CAP 24 CAP 24 - Part 1 - Concept Submissions

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boxofkangaroos

this is the day of the expanding man
Name: Scizor of the Sun

Description: A Pokemon that benefits from the weakening of Water-type moves in the Sun in order to better function as a utility or support Pokemon.

Justification: Scizor of the Sun is an Archetype concept because it establishes a new role that the metagame currently lacks. Rain teams generally feature one or more utility Pokemon (often Scizor or Ferrothorn) that benefit from Rain’s weakening of Fire-type moves, providing support for their team while also being supported by the Rain setters. Sun teams, however, rarely feature more than a Drought user and some Fire-type or Chlorophyll abusers. This Pokemon will aim to patch that hole, creating a new role and broadening the Sun archetype as a whole.

Questions To Be Answered:
  • How can a Pokemon abuse weather without a specific boosting ability?
  • Would an increase in popularity of Sun teams provoke “weather wars” and threaten the popularity of Rain, Sand, and even Hail archetypes?
  • How might this Pokemon synergize with other Sun abusers through defensive typing and/or offensive coverage?
  • How can this Pokemon's weakness to Water be one of its defining characteristics?
  • If this Pokemon has other weaknesses besides Water, how will they play out in the Sun?
  • Aside from their weakness to Fire, what allows Scizor and Ferrothorn to thrive on Rain teams?
  • How can this Pokemon work to develop the Sun archetype as a whole?
Explanation: Ever since Gen 6, Sun has been a largely unexplored archetype. It has been outclassed by Rain in both OU and CAP, mainly because there are simply not as many good options for Sun teams. At the outset of Gen 7, Rain was buffed even further with the introduction of Drizzle Pelipper, an option far superior to Politoed due to Pelipper’s momentum and secondary typing. Despite the introduction of both Drought Torkoal and Drought Malaconda, Sun is still left sitting on the sidelines as an archetype that is much less prevalent in CAP. Scizor of the Sun aims to change this by fleshing out the Sun archetype to make it as complex as Rain currently is. In parallel with Rain’s Scizor and Ferrothorn, Scizor of the Sun must be weak to Water (but not necessarily 4x weak), as it is essential to fulfilling the concept. And yes, this will place a limitation on the Typing stage of the process, but I am confident that the limitation will not be too overbearing and will still allow for passionate discussion when the time comes. From there, there are a variety of ways to take this – ideally, Scizor of the Sun should synergize with existing Sun threats such as Mega Charizard Y, Malaconda and Venusaur, and it should have access to moves or abilities that allow it to act as a utility or support Pokemon for Sun teams. I am eager to see how Scizor of the Sun can transform the use of weather in the CAP metagame!
 
It's been quite a while since I contributed a Concept Submission, mainly due to bad timing/real life stuff. I don't play competitively, but I do frequent Smogon to get idea on how to improve my abilities, and I am by no means new to the concept of competitive play, or the CAP process. That being said, this idea might be a good one, or it might be garbage lol.
  • Name - Master Poisoner
  • Description - A Pokemon designed to utilize several of the aspects/effects of the Poison status, including moves and abilities that interact with Poison in unique ways. Rather than using Poison merely as a way to inflict passive damage, CAP 24 would use it actively to facilitate a sweep/break through defensive walls.
  • Justification -
    • Actualization: As the name implies, Master Poisoner uses the Poison status offensively, which to my knowledge is not something commonly done. Most of the time, Poison is either used by stall teams as a way to rack up passive damage, or is seen as a nifty but ultimate unneeded bonus to using Poison type attacks. As far as I know, not many Pokemon go out of their way to inflict Poison with the intent of using it set up a sweep, break through a powerful wall, or preform some other offensive action. That is what CAP 24 would seek to do: use the Poison Status in an offensive role, something more in line with the higher-speed, more aggressive metagame Drapionswing spoke to in his opening remarks. I feel like we could learn more about how Poison can be used and what it's really capable of by exploring this concept, particularly when it comes to finding more unique, or underutilized applications for the Poison Status.

  • Questions To Be Answered -
    • Is the Poison Status only good for passive-damage, or can it be used in other ways?
    • Why is Poison seen predominately as a defensive, or stall-orientated status? What can be done to change this?
    • Is the idea of an offensive use for the Poison Status even realistic/viable? If so, what is the best way to implement it?Or, is it simply to unorthodox/gimmicky to use effectively?
    • Is it possible for other Pokemon beside CAP 24 to find other uses for the Poison Status? Should they even bother?
    • Will finding more offensive uses for the Poison Status force a reaction on a metagame level? Will teams start to focus more on Status prevention/removal to deal with CAP 24, or will it be a non-issue for most teams?
    • Is there more complexity to be found in the Poison Status and how it interacts with various other game mechanics? If so, how can this complexity be utilized in competitive play?
  • Explanation - Ever since Gen 1, Poison has been a foundational mechanic of the Pokemon Games. Once a Pokemon is poisoned, it takes damage every turn untill it faints, or is cured in some way. This concept hasn't changed since those days, and yet, in the years since, new concepts have appeared which interact with Poison in interesting ways. Moves like Toxic Spikes and Baneful Bunker have emerged to give new ways of inflicting the Poison Status, while Abilities like Toxic Boost and Poison Heal have changed what it means to be Poisoned in the first place. With Gen 7 introducing Pokemon like Salazzle and Toxapex, both clearly designed to use Poison in new and interesting ways, it got me thinking about what the real potential of the Poison Status was. Is it just a handy tool for defensive teams to get some damage in, or can it be more? Can Poison be the crux of a Pokemon's, or even an entire teams strategy, or is it just a generic Status effect, useful but not nessesary? I honestly don't know if these are relevant or meaningful questions, but they are ones that intrigue me, and I think they could lead to some interesting answers if pursued.
 
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Name - Z-utility toolbox

Description - A Pokemon defined by its use of Z-status moves

Justification - This concept falls can be justified under any of the categories with a good level of writing skills which I don't have, so just for Target. Z-toolbox attempts to address the saturation of wallbreaking Z-moves by creating an appealing alternative such that there is a significant trade-off to consider instead of just slapping a Z-crystal on one of your Pokemons and calling it a day. Z-toolbox allows us to learn about what is really necessary to make Z-status moves worth using over just wallbreaking ones.

Questions To Be Answered:
  • Which Z-status moves are worth using?
  • What makes them suboptimal on current Pokemon?
  • How can we make Z-status moves appealing aside from not giving any boosting moves?
  • What power scaling does CAP24 have to be for it to be worth having only 1 chance to set-up?
  • Is there any possibility of CAP24 potentially having multiple, equally viable Z-status sets to bluff?
  • Is there any possibility of CAP24 being a defensive Pokemon with this concept instead?
Explanation - I always felt that Z-status moves are conceptually broken, and only held back by the lack of distribution. Take Z-Mirror Move for example - it gives you a +2, followed by a Z-version of whatever you copied, which sounds utterly disgusting, and could be really strong if only it had good distribution. Yet the closest thing we have that realistically use Z-status moves are basically just Z-BD Azumarill and Z-RD Manaphy - everything else is just too inconsistent to get going. There is just a whole world of moves out there that have been neglected which have so much potential. Z-utility toolbox aims to explore this concept by slapping it on an actually optimised Pokemon.
 

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
Name: Re-Centralizer

Description: A Pokemon can not only re-centralize the current metagame but also allow CAP to explore the basic tenets of centralization.

Justification - Target: The definition and meaning of "centralization" is sometimes obvious, but sometimes not so obvious. Similar to how Tomohawk's process attempted to explain the rather abstract concept of "momentum," this CAP shouldn't have too much direction to begin with, other than adapting to the current metagame. To make this project not just a rehash of Arghonaut's project, the goal of the project is not exactly "let's list out the top ten Pokemon in the metagame and have another Pokemon blanket check all of them." Rather, it is to understand what metagame centralization truly is and see how additions to the metagame can affect top Pokemon.

Questions To Be Answered:
1. Simply, what do the terms "centralization" or "centralizing" mean? Are they different from terms like "broken-ness?"
2. Are the short-term benefits of trying to weaken the top threats of the metagame? Are the long-term benefits? What are they?
3. Does a re-centralizing Pokemon have to re-centralize the metagame around itself? Would a certain group of Pokemon rise in usage due to this CAP?
4. What Pokemon should be targeted by this CAP? How broad of a target range can it manage to subdue without becoming ineffective against certain designated targets?
5. Does one Pokemon have enough of an impact to re-centralize the metagame? To what extent is this possible?
6. Can we learn from Arghonaut's process, which had a similar concept but had less depth? What about Tomohawk's process, which explored an abstract concept as well?
7. How long can a re-centralizer last as a "re-centralizer?" When does a re-centralizer lose its influence?

Explanation: As a culture on Smogon, sometimes it's hard to tell what's "centralizing," what's "broken," or what's just "unfair." Most suspect tests argue about these terms and their respective definitions; CAP argued about them to an extent within our Updates process last year. This project aims to foster discussion about "centralization" as a whole. To re-centralize the metagame does not mean to just mow down Landorus-T and Tomohawk as best we can (though certainly it could); rather, it can also discuss the impact of hazard control, current dominant playstyles, etc. One way to approach this process would be to identify some key centralizing effects in the metagame, rather than just direct Pokemon, and focus on how those aspects of the metagame are centralizing.
 
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Name - 'Mon in the Mirror

Description - A Pokémon that uses the move Transform as a staple on its sets

Justification - Actualization / Archetype - Everyone knows that a Pokémon team can only have six members, but a select few Pokémon try to break this mentality. Through opponent copying, Pokémon such as Ditto, Smeargle, and Mew have (in the past) allowed for interesting play using the opponent's team members against them, effectively expanding the roster of the player to include a few more potential strategies. This concept aims to understand that interaction between limitations on team size and in-battle team effectiveness by achieving the efficient and effective use of Transform. As a result of this concept both inspiring a new style of play and broadening an existing niche, it falls somewhat under both Actualization and Archetype.

Questions to be Answered:
(Base) In what situations is Transform a beneficial move to use? What makes those situations good?
(Base) Are some copies better than others? If so, what makes those archetypes better to copy?
(Base) What archetype of Pokémon best uses Transform? Do multiple? What makes them work well together?
(Base) What archetypes benefit from having a Pokémon on their team that uses Transform? Which ones are harmed?
(Dynamics) How does a viable Transform user impact teambuilding? (Ex. Is it possible to exclude commonly used Pokémon banking on what other teams commonly bring?)
(Metagame) Does a viable Transform user change the variety of Pokémon used in the metagame? In which way, and why did such a change result?

Explanation: Going through the Pokémon games, it's always frustrated me (and I'm sure many others) that I'm not allowed to bring everyone that I want on my team easily, leveling them up as I go along. The same goes in competitive Pokémon as well, with teams sacrificing certain roles on their team in order to gain a bias towards some beneficial team "stat" like damage-dealing, overall defense, momentum-generation, etc. With a (more) viable user of Transform placed into the metagame, riskier teambuilders may risk to further emphasize one of those biases, banking on copying the opponent and utilizing the opposing Pokemon's archetype briefly to patch up an overall weakness. Additionally, with Pokémon like Landorus-Therian being able to check themselves, it becomes possible for a team to purposely forsake Landorus, expecting to come across a solution mid-match. Transform has currently been relegated to Mew and Smeargle, providing them offensive options once their defensive/supportive roles have outlived their usefulness; and, as a result, it has come to be seen as a waste of momentum otherwise. This concept seeks to essentially create a two-in-one: a Pokémon that can provide small, but meaningful pressure on its own in some way, but can also use Transform to turn the tables in a dicey situation.
 
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Final Submission

Name - Multi-Terrain Vehicle

Description - A Pokémon who, through its various qualities, can take great advantage of two or more Terrains.

Justification - This is a concept that falls best within Target.
Target: The target of this concept is Terrains, arguably the most interesting mechanic used in Gen 7. While Gen 6 introduced these, Gen 7 was the one to popularize them with the advent of the Tapus (X Surge) and the inclusion of a new terrain (Psychic Terrain). There are several Pokémon that can take great advantage of one of these terrains outside the Tapus themselves (e.g. Raichu-A abuses Surge Surfer and Electric moves in Electric Terrain to dismantle most everything not resistant to it) but few can actually take great advantage of two or more of them, and that's what this Pokémon is here to accomplish.​

Questions To Be Answered:
  • How does each of the different Terrains change a team composition?
  • How do the Terrains' effects affect an individual Pokémon?
  • Can a Pokémon who has great synergy with more than one Terrain still perform well without one?
  • How well can a Pokémon adapt to the shifting from one Terrain to another?
  • Can a single moveset abuse multiple terrains by itself?
  • Are there moves outside those that vary with environment that gain benefit, direct or not, from more than one terrain?

Explanation: Terrains are the most fun part of Gen 7 (even if they can sometimes be annoying). Effects that only activate on the ground, buffs to damaging attacks of certain types, protection against status effects/types, and even healing make this concept rather fun to explore. We could make a tank/wall that relies on healing from Grassy Terrain or protection from status effects (Misty Terrain), or a sweeper that takes advantage of the power boost from Grassy/Electric Terrain. There's a myriad of different possibilities and each would open up new team compositions or even fill in needs that teams revolving around a Terrain might have!
 
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WIP

Name - Nothing Special

Description - A Pokemon that has no traits that make it special or outstanding, but is still able to hold its place in the metagame.

Justification - Most pokemon in a metagame have a reason why they are there, either by performing a specific role or a special task it can perform because of its specific typing, ability or movepool. But what would it mean if a pokemon doesn't have something to make it stand out? This concept aims to target that specific scenario.

Questions To Be Answered
- How can we define traits that make a pokemon special / standing out?
- How can we avoid such traits?
- What does a pokemon need to still be playable?

Explanation
I got the inspiration for this concept from a conversation on discord. Someone was saying normal types are boring and probably wouldn't make a good CAP design.
I don't want this CAP to be normal type, I rather got another thought to my mind: "what's wrong with being normal". With normal being defined as "nothing special".
Then I thought, that this might be an idea worth exploring in an actual CAP.
 
I've just taken the one I post for CAP 23 but I customed it a bit.

Name : The Elemental Chameleon

Description : This Pokemon have to change his typing in order to be effective and to work hopefully better against the opponent.

Justification : Typing is one of the most important mechanics in Pokemon as it defines Pokemon's avantages and weaknesses. However, a Pokemon able to change its typing can completely change its natural match-ups as well. Thus, this concept is an Archetype since the goal is to explore how much typing shift affects match-ups, but it's also a case of Target since such a Pokemon would likely choose to get a typing allowing it to deal with your team's weaknesses or whatever you want to check, lure in...

Questions To Be Answered :
- By which ways this Pokemon could change its typing ? How many ways?
- Which tools such a Pokemon needs to be effective when changing his typing ?
- Would this Pokemon change its typing in order to be more powerful offensively (i.e Protean Greninja), harder to break through defensively (i.e Reflect Type Latias-Mega in ORAS) or both?
- How much would a Pokemon potientally able to check almost every Pokemon (considering it can get every typing needed to do so) affect the Metagame and teambuilding options ?
- Which movepool's and stat's restrictions are needed to prevent this thing for being unhealthy as it could potientally beat everything as long as it gets the typing it wants?

Explanation : There are already several Pokemons able to work better when changing their typing, the ones which come in my mind are Protean Greninja, Z-Conversion Porygon-Z, Reflect Type Latias-Mega, Silvally... But I think that almost all of them could use their respectives abilities / moves to fulfill other tasks, despite having greats movepools. Here are some examples of what I mean: If Greninja had better bulk , he could have used its amazing ability in a defensive way (For instance, there is AV Magearna in front of you, you won't do much with HP Fire, but using it allows you to better tank Magearna's STABs thanks to the Fire typing). Porygon-Z is meant to be a Sweeper and thus it will only use typings which allows it to pull off a Sweep with Z-Conversion. However, with different stats and movepool, The Elemental Chameleon could attempt a sweep but with a larger choice of typing. Reflect-Type is immensely useful against à large amount of Pokemon which have trouble hitting their own typing super effectively (Latias-mega is an excellent user of it and it works extremely weell against things like Heatran). On the more uncommon side, there's a plenty of options like Camouflage, Color Change... I've been told in the past that such a concept somewhat invalidates the Typing stage, but in respect of consistency, The Elemental Chameleon should have a movepool which makes sense with its initial typing. Anyway, options are plenty and I think it could lead to a very fun Pokemon to use.
 

Drapionswing

Eating it up, YUMMY!
is a CAP Contributor Alumnus
We've seen some really good concepts swing in and I've really enjoyed seeing CAPs creative minds. I'll be leaving my input on these concepts and I encourage you all to do the same to allow everyone as much feedback as possible. And of course if anyone would like any help with their concepts or elaboration on my feedback, feel free to PM me on Smogon, PS! or Discord.


Iron Ball Lover: This concept fails to explain to me, and more importantly, voters, the utility and interest behind basing a Pokemon around Iron Ball. I think a less specific concept would help to achieve the essence of this concept.

The Gambit: I think this is a well done concept, however there are some relations to Plasmanta's concept which has restrictions due to the Pokemon being dead. I think a question should be added regarding this and how we can allow the death of this Pokemon to not be in vain. As for your Explanation I think the benefits of using a suicide attacker over a consistent attacker should be explained further, or maybe brought up into the questions section.

Focus in the DPS: I'm intrigued a lot by this concept, it's an interesting concept which contains potential to give an interesting Pokemon into the metagame. I feel like you need more questions around how we could accomplish this goal, and also what other potential things could this CAP do. Your explanation needs some work, I struggled to understand what you were trying to get across.

Counter Setup/Cheeky Leg-Up: I would just really work on your Archetype, mainly regarding benefits of having this Pokemon. Due to CAP building for the CAP Metagame, our trends must be taken into account. We have Tomohawk which pressures setup sweepers, what would be the advantages of having another Pokemon like this in the metagame?

These Shackles Make Me Mortal: This concept is a very simple concept, and that's not a bad thing. The simplicity and breathing room of this concept grants a lot of possibilities and can result in a very fun Pokemon. I think your concept needs more examples of this being achieved and really give a visual image for "God-Like Strengths" and "Overwhelming weaknesses".

The Super Stat Boost Thief: Similar to Counter Setup/Cheeky Leg-Up, I would work on addressing the benefits of having this pokemon in our metagame. From both a process and metagame point of view.

Fuerza Terrenal: I will come back to this concept when their are more things to review! Make sure to PM me when this is updated

These Terrains got nothin on me: I don't really understand your Actualisation, I don't see why abuse of multiple terrains would create a pokemon similar to Syclant. I think you need to focus more on the concept than the end result of your concept. Your questions are also completely off topic and vague, it refers to Tomohawk when tomohawk has nothing to do with terrain for the most part, and has extremely general questions like "How would this concept be able to function". Feel free to PM me for any help on this.

Down the Drain - Strength Sap Abuser: This is an interesting concept, that is based around an evenly interesting move. I would flesh out your Explanation to give people a real idea of Strength Saps potentials, and anything interesting you have thought of.

Save me from the Darkness: I think this concept is constructed well, however it needs more questions asked. Despite this your questions are on the right track.

Lower Stat Booster: This concept is quite controversial to me, as this seems to be a redone Naviathan concept with strict orders. I think you need to make your description simpler. The advantages and disadvantages of having such a Pokemon need to be outlined within our metagame. This would then act as more justification for having the Mixed-Attacker.

Berserker: This concept has a great amount of potential, however I'm worried if this concept will be able to work out as well in practice as on paper. I think it would be an interesting learning experience for CAP, and I've seen you play into this through your well constructed questions list. I'd just ask more questions based on how our metagame would deal with such a Pokemon.

The Flat Earther: Gravity is a mechanic that we haven't seen in the metagame a lot, which makes this concept stand out a bit to me. However a lot of the benefits of Gravity are very niche and would be hard to utilise consistently and that brings this concept down for me.

Inverse Battler: Your submission may be vague to some, I think you should probably outline examples of this that are achievable in our metagame. I want to say this concept can be achieved through immunity abilities, however you mention gimmicks in your questions so I'm not entirely sure if this is a potential path.

Decentralizer V2: This concept has many routes that it can take, I think elaboration on the routes that it could take as well as things to think about whilst doing them would allow the concept to really encapsulate its essence.

Hunker Down: I think a big question this concept leaves me with is what defensive boosts encourage in a Pokemon, as there are many examples of it on different spectrum's. For example, currently Hawlucha uses defensive boosts to help with offensive play whilst Pokemon like Slowbro may use it more of a defensive light(still of course with offensive promotion).

Multi-Attack User: In order to use different types of Multi-Attack you need to give your Pokemon a memory. I think outlining the benefits of trading your item out for a coverage move, in a process where we can already give a coverage move whilst retaining our item is important.

This Isn't Normal! / Unconventional Warfare: This concept allows for a very educational process and promotes diversity in a sense. I feel like there are more questions to be asked about this concept, but other than that it looks good.

New Toy Syndrome: Again, another well constructed concept. It has a lot of breathing room and can potentially create something beneficial and interesting for the metagame.

The Future is Bright!: I really do like this concept, it allows exploration of an old yet unseen mechanic that is very workable. With potential to even proceed as a partner concept without limitations of specific Pokemon become less viable in later stages has also intrigued me.

I will get my next batch of reviews out as soon as possible :).
 
Ayy remember this.
  • Name - Bravest of All
  • Description - A subpar CAP who's saving grace is a highly competitive ability
  • Justification - In the XY metagame we were introduced to a strange Pokemon, Talonflame. This Pokemon despite its strange typing and abysmal stats it was a highly known OU threat due to its extremely powerful ability, Gale Wings, that allowed it to out prioritize other Pokemon to either heal its self with Roost or deal massive damage with Brave Bird. Talonflame set an example for what could happen when you give a sub-par Pokemon an amazing ability(ies), and I believe CAP 23 should live by Talonflame's example and show the community how far a great ability(ies) can take sub-par Pokemon.
  • Target: - With my concept I wish to address the importance of abilities to the metagame and see if a Pokemon that is intentionally made with lackluster typing and stats simply focused on its ability could do something for the metagame.

  • Questions to be Answered :
    • - How much does a CAP's ability impact it's viability? What makes a "good" ability good?
    • - Would this CAP be too centralized towards one playstyle?Would it have multiple good abilities that support different playstyles?
    • - Would this CAP be too easily stopped by mons that counter that ability?Would the CAP become a to great threat to the mons that lose to that ability?
    • - What can the community learn from a CAP made with lackluster typing and stats?
    • - What makes it possible to make a pokemon that relies so heavily on its ability to function?
  • Explanation - In all instances of a CAP being based around an ability its a good CAP made to use a bad ability e.i Cyclohm, but this CAP would challenge that status quo and be a bad CAP made for a good ability. It would be interesting to see what we as a community could learn from a pokemon who only has one competitively viable feature.
 
  • Name - Deterring Hazard Layers

  • Description - Create a Pokemon that is benefitted by taking entry hazard damage upon switching in.

  • Justification - Target: Stealth rocks and spikes are ubiquitous in singles metagames and currently only really dealt with by eliminating them with defog or rapid spin. A new Pokemon whose ability or movepool could actually benefit from coming in stealth rocks and spikes could help balance this aspect of the game. Further, sticky web is already currently [somewhat] balanced by Pokemon with contrary, defiant, and competitive and toxic spikes are uniquely absorbed by poison types and actually benefit Pokemon with poison heal, guts, toxic boost, and quick feet. Having a Pokemon that benefits from the remaining entry hazards--the two that deal damage upon entry--would be in line with this and provide battlers with new way to manage hazards, by pressuring their opponent to forgo setting them up.

  • Questions To Be Answered
    • Can entry hazards, especially stealth rocks, be nerfed/balanced in the metagame without simply putting defog on more Pokemon?
    • Is there a combination of current moves, held items, and abilities a Pokemon could have that would actually benefit from entry hazards, especially stealth rocks? Or would a new ability have to be added into the game to make this strategy work?

  • Explanation - In my own thinking, I imagine a sweeper that is powered-up from taking entry hazard damage. This could mean it receives stat-boosts via a new ability, or perhaps it something 4x weak to rocks with gluttony that can activate a 'pinch' berry upon coming in. This would also increase the power of unburden, so a flying type may be a good choice (although not necessary for this). There are likely more options for this that I have not thought of, and I think it would be an interesting conversation for the CAP community. Overall, I think this would be a valuable addition to Pokemon as it would add another dimension to thinking about entry hazards. Currently, there is very little drawback to setting up stealth rocks and spikes and it would be an interesting way to balance these moves out.
 
Ayy remember this.
  • Name - Bravest of All
  • Description - A subpar CAP who's saving grace is a highly competitive ability
  • Justification - In the XY metagame we were introduced to a strange Pokemon, Talonflame. This Pokemon despite its strange typing and abysmal stats it was a highly known OU threat due to its extremely powerful ability, Gale Wings, that allowed it to out prioritize other Pokemon to either heal its self with Roost or deal massive damage with Brave Bird. Talonflame set an example for what could happen when you give a sub-par Pokemon an amazing ability(ies), and I believe CAP 23 should live by Talonflame's example and show the community how far a great ability(ies) can take sub-par Pokemon.
  • Target: - With my concept I wish to address the importance of abilities to the metagame and see if a Pokemon that is intentionally made with lackluster typing and stats simply focused on its ability could do something for the metagame.

  • Questions to be Answered :
    • - How much does a CAP's ability impact it's viability? What makes a "good" ability good?
    • - Would this CAP be too centralized towards one playstyle?Would it have multiple good abilities that support different playstyles?
    • - Would this CAP be too easily stopped by mons that counter that ability?Would the CAP become a to great threat to the mons that lose to that ability?
    • - What can the community learn from a CAP made with lackluster typing and stats?
    • - What makes it possible to make a pokemon that relies so heavily on its ability to function?
  • Explanation - In all instances of a CAP being based around an ability its a good CAP made to use a bad ability e.i Cyclohm, but this CAP would challenge that status quo and be a bad CAP made for a good ability. It would be interesting to see what we as a community could learn from a pokemon who only has one competitively viable feature.
While I do like this idea, it looks really hard to erfectively accomplish in my eyes. Largely because we no longer have abilities as powerful as Gen6 Gale Wings that don't have good users already. Simple is a very potent ability, but is put on mediocre mons, and those are all down in PU too. For an ability not named Gen 6 Gale Wings to succeed, it also has to be put on a Pokémon with good stats (and Talonflame's stats weren't too shabby either, and even its typing was really good offensively), which kind of goes against this concept... This concept looks really cool on paper, but I'm afraid it'll be hard to accomplish. Unless we, like, give a Pokémon with more than 1 HP Wonder Guard or something.
 
While I do like this idea, it looks really hard to erfectively accomplish in my eyes. Largely because we no longer have abilities as powerful as Gen6 Gale Wings that don't have good users already. Simple is a very potent ability, but is put on mediocre mons, and those are all down in PU too. For an ability not named Gen 6 Gale Wings to succeed, it also has to be put on a Pokémon with good stats (and Talonflame's stats weren't too shabby either, and even its typing was really good offensively), which kind of goes against this concept... This concept looks really cool on paper, but I'm afraid it'll be hard to accomplish. Unless we, like, give a Pokémon with more than 1 HP Wonder Guard or something.
Actually, this is quite an interesting concept, IMHO. Shedinja is one of my favourite pokemon, but it remains resolutely in the bottom of PU according to usage stats, so it's rather clear that it's not the ability that's broken. Given the plethora of Sand that gets bandied about courtesy of TTar or Hippowdon, I can't help but be interested in seeing how a mon would operate now it's no longer insta-gibbed by getting dust in its eye. We can be as modest as we need with the stat array; no actual need to make a Poison/Dark Wonder Guard mon who becomes immune to Ground courtesy of Air Balloons.

Counter Setup/Cheeky Leg-Up: I would just really work on your Archetype, mainly regarding benefits of having this Pokemon. Due to CAP building for the CAP Metagame, our trends must be taken into account. We have Tomohawk which pressures setup sweepers, what would be the advantages of having another Pokemon like this in the metagame?

...

The Super Stat Boost Thief: Similar to Counter Setup/Cheeky Leg-Up, I would work on addressing the benefits of having this pokemon in our metagame. From both a process and metagame point of view.
Opening this thought to Drapionswing, and the rest of the observers, does anyone think that these two are too similar? If so, I'll happily retract in favour of Granny Pie's concept and come up with another myself? Either way, thank you for the feedback - I'll take a look later at addressing the issues - the simplest matter of it pressuring setup sweepers in a manner thats entirely different to Tomohawk and Pajantom, in the same way as there are multiple Set Up Sweepers that have been developed in CAP, but have gone about that task in different manners. Tomohawk's role as a Counter Set-Up is entirely back up by Prankster Haze, with a few other very neat tricks and otherwise excellent move pool; but this CAP's intention is to actively punish the Set-Up, rather than just stopping the set up.
 
The Bishop

Description - A Pokémon that only has access to a single attacking type, or at most two very redundant ones, enabling it to deal decent damage with its STAB(s) but leaving it unable to hit a large part of the meta for neutral damage.

Justification - As an Actualization concept, this project would let us explore how a Pokémon that has absolutely no way to deal sufficient direct damage to its defensive answers can still thrive without being a sitting duck. This is particularly interesting in a meta where almost every other offensive mon can blow a big hole into its resists with a Z-move. While there have been sets like CroCune or Reflect/Roar Raikou in past generations, these Pokémon always had other viable sets where they carried coverage, which didn't give its counters an entirely free switch before all 4 slots were scouted. Complete lack of other attacking types is an unprecedented restriction, and the goal is to find out how such a Pokémon can still fulfil its role, and what that role would look like.

Questions To Be Answered:
  • What tools are needed to make up for CAP24's lack of coverage? How do different utility options for the remaining two or three slots affect how it deals with its resists? In particular, do we allow CAP 24 to deal a lot of indirect damage to its would-be counters, and/or will it end up being more focused on aiding its team rather than damaging everything by itself?
  • How offensively inclined can CAP 24 be without being too crippled by its lack of coverage? For instance, could we viably design it as a Choice Band/Specs wallbreaker or a setup sweeper, or is indirect damage mandatory?
  • How much does CAP 24 need to rely on its team's help in removing its counters? Can a Pokémon without coverage still work well while its resists are alive, for example by providing utility, chipping them or setting up in their face, or do they have to be eliminated by its teammates for it to do anything meaningful at all?
  • What do we need to care about in order to avoid designing CAP 24 as an auto-win/lose at team preview?
  • What effect does the choice of type(s) have, not only on potential teammates and counters in the meta but also on synergy with utility? A good example for such synergy would be a Dark-type spinner in older generations, which could dissuade spinblockers from coming in or force them out with the threat of its STAB. On the other hand, if CAP 24's type is resisted by Steel, it wouldn't be able to rely on Toxic to break through its counters, and would have to find other ways to break them or provide meaningful utility in the face of its resists.
Explanation - Over the generations, several Pokémon had viable sets with only a single attacking move, or multiple of the same type. This was in part because all other slots were needed for non-attacking moves (CroCune), but often also because their main STAB was just so much better than other possible coverage (GSC Reflect/Roar Raikou, whose Thunder not only deals damage but also spreads paralysis).
Other mons, particularly wallbreakers, mainly spammed a single attacking move while carrying weak coverage for specific switchins. While not a perfect example due to its way of setting up, which would possibly be broken with any other combination of BST and typing, Serperior comes to mind as a wallbreaker that often forgoes Dragon Pulse, its only way to hit Fire-types, for non-attacking moves such as Leech Seed, Substitute, Taunt and Glare. The latter is even more of a way to aid its team than to set up its own sweep. Another Gen 7 breaker that slightly resembles the concept is Stakataka: its main STAB, Gyro Ball, is resisted by many defensive typings, and (Z-)Stone Edge doesn't hit many of its counters for more than neutral damage. Still, it can not only sweep once its counters are eliminated, but also provide utility in the form of Trick Room to its team.
As evident from these four examples alone, there is a wide range between offense and utility in which CAP 24 can possibly operate, from an utility tank with a very spammable STAB (Raikou) to a singular wincon with little or no ways to support the team (Suicune). On the other hand, CAP 24 faces greater restrictions than either of those mons. Suicune and Raikou can set up more easily because the possibility of an Ice Beam or HP Water initially discourages their counters from switching in before the entire set is revealed, while Serperior and Stakataka can still use HP Fire and Superpower to hit Steel-types, which makes them somewhat less vulnerable to their counters than CAP 24. This project will hopefully allow us to explore which niche a mon can fill best while having absolutely zero coverage.
 
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Name - A Coat of Many Colors
Description - A Pokemon that takes advantage of multiple resist berries.
Justification - This concept falls under the category of Actualization. The concept hearkens back to older metagames such as DPP and BW where a Pokemon utilizing these berries to accomplish its goal was much more common. This Pokemon would be able to viably use several of the available resist berries to fill its role on any given team. Multiple resist berries would allow CAP to explore an idea synonymous with older generations and see how well it applies to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Questions To Be Answered:
  • Does one resist berry typically receive more usage?
  • Compared to older generations, do the resist berries help this Pokemon perform its role as well or better than it would have otherwise?
  • Does the option of other viable resist berries change up the move types that are used to attack this Pokemon?
  • Has the role a Pokemon with this item performs changed due to generational shifts?
  • When focused on, how does the viability of this item compare to other generations?
  • How does the purposeful implementation of the multiple resist berries compare in usage to other viable items used for the Pokemon's role?
Explanation -
I first got the idea when I saw Heaven Jay toying around with Coba Berry Tomohawk. At first I thought this a huge waste, but then I saw how well it was performing, and how it ended up becoming a viable item .The berries are low in usage and generally have not seen play in the later generations due to things such as power creep, or other viable sets coming to fruition. However, I do feel as if they are an avenue that is worth exploring. This Coba Berry set reminded me of other sets from older generations such as Rindo Berry Swampert, Occa Berry Bronzong, or Chople Berry Heatran. This really got me thinking, what if a Pokemon could viably use 3 or 4 resistance berries, such as Occa Berry, Yache Berry, or Passho Berry? How would these sets compare to the sets of old? Of course those are just examples, but I feel like this concept gives us an interesting idea to play around with while also not being too constricting on what can and cannot happen at any given stage. I feel like the main thing to watch out for with this concept is not letting the berry resistances take center stage. While I know that may sound a bit farfetched, I personally feel the best way to let this concept shine is to look at how the resistances and extra longevity given by these berries can help CAP 24 perform certain roles in the meta. Basically, make it less on what the berries literally do and more on how those berries can help bolster the viability of the CAP in any given role to new heights.
 
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Name: Once bitten, twice shy...

Description: A Pokemon that aims to punish over aggressive play.

Justification: Back during ORAS Pokemon like Garchomp and Ferrothorn were able to punish any physical Pokemon who dared to attack them head-on, but the prospect of punishing Pokemon for attacking you head on has never been fully explored. Generation 7 needs this more than ever, due to Z-Moves making big offensive misplays hard to punish accordingly. This is an Actualization concept with the overarching Target of making Gen 7 players more cautious when attacking!

Questions To Be Answered:
  • What could we learn about punishing attackers?
  • How can we punish special attackers?
  • What ways would punishing your opponent's attacks affect a battle?
  • How should we use a Pokemon that can punish its opponent's attacks?
  • In what way would we counter Z-Moves?
  • How would an offensive team play around this Pokemon?
  • Could this Pokemon have a significant impact on bulkier/defensive teams?
Explanation: So why is it important for us to punish an opponent's attacks? Generation 7 is a very trigger-happy rush down metagame and battles are often very forgiving and allow for a lot of big offensive misplays to be easily shrugged off, over aggressive play like not using the optimal defender for a situation and switching a Pokemon out when the situation calls for it just so one can do extra damage, things like taking pointless risks in hopes of reaching your end goal faster is something that is quite easy to get away with, I for one know that I'm guilty of this, but people should not be able to it without getting punished; if you mess up there should be consequences for it and one should not be able to sweep it under the rug. Punishing people's attacks also helps someone recover from a sweep by whittling down or even crippling the enemy. A useful side effect of punishing offensive players is the fact that it will force a lot of offensive Pokemon to switch, thus paving the way for another Pokemon on your team to set up.

We've only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways of punishing most attackers as it's only really been done to physical mons via Rough Skin/Iron Barbs/Spikey Sheild or with the use of a Rocky Helmet, so Special Attackers have usually gone scot-free, this unexplored area gives us a lot of room for creativity. We don't just have to punish opposing players with a single move or ability, sometimes when you factor in an item, an ability/move can be given a new purpose; things like Eject Button + Regenerator have been really punishing in the past, one of the most successful examples were Eject Button Toxapex + Dugtrio, as Toxapex was able to punish Z Move abusers by getting hit and then using the Eject Button to switch into a trapper like Dugtrio. This is obviously just one example and there are many more ways of punishment out there, we just have to get a little creative as we don't just have to limit ourselves to things like Pain Split and Iron Barbs/Rough Skin.
 
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  • Name - Save me from the darkness
  • Description - A Pokemon that define its usage by one ability that is very strong but is currently unseen
  • Justification - This concept falls under the category Actualization
    • Actualization: At the moment there are some abilities that are very powerful (like Simple, No Guard or Tinted Lens) but they have not a good users. This will help us to know which abilities have a good potential and which are simply too powerful
  • Questions To Be Answered
    • How can we recognize if an ability is strong?
    • What make these abilities so strong?
    • Why have these abilities currently no usage? What can we do to show them the of lights of the meta?
    • Which roles/playstyles will benefit the most from these abilities?
    • How can these abilities be useful to the CAP metagame? How can the meta answer to them?
    • How much support can they provide to their user or to the team?
  • Explanation - While, during the past generations, some abilities like Mold Breaker or Flash Fire gained some good users in Excadrill or Heatran, other abilities like Coumpound Eyes or Stamina hadn't the same luck being locked into unviable users.
    Also some of these abilities like Speed Boost have been badly balanced, making one of its user overpower or have an user that can't use it due to their different nature (for example, Toxapex can't use Merciless because is not enough offensive).
If this idea would be chosen (which I would totally support, my first concept idea was really similar to this but I saw someone ninja'd me with it) we REALLY have to look out not to make the user too powerful. I once made a fakemon romhack of Ruby with a pseudo-legendary with Simple, Quiver Dance, and Dragon Dance. AKA Aurumoth on steroids. Needless to say, if that Pokémon were to exist on Smogon, I think Mega Rayquaza would get some company in AG.

Overall this idea looks really good to me. Quite a lot of abilities with great potential are never seen outside of OMs like Averagemons and Scalemons purely because their users don't have the stats to make use of them or just suck in general. These include the mentioned Stamina, Merciless, CompoundEyes, No Guard and Simple (Speed Boost to an extent, but tbh Blaziken has shown that if that's put on an actually good mon it'd get banned) but I could see other abilities like Flare Boost, Rattled, Fur Coat, Weak Armor, Hustle and even Wonder Guard be useful. Corrosion would probably be very useful on a bulkier stallbreaker too, as Salazzle doesn't really use it much (most of the time it just Fire Blasts those pesky steels to hell)
 

Take Azelfie

More flags more fun
  • Name - Glue it together
  • Description - A Pokemon whose set up requires using a combination of moves and abilities that aren't normally available to a unique advantage
  • Justification (Actualisation): This is an Actualization because it allows us to take a look at these combinations that normally can't be executed correctly either due to the to Pokemon itself or the overall effectiveness in its state. This can allow us to take a deeper look at how well some of these obscure interactions work with each other.
  • Questions To Be Answered
    • What combo pieces work in tandem with each other to create these win conditions? What distinguishes these from a more standard stat boost and attack moveset.
    • What success were Riolu and Liepard be able to accomplish in the past? What were their downfalls and their succeses?
    • How impactful is using all of the pieces to the combo as opposed to only using parts of it? Are there going to be matchups where the pieces aren't necessary to be effective?
    • What Pokemon or moves would interrupt this combo? Should this Pokemon be able to work around it.
  • Explanation:
    • Combinations such as TactiCat (A combination of Copycat + Prankster + Dark Pulse) have always intrigued me and its a shame there aren't moves that combo into eachother in such a unique way that this Pokemon can do. Another example might be with (Roar + Copycat+Pranksrer) Riolu in Generation 5 where it could constantly phaze out threats, Heal Block + Trapping moves is also a unique combination accomplished by Pajantom. There are also some other theoretical combinations such as Terrain + Prankster + Nature Power, Red Card + Trapping Move + Leech Seed, or Seed + Terrain + Unburden, Electrify + Cell Battery + Volt Absorb / Lightning Rod / Motor Drive
 
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  • Name - Snow or Shine (or Sand)
  • Description - A Pokemon that abuses 2 weather conditions for different effects
  • Justification - Currently in CAP, there is only one form of weather that is really worth using: rain, and only one really type of weather abuser: offensive sweeper. This concept means to address both of these issues by creating a new niche for two weather conditions. This concept would fill the archetype of a weather abuser, but I feel it also fits into the Actualization category as it would also aim to create a new role for a weather abuser for 1 or more different weather conditions.
  • Questions To Be Answered
    • Why are hail, sun, and sand underrepresented in the current metagame?
    • What makes rain the best weather condition currently?
    • How can this CAP encourage the use of other weather conditions? What do hail, sun, and/or sand need? Sweepers? Setters? Walls?
    • What weather effects are underutilized? How can we successfully use these effects?
    • How can one Pokemon utilize different weather conditions for different effects and sets?
    • Should this Pokemon be able to function outside of weather-based teams? If so, what niche would it need to fulfill? If it sets it's own weather, is it enough to abuse the weather condition on its own?
  • Explanation - For those who don't fully see how a not-sweeper weather abuser could work, take Lileep in LC for example. Lileep, mainly back in BW and XY as sand is quite uncommon in SM, is on most sand teams, as it can abuse its Rock-typing to boost Special Defense, the passive damage from sand, and its access to Recover and Toxic to become a weather abusing wall. Another possible interaction would be running Ferrothorn on rain teams to semi-nullify its Fire weakness. Not only typings are underexplored though! There are many moves, items, and of course abilities that can be used to abuse different weather conditions in a way that no Pokemon really does currently.
 
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These Shackles Make Me Mortal: This concept is a very simple concept, and that's not a bad thing. The simplicity and breathing room of this concept grants a lot of possibilities and can result in a very fun Pokemon. I think your concept needs more examples of this being achieved and really give a visual image for "God-Like Strengths" and "Overwhelming weaknesses".
edited to reflect this!
 
Name - The Cooler Daniel
  • Description - A Pokemon that explores copying/stealing moves seldom seen in the metagame
  • Justification - Actualization: Currently in CAP and the Pokemon metagame as a whole, many copying moves are disregarded in place of the more powerful Transform or the ability Imposter, the first of which gives the user access to stats, typing, and a full move-pool, while the second does not require a turn to activate. This fits under the Actualization category because it allows the community to explore these rarely used moves and learn about a concept that benefits from them.

  • Questions To Be Answered -
    • What role can copying moves play in the metagame?
    • What features of specific Pokemon are dangerous for opposing Pokemon to possess?
    • What features make Pokemon viable?
    • How many turns can be sacrificed for enhancement?
    • What benefits can partial transformations provide over the move Transform and the ability Imposter?
    • What extent does the lack of duplication of certain abilities (Wonder Guard, Shields Down, Disguise) provide towards a user?
    • How does team construction react to facing its own Pokemon?
  • Explanation - The Transform team has always been interesting. Ditto is the one-trick pony we all know and love, but there's little it can provide to the metagame. Mew learns Transform, but it possesses many better moves as a setup lead or late-game sweeper, and rarely sees usage. Smeargle is... interesting. It's only valid Transform set is on 1v1, where it uses a combination of Spore, Imprison, and Transform to nullify an opponents moves and force them to struggle. None of these show particular room for growth in the metagame. On the other hand, there is a wide array of moves and abilities that softly steal an opponents traits. Reflect Type can give the user the typing of an opponent, which is wonderful against well-typed Pokemon or against Pokemon immune to their moves (Becoming grass type against a Spore user); Heart Swap can steal an opponent's stats while getting rid of any Intimidate or Sticky Web debuffs; Role Play can duplicate good abilities like Gale Wings or Immunity abilities; the list goes on. A Pokemon being able to explore these moves, and be able to choose from among them during creation, would be a wonderful concept to explore within the CAP metagame.
  • EDIT: Some have asked that I include a list of potential duplication/cloning moves, and while the original post recommends not including moves unless the concept is centered on them, I will include them as they are (a.) Aspects of the Concept and (b.) Are so large in quantity that they exist only as a guide. Perhaps more exist beyond those listed.
  • EDIT 2: Upon a reread of the rules, the warning against Movepool inclusion has caused me to remove the list. Aside from the concept being based off transformation moves other than Transform, I have removed all personal input on move choice.
  • EDIT 3: Upon discussion with DrapionSwing, I have expanded copying to stealing. This is in reference to moves like Power Split and Heart Swap, which not only give the user benefits, but detriment the attacker. My more indepth sample explanation is included as a spoiler below.
The premise of The Cooler Daniel is exploring WHAT makes Pokemon good, and what makes them stop. The best way I think I’d intro the concept is by hypothetical example. Unfortunately, any example would list a specific move, and not be allowed, but this isn’t official so I’ll put one here. This example involves the specific move Reflect Type.

CB Kartana begins Leaf Blade wrecking CAP24’s team
CAP24 gets to switch in, uses Reflect Type
Kartana must now switch because it’s move is now .25 times as effective

Here, what made Kartana good was the defensive value of its typing against an opponent. Transform would have taken the whole kit-and-kaboodle of Kartana, when all the player needed was a good Grass resist. I’ll put another example, with Power Split.

Slaking begins slowly killing CAP24’s team
CAP24 switches in, and uses Power Split

Here, the primary draw of Slaking was its attack stat, which is now lowered (presuming we make a mon with less attack than Slaking), and CAP24 is now just as strong. In fact, if CAP24 was a Transform user, it would have been burdened with Truant, but because the only stolen feature was base ATK stats, it maintains its old ability.

CAP24 being able to explore the many stealable traits of Pokemon (Typing through Reflect Type, (Special) Attack through Power Split, (Special) Defense through Guard Split, Stats through the many Swap moves/Psych Up, Ability through Copycat, etc..) would be interesting to see why we like the Pokémon we do. In the current meta, I love to run SpAtk Nidoking because Sheerforce Earthpower is wonderful- yet I have no care for its physical bias stat spread. What made it good was not it’s stats per se, but it’s ability, typing, and movepool. Being able to explore and capitalize on these strengths in the meta would be fantastic, and answer questions about a lot of the common Pokemon in the tier (Is Prankster the saving grace of Tomohawk, or its typing? Or its movepool? What about Tornadus-Therian? Is it its ability? Is Toxapex bulky by stats? By type? By regenerator?). I love the concept of exploring these little used moves to reveal how Pokemon tick, and how we can use that to our advantage in battle.

~Professor Mesquite
 
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Name: This Isn't Even My Final Form

Description:

This Pokemon utilizes one or more mid-battle form changes to change its role depending on the opponent's team and the way the battle has progressed.

Justification:

In-battle form changes aside from Mega Evolution have a low presence in most non-Ubers metagames. Many Pokemon that change formes in battle are terrible (Castform, Cherrim) or choose to forego the ability to change forms because their base forms are stronger (Darmanitan, Meloetta). Other form changes are only available on Pokemon with Ubers-level stats (Zygarde-Complete, Ultra Necrozma). And while Mega Evolution is a form change, very few Pokemon that mega evolve utilize both the pre-Mega and post-Mega forms.

As such, this is an actualization project, adding a unique, rarely-seen mechanic to the CAP metagame. There are currently very few Pokemon in the CAP meta that utilize multiple forms in one battle (Ash-Greninja and maybe Crucibelle) and this mechanic has not been fully explored.

Questions to be Answered:
  • How can we make a mid-game transformation desirable? Why would someone want to change what their Pokemon does midway through a battle?
  • How can we make both forms valuable in different ways? How do we avoid making a Pokemon that just prefers to stay in its normal form (Darmanitan) or to always transform to another one (most megas)?
  • How could the CAP be distinguished from existing form changing mons such as Greninja, Aegislash, and Necrozma?
  • Do we run a risk of making this Pokemon too versatile? It is worth noting that some of the Pokemon with this ability, particularly Aegislash, have effectively gotten the benefits of both forms with neither of the drawbacks, which in turn made them stupidly broken.
  • Should the user be able to switch back and forth between forms, or should the change be permanent? Most existing Pokemon with the ability to transform in battle feature a permanent change, but there are exceptions, such as Wishiwashi, Meloetta, and Aegislash.
  • How many alternate forms should the Pokemon have? All existing in-battle changes only feature two different forms at a time, but some Pokemon have more than two forms total, such as Pokemon with two Mega Evolutions.
  • What mechanic(s) of form change should be used?
Explanation:

As the generations have progressed, Gamefreak has repeatedly broken the rules for what it means for Pokemon to have different forms and the mechanics governing those forms. In Gen 1, form changes did not exist at all, and the two genders of Nidoran were implemented as different Pokemon entirely. Gens 2 and 3 allowed the appearances of Pokemon and even their stats/typings to change, introducing things like Unown, Spinda, and Castform. Gens 4 and 5 added additional in-battle form changes besides Castform such as Cherrim and Zen Mode Darmanitan. And the two recent generations have innovated even more on this mechanic, adding several additional Pokemon that change forms based on health, such as Minior and Zygarde-Complete, but also creating new ways to change forms in battle such as Mega Evolution, which the user can trigger at will; Ash Greninja, which can transform after netting a kill; Aegislash, which can change forms depending on the moves it uses; and, most recently, Ultra Burst, a dramatic version of Mega Evolution that completely changes a Pokemon's stats.

As a result, this concept has an insane amount of possibilities. Form changes using existing mechanics include:
  • changes based on weather (ex. Castform, Cherrim).
  • changes based on health (ex. Darmanitan, Minior, Zygarde, Wishiwashi).
  • changes if it kills an enemy (ex. Greninja).
  • changes depending on the moves the user uses (ex. Meloetta, Aegislash).
  • changes if the user clicks a button to change forms (Megas, Ultra Burst).
The most interesting one is probably Ultra Burst, which allows a Pokemon to undergo a drastic type and stat change if it holds a specific Z-Crystal. Here are some of the potential transformations with Ultra Burst:
  • a defensive Pokemon that Ultra Bursts into an offensive threat (similar to Dusk Mane / Ultra Necrozma) when it is low on health or is no longer needed defensively
  • an offensive Pokemon that Ultra Bursts into a defensive threat when it is walled or in the face of a revenge killer
  • a supportive Pokemon that sets some sort of in-battle effect such as weather, terrain, or a room, then Ultra Bursts into a potential abuser of that effect
  • a defensive Pokemon that Ultra Bursts to gain a different typing or ability that allows it to check different threats
  • an offensive Pokemon that Ultra Bursts to gain different STAB moves or a different ability that could allow it to sweep better against specific teams
There are many other options that don't use Ultra Burst, however. Most of the above niches can also be achieved with a Mega Evolution, though the BST limits make it much more restrictive than Ultra Burst. A Pokemon that transforms by using a specific move or transforms based on its health could also be adapted a million different ways; for example, there are several other concepts mentioned in this thread (Berserker, Snow or Shine, and The Eternal Chameleon are examples) that could be achieved this way. It's even possible to combine multiple methods of form changes, such as having a Mega Evolving Pokemon that transforms into a third form if it goes below a certain amount of health.

With that said, this proposal does have some issues. Some methods of form changing may test the limits the "we are using Gamefreak's toolbox" rule. For example: Ultra Burst, as a mechanic, is unique to Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma. Are we able to adapt this item and the z-crystal it requires to another Pokemon? The same issues exist with form-changing moves and abilities. If the concept runs into these problems, however, it can always be limited only to Mega Evolution, which is 100 percent legal and still allows the essence of the concept to be preserved if the Pokemon is designed right.

form doesn't even sound like a word anymore
 
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Name - The Cooler Daniel
  • Description - A Pokemon that explores copying moves seldom seen in the metagame
Ok, so, besides the fact that this is really similar to a WIP I was planning on finishing today and had already posted *grumbles about reading original posting rules* would you be able to provide a full list of what are considered "copying moves." So, for example, I can assume intuitively moves like Mimic are on there, but what about Mirror Move? Assist? Additionally, you've listed heart swap, which isn't a copying move persay, but a boost stealing move. Something more along the lines of copying would be Psych Up, but you haven't listed that so I don't know if that's anything being considered.
 
The Super Stat Boost Thief: Similar to Counter Setup/Cheeky Leg-Up, I would work on addressing the benefits of having this pokemon in our metagame. From both a process and metagame point of view.
Edited, and tweaked slightly to be imply more openness and give more opportunities to learn from and about the metagame.
Thank you. :)
 
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