Strategy vs Style: Rating OU Cores Based on Synergy in Battle and Looks
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Art by Cresselia92.
Introduction
Estronic
Building an OU team without cores is like jumping into a soccer game immediately after getting a full roster. Any team, no matter the context, requires actual synergy to make an impact on the opponent. Luckily, subjects to computer programming, Pokemon don't need to worry about building up synergy with a partner Pokemon; however, it's up to you to make a pair of Pokemon that can be effective in battle. There exist many of these Pokemon cores in OU that can excel in many aspects thanks to one Pokemon covering for the other. These cores can take on many roles, but has anyone thought about how the two Pokemon in their core look together? In this article, Mellow and I will be looking at a couple cores and judging them by how they fare competitively and fashionably, with Mellow analyzing them in battle while I see if they can walk the runway.
Chansey + Mega Sableye
Mellow
Chansey and Mega Sableye synergize very well and are the basis for many stall teams in the tier. Chansey is incredibly bulky, so one of the easier ways to get past it is by chipping it down with hazards. Mega Sableye, however, makes setting hazards much more difficult with Magic Bounce, denying arguably the best hazard setter in the tier in Ferrothorn and generally dissuading others from setting up their hazards, even if Mega Sableye doesn't reliably beat them. Mega Sableye can also switch into Mega Medicham, one of the best ways to break through the pink blob.
Estronic
While Chansey and Mega Sableye create a practically unbreakable wall together, it certainly is quite an ugly wall. None of their qualities fit well with their partner's, making this core feel all over the place. Mega Sableye ruby eyes bear no comparison to Chansey's dots for pupils, making an uncomfortable clash between style and simplicity, and Chansey's plump body feels awkward next to Mega Sableye gremlin-like figure. Their color choice doesn't really match together as well, which is surprising considering pink and purple aren't really a bad color combination alongside a tint of ruby. Then again, even with good color choices, it can still seem mismatched with designs that have very different moods. Perhaps the only redeeming quality this core has is the fact that both Chansey and Mega Sableye are holding on to something, an egg and a jewel, respectively. However, even with this parallel, the clear difference in size between these items make the comparison quite the stretch. In the end, Chansey and Mega Sableye heavily lack any similarities between each other that would make the core somewhat stylish, leaving both of them very uninteresting and outright ugly together. I’d love to keep talking about this couple, but I would honestly just be stalling you guys too much.
Ash-Greninja + Mega Lopunny
Mellow
As far as offensive cores go, you can't really get much better than Ash-Greninja and Mega Lopunny. They share common checks in Toxapex, Tapu Fini, and Tangrowth, meaning they can wear down these checks for each other. This increases twofold when you consider Ash-Greninja's ability to lay Spikes and the core's ability to force so many switches through offensive pressure, racking up even more chip damage. The two are also incredibly fast and even have strong priority, often ridding the team they find themselves on of the necessity of a Choice Scarf user.
Estronic
In the real world, a frog paired with a rabbit might look odd considering their different sizes; however, if you make them masters at ninjutsu and kung-fu, these animals create quite the dynamic duo, funnily enough. Even while tearing apart teams in battle, Ash-Greninja and Mega Lopunny look very stylish while doing so together. The fighting spirit aesthetics of both of their designs mesh quite well, making them look like a killer tag team, though being humanoids does help them a bit. Their rhythmic movements together also do touch up the pairing like a cherry on top; moreover, thanks to their similar movements, their implied similar personalities are bolstered to even greater heights. Just the fact that both Ash-Greninja and Mega Lopunny are ready to engage in whatever fight they need to helps their case in being a stylish combo, though there are some features of both that keep them from being the best of the best. For one, their color palettes aren't anything too amazing; the deep blue of Ash-Greninja isn't the best color to pair with Mega Lopunny's coffee brown. Additionally, their heads aren't what you be calling similar when you look at them side by side. Compared to Mega Lopunny, Ash-Greninja's head is quite large, and the stylistic choices of it are much more complex. Whatever the case may be, however, Ash-Greninja and Mega Lopunny still pull out as a good-looking duo that desperately needs to kick some butt together.
Pelipper + Mega Swampert
Mellow
As classic a combination as bread and butter, all good rain teams are built around this core. Pelipper sets up rain for Mega Swampert with Drizzle, doubling Mega Swampert's Speed and making it a terrifying wallbreaker and cleaner. Pelipper can also provide Mega Swampert with opportunities to switch in thanks to its good bulk, allowing it to take hits, and access to U-turn to bring Mega Swampert in. Mega Swampert also sports a nice Electric-type immunity, allowing it to pivot into Tapu Koko and Magnezone for Pelipper.
Estronic
Being the same type definitely makes them look good together, but there are so many more attributes that make Pelipper and Mega Swampert a stylish tag team. Both designs may have taken inspiration from different animals, but they both still look good for their looks, considering that both of those animal are aquatic one way or another. Their simplistic yet expressive eyes are also a great example of how they are alike, capable of somehow showing emotion in more ways than one. Additionally, Pelipper's round, bulging beak fits well with Mega Swampert's similarly round and bulky arms, despite those body parts being completely different in function. Looking at it on a broader scale, however, this pairing can get the job done with them taking on different altitudes together. There's always going to be a pairing you'll see once and a while that has one holding it down on the ground while the other soars the skies, and this pairing is no exception, though one might hold down their own domain better than the other thanks to their Anchor Arms (I'm sure you can assume which one I'm talking about). Their colors are also well fitting between each other; in fact, they might just have the best color pairing out of all the cores on this list. Overall, for being the most defining rain core of OU, it's no surprise that Pelipper and Mega Swampert got the drip together.
Reuniclus + Toxapex
Mellow
This pairing is somewhat of commensal relationship; it mainly benefits Reuniclus, but nonetheless it is a classic balance core. The main premise is Toxapex's ability to spread around poison with Toxic Spikes, crippling Pokemon that Reuniclus forces in and struggles with otherwise like Ash-Greninja, Mega Tyranitar, and Volcarona. Toxapex can also switch into the majority of Reuniclus's checks like the ones mentioned prior (bar Mega Tyranitar), as well as Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Hydreigon.
Estronic
Magnetism may not be the most popular and interesting topic to learn about, but it doesn't take hardcore studying to know from magnets that opposites can attract. That being said, Reuniclus and Toxapex is a pairing so contrasting that it somehow works fashionably well. Reuniclus's round form together with Toxapex's spikes is so unorthodox that they both fit like glue. The contrast between Reuniclus's arm things(?) and Toxapex's thorny skin is what really what makes these opposites attract; moreover, their design choices are also really cool together, with Reuniclus's transparent body to show off its inner part juxtaposing Toxapex's shell to hide itself in. Two sides of a coin give it its worth, you know. Additionally, I'm aware that every one of these sections has me talking about color pairings, but color is a very important part of fashionable synergy. Has orange pants with a blue shirt looked good on someone before? I don't think so. Anyways, while Reuniclus's and Toxapex's aren't exactly what you would call the same, they both roll in style with rather cool, soft colors. Reuniclus rocks some light greens sprinkled with other colors in the spectrum, whereas Toxapex chills with a light sky blue highlighted with tints of very light red. Together, they make a very vibrant color mesh very pleasant to the eye. In conclusion, while Reuniclus and Toxapex have any concrete similarities with each other, their contrasts and color scheme really make them shine as a pairing in a unique way. Who knew that a blob of slime and sea urchin can look so good?
Tapu Koko + Hawlucha
Mellow
Tapu Koko helps Hawlucha's setup immensely; it sets up Electric Terrain so Hawlucha has a consistent way to activate Unburden in Electric Seed, which also provides a Defense boost to give it more setup opportunities. Additionally, Tapu Koko's switch-ins tend to be Grass-types like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu and Ground-types like Landorus-T and Gliscor, which it can pivot Hawlucha in on pretty safely, as they typically can't do much to it. And in case that wasn't enough, on some hyper offense teams, Tapu Koko can even set up dual screens for Hawlucha to give it even more setup opportunities.
Estronic
Tapu Koko and Hawlucha already are an infamous and hated duet in OU, but do they have the looks to make up for it? Well, they are both based on birds, so there has to be some synergy there, right? Unfortunately, however, fashionably pairing Tapu Koko and Hawlucha is like pairing an eagle with a hummingbird. Yeah, they’re both bird-based Pokemon, but their designs are so vastly different that the facts they’re both birds doesn’t matter anymore. Tapu Koko technically isn’t even a bird, since it seems like the only bird aspect of it is that shell thing it hides in and whatever else it does with it. Hawlucha, on the other hand, is more closely designed as an actual bird; in fact, its humanoid aspect is nearly equivalent in amount compared to its bird aspect. Both these Pokemon in general just don't have any aesthetic synergy together whatsoever, since their designs clash together poorly due to having no similar qualities. It's not like their contrasts can be redeemable like Reuniclus and Toxapex, either; their designs have no true opposites and therefore just don't look good together. Their color palettes aren't doing them any real favors, as well. Tapu Koko's electric and energetic color scheme isn't too electrifying next to Hawlucha's interesting costume-like colors. However, there is still some light in this pairing if both of them are shiny, considering how it gives them slick black color schemes. In the end, though, some birds aren't meant to fly together, and it's best for this pair to take that advice if they want to look somewhat attractive.
Final Thoughts
Estronic
I hope that this article opens your eyes to how your cores, or even your teams, look together aesthetically. It's definitely not the most important thing to have, but it's always nice to think about when building cores to be the best competitively. Just remember that building a core solely based off of their style isn't the best idea if you want to climb the ladder. Trying to make an Emolga and Dedenna work together just because they look really cute together would be silly.
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