internship final presentation finally out of the way so i can post now:
team (which is currently 301-0) may surprise you but probably won't after you "get it", it sure didn't take me long after i first used it:
@ Focus Sash ** ♣
http://www.pokecheck.org/?p=detail&uid=325256
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4HP/254Def/252SpD
Nature: Careful
~ Taunt
~ Charm
~ Worry Seed
~ Memento
No surprise here, Whimsicott is broken and I don't think I ever considered replacing it on my "cripple-things-for-one-teammate-to-sweep strategy" team.
@ Leftovers ** Saffron
http://www.pokecheck.org/?p=detail&uid=368654
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 204HP/254Atk/20Def/28SpD/4Spe
Nature: Adamant
~ Dragon Claw
~ Dragon Dance
~ Substitute
~ Roost
The first time I saw Multiscale put to the test, my jaw literally dropped. Battle 71, lead Tornadus, Memento, lock into Dark Pulse, paralyze, Flash till Mesprit dies...then Dragon Dance. Dark Pulse hits...and takes me to 176/197. Then Lefties, for net damage of 4%. (4.56 but we floor everything in pokemon right?) Dragonite...I don't think there's many who have played RBY who don't have a soft spot in their heart for this Pokémon, at least from a "fuck yes finally at a hard-earned Lv55 my Dragonair evolved into a huge total badass flying dragon" perspective. I have always wished it were better, and somewhat got that wish in DP when it got Outrage, and Extremespeed to give it a niche over Garchomp, but Multiscale is the icing on the cake. And Dragonite can be the cake, because at 100% HP, not even Ice attacks do a damn thing to it. As was intended all along...I just kind of "agree" with Multiscale on Dragonite, it was really *supposed to* always be that much of a beast. Plus it's orange, which made me want to love it all the more...its color explains its nick, though EeveeTrainer suggested "Dragula" and I've since renamed it because lol at how fitting a name that is for Drapula's replacement. Dragula is actually a closer linguistic play on Dracula than is Drapula, and what better to name Dragula than *the* Dragon Pokémon?
Speaking of Drapion, the best part is that there's just like there's no CHing through Drapion's Battle Armor, there's no CHing through Dragonite's Multiscale. I already lamented at how long battles with Drapion took, and after one more bullshit loss I finally went ahead and decided to give Dragonite another shot. I'd used it with Lum on an earlier team that I can no longer remember and only remember (for sure, you always remember losses etc) it dying to a CH stone edge from Gliscor when sand was up, and its longevity impressed me. Drapion will always have its boss status in my heart, but as mentioned it has trouble killing things and is just "too" slow. Dragonite sure isn't though, and the set speaks for itself even if the EVs don't. If Garchomp isn't fast enough anymore and Drapion isn't powerful enough anymore, a DDer with bulk is a good place to start!
204HP for 192HP at Lv50, a very, very crucial Leftovers number (I shouldn't say "very, very"...I only re-EVed it after battle 301 lol). There are only two multiples of 16 that Dragonite's HP can be at Lv50, and 192 takes hits the best of it and 176. 192 is important so I only have to wait three turns to reactivate Multiscale after Subbing, which factors occasionally but obviously isn't a streak-breaker if 231 battles is enough of a sample size. Roost is what really sells Multiscale, along with ensuring a faster Roost: Ice and Rock attacks lose
two whole levels of effectiveness when Roosting, which, when coupled with Memento and/or Roost, make them almost a non-factor, especially behind a Sub.
Just watch this if you can: 90-96665-10776
If you'd rather not, here's the tl;dw:
igarvey: lol
dragonite survives stab ch blizzards now
gj gamefreak
Anyway, I'm so glad Dragonite can "get away" with max attack and Adamant...maybe Drapion could have too, but it would have made for some even longer battles probably, especially given it doesn't have Roost. Only stuff I care about is Brightpowder, a Lapras got me once but that was mainly lame cause I wasn't looking and I Subbed the next turn instead of attacking again: if i had been BPed again IB wouldn't have killed (unless it CHed, which, you know, is exactly what happened in the battle above, so lol).
@ Choice Scarf ** We Jammin'
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252HP/4Def/252Spe
Nature: Bold
~ Trick
~ Thunderwave
~ Charm
~ Flash
No surprises here either, same strategy I posted about with Whimsicott/Drapion/Latias. But with a Dragon setup poke (and the AI's insistence upon using XS with that scarf Pinsir instead of the actually threatening Guillotine [though it'd have to go 4-for-4]), Mesprit is the better choice for the same reason it was in DPPT. Tricking things into Surf and Flamethrower and Waterfall is awesome. The only thing this cares about is Jolteon, which of course CHed with Thunder through Memento once because I'm not Timid, but whatever.
I'll probably post some more videos later but yeah, thanks for being awesome Dragonite...