PBR and the Power of Nature

This thread is to discuss the viability of the move Nature Power on Pokemon Battle Revolution's Wi-Fi modes. As we know, in D/P's person-to-person battles, Nature Power can only become one move: Tri Attack. In PBR, however, the move that Nature Power becomes varies by arena.

Lagoon -- Tri Attack
Gateway -- Hydro Pump
Main Street -- Tri Attack
Waterfall -- Seed Bomb
Neon -- Tri Attack
Crystal -- Rock Slide
Sunny Park -- Seed Bomb
Magma -- Rock Slide
Sunset -- Earthquake
Courtyard -- Tri Attack
Stargazer -- Rock Slide

For those of you who aren't familiar with PBR, when you search for a match, you specify your preferred arena. Once a match is found, it tells you which arena was chosen. I'm not privy to the internal algorithms, but it's a fairly safe assumption that there's a 50% chance the game will choose your arena and a 50% chance it will choose your opponent's preferred arena.

Here's the list of (fully evolved) Pokemon that can learn Nature Power:

Venusaur
Exeggutor
Meganium
Sunflora
Corsola
Ludicolo
Shiftry
Tropius
Cherrim
Tangrowth

Pros:
  • It allows Pokemon to use moves not normally available to them.
  • There's a large surprise factor the first time it's used.
  • If a bad arena was chosen, you can choose not to user the Nature Power Pokemon (you only select 3 Pokemon to use in Single Battles and 4 to use in Double Battles).
  • It's available on Pokemon that normally have very poor attack movepools (Sunflora, Cherrim, Meganium).
Cons:
  • You have incomplete control over which move is available to you.
  • In Double Battles, you can't choose a target for targetable moves.
  • In order to utilize the move fully, the user must have usable Attack and Sp Attack.
Here's a sample set:

Tangrowth
Power Whip
Focus Blast
Nature Power
Sleep Powder

Item: Zoom Lens
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Sp Defense, 128 Attack, 128 Sp Attack

When using this set, I'd aim for Gateway Colleseum to gain access to Hydro Pump. Earthquake or Rock Slide would also be acceptable, but Tangrowth has access to those two moves without Nature Power. Tri Attack would only be useful if I really needed the Burn/Freeze/Paralysis. Seed Bomb would just be redundant. Now, this is just an example, and I'm aware that Water isn't going to give me much more type coverage than Power Whip already does. But, it does hit some Pokemon harder as well as giving me a Physical Grass and Special Water move to choose between.

What do you think? Would you consider using Nature Power, or is it too situational? If you would use it, what would you use it on, and when? Thanks in advance for your contributions.
 

Firestorm

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As for picking the arena in random battles, it first searches to see if anyone else is looking for a battle in your arena. If not, then it goes and chooses somewhere else and randoms it. I don't know if the person has to be in your skill tier before it moves on or not though.
 
How did you figure out all of the coliseums and exactly what moves they do for each one?
Well, I tried all but three of them on my copy of PBR. The research thread has information on Secret Power and each arena correlates with an environment in D/P. Each arena that I tested had the Nature Power that correlated with its Secret Power, and I'm assuming the others for now until I have a chance to test them.

As for picking the arena in random battles, it first searches to see if anyone else is looking for a battle in your arena. If not, then it goes and chooses somewhere else and randoms it. I don't know if the person has to be in your skill tier before it moves on or not though.
That's good stuff to know. Where did you find it?
 
I for one find Tri Attack to be very useful at in-game Neon Colliseum. It really helps there with Tri Attack. Almost like a godsend.

Although, anyway you do it it looks like it helps a bit.
 
I remember when I used CB Nature Power Shiftry on my UU team and always set the location to Sand, nobody noticed and EQ Shiftry was cool haha.
 

Great Sage

Banned deucer.
Shiftry would also love access to Seed Bomb. Note that Nature Power's PP is 20, which is greater than the PP of any attack it can select, though it only probably matters with Hydro Pump and Blizzard. I'd feel much more comfortable if somebody tested every arena; I'm pretty sure Blizzard would fit in somewhere.
 
Shiftry would also love access to Seed Bomb. Note that Nature Power's PP is 20, which is greater than the PP of any attack it can select, though it only probably matters with Hydro Pump and Blizzard. I'd feel much more comfortable if somebody tested every arena; I'm pretty sure Blizzard would fit in somewhere.
I wish that were true, and I agree that every arena should be tested (I'd do it now, but the TV is in use). Still, if the research on Secret Power is correct, no arena has Freeze as its added effect, so I doubt any of the arenas have Blizzard for Nature Power.

That's an excellent point about the PP. I completely failed to notice that.
 

Layell

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Could the lagoon arena be tested (it seems to be wifi only). Although I don't think the move will be new.
 

Firestorm

I did my best, I have no regrets!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
That's good stuff to know. Where did you find it?
On NSider where they aren't allowed to share friend codes, they've basically been telling each other which stadium they're searching in. I tried to find someone and missed him, but played his opponent. They seem to have some success finding each other by looking in the same arenas.

Obviously not complete proof, but I'm led to believe it's true.
 
Some Japanese guy just killed my Infernape with a Choice Scarf Venusaur "Hydro Pump". I was frankly quite amused by this.

What a coincidence that when I log in to Smogon afterwards I find this thread. Meh, I feel as if Nature Power is next to useless on a 2v2 team as the lack of targeting control severely hampers its usefulness.

But on a 1v1 team, this move is muy chevre, particularly in Gateway Colosseum, where all of those grassers gain the ability to Hydro Pump fire types in the face. Though they are all a bit on the slow side, negating a lot of their "surprise kill" game. I suppose there are ways around that shortcoming, though, like Choice Scarf Venusaur.

I wonder why Crystal Colosseum doesn't make Nature Power turn into Shadow Ball? In the games, that's what caves did. Then again, this is the incredibly half-assed PBR.

EDIT: I wonder about Secret Power too (it has a 30% chance of inflicting some condition, depending on the location). The in game effects I know of are-

Paralysis
Poison
Sleep
Flinch
Confusion
decreased Defense
decreased Attack
decreased Speed
decreased Accuracy

Some of those could potentially be pretty useful, especially on a Serene Grace Pokemon. In particular, I'm looking at the Sleep, Atk down and Def down effects.
 
The Secret Power effects are listed in the research thread.
Gotcha.

A freeze effect, huh? That's rather interesting.

Oh god, the idea of a Togekiss with a 60% acc Sleep or Freeze ability in addition to its Parahaxing potential is kind of scary.

In any case, secret power is kind of like a weird sort of Body Slam- everything can learn it, 30% of "condition modifier", less BP, cooler effects like freeze and sleep. I definitely may try it out and report back my observations.
 
Question about Nature Power.

When it becomes Hydro Pump, or one of the less accurate attacks, does it take on the acccuracy of that move?
 
No, seeing as Nature Power doesn't have a base accuracy, I'd wager that it uses the accuracy of the moves it turns into.
 

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