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Art by LifeisDANK.
It isn't unheard of for an OM to get a room on Pokémon Showdown!, but for one to go "Zero to hero just like that!", is something special. ZeroUsed is an unofficial usage-based tier beneath PU and recently became a public room on Pokémon Showdown!. The new room has sparked exponential growth within the ZeroUsed community, as it is a focal point for all things ZeroUsed. The room itself centralizes around metagame discussion, battling, and projects such as the room tournaments leaderboard and bi-weekly ZU CCATs. Although the room is still fresh, you will find yourself engrossed in the ever-expanding community that is ZeroUsed.
The room being the focal point of all things ZU makes it an easy place for players to discuss the current metagame. Seeing how ZeroUsed is the newest unofficial tier, the room constantly gets many new visitors. It is up to room staff to welcome new players and introduce them to the tier's resources, as well as answer any questions. Specifically, new users are encouraged to view the room intro, as it acts as an information hub and resource directory. Moreover, the room also provides a place for experienced players to discuss the metagame in greater depth. For example, a specific Pokémon's place in the tier, which archetypes are most or least successful, which Pokémon define a style, and where a specific Pokémon should be on the Viability Rankings are all common topics of discussion.
In the time that the tier loses its rotational ladder, the ZeroUsed room becomes a sort of battle plaza. New users will notice the high activity of room tournaments that try to fill the void of ladder battles. Room tournaments have no official scheduled times, but they are frequently set up, and room staff typically create tournaments upon request. Moreover, challenging or accepting challenges from other players is another great way to find battles. The room is filled with users seeking to test their teams, immerse themselves in the tier, or simply have fun. Even when the monthly ladder returns, the room maintains high activity for battles. Thus, battling is a great way to get to meet other users and become involved in the ZeroUsed room.
The ZeroUsed room has its fair share of activities that serve new users and room regulars alike. The room's activities help to introduce teambuilding fundamentals, encourage battling, and lead to greater participation within the room through more major projects.
For example, CCATs (Community Create-A-Teams) are hosted bi-weekly in the room Thursdays at 4pm EDT. Typically, users will vote on a core and build around it with the help of room staff. The aim of this project to teach players the fundamentals of teambuilding, help users interact with each other, and produce a battle-ready team. For more teambuilding help, rating teams is another common activity in the room. It is as simple as pasting a team into the chat and asking for others to review it.
As stated previously, the ZeroUsed room becomes a sort of battle plaza in the downtime of the rotational ladder. Subsequently, the room tournaments leaderboard project was created. For every room tournament, the winner, runner-up, and semifinalists are awarded a specific number of points. By the end of the month, the two users with the highest number of points will be crowned winners. First place receives "Gold ZU Tournament Champion" and second place receives "Silver ZU Tournament Champion"; two exclusive roles in the ZU Discord. After each month the cycle resets, and the room's bots keep track of all points.
Involvement in the room often extends past room-exclusive activities such as room tournaments and teambuilding. Forum-based activities such as the Good Cores project, OM Teambuilding Shop, and the ZU Seasonal as well as the ZU Discord can be accessed through the room intro. Naturally, any project or tournament hosted on Smogon will be advertised in the room to give users a chance to participate. In addition, more activities are being planned for when the monthly ladder returns and as the room continues to grow.
For those aiming for that prestigious + beside their name or those just looking to have a good time in the room, knowing how to be a good contributor to the room will set you apart from the rest of the pack. It is vital that one know what it means to contribute. Keeping the chat on topic, aiding metagame discussion, helping to answer users' questions, and engaging actively with other users are all excellent ways to contribute. In addition, the room also makes it easy for users to contribute via room FAQs. This tool can be used to directly link other users to on-site resources. Simply type in "/rfaq" to get the list of commands for respective resources such as the Viability Rankings or Role Compendium. However, simply knowing how to contribute won't make you a good contributor to the room.
Naturally, a good contributor is a nice and approachable user. Moreover, they have the metagame knowledge and are active users in the room who can help others whenever needed. It doesn't take much to be a mature user who is also affable. The ZeroUsed staff tries to create a friendly and fun environment for all users to take part in. As such, it is encouraged that new users spend time in the room to know the ins and outs on how to carry themselves. In a nutshell, a good contributor will conduct themselves in a manner that benefits both themselves and the room.
I began playing on Pokémon Showdown back in 2011 after I saw it on Adamant Ditto. I was your typical low-ladder Ubers player, not using a single status move because 'why would I Swords Dance instead of just attacking twice?' After half a year of playing or so, I took a break for 5 or 4 years, coming back in August 2016. I began making some videos for a now-dead YouTube channel and was drawn to LC, as I tried to get my hands on some analyses. Due to how new I was and how I wasn't very familiar with the meta yet, I obviously failed, but when Sun & Moon was released a few months later, I tried again. I quickly picked up on how to write them and made my way into the QC team and got a badge in a few months of hard work. I kept it up for about half a year, but I grew bored of LC. By now, I've all but completely quit that meta, but I still really appreciate that community for giving me a chance and am still an analysis writer at my core.
I am a 19-year-old second year mathematics student at the Delft University of Technology, which is one of, if not the, biggest universities in the Netherlands. I play badminton, though I haven't been able to recently due to injuries, and game a lot. I play everything from platformers like Celeste, Nintendo games like Mario, Zelda, and of course Pokémon, visual novels like Danganronpa, and whatever online game is popular at the moment, like League of Legends, Overwatch, or Fortnite.
Interestingly, the same YouTube channel that got me into LC also drove me to ZU. I wanted to make a video on Ursaring, and I happened to find out about the existence of a tier below PU where it was actually viable. With help from 5gen and Froasty, I built my original TR team (which ended up having some variant as a sample for many months) and made a post about it on our third-party forums. I kept up activity and got onto the Rotating Council, becoming the major advocate for Crabominable's ban, and Council once ZU exited beta. Two months later, our former TL Chinese Pooh stepped down right before the release of USM, and 5gen ended up offering me the spot.
Compared to all other metas, ZU is growing incredibly quickly, which provides an interesting dynamic within the community. Everyday, new people join the room and the Discord, who are then offered information by some of our voices. Some of those remain with us and continue to show activity. Then, a few weeks later, they are the ones offering information to new users. This can go faster in ZU than anywhere else because of the constant flow of new users.
My biggest struggle is probably to actually remain serious. I tend to joke around more than I actually fulfill my duties as an RO and I have to actually push myself to be serious enough to keep the room under control fully. Luckily, our staff is real good, so I'm not alone.
Outside of my time zone being quite different, meaning I'm on at very different times, I am a Room Owner that doesn't say a lot. I respond to questions and give tours when asked, but most of the time I'll be quiet.
The main things I look for in voices are metagame knowledge and willingness to help. If they aim to become driver, I expect them to show a high level of maturity and activity. I expect my drivers to be some of the most relevant members in the room and it's hard work to become that.
My favorite thing is seeing new users join and enjoy the tier that I, the other ROs, and our staff put so much work into. It's an incredibly rewarding feeling to see people enjoy the fruits of that effort, and I'm very happy that it's a possibility.
Another thing that has been really fun have been the ZU OM tours that Aaronboyer has been hosting recently. I've personally seen ZU AAA, ZU Mix and Mega, and ZU 1v1, but I also believe he's been doing other ones, and I really enjoy them. They're a great way to look at the meta in a bit of a different light.
The most important thing to do right now is expand ZU's resource library. Especially Diagnostic and Froasty have been putting in a ton of effort towards that goal and I'm very thankful, as it has been making it much easier for new people to join. Otherwise, the main thing we're doing is enjoying our tier and helping others enjoy it in whatever way we can!
Yeah, sure. This is an offensive teams built around my new favourite Pokémon of all time, and one of the newest drops: Komala. Triple Choice item and Z-Move Floatzel is pretty cool.
SLEEPY BOI (Komala) @ Choice Band
Ability: Comatose
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
Floatzel @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Liquidation
- Ice Punch
- Focus Punch
Abomasnow @ Choice Specs
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
- Frost Breath
Altaria @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 164 SpD / 96 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Defog
- Toxic
- Flamethrower
Bronzor @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psywave
- Stealth Rock
- Rest
- Toxic
Electivire @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Volt Switch
- Wild Charge
- Cross Chop
- Ice Punch
Joined in 2013 but didn't start becoming active on PS until 2014, when I started hanging around in the Wi-Fi room and its subroom Breeding. Climbed through the ranks and eventually became RO of both of them in 2015, started to contribute to Smogon's YouTube in early 2016 and later got the Social Media badge around the same time I first got promoted to global driver on PS. Later left Wi-Fi and Breeding in 2017 but stuck around as global staff and eventually got promoted to mod at the end of the year.
Gaming and watching YouTube mostly, also photography and mountain biking.
I heard from my buddy Quote in late January of this year that some guys from the ZU community were asking on how they could request a private room on PS for their community. I had dabbled in gen 7 PU when it was still in alpha but never really stuck around, so I figured I could try to get invested in ZU instead and help them with their room situation. Using my incredible connections, I made the ZU private room happen in early February with me as co-RO, and the rest is what has led us to here today.
Seeing as the room has been such an integral part of the tier and community's growth, I think that we have staff and tier leaders who are equally invested in all facets of ZU, be it the room, our Discord, or our forum thread. Usage-based tiers are also fairly straightforward in how they work, so we have that edge over other OMs.
As the only RO, or even staff member for that matter, with any major prior experience to staffing and policy, it's often up to me to help my fellow staff in all sorts of matters that are second nature to me at this point. I also laid down some of the policies that we staff follow regarding everything from promotions, basic room rules, or just how we as staff should act within the room.
Beside being the one with the most experience, I also stand out as someone that isn't a tier leader. In fact, I haven't actually even played a single game of ZU yet (!). I think I just never got around to it with me just wanting to run a room again and now it has become a running joke that I can't bring myself to end.
I think seeing the growth has been the most fun for me, I always wanted to rival my former room of Wi-Fi. Back in early July when the room had just been made public and was promoted through a news post, we managed to surpass the amount of users in Wi-Fi and peaked around 240 users or so.
I'm going to keep helping my fellow ROs out with all things policy related and making the room run smoothly. As for the tier itself, having a permanent ladder instead of the rotational one we have now would be a great step forward.
While I haven't played any of ZU, I do have a pretty heat team I made for gen 6 PU a long time ago that I've just updated slightly with gen 7 mechanics. It's bad but it's really fun when it works.
Tank (Pineco) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
Shiny: Yes
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Atk / 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Toxic
- Pain Split
Specs (Electrode) @ Leftovers
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Taunt
- Foul Play
- Magic Coat
Banded (Dragonair) @ Eviolite
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Tail
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Trick Room (Beheeyem) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Signal Beam
- Thunderbolt
Eviolite (Clamperl) @ Deep Sea Tooth
Ability: Rattled
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shell Smash
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Defensive (Gourgeist-Small) @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Trick-or-Treat
- Seed Bomb
- Rock Slide
- Synthesis
I came across Pokémon Showdown when Pokebattle was dying out and I basically shifted over to PS like everyone else. I was never really into anything Smogon-related until some time in Gen 6 when Yosp, an old PS! friend from PU, convinced me to write a post on the forum. I never really got too invested on Smogon aside from the PU forum, so I stuck around quietly.
Basketball is the first thing that comes to mind. I've been playing it my whole life but never really took it to a club level, more focusing on my individual game and to stay in shape. I'm rusty now since I haven't played in some time, but I definitely would like to play it more in uni. My other hobbies include listening to music and reading (manga or books). I don't play many other games outside of Pokémon.
The first meta I became invested into was Gen 6 PU. From there, I was invited to the FU Discord, which was trying to revive the tier under Charles A. Theist and Slar Flar. Fast forward a few weeks or so and Slar Flar steps down and I'm chosen as his replacement because I was contributing to the tier's resources and active in the tier. This was all in the summer of 2016, back when Gary was still in the server and could give pointers whenever we had a question.
I can't speak for other tiers or non-official OMs since I'm not too familiar with them, so I would say that ZU differentiates itself through its "freshness". The community and metagame itself still have lots of room to grow, and as we look to become bigger, we create more opportunities for ourselves and for our playerbase. Hence, we can create different tours, forum projects, and ladder achievements with the goal of expanding our community and strengthening the player base. Another thing that separates us from non-official OMs and official tiers is that we, much like PU did in gen 6, have the ability to affect Smogon's tiering in the future.
Time. I worked 8am to 4pm all summer and would get home past 6pm, then most days I would be out of the house due to irl things. As such, finding the time to play mons or even be in the room was a challenge for me. Thankfully, I've got over a week before school starts, so I can have more time for the room.
In terms of Pokémon, I've been TL the longest out Diagnostic, Xayah, and myself. I also used to be a PU guy and still dabble in it from time to time (mainly ORAS PU since I was eliminated from Seasonal). In terms of the ZeroUsed room, I'm fairly laid back and I tend to hear people out fully before responding. Typically that means I'll engage with a user before giving a warning. Other than that, I feel I still have space to grow as a Room Owner, and I'm always willing to learn and accept constructive criticism.
In a nutshell, it's being a good contributor. Personally, I also see if someone is mature and willing to put away their ego to accept criticism or just how they deal with situations where they have to defend their point-of-view.
What I enjoy most regarding the room is simply the process of becoming a good leader in the chat. As RO, you run the room. Simple as that. For me though, I never really want to "run" the room as much as I want it to be a great place to be for users to come in and enjoy their time. Hence, I most enjoy growing as an RO so I can better lead our staff and userbase. The moments that stand out to me were when the room was first created and the first time we lost the rotational ladder. We went from an absurd amount of users to around 100 users throughout the day. This was expected, but at the same time shows how important it is that we keep the room fun and interactive for the playerbase.
My future plans for ZU is to become more learned on room policy and Smogon policy, upping the skill level of the playerbase, and expanding/refining our resources. The former is self-explanatory, but the latter two depend on whether ZU gets a permanent ladder and how much work our staff and contributors are putting in.
Older team from when Kecleon first dropped. Team is fairly simple and is solid in my experience. Watch out for Monferno, Rapidash, and Pawniard.
Lex (Kecleon) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Protean
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch
- Shadow Sneak
- Power-Up Punch
Bilar (Muk) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Curse
- Poison Jab
Bob Gandhi (Bronzor) @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Bold Nature
- Psywave
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Rest
Bird Priest (Rotom-Fan) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Air Slash
- Trick
Silvally-Dragon @ Dragon Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- U-turn
- Flamethrower
Shempi (Shiftry) @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Knock Off
- Leaf Storm
- Sucker Punch
- Defog
Pokémon has always been one of my hobbies since my childhood days. A former girlfriend introduced me to Pokémon Showdown, and we both learned the ropes that came with clause and format rules, which differed from the norms that took place in Wi-Fi battles. The first two tiers I got myself into were ADV OverUsed and Monotype, then I slowly shifted to the side server scenes and focused on the wide variety of Other Meta and League-based activities that existed on those alternate servers. I always valued the social experience gained from indulging in the community.
Outside of Pokémon, I enjoy taking on development roles for other games such as Maplestory Private Servers and use those platforms to increase my knowledge in the coding field. My other hobbies include mentoring other youth and learning how to analyze and apply newfound knowledge to life scenarios, exploring new-age trends including memes, and just kicking back and going with the flow of opportunities that come my way.
I actively partook in the tier that was FU in hopes of it potentially being more than just an idea in the PU subforums. I enjoyed the idea of using the "bottom of the barrel" and being able to showcase strategies that were otherwise neglected such as Gravity and other niche strategy compositions. The tier has constantly fluctuated with activity, and once we tried introducing it to the side server with the leading Princess High and other notable names, it underwent a name change to ZU. Following that event, the tier went through a cycle of capable tier leaders including Slar Flar and Chinese Pooh Bear, and now I've been granted another opportunity to help lead the tier once again with our new TL, Xayah, and the familiar face, 5gen.
ZU is an idea branching from the trend following other single tiers such as Overused which allows it to stand out from the other OMs that now exist. As much as most of us enjoy playing our favorite tier, there are times where we seek a new change of pace, and the idea of playing a tier where even the worst Pokémon can have a role provokes the curiosity in both competitive and non-competitive players alike. It's essentially the "new toy" syndrome that helps attract players to what we have to offer.
Patience and tolerance. I cannot stress it enough how difficult it is as someone holding a higher authority to face defiance from your playerbase or your staff members when they show a lack of attention to priorities that need an effective group effort. Everyone has their own opinions, and that may lead to arguments that delay fairly easy tasks. Other than that, maintaining an active presence has become difficult when you have real life endeavors to handle.
I consider myself the Librarian of ZU. My forte lies in providing tier-related information to both staff and players while being one of the more stern Room Owners when it comes down to organization and optimization. Out of the four of us, I would be considered the "overachiever" and have a bad habit of trying to surpass my own capabilities when I'm passionate about something, which would include my responsibilities here with ZU.
I follow an acronym called "P.A.P.E.R.", which stands for Passion, Activity, Personality, Effort, and Reliability. Those who seek progression in the tier will develop all the above and will offer our current staff with other variations in perspective along with their own skills that allows them to aid others while using ZU as a platform.
The community has and still remains my favorite part of the room. The bonds you form with your fellow staff along with the opportunity to build connections with other established names and communities is an important factor to growth as both a staff member and an individual in the Showdown community. Some moments that stand out to me are when there are arguments between the playerbase and I view how they can get together and resolve those situations and use that experience to move forward and form positive attitudes with the ability to compromise for future cases.
The "big picture" for ZU involves us adapting to official policies and potentially becoming an official tier in the future if things bode well for our staff and the community. As it stands, we are working on revamping our resources and trying to offer events and opportunities for players to increase their skills within the tier and leading towards the goal of gaining a permanent OM ladder.
Here is a hazard stack team featuring Komala and Floatzel, two new drops to ZU. Roselia and Golem form the hazard stacking core, and acts as necessary Grass-, Normal-, Electric-, and Water-type checks respectively. Komala acts as the special wall and clears away hazards with Rapid Spin. Floatzel and Silvally-Fighting are the wincons for the team, and provide much of the fire power for the team. Lastly, Choice Scarf Rotom-S rounds out the team, acting as a revenge killer and pivot.
Komala @ Leftovers
Ability: Comatose
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Rapid Spin
- Protect
- Wish
Floatzel @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Liquidation
- Low Kick
- Taunt
Roselia @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Leaf Storm / Giga Drain
- Synthesis
Silvally-Fighting @ Fighting Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Multi-Attack
- Swords Dance
- Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
- U-turn
Rotom-Fan @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Air Slash
- Trick / Will-O-Wisp
Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Atk / 180 Def / 44 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Blast / Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Protect
ZeroUsed is a usage-based tier below PU and a new room on Pokémon Showdown! that acts as a hub for all things ZU. The room itself is typically a fun and friendly place to be, with activities ranging from battling to team building to simply chatting about the tier. Furthermore, if you're looking to seriously get into the room, ZeroUsed staff always notice good contributors. The room is continually growing and welcomes new users each day, so going "Zero to hero just like that!" is just the beginning.