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One of the biggest complaints I hear concerning the OU tier is that everyone uses the same Pokemon, and that any attempt at creativity in choosing Pokemon is ridiculed and cannot be successful. Of course, this isn't really true, as many well-respected tour players are seen using unconventional Pokemon from time to time. And Pokemon which were considered unviable in the past regularly take a spot on the viability rankings due to a sudden surge in popularity, sometimes just because someone happened to try it and realise what it was capable of.
That's when I thought of hosting this thread, as a way to encourage this kind of creativity and see if we could find some overlooked gems that aren't used simply because people just don't consider them. It will also be an opportunity for a lot of us to unwind and just have fun with Pokemon we've never used before.
How this project will work :
Every week, I will bring up one Pokemon which is not currently ranked in the OU viability rankings. It may be one which has gained popularity in a lower tier, been recently banned in a lower tier, or just anything which has enough qualities and distinct features to be worth discussing. However, it has to be a Pokemon which could, at least in theory, be viable.
Then, we'll try to come up come up with sets the Pokemon could run. We'll discuss and test these sets and see if they actually work in practice, and if there's any reason to run these sets over other Pokemon. We'll collectively try to figure out if the Pokemon is as bad as it is believed to be, and if so, why. Replays are highly valued, but not required, and remember to take all replays with a grain of salt.
Always remember to keep an open mind. The purpose of this project is to find value in disenfranchised Pokemon, and just dismissing them is against the spirit of the thread. Still, don't forget to remain critical, but always try to back up your claims with good arguments and evidence. If a Pokemon is useless, it is useless, but you should never just assume that it.
Okay, let's start with underdog #1 : Heliolisk!
Heliolisk recently gained a lot of buzz in RU and UU after being banned from NU, many players believing it to be better than Jolteon, its main competition within these tiers. However, things are very different in OU, where it seems vastly outcompeted by Thundurus at first glance, and at second glance, and at every glance after that. It also receives huge competition from Raikou and Mega Manectric, which are both faster, stronger, and bulkier. Most importantly, it barely misses out on the crucial base 110 Speed tier which all of its competitors are able to outpace. It's easy to see why Heliolisk finds no serious use at all in OU.
However, Heliolisk does have a couple of things going for it. The most obvious of these is a powerful secondary STAB, something no offensive Electric type in OU besides Magnezone has access to. While Thundurus and Raikou have to rely on unstabbed coverage like HP Ice and Focus Blast, Heliolisk can hit Electric resists with powerful Hyper Voices. For example, Mega Venusaur, Physically Defensive Celebi and Specially Defensive Charizard-X are both 2HKOed by Choice Specs Hyper Voice, something Thundurus has a harder time doing. This also means it doesn't have to lock itself into the weak HP Ice to deal a lot of damage to Ground types.
Speaking of which, Heliolisk also gets access to Surf, which is less notable but does enable it to 2HKO SpD Heatran and SpD Hippwodon, both of which are often used as checks to Electric types.
Finally, it gets Dry Skin, which enables it to check BD Azumarill, switch into Scalds from the likes of Starmie, and fear almost nothing from Rotom-W besides a burn. It also gives it some longevity (though this does have to come with good prediction) and can play mindgames with the opponent, dissuading Keldeo from spamming Scald for instance.
So, what set(s) should Heliolisk run? What kind of teams does it fit on? What can it offer to a team which nothing else can? Do its qualities make it at all worth using in OU, and if so, why? Let's find out!
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