with it either have an actual, hard armor or shell or have brittle body parts which can be broken off by attacks; a pillow has neither. I feel Aftermath fulfills this very niche better, though it might be too useful.

I'd go with Early Bird, following the pillow -> sleep theme. Klutz seems nice too.
 

snake

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I'm liking Friend Guard. Even though its movepool exhibits its psychopathic nature, it still likes to assist and protect its allies (Helping Hand, Wide Guard, and Quick Guard.
 

Mowtom

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I support Friend Guard too. After all, what's the point of a big fluffy pillow if not to protect its friends?
 
I think that Pickpocket would make an interesting 3rd Ability, as it fits in with the whole "mischievous and prankster" theme with moves like Parting Shot, Taunt and Torment. It would not outclass it's other two abilities because it would have do two things. 1. Sacrifice it's item and 2. Run physical off it's low attack stat or run Grass Knot, wasting a better coverage option such as Sludge Bomb/Wave or a Hidden Power. Sorry for all the competitive stuff, but I just wanted to prove that it wasn't good.

Other than that I think that Klutz, Friend Guard, and Cute Charm are all good options.
:)
 
Has nobody suggested Rivalry yet? It's a Pillow Fighter, it has gender differences according to the sprite work, and it seems like a very competitive Fighting-type. Of course, it won't be very effective in battle because gender isn't that relevant, but I think it could work well enough, flavor-wise, with the right Dex entry.

Otherwise, I support Friend Guard and Cute Charm as well, for the same reasons as others have stated previously.
 
I'm not sure you'd consider this a flavor ability, but to me this does seem inferior, Immunity, for the main fact that Kerfluffle is related to a pillow, and if it did share a connection with pillows,(other than it's body resembling a pillow) then it would be that had stuffing on the inside of it's pillow-like body. So, since stuffing more of absorbs poison and is not really affected by it, it would make an interesting ability for Kerfluffle.
 
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