CAP 9 Prevo - Ability Discussion

[Quanyails]

It's time to decide on ability! Colossoil's abilities are Rebound/Guts/Unnerve. What will its pre-evo's ability be? Please nominate sets of abilities in Ability 1/Ability 2/Hidden Ability order. For instance, if you wanted to replace Rebound with Anger Point, you should submit the set Anger Point/Guts/Unnerve.

Keep in mind the following additional rules for submitting sets of abilities:

• As Rebound is a custom element, it is not eligible for the pre-evolution's abilities.
• Ability 1 and Ability 2 must have existed in Gen. IV.
• Hidden Ability must have existed in Gen. V.

You have 72 hours to discuss!

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Design:

Typing: Ground

 

[spookysocialist]

Run Away/Guts/Unnerve

Run away seems like an ability that would be on a prevo and be changed upon evolution. Also fits with design since it seems like this little guy could just dig to escape a fight.

 

[kjnjkmjk1]

Nominating Thick Fat/Guts/Sand Rush.

Out of the still-eligible abilities from Colossoil, I think at least Unnerve should be switched out, as it is definitely not as unnerving as Colossoil. It seems a lot less gutsy as well, although I think Guts is more believable than Unnerve, and it provides at least some continuity across the evolution line.
To replace Unnerve, I think sand-based abilities would fit well, given all the sand-related flavor. Sand Rush is the one I think works best purely from a flavor perspective, as it literally rushes through the sand as it digs through it.
As for the Rebound replacement, I think Thick Fat fits a beluga the best, while also providing a sort of transition into Rebound.

EDIT: There are some good points about Unnerve being more common than I thought, so I'm also nominating Thick Fat/Guts/Unnerve.

 

[StarFalcon555]

Sand Veil/Guts/Unnerve

Sand Veil seems to work very well for this little fella. I could just imagine it using its little fins to kick up a cloud of dust and evade predators. And it could work thematically with its personality change upon evolution: it goes from using the sand to hide to becoming brave and bouncing the sand off.

I've already seen suggestions to replace Guts or Unnerve because it looks too cute for both. But if Shinx and Taillow can have Guts, and if Joltik and Rookidee can have Unnerve, then I think that this guy can have both.

 

[Mr Geets]

Hustle/Guts/Unnerve

Hustle has been used often as an ability that is replaced on evolution (an example available in gen 4 is Remoraid > Octillery) and fits well enough with the design.

Unnerve I think is fine since the only prevo that doesn't have it is Larvitar (which is an anomaly since Pupitar only has Shed Skin). If Meowth can get it anything can.

I was considering Sand Veil/Force/Rush but again the only mon that loses one of these upon evolution is Larvitar. I find it hard to believe that Colossoil, with such strong sand flavor, would lose one of these abilities while evolving.

EDIT: I think the same reasoning ("Why would Colossoil lose this?") applies to Thick Fat as well (hell it's even fatter) and should be looked at for all ability submissions in addition to the prevo's flavour.

 

[dex]

Oblivious/Guts/Unnerve

I look at the prevo and see a cute, confused little whale. So I'm subbing Oblivious for that.

 

[JJslem]

Sand Rush/Own Tempo/Unnerve

It is a little whale, I'm not giving it offensive abilities but ones that will help it in battle. And at least I kept one of the original abilities.

 

[Jewvia]

Voicing my support for Hustle. Nidorin@, Remoraid, Combee, Darumaka, Rufflet, and Zweilous all lose Hustle. The only Pokemon that evolve and don't lose it are the Togepi line and Rattata (Also Deino/Nidoran technically.)

I also feel that Oblivious works here. Our little Prevo looks a little thickheaded, and its design is not unlike other thickheaded Pokemon like Wailmer or Numel (the latter of which loses it for Magma Armor).

Guts/Unnerve are fine to keep too.

 

[Mr Geets]

Sand Rush/Own Tempo/Unnerve

It is a little whale, I'm not giving it offensive abilities but ones that will help it in battle. And at least I kept one of the original abilities.

I don't think Sand Rush is allowed (it was introduced in BW)

 

[StarFalcon555]

I don't think Sand Rush is allowed (it was introduced in BW)

https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Sand_Rush_(Ability)

You are indeed correct.

 

[Quanyails]

I think Oblivious is a good match, since the other whale Pokemon line (Wailmer) has it. Thick Fat is an option, since the Seel and Spheal lines have it. Numel loses Oblivious and Pignite loses Thick Fat, so it seems more natural for it to be an ability that gets lose upon evolving.

I also think that Sand Veil is a great thematic fit, since Hippopotas and Gible both get it, but it's weird for the pre-evo to get Sand Veil but then lose it upon evolution, since Colossoil isn't any less sandy (or soil-y) than the pre-evo.

I think Guts can stay, since a lot of pre-evolutions get it and there's not really a design component (more of a personality one).

Unnerve I think can go either way. Unnerve replaces a lot of Pokemon's abilities upon evolution, but a lot of pre-evolved forms keep it, too. If Meowth and Litleo are unnerving, why not Colossoil's pre-evo? But I can see the other case, too, since pre-evos like Teddiursa and Stufful gain Unnerve upon evolving. I'm not too sure what is a good ability to replace it with, though, that makes flavor sense. Oblivious -> Unnerve?

With that in mind, here are my suggestions for sets of abilities:

• Oblivious/Guts/Unnerve
• Thick Fat/Guts/Unnerve
• Thick Fat/Guts/Oblivious

 

[StarFalcon555]

I also think that Sand Veil is a great thematic fit, since Hippopotas and Gible both get it

I really hate to act like a know-it-all, but Hippopotas gets Sand Force, not Sand Veil.

Anyways, to give this post a little bit more sustenance, I'm also going to make another submission in Own Tempo/Guts/Unnerve. Own Tempo has a lot of the same flavor reasons as Oblivious (which I also like) but I feel Own Tempo fits Babysoil's personality a bit more. It's not dumb, it's just easygoing.

 

[MrDollSteak]

I'm going to echo Quanyail's arguments in favour of Oblivious replacing Rebound as well as maintaining Unnerve. I can also see an argument for Thick Fat replacing Guts because of its roundness. As such I am proposing Oblivious/Thick Fat/Unnerve as a further contender. I think having two different abilities is fitting considering it also lacks a secondary Dark typing, showing how much this little Beluga already changes upon evolving. I believe Unnerve is the best ability to keep due to its flavour independence.

 

[Mova]

Since Rebound is not allowed, I guess replacing it with Thick Fat and retaining everything else wouldn't be too bad, but I can also see this design getting Oblivious in that spot.

 

[G-Luke]

I support swapping Rebound with Oblivious, we have little choice in that matter. I on the other hand do not support Unnerve's removal. Its rare for 3 ability Pokemon to change multiple abilities upon evolution, and I think we ought to keep it that way here.

 

[TheCV]

Hustle/Guts/Oblivious makes the most sense to me. It doesn't seem to be that fat, Own Tempo just seems like a poor fit to me, and nothing about this thing is unnerving. That said, if either Blorenge's or Mos's design had won, I'd definitely be going for a Thick Fat/Guts/Unnerve slate.

 

[Slapperfish]

Mirroring my support for Thick Fat or Oblivious as suitable replacements for Rebound, and keeping the other two abilities as they are. While CAP doesn't tend to deal in the Japanese translations of names, I'd just like to point out that Oblivious' Japanese name is "Thickheaded." Even if we go more literal than figurative with the meaning, it actually ends up working perfectly, seeing as belugas are known for the pronounced melon at the front of their heads.

 

[Empress]

Changing abilities upon evolution is actually pretty uncommon in Pokemon, even if the evolution looks drastically different than the prevo. I don't see any reason to change Guts or Unnerve; the prevo here still looks pretty large, so I can see it being intimidating. The angle of its eye does give it a derpy look, so I'll throw my support behind Oblivious.

Still, my first instinct was to replace Rebound with Unaware, so I'd like to hear from you guys if Unaware would make for a good option. It implies thickheadedness, and it even fits with Colossoil's original concept of discouraging status moves. With Unaware, don't even think about trying to boost up on this prevo!

 

[kjnjkmjk1]

Despite having submitted a set of abilities that removed Unnerve, I think I prefer keeping Guts/Unnerve at this point. With a bunch of examples of Pokemon that don't necessarily fit the "mold" of either ability but still keep them, maintaining the continuity of the abilities across the line seems like the best option.

As for the various abilities that have been proposed to replace Rebound:
I'm obviously biased, since I submitted Thick Fat, but I still think it has its good flavor qualities in transitioning to Rebound while matching the prevo itself, and there is an example of this happening with the Tepig/Pignite -> Emboar example that Quanyails brought up.
I still like sand abilities here, and since Sand Veil is the only ability eligible here (besides Sand Stream, but that's a whole can of worms I'm not willing to open), I think it'd be a good replacement as well.
I'm OK with Oblivious, mainly because it fits on the prevo and is a connection to Wailmer/Wailord.
I'm pretty ambivalent on Run Away and Hustle, as well as Own Tempo and Unaware. I think they could all fit, but I think I prefer the other ones listed just above. Own Tempo and Unaware in particular lose the connection with the other whale line.

 

[Quanyails]

Thank you for the discussion, everyone! From what people have said, we're largely in favor of preserving Guts and Unnerve on the pre-evolution, and we're interested in the following sets of abilities in place of Rebound. I've confirmed with DHR that these sets of abilities are the ones that will polled.

Hustle/Guts/Unnerve
Oblivious/Guts/Unnerve
Sand Veil/Guts/Unnerve
Thick Fat/Guts/Unnerve