Pet Mods Generation 8 Retrospective

By Bobsican, DuoM2, Ema Skye, Paulluxx, and Rezzo. Released: 2022/11/27.
« Previous Article Next Article »

next page »

Art by Shadowshocker

Art by Shadowshocker.

Introduction

Pet Mods were born out of a desire to take customization in Other Metagames to further extremes, giving players the capability to create content for these unique metagames. Unlike OMs, Pet Mods are determined based on a council's decisions rather than a concrete rule, yet they are restricted by submissions made by users, creating two roles for participants of them: they can be a player, as well as a creator, not unlike the Create-A-Pokémon community, only on a simpler yet larger scale.

During Generation VIII, Pet Mods outgrew its old home in the Other Metagames forum, and the community received unprecedented growth during the generation, including the operation of its first Premier League in Summer 2022 and the creation of its own server, Dragon Heaven.

While the previous Pet Mods article introduced some popular metagames at the time it was written, the Pet Mods community has taken off in the creation of developing more competitively oriented metagames, which began towards the end of Generation VII with the Clean Slate mod.

In this retrospective, we will be discussing a few notable Pet Mods that showcase not only the creative talents of the community but also reveal the analytical processes that go into both developing and expanding metagames, with some distinct attributes being identified.

next page »

« previous page || next page »

Fusion Evolution UU

FEUU Banner

Banner done by AquaticPanic, original banner done by imas.

Thread | Discord

This metagame was built off of the original Fusion Evolution metagame, which ran from Generation VI to Generation VIII, and rebooted it to create a unique metagame from scratch. Here, all vanilla Pokémon are banned to emphasize the metagame being built around created fusions.

As the name implies, users submitted a new Pokémon by fusing two real different ones in the following manner:

While Fusion Evolution followed the standard OU mechanics regarding available moves and items, the format allowed every Pokémon to be usable as a fusion donor and permits the use of Mega Stones, with Mega Evolution rules following the same procedure as Mix and Mega for the compatible cases; of note is that the Mega Evolution couldn't be used as a fusion component itself, only the base forme, for example, a fusion between Mega Lopunny and Tapu Lele wouldn't be legal, but a fusion of regular Lopunny and Tapu Lele is legal and can use a Lopunnite to Mega Evolve.

Attribute 1: Strong ability pairings

Slowton

Slowton sprite done by AquaticPanic. Slowton submission done by Gojiratar.

Introduced at the very start of the Fusion Evolution UU metagame, Slowton quickly proved to be a menacing force, compressing offensive and defensive roles alike thanks to its ability providing power and longevity at once while also supporting its teammates with pivoting. Such traits led to Slowton being hard to deal with, to the point some Slowton even ran Earthquake to break past other Slowton.

As the metagame filled several other roles with newer additions, Slowton became more manageable out of now having to deal with Ground-types and physical wallbreakers.

Attribute 2: Playing with fire

Galarian Manicuno

Galarian Manicuno sprite done by AquaticPanic. Galarian Manicuno submission done by G-Luke.

Galarian Manicuno is one of the strongest wallbreakers in the metagame, boasting an obscene Special Attack thanks to its ability and acting as a balanced yet unique option compared to the regular Galarian Darmanitan. While Gorilla Tactics is usually regarded as an overpowered ability, in reality, its user is just too optimized for it, given how stronger abilities like Huge Power have non-overpowered users, and so Galarian Manicuno has a quite lower offensive stat to take advantage of a similar ability. Galarian Manicuno is hindered by a forced Choice lock, but it can use this to its benefit to pick a Choice item to get the benefit without further drawback, achieving either a strong Speed tier that gets the jump on the entire unboosted metagame with a Choice Scarf or power that few Pokémon can wall with a Choice Specs.

With the constant influx of offensive additions to the metagame, yet insufficient defensive ones, it was only a matter of time until switch-ins made specifically with Galarian Manicuno in mind were introduced, and that leads us to bulky Fire-types like the later-mentioned Mesflame, bulky Water-types, and other walls that could come into it; combined with a Stealth Rock weakness, lack of moveslots and a poor defensive profile, this means that Galarian Manicuno is nowadays required to have smart predictions and support to make progress in a matchup.

Attribute 3: Diverse support movepools

Mesflame

Mesflame sprite done by AquaticPanic. Mesflame submission done by anaconja.

Mesflame is easily one of the best Pokémon in the Fusion Evolution UU format and showcases well how to build an outstanding fusion. With the combined movepools of both of its base components, the result is diverse, featuring entry hazards, hazard removal, reliable recovery, setup with Nasty Plot or Calm Mind, pivoting, status spreading, and much more. Its ability complements its typing by adding a Ground immunity that ensures it can easily come into a good portion of the metagame and enhance its effective physical bulk by spreading burns throughout the game.

This leaves Mesflame as the most versatile Pokémon in the tier, being held back only by its susceptibility to Knock Off, also showing that the competitive viability of the two base Pokémon isn't a factor in designing a viable fusion.

Attribute 4: Keep it simple

Glidol

Glidol sprite and submission done by earl.

Glidol's usage may remind a lot of Gliscor's, and you wouldn't be wrong; Glidol was introduced as a simple yet effective answer to several offensive Pokémon, namely popular Ground-, Rock-, and Electric-types. While it benefits from additions from Claydol's movepool such as Rapid Spin and Teleport, beyond that it's just doing Gliscor things.

While Levitate's effects are usually useless on a Flying-type, as some may remember Rotom-S, Glidol still finds a minor use for it to preserve a Ground immunity while using Roost, and even with practically only a single ability compared to most of the FEUU roster, Glidol is still a solid pick to consider.

« previous page || next page »

« previous page || next page »

Megas for All V7

Megas For All Banner

Banner done by inkbug.

Thread | Discord

First appearing in Gen VI before being restarted from scratch multiple times until now, Megas for All is a National Dex-based metagame that aims to grant a Mega Evolution (Mega Stone included) to every fully evolved Pokémon; such Mega Evolutions are fully custom made by the submitter, potentially also gaining new moves that the base forme can use even without carrying its Mega Stone, and are given exactly a 100 BST boost to the base forme's stats in question at the user's discretion, excluding HP.

While generally Mega Evolutions get the spotlight out of easily being on virtually any team, as there's a Mega for nearly any imaginable role, some base formes still gain viability out of getting new moves, such as Nidoqueen, Lanturn, and Empoleon receiving a reliable recovery move.

Mega Sirfetch'd Art

Mega Sirfetch'd art done by inkbug.

Attribute 1: Team archetypes

Mega Sirfetch'd

Mega Sirfetch'd submission done by BlueRay and Paulluxx.

As only a single Mega Evolution can be used per team, it's normal that Mega Evolutions are designed with specific team structures in mind. Mega Sirfetch'd is a bulky attacker that works on sun teams to let Chlorophyll sweepers like Venusaur hit harder with their Grass STAB thanks to its ability setting Grassy Terrain. Grassy Terrain also weakens Earthquake, so it can wall the common EdgeQuake combination and support Fire-types like Torkoal, with its Fairy typing also giving it a solid matchup against Dragon-types and minimal damage from U-turn and Knock Off. Mega Sirfetch'd also fits in non-sun teams, which appreciate its role compression as a Defogger, even if it compromises its Grassy Terrain in the process, unlike sun.

While Mega Sirfetch'd can struggle with Poison-types like Toxapex if it skips Swords Dance and has minimal coverage outside STABs and moves like Knock Off and Leaf Blade, it still provides an interesting and usable alternative for the Mega slot in sun and balance teams.

Attribute 2: Set specialization

Mega Corviknight

Mega Corviknight submission done by IsoCon.

With a solid defensive typing and obscene bulk further bolstered by Intimidate, Mega Corviknight acts as one of the most potent Mega Evolutions in the metagame. As much as Corviknight was already a solid pick, Mega Corviknight takes its traits a step further by letting it easily come in on most of the metagame, which enables it to set up more easily on physical attackers and act as a wincon with Iron Defense + Body Press or be a pivot, as well as compressing roles as a Defogger; it can even afford EVs to outspeed Choice Specs Magnezone and not be trapped by it with U-turn.

Mega Corviknight has remained as a strong Mega Evolution in the metagame from the start, and it still more than is.

Attribute 3: Enhanced base formes

Mega Magmortar

Mega Magmortar submission done by Paulluxx and abismal.

As Magmortar is just a bulky wallbreaker in lower tiers, this Mega Evolution amplifies its traits to perform the same role but with viability in the main metagame. Besides bonuses like not being walled by Pokémon like Heatran that an ability like Mold Breaker would grant it as is, on the offensive side Neutralizing Gas allows Mega Magmortar to remove means of longevity like Regenerator, Magic Guard, and especially Poison Heal, thus making it a strong stallbreaker alongside a rather high base 170 Special Attack and Taunt. On the defensive side, shutting down several abilities, from weather setting to wallbreaking like Guts and Huge Power, requires players to put in some effort to beat it.

As more Mega Evolutions are added to the metagame, so are more victims to Neutralizing Gas due to them often relying considerably on their ability, turning Mega Magmortar into a solid anti-meta pick.

Attribute 4: Role compression with the base forme

Mega Slowking

Mega Slowking submission done by Hematite.

This stat bonus spread for a Mega Evolution can look incredibly suboptimal for a Trick Room attacker, but don't underestimate it at all. While Trick Room is generally dismissed as a gimmicky strategy at best due to requiring multiple manual setters and a ton of momentum to take advantage of the few turns it's active, when it's a permanent field effect that sets itself as the user switches in, all of its flaws are no longer active; as a result, Mega Slowking can shred offensive teams that can't underspeed and KO it with Pokémon like Choice Specs Magnezone and Ferrothorn, as well as having the capability to take advantage of its bulk to more easily sponge special hits before it even takes them with Calm Mind. Of note is that Slowking still performs its duties as a wall in its base forme quite well, especially with how the EV spread benefits effectively both forms even if they play pretty differently, so like how Sableye doesn't immediately Mega Evolve at times to utilize Prankster, Slowking also appreciates the ability of its base forme to preserve its longevity and wait for an opening to sweep or merely wall better certain threats.

Given how much moving first is one of the most crucial aspects of competitive Pokémon play, Mega Slowking remains as a solid anti-offense tool in the metagame.

« previous page || next page »

« previous page || next page »

Joltemons

Thread | Discord

Taking the concept of Sylvemons, then restarting it from scratch in this same generation, Joltemons is a National Dex-based metagame that aims to refresh the regular metagame by adding or modifying items and changing any Pokémon's type, movepool, or abilities to the discretion of the submitter; the only limitations are that base stats can't be changed and flavor must be adhered to, such as how a new move that involves increasing heat can be deemed appropiate to add to Fire-types, but not so much for Ice-types.

While some Pokémon remain standing out in the metagame like Heatran, the rise of several usually unviable picks makes it play a bit differently, especially with the unusability of Z-Moves (beyond signature ones like Clangorous Soulblaze) compared to regular National Dex, out of the council simply deeming them as competitively questionable even there.

Attribute 1: Collaborative work

Wishiwashi

Wishiwashi-School submission done by AquaticPanic and earl.

As a community where everyone can work on a submission, it's not unheard of for users to work with each other to make a better Pokémon together, even in cases where a Pokémon starts a bit weak and then is reworked by sharing ideas. Core Enforcer suppresses the ability of the opposing Pokémon if the user moves last, and with Wishiwashi's mere base 30 Speed and high SpA, this becomes a potent tool compared to the only vanilla Pokémon that can use it (Zygarde), especially with the switches it forces to break Regenerator cores and weaken certain Pokémon with some prediction. The combination of Intimidate and Scald also renders Wishiwashi quite difficult to break with physical attacks, so it compresses offensive and defensive niches at once.

With about all the tools it could want to quickly gain momentum, it's no surprise that Wishiwashi became one of the most viable Pokémon in the metagame.

Attribute 2: Few but big changes

Galarian Moltres

Galarian Moltres submission done by earl.

On the other extreme of the spectrum, sometimes a low number of changes can get quite far. Lacking a Z-Move does no favors to Galarian Moltres, but it still remained as a decent pick due to its offensive and defensive characteristics being good enough to get the job done, and the mere additions of Regenerator and two utility moves considerably raised its alternatives. Obscene special bulk alongside Regenerator ensures it can constantly come in and pivot, especially against the many Ghost-types it forces out, and it can even compress roles by also acting as a Defogger and spreading chip damage with its STAB attacks and Toxic.

Thanks to such minimal yet considerable changes, Galarian Moltres has gone from a decent Pokémon to one of the most meta-defining forces.

« previous page || next page »

« previous page || next page »

Hoenn Gaiden

Hoenn Gaiden Banner

Banner done by Albatross.

Thread | Discord

Pet Mods have a ton of freedom in terms of what meta they can build from, and Hoenn Gaiden shows it by being based on ADV; as such, the physical / special split that has existed since DPP isn't a factor, and neither are the Fairy type, hidden abilities, and moves introduced after Generation III, among other changes those familiar with Gen III know. However, exceptions were allowed for significant cases that are deemed essential for a submitted Pokémon's function in question; for example, Silvally retains RKS System and Multi-Attack. Submissions for Hoenn Gaiden were mainly restricted depending on the theme of a slate, but beyond that, changes range from adding content from later generations like Pokémon to modifying existing moves and base stats and changing their distribution.

Attribute 1: Retain familiarity

Celebi

Celebi is one of the many Pokémon that hasn't received any changes for the most part yet retains viability. Keeping the capability to run a standard set with minimal changes (namely swapping Hidden Power Grass with Giga Drain) shows that Hoenn Gaiden retains familiarity for regular Gen III players.

Like Joltemons, Hoenn Gaiden provides a metagame alternative for those that would like to try something new in a vanilla meta, and Celebi remains as a potent pick with similar play as in vanilla for those on the other side of the spectrum that want a base of familiarity.

Attribute 2: Mechanic interactions

Silvally-Dark Silvally-Ground Silvally-Grass
Silvally submission done by Yung Dramps.
  • Silvally-Dark @ Dark Memory
  • Ability: RKS System
  • EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
  • Hasty Nature
  • - Multi-Attack
  • - Pursuit
  • - Flamethrower
  • - Explosion
  • Silvally-Ground @ Ground Memory
  • Ability: RKS System
  • EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
  • Jolly Nature
  • - Multi-Attack
  • - Swords Dance
  • - Hidden Power Bug
  • - Explosion
  • Silvally-Grass @ Grass Memory
  • Ability: RKS System
  • EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
  • Modest Nature
  • - Multi-Attack
  • - Ice Beam
  • - Thunderbolt
  • - Flamethrower

As the physical/special split doesn't exist here, Multi-Attack's type-changing aspect raises the versatility of Silvally, as it can be a physical or special move depending on its type, which is further supported by the overall lower power level than usual and Silvally's well-rounded stats, turning Silvally into a solid offensive pick that makes the most of the lack of Team Preview; furthermore, with Explosion being de facto 500 BP here, it's easy to fit such move even when it's not STAB.

Overall, Silvally illustrates how much a Pokémon can change while being in the mechanics of another generation.

Attribute 3: Boosting your favorite Pokémon

Crabominable

Crabominable submission done by The Damned.

In regular metagames, it's not always possible for your favorite Pokémon to be viable, especially alongside another one of your liking, or for it to fit your playstyle. Pet Mods allow everyone to just rework a Pokémon to be usable as they desire, and Crabominable is an excellent example, as the submitter emphasized their liking to it as a Pokémon. Fur Coat turns Crabominable surprisingly bulky, and a decent offensive typing and STAB priority complement it to make progress as the opponent struggles to regain momentum.

It's rather interesting how the liking to a certain Pokémon can be the base for ideas that help build a metagame, especially with Crabominable itself aging well for the most part as the metagame got newer additions and changes.

« previous page || next page »

« previous page

Final Thoughts

Pet Mods have gone so far in terms of both development and popularity across this generation, and only time will tell what they'll look like in the future. It's all thanks to the hard work of the community for hosting, playing, and submitting their creations to the subforum. Regardless of if it's a slate submission to running an entire Pet Mod of your own, any contribution is appreciated to help the Pet Mod community to thrive and grow

.

Pet Mods Forums | Pet Mods Discord

« previous page

HTML by Lumari | Script by Quite Quiet. | Edited Mega Evolution sprites by Hematite, abismal, and inkbug. | BW-style SM sprites by the Smogon Sprite Project.
« Previous Article Next Article »