(changes are underlined)
Name of the Pokemon: Swampert
Role(s): Stallbreaker, Set-up Sweeper
Type:
Abilities: Torrent /
Poison Heal
New Stat Distribution: 100/100/
95/
80/
65/60 (500 BST)
New Movepool Additions: High Horsepower
New Movepool Removals: Earthquake
Name of the Pokemon: Swampert-Mega
Role(s): Wallbreaker, Set-up Sweeper
Type:
Ability: Tough Claws
New Stat Distribution: 100/
140/
125/80/65/
90 (+40 Atk, +30 Def, +30 Spe)
Justification: With these changes, Swampert is more vulnerable to special attacks, specifically Sharpedo-Mega (which it gets 2HKO’d by, assuming max HP and low SpD investment). Additionally, replacing Earthquake with Drill Run neuters Swampert’s offensive presence by making it checked by Cofagrigus while making Swampert-Mega more viable with Tough Claws.
Name of the Pokemon: Ninjask
Role(s): Priority Abuser, Revenge Killer,
Mixed Attacker, Hazard Control
Type:
Abilities: Infiltrator /
Technician
Stat Distribution: 70/
90/
60/
90/
60/
135 (500 BST)
New Movepool Additions: Razor Wind*, Aqua Jet
New Movepool Removals: Air Cutter
Custom Elements: Razor Wind: Flying-type Confusion clone, with 20% chance to paralyze
Justification: Ninjask is overcentralizing because of its powerful Water Shurikens and Air Cutters. With a significant drop in Special Attack and raise in Attack, it balances its offensive presence while offering a physical set to play around, thanks to the addition of Aqua Jet. Razor Wind replaces Air Cutter to further reduce special power, and a slight reduction in bulk makes it more vulnerable.
Name of the Pokemon: Trapinch
Role(s): Choice Band, Trapper,
Psuedo-Trapper
Type:
Abilities: Hyper Cutter / Arena Trap /
Menace
Stat Distribution: 75/100/
75/
25/
75/
30 (380 BST)
Custom Elements: Menace: Lowers the opponent's highest base stat by 1 on switch-in
Justification: Trapinch's main problem is that having Ground and Dark as a defensive typing, as well as a terrible speed tier, makes it weak to more than half the meta. The addition of Menace and a bit of bulk alleviates this by lowering Attack from Swampert and Pangoro; Defense from Forretress, Cofagrigus, and Tapu Bulu; and so on.
Name of the Pokemon: Pangoro
Role(s): Wallbreaker, Pursuit Trapper,
Revenge Killer
Type:
Abilities: Iron Fist /
Intimidate /
Sap Sipper
Stat Distribution: 81/110/93/62/80/84 (510 BST)
New Movepool Additions: Mach Punch, Sucker Punch, U-Turn
Justification: Pangoro looks solid on paper... until you realize there is only one trappable Psychic in Poipole and five Fairies in the metagame. U-Turn allows Pangoro to be more versatile, and the addition of Mach Punch and Sucker Punch gives it great priority moves, the former especially with all of the Dark types in the tier. While Pangoro still struggles with physical walls such as Milotic (especially if Pangoro has Intimidate), Tapu Bulu, and Audino-Mega, it cements itself better by being a more menacing wallbreaker and revenge killer.
Name of the Pokemon: Audino
Role(s): Mixed Wall, Set-up Check, Cleric
Type:
Abilities: Aroma Veil /
Unaware /
Natural Cure
Stat Distribution: 125/60/80/95/80/50 (490 BST)
New Movepool Removals: All Fire-type attacks
Justification: Audino is a great Unaware user with its good mixed bulk and defensive typing, allowing Nihilego to run Levitate. It's still threatened by Steel and Poison-types like Metagross, Poipole, and Celesteela, and is somewhat susceptible to poison.
Name of the Pokemon: Unown
Role(s): Special Attacker, Choice Specs,
Hazard Control
Type:
Abilities: Psychic Surge
Stat Distribution: 57/93/42/123/82/103 (500 BST)
New Movepool Additions: Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Psychic, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Icy Wind, Rapid Spin, Mystical Fire
New Movepool Removals: V-Create, Judgement, Glare, Yawn, Recover, Stealth Rock, Quiver Dance, Ice Beam
Justification: I have no idea what kind of reasoning was used here: how is it walled by Mew when Mew always uses a physically defensive set? How is it walled by Audino-Mega when it has Quiver Dance and Recover? How is it walled by Dark-types when it can just use a Fairy Judgement? Half of these moves don't make any flavor sense, either, which makes me question why anyone voted for this in the first place (no offense). This movepool change makes it much less overpowered and overcentralizing, properly walled by Dark types, while allowing it to fulfill good roles like beating Swampert, helping Poipole, and being an offensive spinner.
Name of the Pokemon: Flaaffy
Role(s): Mixed Wall, Cleric,
Hazard Control
Type: (flying sheep lul)
Abilities: Natural Cure / Static /
Fluffy
Stat Distribution: 100/55/
40/
90/70/
60 (415 BST)
New Movepool Additions: Air Slash, Defog, Tailwind
New Movepool Removals: Dazzling Gleam, Moonlight
Justification: Flaaffy's typing makes it compete heavily (and lose) with Audino-Mega as a cleric. Making Flaafy a Flying type instead gives it a one up on the Ground-types in the tier like Swampert and Trapinch. Fluffy makes it a great physical wall, though also giving it a weakness to Sharpedo-Mega. It also gains a weakness to Stealth Rock and becomes neutral to Knock Off, limiting its ability to switch in.