Extreme Makeover: Almost Any Ability Edition

By Isaiah. Released: 2022/08/28.
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Extreme Makeover: AAA Edition art

Art by Swiffix.

Introduction

From removing recoil with Magic Guard to recovering HP with Regenerator, Pokémon in Almost Any Ability (AAA) have an incredible array of options to enhance their performance, granting them a "makeover" of sorts. Let's examine some of the most notable ability changes that significantly improve Pokémon compared to their standard sets!

The Glow Up

Mew

Synchronize is a fairly mediocre ability since it requires the user to be inflicted with status. This encourages getting your own Mew burned or poisoned just to hurt the foe, which is hardly ideal. In AAA, Mew is able to drastically improve its defensive utility! Its Choice Scarf Regenerator set is an incredibly consistent fast switch-in, getting the jump on Barraskewda and Tapu Koko while still retaining the bulk necessary to check strong attackers like Choice Band Adaptability Terrakion and Psychic Surge Azelf. Trick is also useful for crippling defensive Pokémon such as Ferrothorn or Swampert that might try to switch in for Regenerator recovery. The moveset is also fairly customizable, as Mew boasts a wide range of utility and attacking options to meet the needs of its team: in fact, sometimes it will run U-turn or Flip Turn and Teleport on the same set, with the former dealing chip while pivoting and the latter moving last versus opposing slow, bulky Pokémon and other pivots.

Zarude

Just about everyone groaned internally when it was revealed that Zarude's sole ability would be Leaf Guard, and for good reason. For a Pokémon with a signature move that cures status, it's somewhat redundant to then have conditional immunity to status only under sun...especially as a Grass-type. With Grassy Surge, Zarude plays like an upgraded Rillaboom, as it capitalizes on STAB Darkest Lariat, higher base Speed, and bulk comparable to Mandibuzz, all while threatening the opposition with priority Grassy Glide.

Azelf

Azelf has a special space in our hearts in standard metagames as a Focus Sash lead with Explosion on hyper offense teams, but it does not benefit very much from Levitate. In AAA, it's able to make the most of its high Attack and Special Attack as a formidable pivot, 2HKOing most neutral targets with Terrain-boosted Expanding Force while serving as a check to Triage and other priority users thanks to Psychic Surge. It is also able to remove Assault Vest from Regenerator switch-ins with Knock Off and threaten Steel-types with Fire Blast. Azelf has more-or-less monopolized the role of fast Choice Scarf user, with very few Pokémon able to outspeed it without either a turn of setup or a Choice Scarf of their own.

Talonflame

The "Smogon Bird" has fallen from grace since the Gale Wings nerf in Gen 7, and its infamously low base 81 Attack (lower than Amoonguss's!) doesn't do Talonflame any favors either. In AAA, Talonflame is able to eliminate virtually all of its shortcomings from standard play due to Magic Guard. Notably, Magic Guard completely negates Talonflame's weakness to Stealth Rock and allows it to fire off Life Orb-boosted 120 Base Power STAB attacks without recoil, making up for its low base Attack. Compared to Gale Wings requiring Talonflame to be at full health and Flame Body only having a 30% chance to burn on contact, AAA Talonflame has a pretty solid deal! Of course, some people argue that fishing for Flame Body burns is more satisfying, but the jury is still out on that one.

That being said, sometimes giving Pokémon new abilities puts too much strain on teambuilders. As a result, not every Pokémon buffed by the premise of AAA has been healthy for the metagame.

Over the Top: When Makeovers Go Too Far

Noivern

Noivern getting STAB, Aerilate-boosted Boomburst is practically a meme in the OM community, but that didn't make it any less threatening. Even though -ate abilities were nerfed down to 1.2x damage boost after Gen 6, Noivern still retained the power necessary to OHKO or 2HKO the vast majority of the metagame with Boomburst. Preparing for it generally required a Regenerator + Assault Vest Pokémon that resisted Flying like Silvally-Electric and Jirachi or an extremely bulky special wall such as Blissey and Chansey. Even in these cases, supporting Noivern with Knock Off users, entry hazard setters, and status spreaders eliminated reliable counterplay during a battle and enabled it to dominate opposing teams.

Keldeo

Let's face it: Justified on a Pokémon with an Attack as low as Keldeo's is fairly underwhelming and doesn't come into play in most competitive matchups. On the other hand, Tinted Lens transformed Keldeo into one of the most terrifying wallbreakers conceivable, with its STAB combination almost mandating a double immunity such as Desolate Land Chandelure on every team. There are a couple of reasons why this was the case: primarily, Pokémon that resist its STAB moves like Toxapex—which is practically the bane of Keldeo's existence in standard play—struggled to switch into Tinted Lens Hydro Pump, and common specially defensive walls such as Blissey and Regenerator + Assault Vest users like Jirachi aren't generally well equipped to tank Secret Sword, which targets their physical defense instead.

Archeops

AAA is exactly what Archeops needed to overcome its Defeatist attitude. As it turns out, Archeops firing off virtually no drawback 150 BP Head Smashes (typically boosted by a Life Orb) while retaining an immunity to entry hazards is significantly more threatening than Stone Edge. Even physically defensive walls like Dauntless Shield Mew and Hippowdon were heavily threatened by Knock Off and U-turn wearing them down until they were within range of Head Smash.

Conclusion

Clearly, Almost Any Ability gives Pokémon a chance to excel in areas they cannot in standard play. Armed with a plethora of teambuilding resources available, take some time to hop into the teambuilder and find Pokémon to give makeovers of your own!

HTML by Ryota Mitarai.
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