Never used, or are they? A Top 10 list

Note this list is was created in Generation 5, so no Generation 6 Pokemon are on this list, or Gen 6 threats are accounted for!!!

Introduction
Hello everyone, we all know that never used Pokemon are, well, never used.They always get a bad-rep. For being outclassed, or terrible in stats or typing. But are they viable in Over Used? These top 10 Never Used Pokemon that I think are viable in the Overused tier, note these are based on my competitive battling experiences, and most importantly are my opinion. If a Never Used Pokemon you know functions well in Over Used is not on this list, then let me know in the replies. The list ordering is according to their viability, with number one being the most viable(Again, in my opinion).

Criteria
1. Pokemon must be in the Never Used tier
2. Must be viable in Over Used, and have a unique niche no other Over Used Pokemon has.

Disclaimer
This list is based on my opinion and competitive battling experience. I am not certified to write analysis's on Pokemon, so call me stupid, or dumb, or an idiot or whatever, but I want to do this list, so I'm doing it. The sets are from Smogon, but maybe with a few sets and changes added by me.​



The List
10.
volbeat.jpg
/
Gorebyss.jpg
Volbeat & Gorebyss
Starting off the list, is a tie. This is because of the very simple roles they both are know for: Baton Passing powerful boosts. Here are the sets:

Volbeat (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 SDef
Timid Nature
- Tail Glow
- Baton Pass
- Substitute/Encore/Thunder Wave/Bug Buzz

Gorebyss @ Focus Sash/White Herb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Shell Smash
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Hydro Pump
These sets both function the same way, they both pass powerful boosts to a strong special attackers. With Prankster and Tail Glow and Baton Pass, Volbeat are almost guaranteed to pass the massive 3 stage boost to a fast special attacker. Gorebyss passes the special attack and speed boost that Shell Smash gives, allowing Gorebyss to pass the huge boost to a special attacker to secure a sweep.


9.

Liepard.jpg
Liepard

Coming in at number nine is Liepard. If you have ever played NU, you've encountered Liepard. This set I'm about to mention is one of the most annoying Pokemon in battle, right after para flinch Jirachi.


Liepard @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 Spd / 144 HP / 56 Def / 60 SDef
- Substitute
- Swagger
- Thunder Wave
- Foul Play

Ooooooooooh wow, this set annoys you're Pokemon to death, literally. In OU this set is viable simply because it will make your opponent tear out their hair with rage, probably causing them to forfeit before you even have to use Foul Play. With a little luck, Liepard can sweep teams all by itself, and leave the mauled beaten by themselves bodies of the opposition behind.

8.

Kangaskhan.gif
Kangaskhan

Kangaskhan doesn't get the reputation it deserves. With all the hugely powerful special attackers, and strong fighting types like Conkeldurr, why would you use Kangaskhan in OU? A scrappy normal type with Fake Out, Return, and Focus Punch? Yes please! Kangaskhan has huge versatility, and there's about 5 viable sets I can think of off the top of my head, but I'll just list my favorite two.


Kangaskhan (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Drain Punch
- Earthquake
- Fake Out/Sucker Punch

Kangaskhan (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Return/Protect
- Wish

Each of these sets accomplishes their roles handily. The all out attacker set is actually pretty good in OU, hitting a large part of the meta game for big damage with Double Edge, and will recoil would kill Kangaskhan quickly, you can just use Drain Punch to restore health, and Fake Out and Sucker Punch provide valuable priority.
The Sub Punch set is more defensive. Focus Punch demolishes the opposition, even smashing ghost type Pokemon, with Wish and possibly Protect to heal a ton of health.

7.

Golurk.png
Golurk

Golurk has many unique attributes very few or no other Pokemon have. It's the only ghost type Pokemon to learn Stealth Rock, so it doesn't even need a spin blocker to keep its rocks from being spun away (however, one of the best spinners in OU, Starmie, can easily take it out with water attacks.) It has the unique Ghost and Ground typing, which means it has great coverage. However, it is slow, and can't sweep out right, but it's a great defensive Pokemon.

Golurk @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 128 Atk / 252 HP / 128 Def
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch

With the ability to set up Stealth Rock, and hit hard with STAB earthquake and its other moves for coverage, it can also sponge Physical attacks to if it really wants to, making Golurk always welcome to any OU team . Plus, it resists Terrakion's deadly STAB combination, and can be one of the few reliable ways to check Terrakion in OU.

6.

Victreebel

As the the list climbs to more viable Pokemon, you begin to notice a trend. Weather. Most of the Pokemon in the top 6 dominate in the weather, and with all auto weather banned in NU, Victreebel truly has a chance to *shine* in the Sun, and while it is quite similar to Venasaur, it has way better physical attack, the same special attack, but slightly lower speed. But it has one thing Venasuar only wishes it had...

Victreebel @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Mild Nature
- Growth
- Leaf Blade
- Weather Ball
- Sludge Bomb

Weather Ball is something Venasaur wishes it had. With an 100 Base Power Fire type move, Victreebel can easily KO many threats Venasuar can't, however it isn't as bulky, but it can be a great Chlorophyll sweeper.

5.

Ludicolo.png
Ludicolo

When countering rain teams, most people look to Gastrodon, or Rotom-W. But, hidden in the dirt of NU, a gem emerges, Ludicolo. With two awesome abilities that can take advantage of auto rain (Sadly, one is banned, but can be used against Rain teams.) With great Special Defense, 4x Resistance to Water, and neutrality to electric, and leech seed, Ludicolo is a rain destroying behemoth that can choose to smite rain both offensively and defensively.


Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain/Energy Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast/Hidden Power Electric

Ludicolo @ Leftovers
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Leech Seed
- Toxic
- Scald
- Giga Drain

Both sets are made to capitalize on the opponent's rain. The offensive set is designed to be able to out speed and KO most Pokemon on rain teams, with a powerful Hydro Pump. While the best grass move Ludicolo has is energy ball, Giga Drain is worth the power loss in order to recover Life Orb recoil. Ice beam can destroy opposing Grass types, and Focus Blast or HP Electric depends on if you want to hit Ferrothorn or Gyrados for big damage.

4.

Rotom-A.jpg
Rotom-F

In 4th Generation Over Used, Rotom-F was great, a spin blocker, choice scarf user, or Rest Talk user, it was incredible versatile. But in Gen 5, one type change sent Rotom-F into the bottomless pit of NU. The Ice type was changed for its ghost type, giving it a weakness to stealth rock, fire, steel, and a new spot in NU. Even today, it still has two sets worth using in OU, especially on Hail teams.


Rotom-Frost @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Pain Split
Rotom-Frost @ Choice Scarf/Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Trick

While both these sets are remarkable similar, the item is what makes them unique. The life orb set is a strong special attacker, using its small but effective movepool to KO many threats, and get the coveted Bolt-Beam coverage, with HP fire being able to destroy Ferrothorn and Scizor easily, and its good bulk allows it to take some hits to, and recover life orb damage with pain split. The choice sets function in using powerful or fast moves to destroy the opponent, and trick their item onto any pink blob willing to switch in.

3.

Ditto.jpg
Ditto

The cute pink blob we all know can become and deadly threat, all thanks to its ability imposter. Slap a Choice Scarf on, and you've got one heck of a revenge killer.

Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Transform

Nothing much to say here, except "Hey +4 Attack +3 Speed Salamence, have an Outrage!"

2.
Sawsbuck

Another Chlorophyll sweeper? Are you serious? Sawsbuck has many options that differentiate itself from other sun sweepers, is that it's physically biased, and actually has a way to deal with Heatran, the bane of all sun teams! Sawsbuck also has Horn Leach, which is a physical Giga Drain, to provide great reliable recovery.


Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Horn Leech
- Nature Power (Earthquake)
- Jump Kick

With Horn Leech and Return, Sawsbuck gets great neutral coverage, and the Steel types it doesn't can handily be disposed of by Earthquake and Jump Kick. In Generation 5 OU, I think Sawbuck might even be better than Venasaur as a Chlorophyll based sweeper.

1.


Stoutland

The number one, most viable NU Pokemon in OU is Stoutland BY FAR. I don't care what you say, that I know nothing about competitive battling, that Stoutland sucks, it's my opinion, so deal with it. Sand Rush is such a great ability, that because of the huge speed boost it gives to Excadrill, it got sent to ubers. Stoutland remains in NU simply because no one cares about it. However, the Choice Band set WREAKS SOME FACE.

Stoutland @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Return
- Superpower/Fire Fang
- Wild Charge

This set capitalizes on Stoutland's good attack stats, and great speed in the sand to rip holes in things. Because Excadrill was banned, Stoutland is the only good Sand Rush user left. Even Stoutland doesn't need to be limited to a Choice Band set, as it might be able to run a bulky attacker set, or even a Life Orb set. Stoutland is good in OU because it out speeds all non-scarfed OU Pokemon, and it can rip through an impressive number of Pokemon. And to put it in Meru's own words:
Meet the most awkwardly tiered pokemon in the entire game. Although Stoutland has recently fallen to the depths of NU, it simultaneously manages to boast B-rank on the OU Viability Ranking thread


Conclusion
Well that was my top ten list, if an NU Pokemon you think is viable didn't make the list, please let me know. I hope this list sparks some great discussion about what being in the NU tier truly means. Who knows, I might update this list when all the Gen 6 Pokemon's tiers are sorted out.



 
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Never used, or are they?
Yes.

EDIT: in all seriousness, it is interesting to note how many NU pokemon are viable because of weather. I really don't agree with some of them though; they're just pretty bad in OU such as kanghaskhan. Golurk was surprisingly good in Gen V OU, but i really don't think that Stoutland deserves the number 1 spot. Then again, none of these pokemon are particularly good in OU, but whatever.

I also thought that Rotom-F and Ludicolo were out of place as Swift swim + drizzle is banned and that's the onyl reason to use it (Kingdra is kinda better anyways, and Rotom-F gets destroyed by the large number of fighting types in the tier)
 
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EDIT: in all seriousness, it is interesting to note how many NU pokemon are viable because of weather. I really don't agree with some of them though; they're just pretty bad in OU such as kanghaskhan. Golurk was surprisingly good in Gen V OU, but i really don't think that Stoutland deserves the number 1 spot. Then again, none of these pokemon are particularly good in OU, but whatever.

I also thought that Rotom-F and Ludicolo were out of place as Swift swim + drizzle is banned and that's the onyl reason to use it (Kingdra is kinda better anyways, and Rotom-F gets destroyed by the large number of fighting types in the tier)
Thank you for the suggestions, but Ludicolo can COUNTER opposing Rain Teams, and that's why he deserves a spot. And while OU has many fighting types, the Choice Scarf variant can take care of many of them, and with 107 Defense, can survive a mach punch.
 
Meru was completely right to put stoutland on that stall team of his. I have used that team religiously and always found stoutland a tier 1 threat once you get the hazard damage rolling a bit.

I am rather surprised you didn't list Shed at 10 and knock off frost (Never seen it, to be honest... hail teams had a lot of issue with rocks so frost never shined much). Shed certainly has a niche... Viability is in the eyes of the beholder, or circumstance of the gamestate for shed. I generally like to sub pass to shed to see if I can checkmate the other team.

Ludicolo is a threat. He is even worse, Imo, when running rain dish and leech seed, having so few ways to get at him especially because no one prepares for him. Why should they, he is really rare. But the subseed set he has is very dangerous after you get rid of the grass types.
 
Golurk is one of the few Pokémon to resist Terrakion's STABs. I am very sad that this was not noted in the OP.
 
I've used golurk victreebell sawsbuck ditto and ludicolo on my ou teams before


Golurk is a great stealth rock lead for my scrafty which I also use in ou

I like lower tier pkmn
 

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