Power Creeps Impact in Lower Tiers Development
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Art by Albatross.
Introduction
If you're at all familiar with competitive Pokémon, you've likely heard of the term "power creep", though securing a definitive answer for what this means can be tricky. Over nearly thirty years and nine generations of the game series, you would expect for developments to be made, as Pokémon continually get higher base stats to go along with stronger attacks and useful tools like abilities, items, and generational mechanics such as Z-Moves, Dynamax, and Terastallization. However, some of the generation-defining Pokémon like Dragonite, Gliscor, and Zapdos have withstood the test of time and secured their places in the OU tier to this day. So, what exactly has caused some Pokémon like Snorlax to fall from glory as an OU staple to a ZU afterthought, and why didn't that apply to all of its former running mates? Well... power creep. Let's discuss.
UU
This quintet of Pokémon has made quite an impact in the current generation after being previously dominant OU threats. Previously fulfilling many roles on many team structures, these monsters from the past find themselves at home in UU, where they can similarly feast on teams in a metagame that feels a bit like home to them. Greninja, Latios, and Tornadus-T all spent some time in the Ubers tier, with Heatran and Tyranitar not quite making that much of an impression but still being regarded as top OU staples in their debut (and subsequent) generations.
Greninja debuted as a great starter in XY before moving up to Ubers in ORAS because of how uniquely powerful and versatile Protean was, though it did not get much usage, as it was outclassed by other dedicated leads like Darkrai and Deoxys-S. Starting in SM, however, Greninja finally got to see usage in OU as an incredibly diverse offensive piece for teams, using either Protean or its newly acquired Battle Bond to rack up KOs and establish itself among the best in the game. Battle Bond was an especially potent ability upon release, as the massive boosts it gave to Greninja were enough to break through nearly everything outside of Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Toxapex, which could be worn down with entry hazards and VoltTurn cores that naturally fit well with Greninja anyway. In its current state, Greninja is a tad too weak to keep up with the OU metagame, outclassed by many other Water-types like Primarina and Walking Wake, so it functions as a strong wallbreaker and setup sweeper in the UU tier, using either Choice Specs to dish out massive Protean-boosted attacks or Battle Bond to clean games with ease. The boosts provided by Battle Bond make Greninja incredibly effective in reverse-sweeping opposing offenses, often using Protect to avoid First Impression from Lokix and the Speed boost to clean late-game with ease.
Heatran sat in Stark Mountain for who knows how long, waiting to get caught and unleashed in the DPP OU metagame. It did not take long for its ascent to the top of the food chain there, where Heatran's incredible defensive utility and offensive prowess allowed it to excel on many team structures. This remained true for the next four generations, where Heatran routinely found itself in OU as a reliable Pokémon that could fulfill many roles well, though SV saw its decline to UU for several reasons. For starters, Great Tusk and Ting-Lu dominate the OU metagame, making life difficult for Heatran as a defensive cog for teams. Second, Heatran was part of the distribution nerf for Toxic, making it much less versatile and capable on bulkier teams as a whole. And last but not least, the rise of other great Steel-types like Corviknight and Gholdengo has made Heatran less appealing overall. Heatran is not without merit, still capably breaking through teams while providing immense upside as a defensive piece for them, but for now, it's relegated to UU. Magma Storm has been and will continue to be incredibly effective at trapping and wearing down checks like Blissey and Toxapex, especially with Taunt support and Terastallization allowing it to flip its weaknesses as it desires.
Latios was barred to Ubers for its first two generations, clearly too powerful and too imposing to be allowed in OU metagames that couldn't take on its enormously powerful special coverage options in Ice Beam and Thunderbolt as well as Draco Meteor spam in DPP. When it was finally freed into OU in BW, it was quite centralizing, being a premier wallbreaker and utility Pokémon that was very easy to build with. The introduction of Fairy-types began contributing to its decline in ORAS and onwards, though it still had a ton of power and utility that kept it from being relegated to obscurity. Latios is not unfamiliar with UU, having briefly spent time in the tier the past two generations before getting exiled to the ban list in both, but its presence in the meta is stable enough now that it can see usage. Still a dominant force offensively, especially in conjunction with Soul Dew to boost its power further, Latios can take advantage of new tricks up its sleeve that it had not had before. Previously, Latios would struggle to break through special walls like Chansey and Clefable, but with its new access to Flip Turn, it can now pivot comfortably out of these matchups to maintain momentum for its team. This is not enough of a boost, however, as Latios struggles to compete with other powerful Dragon-types for a role on teams in OU, such as Dragapult, Kyurem, and Raging Bolt. Given the abundance of competition in this role, along with other former great Dragon-types like Garchomp and its sibling Latias being relegated to UUBL, Latios has and likely will continue to be a dominant threat in UU for generations to come.
Tornadus-T is an incredible user of the arguably best ability in the series, Regenerator, which it excels at using due to its great Speed tier, utility with moves like Knock Off and Taunt, and ability to pivot around like few others can. Similar to Greninja, Tornadus-T was stuck in the Ubers purgatory in its debut generation of BW, where it was an okay pick for certain team archetypes but was generally outclassed by other metagame staples like Ho-Oh. This, however, changed in the following three generations, where it was a dominant figure in the development of the OU tier, where it could sport an Assault Vest and be incredibly durable and reliable despite its allergy to Stealth Rock. Not just a defensive pivot, Tornadus-T similarly uses its great Speed and longevity to function as a solid setup option, using Nasty Plot and its plethora of coverage moves like Focus Blast and Heat Wave to pick apart Flying-resistant foes. In the SV UU metagame, Tornadus-T continues to use any set to great success, especially Heavy-Duty Boots sets with Taunt and U-turn, bolstering many team structures and providing incredible value against other metagame staples like Excadrill, Hydrapple, and Latios. Defensive sets are incredibly resilient to the tier's bevy of offensive options, and offensive sets use its great Speed to still perform admirably in the face of other previous OU staples like Heatran and Tyranitar.
Tyranitar actually spent a bit of time in RU this generation before running mate Excadrill was freed via DLC, along with plenty of other previous OU staples, which bolstered its usefulness back to UU levels. Anybody who has played any level of competitive Pokémon knows Tyranitar and what it does; it establishes sand to chip down the opposition, threatens massive damage with a plethora of options both physical and special, and uses its own sand to become a special sponge that can take hits and dish them back with ease. Largely considered to be a dominant figure in the ADV OU metagame alongside Spikes setter Skarmory, Tyranitar continues to partner well with Skarmory and other Spikes setters like Greninja and Ogerpon to pressure teams. As mentioned above, Dragon-types are in abundance and creeping their way into lower tiers, making Tyranitar especially useful in SV as a competent check to the aforementioned Latios and other wallbreakers like Hydreigon. While specially defensive Tyranitar is still effective in establishing Stealth Rock and using utility moves like Thunder Wave and Knock Off to great success, Choice Band sets are also quite powerful and can wreak havoc on teams like few other UU Pokémon can. Dragon Dance Tyranitar can be seen as well on offensive structures, though it is generally outclassed as a setup Dark-type by others like Zarude and Weavile.
This group of Pokémon drastically altered the landscape of the current UU metagame, increasing the power level significantly and causing previous staples like Bisharp, Hydreigon, and Salamence to struggle to keep up. Defensive Pokémon that used to slot onto teams comfortably, like Empoleon and Rhyperior, similarly have plummeted from their previous usage with better options in Heatran and Tyranitar around. Overall, the development of UU this generation was fairly drastic, especially with the release of new great Pokémon in Lokix and Quaquaval to similarly compete with previous greats in the tier.
RU
Another solid group of five previous OU staples, all of which are best known for their ability to set up and sweep teams. This group has seen some ebbs and flows as it pertains to their usage, though they have all been established forces in multiple generations and are similarly potent in the current RU metagame. Bisharp, Gyarados, and Salamence are especially dangerous offensive sweepers, with the former using Swords Dance + Sucker Punch to devastate the opposition and the latter two using Dragon Dance + Moxie to accrue boost after boost as they break through teams.
Bisharp bounced between UU and OU its first four generations, though it remained one of the premier Swords Dance sweepers in the game regardless of where it was tiered by usage. With a solid typing in Dark / Steel, Bisharp could routinely find spots to get a boost and threaten to sweep with STAB Sucker Punch, or it could use its similarly devastating Knock Off to hinder the opposition immediately. Despite its claim to fame as a reliable late-game cleaner, SV brought with it a pretty important addition to the Bisharp family tree in Kingambit, arguably the best Pokémon in the current iteration of OU. While this, plus the Knock Off distribution nerf, hindered Bisharp significantly with regards to usage, it did grant the setup fiend a new tool in Eviolite, which bolsters its defenses further and allows it to more easily find and create opportunities to setup and clean games. Bisharp has been a dominant force in the RU metagame every month it has been in the tier, always looming as a capable threat that can win games on its own if afforded the chance.
Gengar was an OU mainstay for most of its career, spending six consecutive generations in the tier before dropping to UU and eventually RU. Despite receiving a significant buff in the form of a Mega Evolution, which was especially notable for its ability to trap and revenge kill many key threats like Arceus, Blissey, and Mega Salamence, Gengar continued to decline in popularity overall, and its base forme inevitably took a back seat to the plethora of other great Ghost-type Pokémon like Ceruledge, Dragapult, and Gholdengo. Still a competent threat, Gengar can turn back the clock to its previous ADV-esque glory and use its great utility in Thunder Wave, Toxic Spikes, and Will-O-Wisp to provide teams more than just a great wallbreaker option. However, more often than not, you'll see Choice Scarf Gengar used as a means of dishing out fast and powerful attacks, occasionally making trades where needed via Destiny Bond or performing major tomfoolery using Trick to disrupt the bulkier Pokémon in the metagame like Chansey and Umbreon.
Gyarados actually fell all the way to the NU tier, where it was glaringly obvious that it was too strong and swiftly relegated to the ban list. Though it did not make the cut for RU by usage, it still finds a role on teams seeking powerful setup options that can capitalize on Terastallization to break through even the sturdiest of checks, notably using Tera Blast Flying to give itself that STAB attack it has so desired since its release eons ago. While the previously great defensive and utility sets, such as the DPP RestTalk set that was capable of racking up entry hazard chip on the opponent's team with ease, have fallen out of favor, Gyarados is still seen occasionally using its utility options to enable it further, using Taunt and Thunder Wave to disrupt and provide additional opportunities for its teammates to setup.
Salamence was an immediately imposing figure in competitive Pokémon upon its release, establishing itself as a premier threat in its debut generation of ADV before becoming even more monstrous in DPP where it got sent to Ubers. While it still has the base stats and incredible offensive prowess it always has, such as tossing out strong STAB attacks like Draco Meteor, Hurricane, and Outrage, Salamence does fall behind the other great Dragon-types like Haxorus, Garchomp, and Roaring Moon. This has not stopped it from being an imposing figure in the current RU metagame, however, as mixed attacker sets can dish out massive damage against much of the tier, while it can use Roost to maintain health and function as a great defensive tool for teams as well. Dragon Dance Salamence is similarly dominant at times, using Lum Berry to even break through some of its checks in Slowbro and Galarian Weezing becoming nigh unwallable after just one or two boosts.
Suicune continues to use two patented sets, CroCune and VinCune, to great success in RU. While Entei is technically the highest tiered of the three Johto dogs currently, Suicune certainly made more of an impression over the years and has remained a polarizing option for teams looking to use its great bulk and Speed to set up and win. While ADV Suicune could often outmuscle even the bulkiest of special walls in Blissey, current iterations of Calm Mind Suicune struggle to break through many other great Calm Mind setup sweepers, such as Slowbro and Reuniclus, both of which can threaten to beat it using the new attack Psychic Noise, which stops Leftovers recovery and goes through Suicune's Substitute. On top of this, the expanded distribution of Knock Off means Suicune is much likelier to find itself being forced out or concede its Leftovers, making the thought of using it harder to quantify. Despite this, though, Suicune is still an established threat and can consistently perform well, finding plenty of matchups where it can at minimum rack up lots of damage and open its teammates up to win in its place.
While RU was no stranger to great offensive Pokémon over the years, such as Durant, Mega Blastoise, and Sigilyph, the new additions to the tier have made quite an impression on the metagame as a whole. With the power level of RU allowing threats like Salamence to roam freely, defensive staples like Bronzong, Milotic, and Registeel have taken a massive hit in their viability (as well as the Recover PP nerf and their best move, Toxic, being slashed from their moveset). Great offensive Pokémon like Mismagius, Salazzle, and Virizion have seen practically zero usage in the current RU meta, falling massively despite their previous success. Newer staples to the tier also exist and have directly replaced certain Pokémon, such as Slither Wing being a much better version of Heracross and Galarian Zapdos outclassing... well, basically every other Fighting- and Flying-type.
NU
Occupying the NU tier are three former defensive greats; Bronzong performed well in its debut generation of DPP, while Flygon and Swampert stuck together in OU through their first two generations before beginning the slow descent to NU. Bronzong and Swampert are known for their capabilities as offensive Stealth Rock setters with defensive traits that are quite enticing, similar to Flygon for having combined Electric and Ground immunities, though it's not without saying that over the years, they fell out of favor to better Pokémon that could do their jobs more effectively. However, these three should not be disregarded in the current generation, all functioning as capable defensive and offensive pieces that can fit on many team structures. Breloom, meanwhile, is an offensive powerhouse that has enough oomph to break through most of the metagame. Suffering from a case of insomnia (sleep ban in SV), Breloom tumbled to NU where it has found a spot as one of the premier wallbreakers in the tier.
Breloom took a dive in SV, partly because of its typing not being as valuable anymore but also because of the sleep ban implementation and threats like Gholdengo rendering it much less effective as a whole. While Breloom has always been difficult to check as a wallbreaker because of its access to Spore, letting it use SubPunch sets that could even 2HKO Zapdos and Skarmory in ADV, it really began to find a role in future generations as a Technician user that could use STAB priority in Mach Punch and as a Poison Heal user that had both excellent longevity and immediate wallbreaking power. As a Fighting-type that did not fear Scald burns and a Dark-resistant Pokémon that could comfortably afford to take Knock Off attempts after it activated its Toxic Orb, Breloom offered a lot of key defensive traits that helped enable it and its teammates. Breloom also got to take advantage of its STAB Mach Punch being boosted further by Technician, which also boosted Rock Tomb as a great coverage move to nail Fire- and Flying-types that expect to switch in and sponge its STAB moves. Breloom's role in NU is still largely as an offensive behemoth, where it maintains its effectiveness as a wallbreaker using Choice Band sets to dish out massive damage in conjunction with Technician-boosted Mach Punch. Poison Heal and Loaded Dice sets can often afford to forego the immediate power and run Bulk Up or Swords Dance, which can be quite devastating once its checks like Chandelure and Galarian Slowbro are worn down or taken out. In NU, Breloom does struggle to find a place on teams, as it competes with other great Fighting-types like Mienshao, Paldean Tauros-F and -W, and Toxicroak.
Bronzong remains a great defensive Pokémon after all these years, leveraging its Steel / Psychic typing in conjunction with Levitate to give teams an incredible amount of resistances in one slot. While DPP Bronzong could function as a competent dedicated lead, using Stealth Rock and Explosion to open up the way for offensive setup teammates like Dragonite and Gyarados in the back, or establishing its own Trick Room to use a powerful Gyro Ball, more recent iterations of this Pokémon can be seen on dedicated stall teams or using its own setup moves in Calm Mind and Iron Defense to allow it to perform that role instead. Utility sets are still quite effective in establishing entry hazards and sponging a plethora of attacks. Bronzong also suffers from a Steel-type nerf, where it was previously able to resist Ghost to overcome its Psychic typing. What really makes Bronzong shine in NU is how well it matches up into the metagame as a whole; Flygon, which is discussed below, is a dominant setup sweeper that can barely scratch Bronzong without sacrificing its overall effectiveness by using moves like Fire Punch and Throat Chop, much like other offensive options in Dragalge and Munkidori. On top of this, Bronzong excels on Spikes-stacking teams with Gastrodon providing another great defensive presence, as Bronzong can avoid Spikes completely in a hazard war if needed, while Gastrodon has reliable recovery and can afford to use Sticky Hold to preserve its Heavy-Duty Boots.
Flygon suffers quite a bit from the Defog, Roost, and Toxic distribution nerf, losing three important pieces of its arsenal and rendering it less effective in its many capabilities. While these three were pretty important for earlier iterations of Flygon; Toxic helped Flygon excel on so-called "Superman" teams in ADV, which capitalized on its Electric, Ground, sand, and Spikes immunities along with a resistance to the powerful Rock-type attacks thrown out by Aerodactyl and Tyranitar, while Defog + Roost gave it great longevity in BW and ORAS especially. Choice Band and Choice Scarf sets are great in giving Flygon the extra power or Speed needed to function as a wallbreaker and speed control option, and Dragon Dance sets can still run away with games, especially in conjunction with its newly acquired Loaded Dice + Scale Shot combination to provide extra Speed boosting while dishing out damage. Defensive pivot sets are effective at establishing Stealth Rock and providing safe entry points for its teammates via U-turn. Overall, Flygon has established itself as more of a staple on offense teams in NU than it previously had, though it suffers from the aforementioned abundance of better Dragon-types being available and just being generally weak with base 100 Attack and 80 Special Attack. It can still use its Bronzong-esque defensive utility as a Pokémon resistant to the EdgeQuake combination, which, in conjunction with a Fire resistance, gives it plenty of valuable resistances that it can use in its favor defensively or offensively.
Swampert broke onto the scene in a major way in its debut generation of ADV, using its great defensive typing and bulk to withstand the onslaught of strong offensive attacks levied by the likes of Aerodactyl and Tyranitar. In conjunction with Leftovers and Protect, as well as a key immunity to sand chip damage, Swampert was a seemingly unbreakable wall and practically mandatory bring if you didn't want your team to fold to these Rock-type wallbreakers. Following its stellar debut, Swampert got access to Stealth Rock in DPP, where it used its bulk to similarly check much of the tier while helping maintain entry hazards. Swampert began its descent into UU after these two generations however, finding it difficult to use its bulk against the gradually increasing power of the OU metagame. Offensive sets had upside as well, using its strong STAB attacks in Earthquake and Hydro Pump to dish out big damage and occasionally opting to run Ice Beam to nail Dragon- and Grass-types like Salamence and Breloom hard. While it is often relegated to being a defensive utility piece now, it should be noted that Swampert can use Flip Turn and Knock Off to help prevent itself from being too passive in-game, often removing pesky Heavy-Duty Boots from its defensive checks and providing safe entry points for teammates after it sponges attacks for them. Swampert is still a classic jack-of-all-trades type of Pokémon, not particularly excelling in any one role but being good in many.
The NU metagame has been drastically changed this generation, with many highly rated Pokémon like Passimian and Weezing completely disappearing from the tier. Bronzong and Swampert are notable upgrades from previous Stealth Rock setters like Copperajah and Mudsdale, respectively, and Flygon has found itself near the top of the food chain as an offensive option that surpasses previous greats like Druddigon and Silvally-Ground. Some notable new Pokémon that have taken place as NU staples include Kilowattrel, Munkidori, and Overqwil, which are equivalent or better in their roles to Pokémon like Raikou, Salazzle, and Skuntank.
PU
This trio of Pokémon has broken onto the scene in PU, using their great typings and defensive traits to excel as key members of many team compositions. Arcanine has long been theorized as good, having tantalizing traits such as Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp, though it finds itself being more offensively inclined with Curse and Extreme Speed here. Rotom-H and Venusaur are bulky options that can use their typing and access to recovery to cause mayhem as defensive or offensive cogs for teams as needed.
Arcanine did not have much of an impact upon its release, struggling to make an impression for the first three generations before finding a role in DPP UU as an effective wallbreaker and bulky setup sweeper. While people tried (and failed) to use its nice combination of Intimidate and status spreading with Toxic and Will-O-Wisp in ADV, it wasn't until DPP that it could use these traits, along with Morning Sun for reliable recovery, to great success. With a plethora of great Fire-types being released over the years, such as Incineroar, Talonflame, and Volcanion, Arcanine has struggled to secure a slot consistently on teams. This has changed a lot in SV, however, as the extremely powerful Tera Normal Curse + Extreme Speed variant of Arcanine has established itself among the best offensive options in the PU metagame, routinely using its bulk to set up and sweep teams. Choice Band sets are also capable of racking up massive damage, with the new Raging Fury allowing Arcanine to avoid contact effects like Static from Bellibolt and Rocky Helmet from Qwilfish. Defensive variants still exist and function capably, but passing up on such an offensive powerhouse can be difficult to justify.
Rotom-H was a solid spinblocker prior to receiving the Fire typing that it now appreciates immensely. Positioning itself among the most important members of the metagame in DPP, Rotom-H started off strong before dropping to UU in the next generation, where it remained there until plummeting in SV. Defensive and offensive sets have always been consistent and reliable, leveraging Rotom-H's unique defensive characteristics to provide a lot of utility and valuable resistances for teams, while threatening to pivot or set up offensively to great success. In PU, Rotom-H excels at using this set variety to its advantage, threatening to use Trick to give a Choice item to unsuspecting walls like Florges and Rhydon, or using Terastallization to allow itself to boost with Nasty Plot and Pain Split to offset any damage it takes in the process.
Venusaur is another diverse option that has fulfilled many roles over the years, using Chlorophyll to occasionally set up and sweep teams on sun builds or using bulky Leech Seed sets to wear down foes more gradually. With a career trajectory similar to Arcanine, Venusaur also started off pretty poorly before climbing to OU in BW, where it then plummeted to RU and stayed there (with a visit to UU in SS) until SV. Venusaur has often thrived using bulkier utility sets, maintaining health with the combination of Giga Drain, Leech Seed, and Synthesis, while using attacks like Knock Off and Sludge Bomb to disrupt. Truly peaking in ORAS RU, where it is known alongside Flygon as dominant figures in the metagame, Venusaur brings with it similar characteristics in SV PU. Offensive sun sets are tricky to maneuver with due to a Drought ban in effect, which makes the defensive set the more viable of the two in the current metagame. However, Chlorophyll Venusaur is still an especially polarizing threat, capable of using Terastallization to give itself STAB Weather Ball in sun that, with just one Growth boost, can potentially sweep entire teams.
As the lowest official tier, one would expect the power level in PU to be quite low; for a while this was true, but legitimate threats like the three listed here are just scratching the surface of what to expect in this tier. Wallbreakers like Golurk, Hoopa, and Toxtricity are other notable threats in the metagame, as well as defensive stalwarts like Bellibolt, Coalossal, and Copperajah. The general pace of the tier skews in either direction depending on the matchup, as offense can use Arcanine and friends to overwhelm a majority of team structures, while bulkier squads with Florges and Wo-Chien can similarly wall many of the threats as well.
ZU
Despite ZU's status as an unofficial tier, it has quite a few Pokémon that even casual fans would recognize as previous superstars in the series. Charizard is one of the most iconic Pokémon, of course, but Snorlax and Tauros also probably stand out to people who couldn't tell you what an EV is. Jolteon is not as notable for its previous competitive play, though it was a solid choice in RBY and ADV OU, and it is an Eeveelution and quite popular. Shaymin has the classic 600 BST distribution that other Mythical Pokémon have received, like Jirachi and Mew, but struggles to make the most of it because of its mediocre Grass typing and reliance on an inaccurate STAB move to do much damage.
Charizard has always struggled to make an impact, competing with another great Fire-type in Moltres early in its career, as well as this thing called Stealth Rock that it was severely allergic to pre-Heavy-Duty Boots. While it did see some usage in OU back in ADV, sometimes using offensive sets with Beat Up to break through Blissey on special offense teams or bringing Substitute + Focus Punch for similar breaking power, it never quite made an impact in future generations like this. RBY NU does run through Charizard, however, as it threatens to dominate the tier after a Swords Dance thanks to its access to Earthquake. In the current ZU landscape, Charizard is a premier offensive option and among the best Pokémon in the entire tier, functioning as an excellent wallbreaker with difficult-to-sponge STAB moves in Flamethrower and Hurricane. Niche physically oriented sets can try to use Dragon Dance or Belly Drum, though both are far inferior to its special sets.
Jolteon is a dynamic pivot option for teams, leveraging its excellent Speed tier to overcome its frailty. Volt Absorb has long allowed Jolteon to excel as an Electric-type for teams, helping shore up matchups against Raikou and Zapdos. Jolteon was notable in earlier generations as one of the fastest Pokémon prior to the introduction of the Choice Scarf, which allowed it to comfortably pivot out of unfavorable matchups with Baton Pass against threats like Dugtrio in ADV while also passing Growth boosts in GSC. Calm Mind Jolteon can sometimes position itself late-game to clean up weakened teams, though it does suffer from the "can't take two hits from anything" plague that often comes at the expense of being really fast. Jolteon does find itself using Heavy-Duty Boots pivot sets in ZU to great success, however, as it can still hit decently hard without boosts and provides a lot of upside as a pivot when partnered with Pokémon like Mesprit. The Choice Specs variant is used as a fast wallbreaker, though it does get worn down by entry hazards at the expense of being more immediately threatening.
Shaymin was an interesting Pokémon upon release, receiving the Mythical Pokémon stat line of base 100 in each stat but struggling to make use of it because of its inferior mono-Grass typing. While this did hold it back a fair amount, it had plenty of bulk to make use of RestTalk sets with Hidden Power Fire or Ice in DPP, though it was still generally outclassed by Celebi in most regards. Over the years, Shaymin got gradually better, with great utility and coverage options like Air Slash, Earth Power, and Healing Wish giving it some nice tools, though it still never had the necessary stats to be great. Seed Flare is a really powerful attack but is essentially Shaymin's only great offensive trait, unless you use the incredibly niche Swords Dance sets. Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, and Life Orb sets have their merits, with good showings in previous UU and RU metagames like in ORAS and SM, respectively, because of Shaymin's respectable Speed and power, though neither give enough of a boost to push Shaymin beyond relative obscurity in current official metagames. In its current form, Shaymin can be a powerful wallbreaker and solid speed control option with a Choice Scarf. Seed Flare is incredibly threatening if Shaymin secures the Special Defense drop against even solid checks like Muk and Orthworm, and it uses its coverage attacks quite well to hit most of the metagame effectively. Natural Cure allows Shaymin to function as a good status absorber, and Healing Wish can further support teams that want to use offensive setup sweepers like the Oricorio-formes and Qwilfish to win late-game.
Snorlax is among the most beloved and recognizable Pokémon of all time, using its charming physique (of which it has a lot to charm with) to trick you into submission before using Curse and threatening massive damage on everything while taking little damage from whatever is thrown its way. As one of the most dominant figures in a metagame of all time in GSC OU, Snorlax is no stranger to making waves across competitive Pokémon, especially in earlier generations where it was pivotal in the development of the first three generations as a whole. It took a few generations to see its plummet to ZU, where it finds a home as a solid defensive piece that can still dish out big damage as a setup threat, but it struggles with the continuous increase of Close Combat spammers and strong physical attackers as a whole. Snorlax also struggles to maintain the health needed to check special wallbreakers like Charizard and Clawitzer, as it can get worn down quickly by entry hazards, which isn't easy to recover through Leftovers alone without great hazard removal support, making its seemingly immense bulk much less than it appears to be during games. Ghost-types not being scared of being Pursuit trapped by teammates like Houndoom and Tyranitar also hinders Snorlax significantly, as Palossand can shut down most CurseLax sets, while other Ghost-types like Mismagius and Oricorio-G have means of beating Snorlax as well. IronPress Regirock also makes it much harder for any Snorlax set to get going, as it gets completely shut down in the matchup.
Tauros is much like its Normal-type counterpart in Snorlax, being quite pivotal in RBY before falling out of favor for similar reasons. However, Tauros is a lot faster and can be much more threatening, especially with Sheer Force + Life Orb giving it even more power in BW. Body Slam paralysis is a devastating secondary effect coming off such great power prior to Sheer Force, though, which is partly why it was not allowed in UU for either GSC or ADV. While it does not see as much usage in ZU as of late, it can still dish out massive damage and uses its great Speed tier to threaten much of the metagame, making it a niche but good option for teams that want immediate power.
While ZU does not hold an official status as of yet, the power increase in the tier can certainly not be considered low when in comparison to previous generations. Many Pokémon that used to excel in ZU, like not fully evolved Eviolite wielders Clefairy, Gurdurr, Pawniard, and Piloswine, are total afterthoughts, where even fully evolved Pokémon like Electivire and Magmortar struggle to find slots on teams. This tier may not seem like much now, but show it to an older player who once battled with these Pokémon in RBY, GSC, or ADV, and they'll certainly recall what kind of monsters they were in their former states.
Conclusion
Power creep as a whole is still an ambiguous subject, as there are plenty of factors beyond base stat totals that contribute to the rise and fall of former greats, such as move distribution changing over time and generational mechanics propelling new Pokémon to the forefront. While some iconic Pokémon like Dragonite and Zapdos can withstand the test of time and remain relevant in OU, others like Breloom and Snorlax gradually succumbed to the effects of being outperformed in their roles by newer threats that come about. Maybe one day we'll see the current titans of OU like Great Tusk and Kingambit even fall from glory, though it remains to be seen what the future has in store for us.
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